Dental disease is the most significant health and welfare problem in companion rabbits, with malocclusion and overgrown teeth causing chronic pain that is frequently unrecognized and undertreated by owners and even veterinarians.
Rabbit dental welfare is the most critical single welfare issue for companion rabbits and the one most commonly missed. Rabbits evolved for grass-based diets providing hours of long-fiber chewing daily; this chewing wears teeth at the rate they grow, maintaining appropriate occlusion throughout life. Diets based on commercial pellets and vegetables rather than hay allow teeth to overgrow, leading to dental disease that causes chronic pain affecting eating, behavior, and overall welfare for years before it becomes visible. By the time owners notice problems — drooling, weight loss, reluctance to eat — disease is typically advanced. The preventive message is simple: hay must be the primary food, not a supplement.