Dental disease is the most common and welfare-significant health condition in pet rabbits, largely preventable through appropriate husbandry.
Rabbit dental disease represents a preventable welfare crisis largely caused by inappropriate diet. Rabbits evolved as continuous grazers on high-fiber, abrasive plant material — their continuously growing teeth require this material to wear correctly. Pellet-based diets without adequate hay create malocclusion through insufficient tooth wear, leading to painful spurs and ulcers that make eating increasingly difficult. The pain of untreated dental disease is chronic and progressive. Regular veterinary dental monitoring enables early detection and burring of spurs before severe disease develops. For lop breeds with inherent dental vulnerability, proactive monitoring is essential from a young age.