Understanding dental disease in pet rabbits, a major welfare problem, and prevention through appropriate diet and care.
Rabbit dental disease is one of the most prevalent and preventable welfare problems in companion animals. The fundamental cause in many cases is inadequate hay consumption: without the abrasive wearing action of long-stem grass hay, rabbit teeth overgrow and misalign, causing progressive painful malocclusion. Pellet and vegetable-based diets that are nutritionally balanced but lack the mechanical wearing of hay create dental disease even in genetically predisposed rabbits. Prevention through hay-based diet is far more welfare-positive and economically rational than repeated dental procedures under anesthesia. Owner education about rabbit dietary requirements, which differ fundamentally from common assumptions, is the most important welfare intervention for companion rabbit populations.