How dental disease affects rabbit welfare and the critical role of diet in prevention.
Rabbit dental disease is a welfare crisis hidden in plain sight. The animals are stoic, their dental anatomy is invisible without specialist examination, and the most common error — feeding primarily pellets and vegetables rather than hay — is widespread even among well-intentioned owners. By the time behavioral signs of dental pain appear — reduced eating, facial swelling, drooling, or tooth grinding — significant disease has typically already developed. Prevention through correct diet is dramatically more effective and less costly than treatment, which often involves repeated general anesthesia and dental procedures. Rabbit welfare education that places unlimited hay at the center of husbandry advice prevents enormous suffering.