Rabbit Dental Disease: A Hidden Welfare Crisis

How dental disease causes widespread chronic suffering in domestic rabbits and what owners need to know to protect their animals.

Key Facts

Dental disease affects an estimated 75% of domestic rabbits at some point in their lives
Rabbit teeth are continuously growing — misalignment causes spurs, abscesses, and eventually inability to eat
The primary cause is insufficient dietary hay, which provides the lateral grinding motion teeth require
Genetics plays a role — lop breeds and dwarf rabbits have disproportionately higher dental disease rates
Dental disease in rabbits is painful, progressive, and expensive to manage long-term

Welfare Considerations

Dental disease is the silent epidemic of rabbit ownership. Because rabbits conceal pain and continue eating until they physically cannot, dental disease is often advanced by the time it is recognised. The pain of dental spurs piercing the tongue and cheeks, abscesses developing around tooth roots, and the inability to chew properly is significant and chronic. Yet most dental disease in rabbits is preventable: a diet consisting primarily of hay provides the chewing action that grinds teeth evenly and prevents malalignment. The shift away from muesli mixes and pellets toward unlimited good-quality hay is the single most impactful welfare intervention available to most rabbit owners.

What You Can Do

Ensure rabbits have unlimited access to good-quality hay, which should make up 80-90% of their diet
Schedule annual veterinary dental examinations including a thorough mouth examination
Avoid muesli-mix diets that allow selective feeding of less fibrous components
Learn to recognise signs of dental pain in rabbits including weight loss, wet dewlap, and reduced grooming
Be aware that lop and dwarf breeds have higher dental disease risk and require particularly careful monitoring