Rabbit Dental Disease: Prevention and Treatment

Dental disease is the most common health problem in pet rabbits, causing chronic pain and reduced lifespan. Understanding the link between diet, anatomy, and dental health is essential for rabbit owners.

Key Facts

Rabbit teeth grow continuously throughout life and require constant grinding of fibrous material to wear correctly
A diet insufficient in hay — which should comprise 80-90% of food intake — leads to malocclusion and molar spurs
Dental disease causes pain that reduces grooming, food intake, and faecal caecotrope consumption
Secondary problems including gut stasis, skin problems, and weight loss frequently result from dental disease
Skull radiography or CT scanning is necessary to fully assess the extent of dental disease
Dental procedures in rabbits require general anaesthesia and carry significant anaesthetic risk

Welfare Considerations

Rabbit dental disease is often invisible to owners until the animal is visibly unwell — at which point significant chronic pain has frequently already occurred. The connection between inappropriate diet and dental disease is well established, making this largely a preventable welfare problem. Rabbits in the wild spend many hours grinding fibrous vegetation; pet rabbits eating primarily pellets cannot maintain correct tooth wear.

What You Can Do

Provide unlimited good-quality grass hay as the primary component of your rabbit's diet
Reduce pellet portions significantly — a tablespoon per kilogram of body weight is sufficient
Supplement with fresh leafy greens and herbs rather than sugary fruits and vegetables
Weigh your rabbit monthly and watch for reduced food intake or changes in droppings
Schedule annual dental checks with a rabbit-savvy vet, including molar examination
Seek veterinary care immediately if your rabbit stops eating or shows reduced caecotrope consumption