Dental disease is the most common health problem in rabbits, causing chronic pain and often going undetected until advanced, with hay provision being the most important preventive measure.
Rabbit dental disease represents a chronic pain syndrome that is extraordinarily common and largely preventable. The evolutionary mismatch between commercial rabbit diets (pellets, fruits, vegetables) and the fibrous grass diet that maintains proper dental wear is the primary driver. Rabbits eating insufficient hay develop malocclusion, molar spurs, and eventually root abscessation - processes that cause chronic pain that stoic rabbit behavior masks until disease is advanced. Many owners discover dental disease only when rabbits stop eating - a late-stage indicator of significant suffering. The welfare improvement from hay-based diets is well established and requires only owner education about nutritional priorities.