Rabbit Dental Disease: Prevention and Long-term Management

Dental disease is the most common health problem in pet rabbits, often resulting from inappropriate diet, causing chronic pain that owners frequently fail to recognise.

Key Facts

An estimated 75% of pet rabbits develop dental disease in their lifetime - most related to insufficient hay consumption
Rabbit teeth grow continuously - without hay to wear them, teeth become overgrown and misaligned (malocclusion)
Dental pain in rabbits is difficult to detect - they hide illness instinctively as prey animals, often eating until late in disease
Root elongation of cheek teeth can impinge on the eye socket causing exophthalmos (bulging eye) and dacryocystitis (tearduct infection)
Most pet rabbits are fed primarily on nuggets and pellets - a diet that provides insufficient tooth wear compared to hay and grass

Welfare Considerations

Rabbit dental disease is largely a welfare problem created by inappropriate feeding, making it highly preventable with the right knowledge. Rabbits fed on hay as the primary component of their diet (80%+ by volume) develop dental disease at far lower rates than those on pellet-heavy diets. The disease causes chronic pain - difficulty chewing, tooth root infections, facial abscesses and secondary gut stasis - but because rabbits hide pain so effectively, owners often do not realise their rabbit is suffering. Annual dental checks by a rabbit-savvy vet who uses sedation to examine the cheek teeth (not just the incisors) are essential for early detection. Once established, dental disease requires lifelong management.

What You Can Do

Ensure hay or fresh grass makes up at least 80% of your rabbit's diet by volume
Book annual dental checks with a veterinarian experienced in rabbit care
Learn to recognise subtle signs of dental pain including reduced appetite, wet chin and changes in dropping size
Join the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF) for evidence-based care guidance