Dental disease is the most common health problem in pet rabbits and is closely linked to diet, with insufficient hay causing tooth overgrowth and associated suffering.
Dental disease in rabbits is largely preventable through appropriate diet, making it a primary owner education welfare priority. The misconception that pellets are a complete diet has caused widespread dental problems in pet rabbits. Once dental disease develops, it is a chronic, progressive condition requiring repeated veterinary procedures under anaesthesia. Prevention through hay-based feeding is dramatically more effective and welfare-friendly than treatment.