Dental disease is the most common health problem in pet rabbits, caused primarily by insufficient hay intake leading to tooth overgrowth, spurs, and painful mouth ulcers. Prevention through unlimited hay is the most effective welfare intervention.
Rabbits with dental disease experience oral pain from sharp tooth spurs that lacerate the tongue and cheeks. Pain impairs eating, causing progressive weight loss and deterioration. General anaesthesia for dental procedures carries higher risk in rabbits than in dogs and cats. The condition is almost entirely preventable through provision of unlimited hay, which provides the mechanical grinding that maintains appropriate tooth length and surface angle.