Small mammals
Rabbit Dental Disease: Why Hay Keeps Teeth Healthy
Rabbit teeth grow throughout life. Learn how diet causes most dental problems, the early signs, and why regular checks matter.
Teeth that never stop growing
All of a rabbit's teeth grow continuously, by roughly 2–3 mm a week. They stay the right length only when worn down by long hours of chewing tough, fibrous food.
When the diet contains too little hay, the back teeth develop sharp spurs that cut the tongue and cheeks, and tooth roots can push into the jaw and eye sockets.
Early signs
- Eating more slowly, dropping food or choosing only soft foods
- Wet chin or drooling
- Weeping eye on one side
- Smaller or fewer droppings
- Weight loss or an untidy coat because grooming hurts
Prevention through diet
Hay or grass should make up around 85% of the diet, and a rabbit should eat a pile of hay about its own body size each day. Add a handful of leafy greens morning and evening and only an egg-cup of pellets.
Treatment
Vets file spurs under anaesthetic and may remove diseased teeth. Once problems start, many rabbits need repeated dental care for life, which is why prevention is so valuable.
A rabbit that has stopped eating is an emergency because the gut can slow and stop within hours.
Frequently asked questions
- Do chew toys prevent dental disease?
- They help a little, but the grinding action of eating hay is what wears the back teeth properly.
- How often should a vet check my rabbit's teeth?
- At least once a year, and more often for rabbits with a history of dental problems.
References
- Rabbit dental problems — Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund
- Rabbit care — RSPCA