Updated: 14/10/24
Dental disease is common in rabbits, and happens when their front or back teeth overgrow.
Rabbits become more at risk as they get older, so it’s important to maintain a healthy diet and good dental health throughout their life to help prevent it.
Regular dental check ups with a vet are a great opportunity to check your rabbit’s dental health and detect signs of dental disease.
Symptoms of dental disease include reduced appetite, pooing less and in smaller amounts, dribbling, runny eyes, bumps on the face or jaw, sneezing, dandruff and ear problems.
To book a dental check up or learn more, please reach out to your local vet practice.
What is dental disease?
Dental disease in rabbits is surprisingly common, as rabbits’ teeth grow continuously throughout their lifetime!
If there is insufficient fibre in the diet or the teeth are not aligned properly (malocclusion), then both the front and/or back teeth will overgrow and dental disease will result.
Some flatter faced rabbits, such as dwarf breeds, may be at increased risk of suffering from malocclusion due to shortness of their jaw, which can lead to overcrowding and misalignment of the teeth.
As rabbits age they also become at increased risk of dental disease.
Dental disease can usually be treated, but it is important that it is caught early. It can lead to weight loss, an inability to groom properly and sinus, eye and ear infections, and may become an ongoing issue.
If tooth overgrowth goes untreated, it can lead to permanent changes in the chewing pattern and the jawbone, making treatment exceedingly difficult.
The role of diet and dental health
Dental disease in rabbits is surprisingly common, and many cases can be prevented with the right diet.
Unlimited, good-quality hay and grass should make up the majority of your rabbit’s diet, alongside small amounts of fresh leafy greens, limited other fresh foods and pellets.
Hay and grass are good sources of ‘long fibre’, which promotes your rabbit’s gut health but also requires a great deal of chewing, which naturally wears down the teeth.
An imbalance in two minerals, calcium and phosphorus, can negatively affect the teeth and jaw.
Diets which contain the wrong balance of these minerals and which do not encourage enough chewing are frequently a cause of dental disease.
If you require advice on the best diet for your rabbit, reach out to your veterinary team for guidance.
What are the symptoms of dental disease in rabbits?
Overgrowth of the front teeth stops rabbits from being able to nibble and break off bits of hay or grass to eat, and they may also struggle to groom themselves and drink normally.
Overgrowth of the back teeth and front teeth are usually linked.
Back teeth overgrowth causes changes in chewing pattern, leading to spikes (otherwise known as spurs) forming, which can rub and make the tongue and inside of the mouth very painful.
Signs of dental disease may include:
- Your rabbit not wanting to eat as much as normal or not eating at all.
- Passing a reduced amount of poo.
- Passing smaller sized poos than normal.
- Dribbling from the mouth and/or having a wet chin.
- Runny or gooey eyes.
- Bumps on the face and/or or jaw.
- Matted poo around the base of the tail.
- Snuffles and sneezing.
- Thick dandruff in their coat (cheyletiella mites).
- Ear problems.
How to prevent and treat dental disease in rabbits
Ideally, your rabbit should have a health check with a vet every six months to check they aren’t experiencing any health problems.
This offers the opportunity for their mouth to be thoroughly checked and any early dental disease caught before it becomes problematic.
Vets will often use an otoscope to look inside your rabbit’s mouth. You may recognise this as the same bit of equipment used to look down ears, however it is perfect for seeing right to the back of your rabbit’s tiny mouth so all their teeth can be checked!
Untreated dental issues can be very painful for rabbits, causing nasty cuts and ulcers inside the mouth.
Ideally your rabbit should have a health check with a vet every six months to check they aren’t experiencing any health problems.
Dental issues that go unnoticed can prevent your rabbit from eating properly.
Rabbits’ digestive tracts are made to be constantly processing food (which is why they poo so much!).
Any health conditions that prevent them from eating properly put them at risk of ileus (otherwise known as ‘gut stasis’), which is when their digestive system stops working properly and slows down.
This is a life-threatening condition which requires urgent medical care by a vet.
If your vet identifies dental disease in your rabbit’s mouth, they will recommend that they be booked in for dental procedure to correct any issues as soon as possible.
Dentals are carried out under general anaesthetic, so your rabbit is deeply asleep while any sharp bits of tooth are filed down.
If the rabbit’s front teeth need trimming this is best carried out using a special electric dental burr.
Ongoing care for rabbits diagnosed with dental disease
If your rabbit has already been diagnosed with a dental issue, even once treated, they will often benefit from routine checks every six to eight weeks.
This allows your vet to monitor how your rabbit’s teeth are growing and allows for intervention as soon as issues arise, as dental problems can become recurrent.
If you would like to book your rabbit in for a dental check, or are concerned about their health, please reach out to your local veterinary practice for further support.
Useful resources:
- RWAF – Rabbit dental problems
- PDSA – Dental problems in rabbits