Common Dental Diseases in Rabbits

1 Common Dental Diseases

1. Malocclusion: this can be congenital or acquired. Congenital malocclusion can’t be prevented and is more common in flat-faced breeds such as lop rabbits. Most cases, however, are acquired because of poor husbandry — mainly too little hay and grass, so the teeth aren’t worn down properly.

2. Caries (tooth decay): also mainly from poor feeding — usually too many sweets. Both caries and malocclusion can lead to facial abscesses.

2 What Malocclusion Means

Like other rodents, rabbits’ teeth grow non-stop, so they must chew coarse, high-fibre foods to grind them down and keep length in a healthy range. Without anything to wear them, the teeth keep growing and malocclusion develops; if the owner doesn’t step in, the overgrown teeth cause facial abscesses — a far worse problem.

3 Harm of Overgrown Teeth

Overly long teeth badly hinder eating, and the sharp overgrown points easily pierce the lips, oral lining and even the tongue; long upper molars can jab into the cheek. The pain often makes the rabbit stop eating, and broken oral tissue quickly becomes ulcerated.

Also, over-long tooth roots can pierce the nasal cavity and the back of the eyeball; in severe cases this pushes the eye forward or causes an abscess between the eye and nose.

4 Prevention

1. Feed plenty of hay: hay is the single best defence against mouth and teeth disease. It should be the staple diet and can’t be replaced by anything else — not even the best pelleted feed, and not chew toys or furniture. Also limit sweets, treats and fruit or vegetables.

2. Regular check-ups: at home, look at the incisors for anything too sharp or long. Once a rabbit is adult, have a vet do an exam of the molars and mouth interior to catch any congenital malocclusion early and prevent trouble.