How can you protect your pet rabbit against dental disease?

Our companion animals need regular and consistent dental care - not just to protect them from disease but to make sure their teeth stay healthy and functional for as long as possible.

Dental disease is one of the most common health conditions affecting rabbits, so it's important to take care of their teeth at home, as well regular check-ups with a veterinarian to stay on top of their dental health.

Here's some information about what affects good dental health in rabbits, what signs to look out for and some tips to prevent dental diseases.

Good dental health in rabbits is reliant on three factors: normal anatomy, normal chewing action and bone density.

A rabbit's normal anatomy can be affected by congenital problems.

For example many dwarf breeds have shortened faces with overcrowded mouths which can result in malocclusion of the teeth. Other acquired problems may include poor diet, inadequate exposure to sunlight which leads to a vitamin D3 deficiency and, consequently, soft bones.

A rabbit's normal chewing action plays a big part in their dental health. Rabbits normally chew long fibrous hay and grass, using a circular motion. Chewing muesli type diets (e.g. lucerne pellets, chaff, grain and molasses) causes them to chew up and down, rather than in a circular motion which means the teeth don't wear down normally.

Good bone density is achieved by exposure to sunlight (and therefore light in the UVB wavelengths) production of vitamin D3 through the action of UVB light, adequate calcium in the diet, and exercise of the jawbones through chewing hard fibrous foods.

If any, or all, of these factors are absent or abnormal, the cheek teeth and incisors may overgrow and cause dental disease.

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It's important to know the signs your rabbit may be experiencing dental problems.

These could include drooling, with saliva matting the chin and under the neck; loss or reduced appetite; weight loss (watch for prominent spine and pelvic bones); diarrhoea; swelling on the upper or lower jaws, and white discharge from the eye and sometimes nose (which can be mistaken for conjunctivitis).

If you notice any of these signs, take your rabbit to your veterinarian immediately.

There are a number of important strategies you can put in place at home to prevent dental disease including feeding your rabbit a healthy diet.

Rabbits should be fed the types of food they are adapted to eating.

In the wild, rabbits eat predominantly grass. They may graze for up to eight hours a day. Their whole digestive tract, from their teeth right down to the end of their gastrointestinal tract, is adapted to this diet and eating pattern.

Providing grass or grass hay to pet rabbits is critical to maintain health. Eating grass or grass hay encourages long periods of chewing, which is necessary to wear down their continuously growing teeth.

It's also important to ensure your rabbit is exposed to some direct, unfiltered sunlight for at least five hours per week.

Make sure this is done safely, in an area that is predator and escape proof, and be careful to ensure your rabbit does not get too hot as they are vulnerable to heat stress.

In additional to implementing these strategies at home, it's important you book in a general health examination with your vet at least once a year, which should include a dental check-up.

This will give your vet a chance to assess your rabbit's teeth and gum health and provide advice on anything you need to manage this at home.

If you have any questions regarding dental care for your pet, talk with your vet and check out the RSPCA Knowledgebase.

With the right care and attention from you and your veterinarian, you can keep your rabbit's teeth and gums in great shape.