Guildford and Epsom Branch

Don't bite off more than you can chew!

Important advice about your rabbit's dental wellbeing

We recently rescued a group of rabbits from a situation where they were not being cared for adequately. Amongst those rescued was a beautiful female bunny who we've named Blossom. Blossom was suffering from severe dental problems and had to have extensive veterinary treatment.

As you can see from the photos, Blossom had visibly overgrown incisors. Rabbits can be prone to dental problems if not fed the correct diet. Rabbit teeth grow constantly, and in the wild a diet of grasses and fibrous foods wears the teeth down. When we keep rabbits as pets, it's just as essential to feed them foods which allow for this dental wear.

An ideal diet for a domestic rabbit is:

  • Good quality hay - a pile at least as big as the rabbit
  • Leafy greens - a handful from a selection of rabbit-friendly greens
  • Pellets - an eggcup a day per rabbit.

Find out more about a healthy diet for your bunnies. 

We do not recommend feeding muesli-style rabbit food as rabbits are selective feeders and may pick out the tasty, but less nutritious foods and leave the healthy bits.

Rabbits should have regular (6 monthly) health checks given by a vet, and this should include a dental check carried out with a special scope so all teeth can be assessed. If any overgrown teeth are seen, the rabbit may need to undergo treatment under sedation, to burr down any sharp/long teeth which are causing pain.

Rabbits are good at hiding discomfort. Any changes in behaviour or demeanour are cause for concern, so it's important to take your rabbit to the vet if you spot anything out of the ordinary. The problem could be dental.

Blossom's teeth were so bad that she had to have some removed and will have to eat a specially prepared diet of finely chopped food for the rest of her life. She is now on the road to recovery and with good diet and care she will flourish.

She will be looking for a new home once she is fully recovered. But get in touch if you are interested in adopting any of our other rescue rabbits looking for loving new homes.