Common causes of dental disease in rabbits

November 8, 7:06 PMDayton Small Pets ExaminerPhyllis O'Beollain

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   Shortened jaw length requires regular dental checkups

Dental disease in rabbits is a common ailment seen in the veterinary clinic.  There can be many underlying causes for this condition; here are the most common:

Human interference in rabbit breeding often results in changes in the rabbit anatomy which can lead to disease. Changing the shape of the skull changes how the teeth come in contact with and wear on each other. Lop-eared rabbits have been bred in such a way that the jaw length is shortened. This changed structure results in dental malocclusion and elongated teeth (because they are not being worn down) that must be regularly trimmed or even removed. This is usually seen in rabbits less than one year of age; often it is first seen in the incisors. If left untreated, the cheek teeth will eventually be affected. There is no cure for this, life-long control and maintenance of the abnormal tooth growth is required. The solution is to NOT breed rabbits with abnormal jaw structure.

Improper diet is possibly the most common cause of dental disease in rabbits, after genetics. Unfortunately, well-meaning but uninformed rabbit owners frequently believe that commercial food pellets should be the chief form of sustenance for their pet. Commercial rabbit pellets were developed for feeding rabbits that were destined for short life spans due to the meat or fur industry, or rabbits destined to an early doom in laboratories. The pellets are convenient, but are not a complete diet for rabbits fortunate enough to be able to live out their full life spans. The pellets consist of pulverized hay, formed into small pellets which fall apart in their mouths, requiring little grinding and providing little opportunity for wearing down the teeth. Further, pellets are a concentrated source of nutrients; in the wild, rabbits would be eating a greater volume of food to achieve the same amount of nutrients as pellets. In other words, very little time is spent chewing a relatively small amount of food. Between the small volume and easily disintegrating composition of pellets, proper tooth wear will not be achieved using commercial pellets as a sole source of food for any pet rabbit. Dental issues arising from a chiefly pelleted diet may not show up for several years; usually these rabbits are over three years of age.

While many types of dental disease are not preventable, dental disorders caused by diet can be avoided. Your bunny should be eating unlimited grass hay as well as a variety of fresh leafy greens. Providing other items to chew upon such as untreated wood pieces and natural (not varnished or painted) wicker baskets encourage proper dental health.

Facial trauma can result in changes in the structure of the jaw and/or dental malocclusion. A jaw fracture may heal in an abnormal shape. If teeth are broken (usually this would be the incisors) they may grow back in at an abnormal angle. This throws off the anatomy of the mouth and leads to an assortment of dental ailments. Trimming the incisors with a dog nail trimmer (this gives me chills thinking about it) frequently causes tooth breakage below the gum line. Should your rabbit suffer facial trauma, it is imperative to get immediate care for the pet to optimize the chances for a normal recovery. Dental trimming should be done by a rabbit-savvy veterinarian, who will use a dremel or other type small grinder for this purpose.

Systemic diseases can negatively impact a rabbit’s dental health. Diseases causing altered calcium levels can change the bone structure surrounding the teeth, causing the tooth to shift, leading to malocclusion, Rabbits that are too weak from disease to chew solid food will develop maloccluded teeth (from improper wear) which will overgrow. Proper oversight of your rabbit’s teeth by a rabbit-savvy veterinarian during any occurrence of serious systemic disease is important to avoid secondary dental issues.

Rabbits should have a thorough examination by a rabbit-savvy veterinarian at least once a year – and this should include a thorough examination of the rabbit’s mouth – not just the incisors. Your veterinarian should be examining your rabbit’s mouth each time it comes into the clinic, no matter what the reason. The earlier dental problems are detected, the better the chances for successful treatment. An annual physical for your rabbit can also provide early detection of any systemic ailments that may be present. Dental disease is common in rabbits but it can be controlled with early detection and treatment.

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