Dental problems in rabbits and rodents

The rabbit’s teeth

Rabbit’s teeth are quite special, they consist of incisors, peg teeth and molars. The peg teeth, which sit behind their upper incisors, distinguish a rabbit from rodents. Rabbits have teeth that keep growing. Their teeth grow about 2.5 to 4 mm (on average) per week. It is therefore very important that growth and natural wear are equal.

Common rabbit teeth problems

An abnormal position of the jaws is a hereditary abnormality that you simply cannot do anything about. Rabbits can be born with an abnormal position. Due to this deviating position, there is no natural wear of the teeth. If this is the case, you would have to take the rabbit to the vet, so that the teeth are ground down manually. If you don’t treat this, the incisors continue to grow and become too long.

When there are hooks on the molars, there will also be insufficient wear. These hooks can be very painful if they stick into your rabbit’s tongue or cheek. You often see that a rabbit gets a wet chin. This is because more saliva is produced by a wound on the cheek or tongue. Using the right food is very important to prevent dental problems in your rabbit.

What can you do yourself?

There are several things you can do yourself to prevent problems with your rabbit’s teeth:

• Correct food: As discussed earlier, incorrect nutrition can be a cause of dental problems. These wrong foods often contain too little calcium and vitamin D. Giving unlimited hay, supplemented with the right kibble is the ideal combination for a rabbit. You will also notice that these are not mixed feeds. With mixed feeds, there is a danger that the rabbit will eat selectively and therefore not get the right nutrients.
• Self-checking: This may sound daunting, but you can easily lift your rabbit’s lip a little bit to see the incisors. You want them to stay nice and short. Do you have doubts about the position of the teeth and whether they are too long? Always contact your veterinarian
• Regular check-ups: In addition to checking yourself, an annual check-up with the vet is always a good idea. Does your rabbit go to the vet for his vaccination? Have the teeth checked right away, you’re there after all!

Dental problems symptoms: what to look out for?

Of course it can always happen that a dental problem arises. Below are a few things that you can notice in your rabbit if it suffers from a dental issue:

• Not wanting to eat or eating less
• Wet chin or drool
• Thickening(s) around the jaws
• No droppings
• Lose weight
• Being unfit, poor condition of the coat

Does your rabbit have any of the above complaints? Then go to your vet!

Treating a rabbit with abnormal teeth

In most situations, treatment is needed to correct dental problems. Due to the permanently growing teeth and molars, these treatments must be repeated regularly. A vet will assess and determine how and when.

After reading this article, do you have any questions about common dental problems in rabbits? Please feel free to contact our veterinary team via veterinarian@vetsend.co.uk or 033 0818 0862.