The Prevention of Malocclusion in Rabbits

Your rabbit's teeth grow continuously throughout his life. Under normal circumstances, they align properly and wear down naturally. Malocclusion occurs when your rabbit's teeth don't align correctly and grow too long. Hereditary malocclusion requires denying breeding of affected bunnies. Nonhereditary malocclusion is preventable.

  1. Malocclusion

    • The Merck Manual for Pet Health calls malocclusion the most common inherited disease in rabbits. A rabbit whose lower teeth stick out farther than the top teeth have underbite malocclusion; those with the opposite situation have overbite. These conditions make eating and drinking difficult if not impossible for severely affected bunnies. The teeth can even grow at an angle that pierces the cheeks or tongue. The resulting lesions can end up abscessing.

    Symptoms

    • You can look into your rabbit's mouth and see overgrown teeth. The incisors can look more like tusks growing out of your bunny. You might notice that your rabbit isn't eating or is consuming soft foods only. If your rabbit suffers an abscess from a tooth wound, his faces swells up and the pus-filled area is painful. Take him to the vet at once for treatment.

    Prevention

    • Good rabbit husbandry prevents most of the nonhereditary causes of malocclusion. Make sure your rabbit always has plenty of timothy or grass hay available. Hay serves two purposes. The fiber wears his teeth down as he chews and it keeps his gastrointestinal system moving efficiently. Check your bunny's teeth regularly, at least every two weeks. Your vet can diagnose a hereditary malocclusion in bunnies as young as 2 months old. While you can't prevent a hereditary issue, you'll know that your rabbit requires regular teeth trimming.

    Treatment

    • Your vet can trim your rabbit's overgrown teeth. Depending on the rate of tooth growth, you'll have to take your bunny for trimming every one to two months. Your vet can teach you how to do the trimming and provide you with the proper tools. Don't try to trim the teeth without instruction or with a clipper made for any other purpose. Your vet can also remove the affected teeth. Most bunnies learn to eat quite well without their incisors.