Your Bunny’s Teeth

Rabbits’ teeth continue to grow throughout their lives and are known as hypsodont or open rooted teeth. There is a set of temporary teeth but these aren’t functional and are shed before birth.

The upper incisors grow at about 2mm per week and the lower ones at about 2.4mm per week!!!

Incisors (the Bugs Bunny teeth at the front) can overgrow. Normally the lower teeth rest behind the upper incisors but with malocclusion, this is reversed and the teeth overgrow. The edges of the cheek teeth (molars and premolars) also often become sharp causing laceration and inflammation of the cheeks and tongue. With age the teeth can also develop nasty abscesses that can require extensive surgery and be difficult to cure.

Signs include Bunnykins often showing interest in food but being reluctant to eat. Sometimes a preference for softer foods is observed. They can also salivate more, grind their teeth, or drop food from their mouths.

Dr Tom Donnelly, a Sydney veterinarian who is a specialist in Exotic Pets, has said that 50% of the

rabbits that he sees have dental disease and are presented because of not eating properly.

Treatment for the incisors involves regular trimming or even permanent extraction of the teeth - rabbits can still prehend their food with their lips after this procedure.

Examining the molar and premolar teeth in rabbits can be more difficult and will often require sedation or a general anaesthetic. The appropriate treatment for this is to trim the sharp points of these teeth.

Please feel free to contact us for advice if you have concerns about your Bun’s choppers.