Why your rabbit’s teeth never stop (and what to feed).

A rabbit’s teeth grow two to three millimetres every week, for life. In the wild, coarse grasses grind them down naturally. In a hutch, that job falls to you — and dental disease is the single most common reason rabbits visit our exotic clinic.

The 80% hay rule

Four-fifths of the diet should be plain grass hay — timothy, orchard or meadow — available at all times, refreshed daily. The long chewing strokes wear molars evenly. Pellets are a supplement (an egg-cup per day), and colourful muesli mixes actively harm teeth by encouraging selective feeding.

Greens are the toothbrush assistants

A daily handful of fibrous leafy greens — romaine, coriander, dill, carrot tops — adds chewing variety and hydration. Introduce new greens one at a time. Fruit is a rare treat, not a staple: the sugars feed harmful mouth bacteria.

Warning signs to act on fast

• Dropping food or drooling — the classic sign of molar spurs digging into the cheek.
• Watery eyes — overgrown tooth roots can press on tear ducts.
• Smaller or fewer droppings — gut slowdown follows mouth pain within hours and needs same-day care.

What we do about it

Our Saturday exotic clinic offers conscious dental assessments, and molar filing under safe sedation when needed — usually a day procedure with hay in the recovery box within the hour. Annual dental checks catch spurs long before they hurt.