rabbit tooth spurs
We've got a fantastic hi tech ear and mouth scope at The Finchley Vet, which enables us to see problems such as tooth spurs. The picture here shows the mouth of a rabbit. The red square is showing the tooth spur:
Rabbits' teeth are constantly growing. It's important that they are kept worn down to a safe level. This normally happens by them eating lots of hay and why it's so important that hay makes up 80-90% of the rabbit's diet (despite how boring it might seem to us!).
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If their teeth are not kept worn down, painful prominences known as spurs can develop in their mouth. Spurs are spikes that can lacerate the rabbit’s tongue, cheeks, and other soft mouth tissue. Eye problems in rabbits may also be linked to teeth!
It's a fast process - rabbit teeth grow about 12cm a year! Other foods (even hard pellets) do not wear the teeth down like the side-to-side jaw action used when eating hay. Do ensure your rabbit gets plenty of hay and please do not hesitate to contact us for more advice or if you're concerned about your rabbit's teeth (or indeed their eyes!).
