A Rex in dental trouble still shows up for dinner
Rex rabbits are enthusiastic eaters, and early dental trouble seldom begins with a refused meal. It begins with a slower one. Your Rex may spend longer at the hay, work a strand for a while and let it fall half-chewed, or quietly switch his effort to pellets and greens that need less grinding. Because the Rex's plush, upright coat draws the eye, owners often spot the coat change first and the eating change second, yet the eating change is the one that points at the mouth. A rabbit who is keen at the bowl but inefficient once he starts chewing is showing you a mechanical problem worth investigating.
What is happening inside the jaw
Rabbit teeth grow throughout life, and the cheek teeth stay the right shape only when long hay forces wide, even, side-to-side grinding. If one tooth wears less than its neighbours, a sharp edge or an uneven surface can develop, making each grinding stroke uncomfortable on that side. The Rex then chews asymmetrically, which worsens the uneven wear in a slow loop. Saliva that should be swallowed during normal chewing may escape instead, collecting under the chin. Front teeth can follow the same drift, growing slanted or uneven when the bite no longer meets squarely, though the front teeth are often the last part of the problem, not the first.
Checks that fit a Rex's routine groom
The Rex's short coat needs gentle handling, so combine dental checks with a calm lap session rather than a wrestling match. Lift the lip to view the incisors: look for a diagonal wear line, one tooth outpacing the other, discolouration, or a gap where food packs in. Feel along both sides of the jaw for asymmetry or a tender spot he pulls away from. Check the chin and dewlap area for dampness, saliva staining, or skin that looks sore beneath the fur. Weigh him weekly and compare droppings day to day; a Rex producing noticeably smaller, fewer pellets while his hay pile stays high is eating less than he appears to be.
Signs that the problem is moving faster
Treat a wet chin that spreads, repeated dropping of food, or a head tilt while chewing as escalation, not eccentricity. A Rex who grinds his teeth softly while resting, hides more than usual, or leaves previously loved greens untouched may be guarding a sore mouth, and reduced hay intake can slow the gut that depends on it. Never attempt to file or clip teeth at home, and do not syringe extra soft food in place of a check-up; masking the eating change delays the examination the cheek teeth actually need, and those teeth cannot be assessed without proper equipment.
The vet threshold for a Rex with mouth signs
Contact your vet promptly when slower chewing, dropped hay, drooling, or shrinking droppings last more than a day, and ask for same-day advice if eating stops, droppings stop, or your Rex sits hunched and withdrawn. Arrive with dates: when the chin first felt damp, how his weekly weights compare, and which foods he now avoids. Those details narrow the examination quickly. Storing that dated eating and weight history in KinsLe's Pet Passport means your Rex's records travel together whenever a dental visit cannot wait.