DISORDER AND DISEASE:
A wealth of disorders and diseases have been described in rabbits, and many are inter-related and can often be confusing when trying to identify the real problem. In the greater scheme of things they can be divided into distinct groups, those which:

• Result in loss of gut motility

• Attributed to intestinal parasites and viruses

• Physically obstruct or impact the gut

• Impair the appetite

• Disturb the gut flora
  

Although they do no necessarily occur in quite that order, RAPID is a useful acronym to remember these groups, and describes the speed with which rabbits can succumb to ill health.

APPETITE IMPAIRMENT

• Anorexia
  As with many other animals, rabbits can lose their appetite, or become anorectic. The onset of anorexia may be gradual or sudden, depending on the cause(s). Gradual tends to indicate a chronic condition, as opposed to acute which when accompanied by obvious depression would indicate something more serious and potentially life threatening. Anorexia can be attributed to dental disease, any discomfort or pain in the oral cavity, GI disease, stress, unfamiliar food, spoiled food / ingested toxins, urogenital disease, hepatic disease, trauma or injury. Any pain may make the animal reluctant to eat, or stop eating totally. Reduced food intake can have severe consequences on the total nutrition of the rabbit, especially if there is a reduction in fibre intake (impact upon both dentition and gut flora and motility). Specific bacterial populations may die out, gradually creating space for opportunistic flora (which may potentially be pathogenic) to become established. Without food entirely, the rabbit rapidly goes into negative energy balance, which leads to hepatic lipidosis, ketosis and progresses towards coma and death.

DISTURBANCE OF GUT FLORA - BACTERIAL / CAECAL DYSBIOSIS

Just as a reduction in the provision of certain nutrients can affect the fine balance of the gut flora, and lead to dysbiosis, sudden changes in the diet can have a pronounced effect. Stress, disease, intestinal parasites, and inappropriate use of antibiotics can also disturb the gastrointestinal tract microflora.

• Enteritis

Enteritis is defined as inflammation of the intestines. Diarrhoea can be a symptom of enteritis. In acute case of enteritis diarrhoea leads to dehydration whilst in the chronic form the animal ceases to thrive and the abdomen may become tucked up in appearance. The severity of the enteritis varies, and there is a range of symptoms varying from soft or pasty stools (chronic soft stools) caused by a minor disruption of the caecal flora (bacterial or caecal dysbiosis) to the most severe form, enterotoxaemia, where other factors are involved. By increasing the quantity of fibre in the diet these problems can be alleviated. Enteritis becomes more complicated when other factors are involved. e.g. pathogenic bacteria such as E. Coli, Staphylococcus sp. and Clostridium spiroforme, in suckling and weaning rabbits.

• Chronic Soft Stools

There may be a decline in the number and size of hard faeces, and possibly the presence of some soft stools interspersed amongst them. These soft stools have a strong odour and high mucus content and may be found on the floor of the hutch, on the carpet or adhering to and smeared around the rabbits perineal region. The primary cause of this enteritis is a mild dysbiosis in the hindgut. Long term production of stools can affect the rabbit nutritionally. As a result of the differences in texture and palatability of these 'malformed caecotrophs' caecotrophy can be reduced which may result in nutritional deficiencies.

Russel Rabbit 

Typical Disorders / Indicators

Common Gastrointestinal Disease