GI Disease in Rabbits and Herbivorous Rodents

Question 1

List two things that long fibre is used for in a rabbits diet

Answer 1

Dentral attrition
Gut motility stimulation

Question 2

What is digestible short fibre used for in a rabbit’s diet?

Answer 2

Substrate for caecal fermentation

Question 3

List 5 causes of GI stasis in rabbits

Answer 3

Pain
Stress
Dehydration
Obesity
Abdominal lesions/obstruction/neoplasia

Question 4

Describe how obstructive ileus in a rabbit may occur

Answer 4

Sudden onset (less than 24 hours). Many found acutely dead.
Sudden cessation in faecal pellet production.
Moderate to severe depression.
Marked to severe abdominal pain and guarding, with a hunched posture and reluctance to move.
Shock and severe dehydration

Question 5

Describe how non-obstructive ileus may present in rabbits

Answer 5

Slow, insidious onset
Gradual decrease in the size of faecal pellets.
Normal hydration to moderate dehydration

Question 6

In which cause of ileus may you see a halo of gas on a radiograph?

Answer 6

Non-obstructive ileus

Question 7

How would you diagnose ileus in a rabbit?

Answer 7

History
Clinical examination
Clinical pathology
Imaging
Exploratory laparotomy/laparoscopy

Question 8

List three predictable sites of GI obstruction in rabbits

Answer 8

Ileocaecal valve
Sacculus rotundus
Pylorus

Question 9

List twelve things that you could do to treat a non-obstructive ileus in a rabbit

Answer 9

Abdominal massge
Exercise
Simethicone/dimethicone
Probiotics
H2 receptor agonists
Gastrointestinal prokinetics
Antibiotics
Laxatives
Enemas
Enzymes
Appetite stimulants
Vitamin C

Question 10

What are the two options for feeding rabbits?

Answer 10

Direct feeding by mouth
Naso-gastric tubes

Question 11

What is the most common type of hypermotility disorder in rabbits?

Answer 11

Caecotroph accumulation

Question 12

List four causes of true diarrhoea in rabbits

Answer 12

Dietary upset
Bacterial overgrowth
Viral infection
Coccidiosis