Rabbit diarrhea – prevent intestinal disorders in rabbits!

The digestive system of our pet rabbits is quite complicated by nature. Therefore, intestinal disorders such as diarrhea are unfortunately not uncommon in rabbits. The digestion process begins in the mouth with the teeth, which grow 1-2 mm a week, which is why sufficient abrasion must be ensured with the right food. The stomach is only weakly muscled. Therefore, rabbits should have food available throughout the day so that the food pulp can be transported further by the food coming from above.

Rabbits are also known as cecal fermenters. The caecum in rabbits is relatively large (about 40% of the total volume of the digestive organs) and contains vital bacteria for the digestion of cellulose in particular. Care must be taken to ensure that the rabbit consumes enough raw fiber, otherwise the pH value in the cecum will shift into the acidic range and the formation of unfavorable intestinal bacteria will be promoted, leading to rabbit diarrhoea. For this reason, hay should always be available as the main source of food.

The special feature of the rabbit is the so-called caecotrophy. The rabbit excretes a vitamin-rich soft droppings from the caecum, the amount of which increases with the increasing raw fiber content and regularly absorbs it again. The risk of developing serious diseases of the digestive system, such as diarrhea, is therefore quite high due to improper feeding that contains too little crude fiber. In addition, various types of pathogens such as coli bacteria, coccidia or clostridia, individually or in combination with stressors such as a lack of raw fibre, inadequate biosecurity, changes in the weather or relocation, can lead to the much-feared enterocolitis, which is accompanied by severe diarrhoea, intestinal paralysis and often large losses. If signs of illness are recognized, immediate action should be taken.

However, prevention is always better than cure! Since a disturbed digestive function favors the mass proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms and endoparasites, the physiological properties of the gastrointestinal tract of rabbits should be preserved, stabilized and optimized with optimal feeding.

We recommend DOSTO® oregano for this!