The symptoms we have been hearing about include bloat, runny droppings, no droppings -
just mucous, weight loss, lethargy and death. Many describe the classic symptom of a painful digestive tract when rabbits stretch their legs out backwards. Other talk of creeping paralysis, apparent back problems and
"floppy bunny syndrome". All appear to be digestive tract related. Some reports have involved young animals others lactating or recently lactating does. Death is the most common theme!Inevitably there are lots and
lots of theories about the causes and just as many ideas about prevention and treatment. Given the variety there is unlikely to be one single solution either. Organisms that I have heard blamed include viruses, bacteria
and coccidia.
At Dr Squiggles we have been trying various combinations of health promoting nutrients and nutricines depending on the symptoms described. So far the results have all been positive. The core ingredients
we have been using are two different types of probiotics (bacteria and live yeasts) and a blend of herbs that have anti-coccidial, prebiotic and immune support functions. The bacterial probiotics are conventional though
the way we support them herbally is quite different from normal. The live yeast probiotics help to remove harmful bacteria from the gut and much has been claimed for this approach in the recent outbreaks of ME.
Because we have been very encouraged by the results from our trials we have now commercialised this blend which also contains extra vitamins C and E and some essential oils. These later ingredients have been included to
try to break down any bloat causing foams in the gut.
The product is called Revital and it can be used to avaoid problems before kindling and through and beyond lactation. For animals already showing symptoms it can
be used at much higher levels to support their natural recovery systems. Revital is designed to be used in conjunction with Essentials Plus. We have kept the two products separate as the requirement for Essentials Plus
does not vary all year round while the need for digestive support does change during the breeding cycle and the year.
Variations on a theme
I actually wonder if a new product is really necessary for many of
the problems we are currently seeing. Not many rabbit breeders have been using our liquid probiotic Potent Brew. But those that have done experience better fertility, increased baby survival rates, better growth and
generally improved health. None of the traillist with digestive problems were existing customers so none have been using either Essentials Plus or Potent Brew.
The unique liquid formulation of Potent Brew improves
its effectiveness dramatically as the beneficial bacteria it contains survive the dangerous journey through the upper gut better than powdered probiotics. This leads to a quicker and more effective response. We did use
Potent Brew in the one trial where the young animals were suffering from bloat because we had plenty of experience in this situation. As usual it worked.
I also have a concern that some people may confuse calcium
deficiency in does with digestive problems. With all the fuss about digestion recently this would be understandable. Lactating does can easily run low on calcium. The normal effect is to rob the nerves and muscles of
this vital mineral leading to partial paralysis when they stop working properly. Does are often described as going off their legs. With hay so low in calcium and pelleted diets restricted to poor quality calcium sources
this problem is far more prevalent that most people realise. It is easily fixed with once a week supplementation with Calcivet prior to kindling and increasing this to five times a week during lactation.
I
would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people who have helped us evaluate these new ingredients in the rabbit environment. Without you we would find it very hard to make progress.
