Changes

==“Diarrhoea syndromes”==

==“Diarrhoea syndromes”==

It is important to assess the material being produced that gives rise to the above title! See assessment of faeces below. It is amazing how many veterinarians confuse polyuria in rabbits with diarrhoea. Owners often confuse the occurrence of uneaten caecotrophs with diarrhoea in their pets. It’s better to react to variation in the nature and production of faeces and consider such clinical entities as clagged vent – the passage of copious amounts of caecal material from the anus. This may be found adhered to the vent area. The caecotrophs may not been ingested because of non-gastro-intestinal causes (dental overgrowth, spinal deformities, etc).

It is important to assess the material being produced that gives rise to the above title! See assessment of faeces below. It is amazing how many veterinarians confuse polyuria in rabbits with diarrhoea. Owners often confuse the occurrence of uneaten caecotrophs with diarrhoea in their pets. It’s better to react to variation in the nature and production of faeces and consider such clinical entities as [[Clagged Vent – Rabbit|clagged vent]] – the passage of copious amounts of caecal material from the anus. This may be found adhered to the vent area. The caecotrophs may not been ingested because of non-gastro-intestinal causes (dental overgrowth, spinal deformities, etc).

“Diarrhoea” is rare in pet rabbits, especially adult ones and may result from enteritis which occurs in decreased gastrointestinal motility (constipation). So the appearance of the fluid stool of the carnivore with diarrhoea may not be seen in the similarly afflicted rabbit. In fact, the production of large masses of solid faeces is a more usual presentation, adhered to the vent and not removed by the animal.

“Diarrhoea” is rare in pet rabbits, especially adult ones and may result from enteritis which occurs in decreased gastrointestinal motility (constipation). So the appearance of the fluid stool of the carnivore with diarrhoea may not be seen in the similarly afflicted rabbit. In fact, the production of large masses of solid faeces is a more usual presentation, adhered to the vent and not removed by the animal.

The prognosis for this syndrome must be very guarded especially if clostridial entertoxaemia or viral, enteric infections or protozoal infestations are involved.  Microbiological examination of faeces will help to identify the secondary infections, but the urgency of the case, especially as it frequently presents in the newly acquired pet, often precludes such procedures.  Spirochaetes have been incriminated in one outbreak of fatal enteritis in a colony of young rabbits (Tribe et al 1989).  Readers will be aware that the growth of Clostridium species requires anaerobic conditions (Carman et al 1983).

The prognosis for this syndrome must be very guarded especially if clostridial entertoxaemia or viral, enteric infections or protozoal infestations are involved.  Microbiological examination of faeces will help to identify the secondary infections, but the urgency of the case, especially as it frequently presents in the newly acquired pet, often precludes such procedures.  Spirochaetes have been incriminated in one outbreak of fatal enteritis in a colony of young rabbits (Tribe et al 1989).  Readers will be aware that the growth of Clostridium species requires anaerobic conditions (Carman et al 1983).

==References==

==References==

*Carman et al (1983)  Laboratory diagnosis of Clostridium spiroforme-mediated diarrhoea (iota-enterotoxaemia) of rabbits. Veterinary Record, 113.  

*Carman et al (1983)  Laboratory diagnosis of Clostridium spiroforme-mediated diarrhoea (iota-enterotoxaemia) of rabbits. Veterinary Record, 113.  

*Tribe  G.W. et al (1989)  Fatal enteritis in rabbits associated with a spirochaete. Veterinary Record 124, 595.

*Tribe  G.W. et al (1989)  Fatal enteritis in rabbits associated with a spirochaete. Veterinary Record 124, 595.