Download MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease) – What is it? How you

MBD
With one of the most amazingly efficient digestive systems of all the herbivores,
Rabbit’s have a gut customized for a life of eating rough grasses with very little fat or
protein. The flipside to the efficient gut is intolerance to concentrated foods high in
carbohydrates and fats such as grains, nuts and oil seeds.
To make matters worse for the bunny, he is a concentrate selector and will actively
choose to eat rich foods over high fibre diets if given the choice. These bad choices
on the part of the Rabbit combined with bad choices on part of the person providing
the diet to the animal can only have one long term outcome –MBD.
Rabbit teeth require regular and
active work chewing rough matter
for healthy maintenance.
Rabbits are coprophagic - meaning
they eat their own droppings. This is
an important part of the digestion
process and mostly happens at night.
Rabbits have 17,000 taste buds
and are concentrate selectors.
The caecum allows for the digestion
and absorption of nutrients from
rough fibrous grass/hay.
MBD
Classic MBD - front incisor
teeth over grown and
unnaturally curving almost
to represent a “beak”. Solid
masses of bone and fibrous
deposits are condensed
around the back molars.
These abnormalities
are painful and lead to
difficulty eating, along with
development of abscesses
and the blocking of tear
ducts, giving the impression
the Rabbit is “crying”.
MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease) – What is it?
MBD is a disease that affects a staggering percentage of the pet Rabbit population
in Australia and over the world. It is not a contagious disease, it is caused purely by
people feeding their Rabbits the incorrect diet and to a lesser extent, not providing
the correct husbandry.
MBD can go undetected for some time without the pet owner knowing their Rabbit is
ill. It is only as the diseases progresses to later stages that symptoms start to become
apparent. These include teary eyes, dribbling, difficulty chewing, overgrown teeth, obesity,
jaw abscesses and even fusing/fracturing of the spine.
NO MBD
A regular and healthy Rabbit.
MBD is as painful as it is debilitating for the animal, while treating MBD in its later stages
can be very difficult, prevention is simple.
How you can stop MBD before MBD stops your B unny
MBD is 100% preventable, we simply need to provide the correct diet. High fibre grass
hay is the cornerstone (such as Vetafarm Fibre Rich Fescue Hay) of a Rabbit’s diet,
supplemented with a small amount of Vetafarm Origins Rabbit Diet and dark green
vegetables. Avoid grain/muesli/cheap pellet mixes or any diet high in carbs or fats.
Using the diet outlined above and providing the opportunity for the Rabbit to exercise
outside of their pen/hutch regularly will eliminate the risk of MBD. That’s it!
PH: (02) 6933 0400
Email: sales @ vetafarm.com.au
www.vetafarm.com.au