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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