Can rabbits eat yogurt or dairy products
?
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Yogurt or dairy products should never be fed to
rabbits, for the following reasons: - Lactobacillus/Acidobacillus are not a natural host of the
adult rabbit intestinal and, if surviving the passage through the acid
stomach, it will not survive the anaerobic conditions of the cecum. The lack
of adhesive capability may further prevent Lactobacilli from colonizing
in the intestinal tract. - Adult rabbits
naturally do not have the right bacteria to digest milk derivates
in the cecum and intestine. - In the
absence of those Lactobacteria, milk derivates accelerate the onset of stasis in adult
rabbits. Studies have furthermore shown that rabbits that
were given cow’s milk on a daily basis during several months evidenced the
development of rheumatoid like lesions. These rabbits showed increased
numbers of nucleated cells and raised percentages of T lymphocytes in their
synovial fluids, compared to control rabbits, and their elevation
corresponded with the severity of the histological lesions. No
glomerulonephritis was observed. Yogurt diluted in water can nevertheless help rabbit
suffering from intestinal bacterial disturbances et diarrhea, by protecting
the endemic bacterial flora and allowing it to grow. Yogurt drops as treats
? Those should never be given
to rabbits. They contain too much sugars, and can
lead to tooth decay (observed in rabbits too). Further Information Coombs RR, Oldham G. Early
rheumatoid-like joint lesions in rabbits drinking cows' milk. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1981;64(3):287-92. Hanglow AC, Welsh
CJ, Conn P, Coombs RR. Early rheumatoid-like synovial lesions in rabbits
drinking cow's milk. II. Antibody responses to bovine serum proteins. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1985;78(2):152-60. Nakata M, Honma
T, Noguchi Y, Yoneda S, Fukuda Y, Yoshida S, Takubo K. Morphological changes in rabbit pleura induced
by Lactobacillus casei (LC9018). Gan To
Kagaku Ryoho. 1987 Jul;14(7):2381-4. Weber A, Christ-Vietor M, Schliesser T. Studies
on bacterial intestinal flora of young rabbits in relation to diet and age. Zentralbl Bakteriol [Orig A]. 1974;229(1):109-16. Welsh CJ, Hanglow AC, Conn
P, Barker TH, Coombs RR. Early rheumatoid-like synovial lesions in rabbits
drinking cow's milk. I. Joint pathology. Int Arch
Allergy Appl Immunol.
1985;78(2):145-51. Yu B, Tsen HY. Lactobacillus cells in
the rabbit digestive tract and the factors affecting their distribution. J Appl Bacteriol.
1993 Sep;75(3):269-75. |
Many thanks to
Susan L. for her help.
e-mail: info@medirabbit.com