I. The etiology of vitamin A deficiency in rabbits
1. Insufficient vitamin A or carotene in the diet
Rabbit mainly obtains carotene and provitamin A from plant-based feed, and then converts it into vitamin A through the liver. However, if the rabbits are fed grains, bran, meal and other foods with low carotene content for a long time, it is easy to cause vitamin A deficiency in rabbits.
2. Affected by diseases of the digestive tract and liver, it is difficult to digest and absorb vitamin A
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble substance, and it must be digested smoothly with the assistance of bile acids Absorption, if the rabbit suffers from hepatobiliary disease, intestinal inflammation, and fat digestion is affected, the absorption of vitamin A will be blocked. In addition, liver disease in rabbits can also affect the conversion of carotene and the storage of vitamin A in the body.
3. The vitamin A element in the feed is destroyed
The content of vitamin A in the feed will be reduced if the feed is stored for too long or improperly processed. For example, the storage period of yellow corn exceeds 6 Months will lose about 60% of vitamin A; pellet feed will lose more than 32% of vitamin A in the process of processing. In addition, the accumulation time of the multi-vitamin mixture added to the rabbit in summer is too long, which can cause the loss of vitamin A in the feed due to thermal oxidation and decomposition.
II. Clinical symptoms of vitamin A deficiency in rabbits
Rabbits with vitamin A deficiency usually show the following symptoms: slow or stopped growth, weak constitution, fluffy coat
, unsteady gait, difficulty standing, decreased activity, etc. Some sick rabbits will also have some neurological symptoms, that is, the head is turned to one side, the body is swaying from side to side, the legs and feet are numb or occasional convulsions, etc. If young rabbits are sick, they will develop diarrhea symptoms, which can lead to death in severe cases. If a pregnant female rabbit develops vitamin A deficiency, there will be premature birth, stillbirth or obstructed labor, or weak or deformed pups, and the pups will develop cerebral edema or other clinical symptoms within a few weeks of birth. . In addition, vitamin A deficiency in adult and young rabbits will show symptoms of eye damage, causing purulent conjunctivitis, keratitis, and eye ulcer necrosis when the condition worsens. At the same time, there will be inflammation of the respiratory system and digestive system due to the damage of the epithelial cells of the body; due to the mucosal damage of the urinary organ system, the urine concentration and ratio will be disordered and urinary stones will be caused. Dry eye or night blindness may also occur in individual cases.
III. Pathological changes and diagnostic methods of vitamin A deficiency in rabbits
After the rabbit suffers from vitamin A deficiency, obvious lesions will occur in the eyes and brain.
Specific diagnostic methods: The initial diagnosis is made according to the feeding history and clinical symptoms of the sick rabbits, and the diagnosis is made by the pathological damage characteristics of the sick rabbits, plasma and the levels of vitamin A and carotene in the liver. The content of vitamin A in the plasma of sick rabbits with vitamin A deficiency is generally lower than 0.2 to 0.3 mg/ml.
This is the end of my introduction to the vitamin A deficiency in rabbits. Finally, I suggest that breeders should pay attention to the reasonable adjustment of the rabbit’s diet structure to ensure that they are nutritionally balanced, enhance the rabbit’s resistance, and reduce illness.
