An autopsy revealed liver disease. We already knew that a defective liver is unable to filter anesthetics, and we had been screening by blood panel for this condition in rabbits over 2 years old.
As we began preoperative screening among our foster rabbits and check-ups on our family rabbits, a disproportionate number of rabbits showed elevated liver enzymes (excess liver enzymes in the blood indicate leakage from the liver, which is not handling toxins adequately).
Both Tinker Bell, a large Californian, and Dinah, our gold mini-lop, showed elevated liver enzymes. The final results of an autopsy on a rabbit with a degenerative illness indicated the primary cause of death was liver disease, and Sarah had just died of liver failure after surgery.
In our carefully planned, loving foster homes are we providing a toxic environment?
Phoebe, our 6-year-old, overweight English spot, and Mimi, our 1 year old French lop, had perfectly normal livers; yet some of our younger, slimmer rabbits did show liver disease. We finally thought of the pine shavings in the litterboxes and cage trays. All of our rabbits who had elevated liver enzymes were using pine shavings in their individual litterboxes and/or cage trays. TESTING AND RETESTING
Liver enzymes were back in the normal range. As HRS members in various parts of the country reported deaths of their rabbits due to liver disease, we asked what type of litter was being used. The fact that a large number of indoor house rabbits live in an environment of pine or cedar may account for the large number of deaths due to liver damage and anesthesia fatalities.
Blood panels are now inexpensive since basic lab work is done in most veterinary offices.
New organic litters have been developed by several companies, and include CareFresh, Cat Country, Critter Country and Yesterday's News.
Cat Country - an organic grass-based pellet.
Straw alone can be used as litter in a large litterbox on the floor. LITTER COMPARISONS
Laboratory Animal Science 31(6), 672-675
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