I would like to retract my suggestion that cow's milk might be suitable for hand-feeding rabbit kits. A concerned member sent me the following information and it is enough to convince me that this is not a good idea.
"From a 1978 research on hand raising rabbits and published in Cambridge vet journals: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/di ... id=1227048
Infant rabbits hand-reared on a liquid diet based on cow’s milk frequently experienced sudden respiratory distress and convulsive spasms immediately after a feed, sometimes resulting in death. The outward similarity of this syndrome to systemic anaphylaxis (Movat, Uriuhara, Taichman, Rowsell & Mustard, 1968) and the presence of degranulated basophils in the blood vessels of the mesentery led these workers to conclude that an immunological hypersensitivity reaction to cow’s-milk proteins was responsible for the symptoms.
There are numerous references to older kits and milk of ANY kind being indigestible. Particularly cow's milk. The proteins in cow's milk are horribly different than other species. Apparently, cat and goat milk are the most similar to rabbit. VERY high in fat (i.e. rich) and fully homogenized.
This is from medirabbits.com
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."
"From a 1978 research on hand raising rabbits and published in Cambridge vet journals: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/di ... id=1227048
Infant rabbits hand-reared on a liquid diet based on cow’s milk frequently experienced sudden respiratory distress and convulsive spasms immediately after a feed, sometimes resulting in death. The outward similarity of this syndrome to systemic anaphylaxis (Movat, Uriuhara, Taichman, Rowsell & Mustard, 1968) and the presence of degranulated basophils in the blood vessels of the mesentery led these workers to conclude that an immunological hypersensitivity reaction to cow’s-milk proteins was responsible for the symptoms.
There are numerous references to older kits and milk of ANY kind being indigestible. Particularly cow's milk. The proteins in cow's milk are horribly different than other species. Apparently, cat and goat milk are the most similar to rabbit. VERY high in fat (i.e. rich) and fully homogenized.
This is from medirabbits.com
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."
