Chapxer II. 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE 

 TRACT 



In well managed rabbitries diseases of the 

 organs of digestion, apart from parasitic and 

 bacterial infections, are the exception rather 

 than the rule, and are seldom fatal, producing 

 only a transitory illness that with appropriate 

 treatment and the removal of the cause, ends 

 with rapid recovery. Individuals only, are as 

 a rule, affected and the prevalence of a num- 

 ber of cases showing severe symptoms and a 

 large mortality, indicate that one has to deal 

 with something far more serious than a simple 

 digestive disorder. 



The only points of special interest in the 

 digestive apparatus of the rabbit is the posses- 

 sion of a well developed vermiform appendix, 

 and that after death the stomach carries on its 

 digestive functions to the extent of digesting 

 its own walls. This latter point should be 

 taken into consideration when making post 

 mortem examinations or an erroneous diag- 

 nosis may be made. The practical application 

 of this rather curious phenomenon, is that rab- 

 bits should be gutted immediately when killed 

 for market or for the table. 



Pytalism 



Excessive flow of saliva is a symptom of de- 

 fective or irregular teeth, stomatitis, either 



17 



