Rabbit Vomiting & Regurgitation information. [Updated on: 08/23/24 04:07]
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"Did you know that rabbits can't vomit? They have a very tight sphincter in their oesophagus (the food pipe leading to the stomach) and the position of their stomach means it is impossible for them to vomit. However in very, very rare cases they can regurgitate (which is not the same as vomiting) and bring back fluid or partially ingested material - see the photo for what this looks like! Rabbits can regurgitate if they have something stuck in their oesophagus acutely, or if they have a malformation of the oesophagus. A positive side to not being able to vomit is that they can't do this under anaesthetic, which makes things safer - and they should not be starved before a GA."
"... vomiting is not the same as regurgitation - i should have explained more - vomiting is an "active" movement requiring nausea and the active contraction of the stomach forcing material out of the oesophageal sphincter, rabbits physically cannot do this - whilst regurgitation is a passive act - its a reflux of fluid."
What color? "depends what they eat, it can often be brown"
"Did you know, rabbits and rodents are incapable of vomiting!? The act of vomiting in humans, from an evolutionary perspective, is to rid the body of potential #toxic substances. As rodents and rabbits are unable to vomit, it is more difficult to rid the body of toxins once ingested. However, both species have evolved to have strong aversions in future to foods that were harmful after ingestion. Another strategy they have developed is the consumption of non-food items when unwell, such as clay, that #absorb toxins in the stomach."
"Although vomiting in these species is not possible, we may rarely observe regurgitation. Regurgitation is different to vomiting. Regurgitation happens without any forceful contractions and is the passive, effortless flow of stomach contents into the oesophagus. Again, this is rare in rodents and rabbits due to their powerful barrier between the stomach and oesophagus, but is not impossible."
"#Veterinary followers! Rodents and rabbits do not require food withheld prior to anaesthesia of more than 30 minutes. This is due to their inability to vomit and their potential of developing gastrointestinal stasis and hypoglycaemia! For further reading on this topic, with references, visit this great website." - #therodentnurse
Other Bits of Infomration
"The rabbit has a well-developed cardiac sphincter, which is arranged in such a way that the rabbit cannot vomit." - Jeffrey R. Jenkins, DVM, ABVP-Avian. Feeding recommendations for the house rabbit (1999); Veterinary Clinics Of North America: Exotic Animal Practice.
"The lower esophageal sphincter (LES), also known as the cardiac sphincter, is an involuntary sphincter located at the bottom of the esophagus, where it connects with the stomach." - What Is a Sphincter?
"A muscular sphincter or cardiac valve is present at the opening of the oesophagus in cardiac region which prevents the backward passage of food from stomach to oesophagus. Similarly a circular pyloric sphincter is present at the opening of pyloric stomach into duodenum called pylorus. It prevents the backward movement of food from duodenum to pyloric stomach." - Digestive System of Rabbit (With Diagram)"A macroscopical study of the gastro-oesophageal junction in" ... "rabbits showed the presence of a massive muscular sphincter in the lower oesophagus and a serrated mucosal rosette at the cardiac orifice. Together, these two factors form a perfect closing mechanism between stomach and oesophagus. Histologically the sphincter is composed of both smooth and striated muscle masses. This extraordinary feature is primarily responsible for the remarkable physiological activity at the rabbit's cardia." - J Anat. 1958 Jul; 92(Pt 3): 441–446.1. G. S. Muller Botha: Histological observations on the gastro-oesophageal junction in the rabbit.
The following regurgitation information is from LafeberVet.
"Gastrointestinal obstruction and acute gastric dilation" - Date: July 28, 2010. By: Susan Kelleher, DVM, reviewed by: Peter Fisher, DVM; Pet Care Veterinary Hospital Virginia Beach, VA. "Gastrointestinal Problems in Rabbits"
"Rabbits have a very tight esophageal sphincter and cannot vomit or eructate. Rabbits also normally produce large amounts of saliva and gastric secretions. As a result, obstruction of gastric outflow quickly leads to distension of the stomach. The distended stomach compresses the acute angle of the pyloric outflow tract in the rabbit creating a self-perpetuating cycle of further distension and obstruction. The distended stomach may place excess pressure on the diaphragm, which compromises the rabbit’s already small lung volume." - Dr. Kelleher
The following regurgitation information is from Rabbit Meadows - Offical HRS chapter for Seattle, Washington.
"Regurgitating Rabbits"
By Sandi Ackerman - Washington House Rabbit Society chapter manager
"I have personally observed 3 different rabbits in the process of vomiting. The first time involved one of my foster rabbits who is just a pig and always claimed that he hadn't eaten in weeks. And so he gobbles, or literally inhales his food. I had just placed his and his mates pellet bowl on the floor when he dashed over, stuck his head in the bowl and started chewing. After only a couple of seconds he started vomiting and then just as suddenly got up on his back feet with his front feet stretched high above him on the wall. It then appeared as though he were "dancing" on his back legs and it took me several seconds to realize that he couldn’t breathe. By the time I reacted and had picked him up he had apparently cleared the obstruction and was beginning to calm down. In only another few seconds he wanted to get down, shock himself and started eating again. There was no additional signs that anything had been amiss."
