Fatty liver pathology in female rabbits

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Pathology
• Animal Science
• Comparative Pathology

Background:

• Fatty liver disease, specifically hepatic steatosis, is a significant pathological finding in domestic animals.
• Clinical pregnancy toxaemia/ketosis (CPTK) is a metabolic disorder affecting pregnant animals, potentially leading to hepatic complications.
• Understanding the prevalence and characteristics of fatty liver in rabbit does is crucial for herd health management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the post-mortem findings of fatty liver in rabbit does on commercial farms.
• To investigate the association between hepatic steatosis and clinical pregnancy toxaemia/ketosis (CPTK) and other diseases in rabbit does.
• To characterize the histological features of fatty liver and associated renal and adipose tissue lesions.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a 28-year retrospective study (1996-2023) involving 11,194 farm visits across Portugal and Spain.
• Performed necropsies on 4,363 rabbit does, with a subset of 347 periparturient does examined for CPTK-related lesions.
• Utilized on-farm clinical observations, necropsy, histopathology, and microbiological diagnostics for case classification.

Main Results:

• Fatty liver (hepatic steatosis) was identified as the primary disorder in rabbit does with CPTK and other serious diseases.
• Mixed diffuse steatosis (micro- and macrovesicular) was the most common liver lesion observed.
• Associated findings included renal lipidosis and abdominal fat necrosis, particularly in cases of pancreatic necrosis.

Conclusions:

• Hepatic steatosis is a major pathological finding in rabbit does suffering from CPTK and other systemic diseases.
• The study confirms fatty liver as a central component of CPTK in this species.
• Findings underscore the importance of monitoring liver health in commercial rabbit does.