Welcome to Acu in Practice! Meet Leonard, a 3.5 year old male Flemish Giant Rabbit! Leonard gains weight easily and doesn’t always ingest his cecotropes, specific products of digestion that rabbits produce in their cecum and then pass like fecal pellets. Normally, they ingest the cecotropes as part of the healthy digestive process. There are many reasons why a rabbit may stop eating their cecotropes, including weight gain, gastrointestinal disturbances, and pain. In Leonard’s case, he is not in pain, but he is overweight. Giant breed rabbits are more likely to develop arthritis and spondylosis at a younger age so appropriate nutrition is of utmost importance. In addition, with TCM and acupuncture, we can support his Spleen/Digestive System and his Kidneys, which can enhance digestion and help to slow the aging process.
TCM Treatment Principle:
Nourish Spleen and Kidney
Prevent Damp Accumulation
Acupuncture Point Rx:
GV 20, BL 20, BL 23, GV 4, SP 6, KID 3, ST 36
Other recommendations:
We greatly reduced the amount of pellets that will be offered to Leonard. His diet will consist mainly of timothy/grass hay (unlimited) and fresh, dark, leafy greens (1 – 2 handfuls per day).
The goal for Leonard’s integrative plan is to support his “giant” body and to keep him healthy and happy for as long as possible!
This post was created by Nell Ostermeier, DVM, CVA, FAAVA and is intended for informational use, not to replace medical advice.