This presentation details the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of two client-owned rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) exhibiting acute anorexia. On physical examination, both cases demonstrated gastric dilation and significant abdominal pain. Laboratory analyses revealed elevated hepatic parameters, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and bilirubin, in both animals. Computed tomography was pivotal in definitively diagnosing gastric dilation and volvulus (GDV) in each case. In one rabbit, a conservative medical approach, encompassing fluid therapy and analgesia, proved successful. Remarkably, follow-up oral contrast radiography indicated the persistence of gastric torsion at the time of discharge, despite clinical improvement. Conversely, the second rabbit exhibited a suboptimal response to initial medical management, necessitating a laparotomy and gastropexy on the following day. Both patients have since survived with no reported complications from their owners. This presentation is poised to be the first of its kind to articulate the successful identification and treatment of GDV in rabbits, incorporating both medical and surgical interventions.
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