Just had this very interesting discussion with a fellow bunny owner and my vet on separate occasions. My friend believes that stress can cause a doe to re-absorb her kits in the womb and my vet believe that it is logically impossible. He believes that it would be more of an abortion, or a mummification is also possible but not absorption. How or where can all the bones & body masses disappear?
Anyone has any experience to share?
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Allow ‘the friend’ to clarify 🙂 – It is not my view that stress is the cause of re-absorption, but it is merely one of the factors which may trigger a series of events leading to re-absorption. I disagree completely that re-absorption is ‘logically impossible’ (that statement itself is illogical to me). Re-absorption is a process that been recorded in humans, animals and even plants.
At this point, I would like to say that I am not a doctor/vet and the views I express here are based on my own reading and understanding of the re-absorption process.
The re-absorption process is also referred to as ‘autolysis’, whereby a cell breaks itself down. Cells which are most susceptible to autolysis tend to be dying or dead cells. Such cells are deprived of oxygen and the sub-units within the cell (organelles) start to breakdown. The breakdown of lysosomes (an organelle containing digestive enzymes) releases digestive enzymes into the cell and these enzymes break down the proteins and fats within the cell into their constituent amino and fatty acids. Once broken down into this simple form, the amino and fatty acids are able to re-enter the organism’s circulation system to be further synthesised.
That’s my summary of the process.. wouldn’t want to bore anyone by going into too much details 🙂 Hope that answers your query as to how the body actually re-absorbs cells.
thank you so much for writing. Hope this is not going to be your last post…:P
got it loud and clear. I actually posted this entry before you sent me the link to that PDF file.
So basically, a death has got to take place first before re-absorption takes place…