Captive giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis) are affected by four major pathological conditions linked to their nutrition: (1) the so-called “peracute mortality syndrome” with complete absence and serious atrophy of body fat stores, (2) phytobezoars, i.e. Fibrous conglomerates of plant material, in the omasum and abomasums (3) rumen acidosis or (4) partial loss of dorsal ruminal papillation. We hypothesise that all four conditions can be explained by the fact that the giraffe, like other browsing ruminants, is not adapted to grass or lucerne hay, and ingests this material in comparatively lesser amounts than grazing ruminants would.
