Rabbit Basics

Describe rabbits as prey species

Bottom of the food chain mentality, fear factor is always there, strong reproductive drive, can lead to behavior issues

Describe the pet rabbit

European rabbit, one domesticated species but many breeds (Oryctolagus cuniculi), not North American cottontail, can't interbreed

What is the driving force in the rabbit GI tract?

Fiber

What are the giant rabbit breeds?

Flemish giant and New Zealand white

How should you hold a rabbit when moving it?

Football hold with head hidden in elbow

Describe rabbit fear in the home

Not good for kids, not bred for temperament, inability to pick up the rabbit, can lead to mishandling, over excited kids, back injuries and broken legs are common, hard to give meds so teach owners how to do, need to educate owners

Describe hospitalizing rabbits

Only if necessary, quiet place away from dogs, bottom cage to avoid jumping out, treat on floor if high strung, no stainless steel for bottoms, jumpy rabbits are floor bunnies

How much poop will a rabbit have per day?

Over 200 dry stools a day

What are bad antibiotics for rabbits?

Beta lactams, cephalosporins, oral penicillin, lincomycin, clindamycin, erythromycin

What are rabbits bred for?

Ears, coat, size

Can rabbits vomit?

No

What is the normal temperature for rabbits?

101-104 F

Describe rabbit reproductive issues

All females need to be spayed, induced ovulation so very successful breeders, always in heat, post partum estrus within 24h of birth so owners can have to deal with two litters before they know for sure the rabbit is a female, short gestation of 33d, strong hormonal activity, uterine cancer rate is very high

Describe rabbit dietary indiscretion

Breads and grains and cereal, nuts and seeds, store bought treats, fancy pellets, too much alfalfa (alfalfa is too high in calcium and proteins for an adult rabbit, but baby bunnies up to 6m old and pregnant/lactating can have alfalfa), simple carbs raise the pH of the GI tract which favors bacterial overgrowth and can disrupt cecal production and cause dysbiosis and endotoxemia

Describe calciuria vs urolith in rabbits

Calciuria resolves with medical treatment, stones are surgical, all stones are calcium carbonate, usually just calciuria or stone but not both

Describe cecotrophy

Cecotrophs are the night feces, produced via circadian rhythm without voluntary control 4h after eating, smelly, soft, mucus covered, eaten right from anus, stimulated by high fiber diet, reduced by high protein diet, provides amino acids and B vitamins, fat or old rabbits can't reach the poop to eat and owners call it diarrhea, rabbits get B12 from bacteria in poop since they are vegan

Describe the rabbit proximal colon

Has sacculations called haustra, insoluble fiber at bottom, soluble fiber at top

What are the diet recommendations for rabbits?

High fiber low carb (carb includes fruit and carrots and treats), grass hay free fed and preferred over alfalfa/legumes, leafy greens, limit pellets, low in fruit, low in treats, mostly grass hay (timiothy/orchard), medium amounts low calcium leafy greens (romaine, green leaf, red leaf lettuce, herbs), small amount plain timothy based pellets (1/4c per 5 pounds per day), no fruit except as a treat (blueberry, strawberry, apple)

Describe the rabbit GI tract

Highly specialized, open rooted teeth in front and back, all teeth continuously grow for life, fiber chewing for dental health, large GI tract designed for fiber diet, coprophagic with cecotrope poop

In the cage, where do rabbits like to be?

In the litterbox, eating hay

Describe the urinary parameters of rabbits

Infrequent and large amounts of urine, high pH so ammonia and crystals, color can change often (calciuria is chalky white, porphyrins are rusty orange but benign), blood is not normal, cecal production when in hole overnight

Describe rabbit fiber

Insoluble fiber acts as a motility modifier and not a direct nutrient, enhances motility, rapid transport of fiber to the colon, separation of fiber particles in the colon, reverse peristalsis of soluble fiber back to cecum to create cecotropes (type of poop)

What are the biological characteristics of rabbits?

Lagomorphs not rodents, nocturnal and social, lifespan 6-10y, all teeth are open rooted so continue to grow, hindgut fermenting herbivore, have foot fur and not footpads

Describe rabbit venipuncture sites

Lateral saphenous is preferred, cephalic veins are better for catheter, ear vein is better for catheters but ears are very sensitive, jugular vein shouldn't be used because it is too stressful

What are the reproductive parameters of rabbits?

Males are bucks and testes descend at 3m old, open inguinal rings so can suck testes into abdomen but sac is still there, female is doe and induced ovulator, gestation is 30-33d, have 4-12 young, born blind, wean at 6w, hard to sex baby rabbits, urogenital-anal distance is same in males and females, female is linear, male is round

What are large breed rabbits bred for?

Meat

Describe rabbit restraint and handling

Minimal handling, treat on the floor or give sedation if wild, cover eyes (calm down when eyes are covered), prefer feet on the ground, always support the lower back, lumbar fractures possible (L6) from strong kick, rubber bath mat gives traction and security

Describe rabbit treatments

Mostly subq or oral, IV fluids if shock, orals or injectables at home, outpatient vs in patient (if not stress free in hospital then send home)

What analgesics can you give rabbits?

NSAIDS meloxicam or carprofen, opioids buprenorphine or butorphanol or hydromorphone, tramadol or gabapentin or maropitant

What is the treatment for urine sludge?

Pass urinary catheter under sedation, warm saline flush and massage until clear, recheck rads, SQ fluids and buprenorphine, home on NSAIDs and low calcium diet, correct pre disposing factors

What does urine staining on the rabbit's hind end mean?

Poor litter box set up or sludgey bladder (too much calcium in the bladder) or orthopedic issues

Describe analgesics in rabbits in general

Prey species heal poorly with pain, are quiet and non-demonstrative when in pain, hiding or hunched or not moving, assume painful if not eating

What are good antibiotics for rabbits?

Quinolones (enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin), sulfa drugs, penicillin subq only, chloramphenicol, metronidazole

Describe rabbit calcium metabolism

Rabbits absorb unlimited amounts of calcium from the GI tract which is unique, independent of vitamin D3, results in high levels of calcium in the blood (14-16 mg/dl), excrete large amounts of calcium in the urine, calciuria is normal but can get excessive on diets high in calcium like alfalfa and kale

What can thick heavy calcium crystals cause?

Sediment in the bladder and severe crystal-induced cystitis and dysuria

Describe the rabbit litter bo

Should be big, place newspaper type bedding as first layer and then hay, no corner litter boxes, no clumping clay litter (obstruction, can't puke), no small litterboxes

Describe housing for the pet rabbit

Should be indoors, solid bottom without wire (foot fur, not pads), litter box train, water bowl or bottle, chew things, hide box

What does sitting in urine lead to for rabbits?

Sore hocks and urine scald from the high pH

Describe rabbit fear in the clinic

Stress responses are fight or flight and rabbits always choose flight, catecholamine release, injuries are possible, dog may be seen as predator so send rabbit home fast if a dog is there, rabbits are unpredictable and can launch without warning

What is excessive calciuria from?

Too much calcium in the diet

True or false: Husbandry problems are common in the pet rabbit

True

True or false: In rabbits, a pasted vent from uneaten cecals is common

True

True or false: Large breed rabbits all start out tiny

True

True or false: Rabbits are prone to getting ileus where stool production stops

True

True or false: Rabbits can have calcium carbonate in the urine

True

True or false: Rabbits will chew the IV line

True

True or false: The rabbit hindgut is basically the large intestine

True

Describe rabbit poop

Two types, cecals (also called cecotropes, once a day, night stools, look like tootsie rolls), hard feces (all day, little round balls)

Describe antibiotics in rabbits

Use those with mixed bacterial spectrum, no amoxicillin or cephalosporin, potential toxicities from using selectively gram positive meds, can result in bacterial dysbiosis in the gut, diarrhea and endotoxemia and death, enteric pathogens are E coli and clostridium