VTT 232 Rabbit quiz

Males Vs Females

Females are usually larger then males, many females have a fat store under their neck called Dewlop, they will pull fur from here for nesting

Psoroptes cunicli

Nonburrowing mite that feeds on epidermis of the ear canal, transmitted via direct contact with infected animal, show inflammation of the ear, pruritis & shaking

What is the scientific name?

Orctolagus cuniculus

Terminology

Order: Lagomorpha, Family: Leporidae, Lepus: Hares, Oryctolagus & Syvilagus: Rabbits, Doe: female, Buck: Male, Babies: Kit

Ringworm

can be transmitted to rabbits, more common in Europe then the US, poor husbandry contributes to spread, with lesions occurring on the head, standard circular lesion, raised & red, Zoonotic potential

What is Tyzzer's Disease?

caused by Bacillus piliformis, can affect all species of laboratory animals, made worse by overcrowding, poor sanitation, & in the young, Signs: diarrhea, dehydration, & anorexia, treat with ABx, Necrotic lesions on liver

Coccidiosis

caused by Eimeria (many forms), transmitted by fecal-oral route & require PPP, 2 forms: Hepatic or intestinal, with both affecting each system differently. Rabbits will show elevations in the liver enzymes or will show intestinal upset, TX: ABx- sulfonamides in the water

Footpads

rabbits have no footpads, soles of hind legs are covered in fur

WBC's

rabbits neutrophils contain a very red granule giving them the name psedoeosinophil

Ear's of rabbits

Ears are highly vascular & serve as a thermorgulatory organ

What is Cuterebra?

"Warbles", eggs layed in outdoor hutches or around burrows, larvae hatch & then penetrate the skin or are inhaled into the mucousa, encysting with the SQ layer, preform surgery with or without analgesia/anesthesia depending on the patient to remove the larvae, clean & disinfect

Length of Gestation

29-35 days

What is Pododermatitis

Bumblefoot or sore hock, common in rabbits, especially those that are obese, due to fecal contamination getting into ulcerated lesions on the feet, potentially due to cage surface, clean cage, treat wounds

What is pasteurellosis?

Called Snuffles, most common bacterial infection in rabbits, caused by pasteurella multocida, asymptomatically, upper resp. tract, will spread to multiple area & cause illness: conjunctivits, pneumonia, pyometra, neck abscesses, otitis media, symptoms: sneezing, mucopurulent discharge form nares, trasmission is from direct contact or aerosol, neonates affected at birth, treatment: antibiotics

Rabbits urine

Diet consists of large amount of plant material, urine is therefore highly alkaline & often thick and creamy, color: yellow to dark brown, common to find magnesium phosphate & calcium carbonate crystals, young often have no crystals, presence of crystals is normal, new diet & begin to form new types of crystals

Reproduction

Does mature faster then males, Females mature around 5 months, males reach puberty by 6-7 months, pseudocyesis (pseudopregnancy) is a common in does only last 15-17 days

What is Trichobezoars?

Hairballs, often seen in longhair rabbits from normal grooming, overgrooming, or grooming during heat stress, can cause GI tract obstruction, can be fatal, treat with proteolytic enzymes (papaya, pineapple), Sx

Rabbit Vs Hares

Hares: have longer feet & longer ears, live above ground, run through plants & shrubs, born precocious(Ready-to-go), Often will mate for life.

Heat Prostration

Heat stroke, rapid respiration, prostration, blood tinged fluid from nose & mouth, does that are due to kindle are most susceptible

Legs of rabbits

Hindlimbs are longer than the forlimbs to allow for running and jumping

Sarcoptic mange

Quite rare but show standard lesions

Cheyletiella parasitovorax

Rabbit fur mite, "walking dandruff", a nonburrwoing mite, transmitted via direct contact, zoonotic potential,

What is Pneumonia?

Rabbits are suceptible to Bordetella bronchisptica, transmitted: direct contact, aerosol & fomites, most are asymptomatic except young & immuncompromised, Rabbits can transmit to Guinea Pigs & most GP will get sick, DON'T house GP with Rabbits

Rabbits Vs Hares

Rabbits: live below ground, use burrow systems, young are born Altricial-hairless, blind, & helpless, male rabbits will mate with any available female

Teeth of rabbits

Second set of upper incisors called peg teeth, 2nd pair of incisors located posterior to 1st incisors, teeth are hypsodontic, overgrown incisors usually cause malocclusion, malocclusion can cause complications with eating, anorexia, weight loss.

Moist dermatitis

Slobbers, bacterial infection of the skin due to chronic wetness from drooling, can be from poor husbandry, treat malocclusion, clean cage & clean wounds, apply topical or give systemic antibiotics

What is Rabbit Fever?

Tularemia, caused by gram-negative Francisella tularensis, most often seen in wild hares, zoonotic, the CDC has classified as a viable biological warfare agent, easy to aerosolize, highly infective, 10-50 bacteria are sufficient to infect victims, nonpersistent & easy to decontaminate, highly incapacitating to infect persons, comparatively lethality, which is useful where enemy soldiers are in proximity to noncombatants

Cecum of rabbits

Very large cecum for breaking down grass & grains, cecum helps produce "night feces" ingested by the animal often in the twilight hours

Induce Ovulators

Will ovulate after breeding with male, ovulation after copulation

Broken backs

fully support the hindlimbs, kicking can harm the handler, rabbits can exert so much force they can break their back-POSTERIOR PARALYSIS: poor restraint technique, rabbit attempts to kick & instead twists it back, fracturing an area around the 7th lumbar vertebrae, usually not treatable & must be euthanized

Malocclusion

incisors grow so long so mouth cannot close properly, uppers curl back, lowers protrude, animals cannot eat, prone to pneumonia

What is Neoplasia?

most common cancer of domestic rabbits is uterine, adenocarcinoma- leading cause of death in unspayed females

What are cecotrophs?

night feces produced from the cecum, soft feces that are ingested by the animal (directly from the anus) often in the twilight hours , composed of water, nitrogen, electrolytes & vitamins

What is the Papilloma Virus?

oral and cutaneous papilloma virus, oral virus is more common, appears as small, grayish nodules located on the bottom of the mouth or under tongue, appears self-limiting

Trauma

posterior paralysis, self-breaking of back

Bones of rabbits

the radius and ulna are fused, the tibia and fibula are fused, high muscle to bone ratio with larger body fat reserve

Rabbits diet

they are herbivorus, wild rabbits eat a variety of plants, sticks, roots & veggies, owned rabbits should be fed commercial food containing 15% protein & 10% fiber, rabbits are coprophagia(eating of their own feces)