2/3/4: Rabbit Medicine

Question 1

What causes post-weaning coccidiosis?

Answer 1

Poor hygiene

Question 2

What causes post-weaning scour?

Answer 2

Stress, dysbiosis

Question 3

What’s a problem with un-neutered rabbits?

Answer 3

Aggression

Question 4

What’s an advantage of neutering a rabbit?

Answer 4

Uterine adenocarcinoma

Question 5

What are disadvantages of neutering rabbits?

Answer 5

Weight gain, decreased urination leading to bladder sludge

Question 6

What do you vaccinate rabbits for?

Answer 6

Myxomatosis and VHD

Question 7

How often are rabbits vaccinated?

Answer 7

Annually

Question 8

What do you do for roundworm in rabbits?

Answer 8

Not pathogenic, not important, don’t need routine worming unless huge amounts

Question 9

How long should a rabbits claws be?

Answer 9

Trim if going beyond fur (but not Rex!)

Question 10

How should you examine a rabbits teeth?

Answer 10

DON’T life head - run finger along upper and lower jaw, use otoscope speculum

Question 11

What should you do if you see something oval with two nuclei from a rabbit faecal sample?

Answer 11

Normal, not coccidia

Question 12

What is normal PCV is a rabbit?

Answer 12

32-40%

Question 13

What can be a problem with SC baytril?

Answer 13

Tissue necrosis or sterile abscess

Question 14

What is a problem with gentamycin?

Answer 14

Nephrotoxic

Question 15

What is a better way to give gentamycin?

Answer 15

Beads (SeptoPal) for 3-4 months local antibiosis

Question 16

Which class of antibiotics should never be used in herbivores?

Answer 16

Penicillins - disrupt flora

Question 17

What is a problem with SC injections of penicillin?

Answer 17

Abscess or tissue nerosis

Question 18

When is the only time penicillins can be useful?

Answer 18

MDR

Question 19

Why is F10 and excellent antiseptic?

Answer 19

Harmless to vertebrate tissues

Question 20

What are some ways you can use F10?

Answer 20

Topically for wounds, diluted for LRT nebulisation, fogging clinical areas

Question 21

Over which teeth does the NL duct run?

Answer 21

Over upper first incisors

Question 22

What happens to the root and crow when rabbit teeth elongate?

Answer 22

Both root and crowns extend

Question 23

Which drug is available in several form for skin disease, often without prescription?

Answer 23

Ivermectin

Question 24

What can affect faecal flotation results in rabbits?

Answer 24

Caecotrophs

Question 25

What antibiotic is good against anaerobes?

Answer 25

Metronidazole

Question 26

When is the rabbit socialisation period?

Answer 26

4-7 weeks

Question 27

What can be a sign of liver lobe torsion in rabbits?

Answer 27

Abdominal pain

Question 28

DDx for head tilt in a rabbit?

Answer 28

E cuniculi, middle ear infection, parasitic otitis, water in ear if hole in tympanum

Question 29

DDx for hindquarter weakness in a rabbit?

Answer 29

Cystitis, E cuniculi, osteoarthritis, spinal injury

Question 30

Ddx for urine scalding in a rabbit?

Answer 30

E cuniculi, cystitis, sludge

Question 31

What must you ensure you minimise during surgery?

Answer 31

Heat loss and fluid loss (so give warm SC fluids)

Question 32

What should you do as soon as a rabbit is awake from surgery?

Answer 32

Remoe from heat and give SC fluids or syringe feed

Question 33

How can you discourage adhesions following rabbit surgery?

Answer 33

Leave abdomen clean of blood and debris

Question 34

Which sutures should you do in a rabbit?

Answer 34

Sub-cuticular

Question 35

What should you especially monitor on recovery in a rabbit?

Answer 35

Gut movement - can send home with prokinetics

Question 36

When should the owner come back if their rabbit is not eating normally after surgery?

Answer 36

The next day

Question 37

Why should you not give corticosteroids to rabbits?

Answer 37

Allows latent disease outbreak, hepatic lipidosis if fat