Rabbits

Question 1

How many domesticated rabbit species are there?

How many breeds does the American Rabbit Breeders Association recognize?

Answer 1

1 domesticated species

48 breeds

Question 2

T/F: Rabbits are unpredicatble in a clinic and often get injured. To minimalize the chance of injury, all treatment should be performed on the floor and the rabbit should be held “football style” when not on the ground.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

What are two common injuries we see in over-handled rabbits?

Answer 3

back injuries

broken legs

Question 4

T/F: Rabbits are the largest of the rodent order.

Answer 4

FALLLLLSE

They are Lagomorphs.

Question 5

T/F: Lagomorphs have 2 pair of incisors on the top and 1 pair of incisors on the bottom.

Answer 5

True

Question 6

What kind of activity/foraging behavior do rabbits exhibit?

Answer 6

Nocturnal

social

Question 7

How long can rabbits live?

Answer 7

6-10 years

Question 8

T/F: All rabbit teeth are open-rooted

Answer 8

True

Question 9

What type of GI tract do rabbits have?

Answer 9

Hindgut fermenting herbivorous

Question 10

At what age does a Bucks testes descend?

Answer 10

3 month

Question 11

Does are induced ovulators. How long is their gestation period?

Answer 11

30-33 days

4-12 young weaned at 6 weeks

They are always in heat and have a post-partum estrus

Question 12

What is the #1 cancer in rabbits?

Answer 12

Uterine Adenocarcinoma

Question 13

What type of teeth do rabbits have?

Answer 13

All open-rooted teeth

Question 14

What does it mean to be coprophagic?

Answer 14

To eat feces

Rabbits eat their cecotropes

Question 15

How much calcium can a rabbit absorb from its diet?

Answer 15

As much as it ingests. Absorbs calcium unhcecked

Can lead to calciuria

Question 16

As an herbivore, what is the pH of rabbit urine?

Answer 16

Alkaline

may see crystals

Question 17

A client brings in a rabbit with a complatint of white, sludge like urine. You take RADs of the rabbit’s abdomen and it looks like someone was trying to preform a dye study in the bladder. What is your diagnosis?

Answer 17

Calciuria

Question 18

T/F: Rabbits can NOT vomit.

Answer 18

True

Question 19

A client brings in thier rabbit to your clinic for its annual exam. The client brought in a stool sample because the stool looked odd. These are the poops she brought in. What is wrong with them and what do you recommend?

Answer 19

These are hair ball poops.

Recommend that the owner brushes the rabbit regularly and feeds a high fiber diet to minimalize chance of obstruction.

Question 20

When setting up an indoor bunny home, which is better?

Wire bottom or solid bottom

water bowl or bottle

Answer 20

Solid bottom and water bowl

Question 21

T/F: Wire bottom cages can lead to pododermatitis.

Answer 21

True

Question 22

Which vertebrae is most common to fracture due to improper handling of a rabbit?

Answer 22

L6

Question 23

A client comes in concerned because her rabbit has been rubbing its chin on all the things in the house. You note no abnormalities on PE. What do you tell the Owner?

Answer 23

The rabbit is rubbing its chin gland on things to claim them.

Question 24

Name 4 veinipuncture sites in the rabbit.

Answer 24

Lateral saphenous

Cephalic vein

Jugular vein

Ear vein

Question 25

What is this tool called? Its used for looking into all the orifices, especially those with sharp teeth where small mammals are concerned.

Answer 25

Welch-Allyn Bivalver Nasal Speculum

Question 26

What are the MAIN routes for drugs in rabbits?

Answer 26

SQ and Oral IV Fluids for shocky rabbits

Question 27

What is the normal temerpaure of a rabbit? What temperature do we become concerned with shock?

Answer 27

101-104° F = normal \<98° F = shock

Question 28

What injectable caused this ear slough?

Answer 28

Valium/Diazepam

Question 29

What are we concerned about causing in rabbits if we use selective gram-positive antibiotics?

Answer 29

Gut bacterial dysbiosis Signs: Diarrhea, inappetance, endotoxemia, DEATH

Question 30

What are the two common bacteria that lead to dysbiosis in the bunny wunny?

Answer 30

*E. coli* and *Colstridium spiroforme*

Question 31

T/F: Quinolones, Sulfa drugs, Cholramphenicol, Metronidazole, Azithromycin and Penicillin are safe to use in the rabbit.

Answer 31

True As long as its **injectable penicillin** **oral penicillin causes dysbiosis**

Question 32

T/F: Beta-lactams (oral penicillin and cefalosporins) and Mycins except for azithromycin are contraindicated in the rabbit.

Answer 32

True

Question 33

What should you assume if you have a quiet, hunched, hiding, not eating bunny?

Answer 33

Its in pain Prey speciese heal poorly with pain so ALWAYS give analgesics

Question 34

What are some analgesics we can give to rabbits?

Answer 34

NSAIDs: Carprofen, Ketoprofen, meloxicam Opiods: Bupernorphine, Butorphanol, hydrocodone Tramadol is iffy

Question 35

T/F: Rabbits are herbivorous, mongastic, hindgut fermentors.

Answer 35

true

Question 36

What is the largest organ in the rabbit GI tract?

Answer 36

Cecum

Question 37

Why are we concerned that rabbits have non-distensible stomachs?

Answer 37

They can't vomit, so food overload can rupture the stomach

Question 38

T/F: Rabbits have a thick muscular pylorus

Answer 38

true

Question 39

The cecum in the rabbit is a pigmented, thin walled and coiled organ that is responsible for the fermentation of ______ fiber and the production of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

Answer 39

The cecum in the rabbit is a pigmented, thin walled and coiled organ that is responsible for the fermentation of _soluble_ fiber and the production of _cecotrophs (cecals)_.

Question 40

What is the driving force of the rabbit GI tract?

Answer 40

Fiber

Question 41

T/F: Insoluble fiber acts as a motility modifyer and a direct nutrient.

Answer 41

False it is NOT a direct nutrient.

Question 42

How long after eating do rabbits typically produce a cecal?

Answer 42

~4 hours after eating

Question 43

T/F: Most owners do not see the cecal becuase it is consumed right from the anus, leading many owners to think a cecal in the cage is diarrhea.

Answer 43

True

Question 44

The formation of cecals is stimulated by a ___ fiber diet and reduced by a ____ protein diet.

Answer 44

The formation of cecals is stimulated by a _high_ fiber diet and reduced by a _high_ protein diet.

Question 45

What is a common food given to rabbits that is high in protein, and thus reduces cecal formation?

Answer 45

Alfalfa hay = legume = high protein

Question 46

What is the ideal rabbit diet?

Answer 46

High fiber, low carbs, low protein So lots of grass hay, less leafy greens, minimal pellets and even less treats and fruit

Question 47

Generalized ileus is common in all breeds of rabbit. What 3 clinical signs make us start to worry?

Answer 47

Painful abdomen Hypothermia Shock

Question 48

GIT Stasis can be caused by low fiber diets, stress, obesity, inacivity, pH changes, abnormal fermentation and reduced hingut motility. What 2 unlisted causes give us the most concern?

Answer 48

Dysbiosis and Enterotoxemia

Question 49

Which is NOT a part of the routine treatment of rabbits for GIT stasis? Fluids Metaclopromide/Cisapride Opioids Simethicone Exercise Decomperession if bloated

Answer 49

PSYCH They all are

Question 50

What do we add to the treatment protocol for a shocky or hypothermic rabbit with mucoid feces?

Answer 50

PARENTERAL penicillin

Question 51

T/F: Surgery has a good prognosis for GIT stasis, especially in cases of endotoxemia.

Answer 51

False few cases survive surgery, esp enterotoxemia This is why we don't think twice about giving motility dugs to rabbits. Even if they do have an obstruction, we probably won't find it and they most likely won't survive surgery. It's better to treat and hope they don't have a true obstruction.

Question 52

T/F: Most owners can tell the difference between an uneaten cecotroph and true diarrhea.

Answer 52

False True diarrhea will happen multiple times a day and be unable to pick up with fingers. Common in baby bunnies.

Question 53

A client calls in wanting some anti-diarrheal medication for her bunny. She tells you the bunny is squirting out liquid from its bottom several times a day. What do you tell her?

Answer 53

To get her booty and bunny into the clinic ASAP True diarrhea is a **MEDICAL EMERGENCY** in rabbits

Question 54

What are 5 predisposing factors to uneaten cecals or cecals matted to the booty fur?

Answer 54

Obesity/inactivity High protein low fiber diet pain (arthritis, dermatitis) Neurological Dz Dental Dz

Question 55

Which greens are high in calcium and should not be fed to your bunny in order to lessen the chance of them producing urine sludge?

Answer 55

Alfalfa Spinach Kale Parsely

Question 56

How do we treat urine sludge in the rabbit?

Answer 56

Pass urinary cath (sedation) warm saline flush recheck RADs SQ fluids Bupernorphine NSAIDs for home correct predisposing factors

Question 57

T/F: Most dietary disorders in the rabbit are preventable.

Answer 57

True

Question 58

Open mouth breathing in a rabbit is a very bad sign because rabbits are _____ \_\_\_\_\_ breathers

Answer 58

Obligate nasal

Question 59

T/F: URIs in rabbits are almost always viral

Answer 59

False URIs are almost always **bacterial**, sometimes fungal

Question 60

What is the most common cause of snuffles in rabbits of all ages?

Answer 60

*Pasteurella multocida*

Question 61

A client brings in their rabbit complaing about the rabbit having the "snuffles". On PE you note no discharge from the nose. Where else should you check?

Answer 61

Paws Rabbits clean their noses off their wittle foots

Question 62

Do we use short term or long term antibiotics when managing an URI in a rabbit?

Answer 62

long term abx

Question 63

Rabbits have a single nasolacrimal duct puncta located where?

Answer 63

Medial canthus

Question 64

What is important to note about the location of the NLD in the rabbit in relation to the teeth?

Answer 64

The NLD runs along the top of the maxillary tooth roots

Question 65

What can happen if the NLD becomes impinged by the tooth roots?

Answer 65

Chronic epiphora, dacrocystitis & URI

Question 66

Abdominal breathing can be indicative of what respiratoy disease in rabbits?

Answer 66

Bronchopneumonia R/o other thoracic dz gaurded prognosis

Question 67

How do we diagnose bronchopneumonia in the rabbit?

Answer 67

RADs

Question 68

What is a rule out for diagnosing thymoma in rabbits?

Answer 68

Cardiomyopathy

Question 69

T/F: Analgesics are essential in treatment of bronchopneumonia because it is painful.

Answer 69

True NSAID + Opioid

Question 70

What are two DDx for head tilt in a rabbit?

Answer 70

Otitis media/interna ## Footnote *Encephalitozoon cuniculi*

Question 71

*E. cuniculi* is an obligate intracellular microsporidia parasite acquired at birth. Where does it replicate? What tissue does it have an affinity for?

Answer 71

Replicated in the Kindeys Affinity for neuro tissue

Question 72

How do we diagnose *E. cuniculi*?

Answer 72

Ante-mortem: blood test, CT/RADs to r/o otitis interna Post-mortem: kindey/brain biopsy

Question 73

How do we treat *E. cuniculi*?

Answer 73

**Fenbendazole**/albendazole Steroids Anti-inflammatories Abx (in case otitis media)

Question 74

What should we monitor durring treatment of *E. cuniculi?*

Answer 74

CBC *E. cuniculi* can cause bone marrow suppression

Question 75

How often do we cut teeth to treat incisor malocclusion?

Answer 75

every 6-8 weeks.

Question 76

T/F: If we want to remove 1 incisor, we need to be sure to get the root and remove all 6 incisors.

Answer 76

True

Question 77

T/F: Jaw abscess is a big problem in rabbits that can lead to osteomyelitis.

Answer 77

True Treatment requires aggressive surgical debridement

Question 78

What antibiotic do we soak our packing gauze in when treating a jaw abscess?

Answer 78

Cefazolin

Question 79

What type of antibiotic should we use for dental abscess treatment?

Answer 79

anaerobic

Question 80

Some breeds of rabbit have uterine adenocarcinoma occurance rates near what percent?

Answer 80

80%

Question 81

T/F: OHE is recommended in rabbits because ALL intact does will have uterine disease.

Answer 81

True assuming they live long enough to

Question 82

What kind of uterus and cervix do rabbits possess?

Answer 82

bicornate uterus double cervis

Question 83

What are some locations an uterine adenocarcinoma will metastisize to?

Answer 83

lung bone soft tissue

Question 84

How long does it take for uterine adenocarcinomas in rabbits to metastasize?

Answer 84

7-9 months

Question 85

What are 4 rule outs for hematuria?

Answer 85

Porphyrins Urolithiasis Uterine adenocarcinoma benign endometrial disease cystitis is an unlikely cause in rabbits

Question 86

Severe crystalluria in sedentary rabbits presents grossly as ____ \_\_\_\_.

Answer 86

urinary sludge very painful, causes dysuria

Question 87

What is the difference between calciuria and a urolith in rabbits?

Answer 87

Calciuria resolves with medical rx Urolith require surgical removal

Question 88

What are some other names for Rabbit syphilus or "vent disease"?

Answer 88

Spirochetosis or Treponematosis

Question 89

What is the etiology of Rabbit spirochetosis?

Answer 89

*Treponema cuniculi*

Question 90

Treponematosis is NOT zoonotic, but it is a contagious veneral disease of young rabbits. What signs does it present with?

Answer 90

scabs on the face and vent Don't mistake it for an URI

Question 91

How do we diagnose rabbit syphilus?

Answer 91

Biopsy/PCR

Question 92

What is the only treatment for "vent disease"?

Answer 92

Long acting penicillin 2 SQ doses 4 days apart (combi-pen = procaine and benzathine pen G)