Unlike canine and feline patients, rabbits do not have a distinct vertical or horizontal ear canal. The external ear possesses cartilaginous plates and a blind-ending diverticulum which is separated...
Any owner should be encouraged to do research if they are considering taking on a pet. A study by Winnepenninckx (2020) showed 65.5% of rabbit owners gain their information from online sources,...
The thymus is the first of the lymphoid organs to be formed during embryonic development. As in other mammals, the rabbit thymus provides the body with the T-cell population of lymphocytes. In most...
Rabbits constantly scan their environment, and at the first sign of danger, will attempt to flee (Varga, 2016). If this is not possible, the rabbit will hide, become silent, and mask signs of illness...
In order to keep rabbits happy and healthy, consideration must be given to their species-specific requirements. As a prey species, rabbits will readily hide signs of pain and illness. This acts as a...
There are numerous parasites, both endo and ectoparasites, that affect rabbits. Some of these are asymptomatic and may play a part in the healthy balance of the rabbit's gastrointestinal tract and do...
A survey was developed consisting of three sections including: i) general FB and FB rabbit group use (e.g. frequency of use and reason for joining FB rabbit groups); ii) receiving of rabbit health...
Pre-medications are routinely given to canine and feline patients but may be overlooked in small mammals. The aim of pre-medication is to calm the animal, promote smooth induction of anaesthesia,...
There is a general consensus among veterinary professionals that rabbits are at a greater risk of mortality than canines or felines when hospitalised for veterinary treatment (Lewis, 2010; Wenger,...
Pain is both an individual and a subjective experience. An accurate assessment of pain is crucial to relieve animal suffering as part of our veterinary oath. Pain can be acute and chronic. Acute pain...
The importance of companion rabbits for comfort, safety and to alleviate boredom cannot be underestimated. As prey species, an extra set of eyes on the lookout for predators can literally mean the...
A rabbit's natural diet consists of very tough, fibrous foods of low nutritional value — they have a very diverse diet consisting of hay, grass, bark, and roots of many types of plants. Such low...
The most common factors leading to obesity in rabbits are reduced activity level (often due to restricted access to space) and feeding of a highly calorific diet such as muesli, excessive pellets and...
When a rabbit is brought into practice with gastrointestinal symptoms it is important to rapidly establish whether there is an obstruction requiring immediate emergency surgery or if gut stasis is the...
Supraglottic airway devices (SGADs) were developed for use in human anaesthesia to offer a simple and effective alternative to endotracheal intubation. SGADs are defined as devices that ventilate...