Rabbit (BB + PB) Flashcards
Scientific name of the domestic rabbit
Oryctolagus cuniculus
Most common breed of rabbit used in research
New Zealand White
Genus of new world wild rabbits
Sylvilagus
Genus of true hares
Lepus
Primary use of rabbits in research
antibody production, blood collection
What serotype of immunoglobulins do rabbits not produce?
IgD Also hamsters, pigs
What disease is found in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits?
cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis deficiency in LDL receptors in liver
What rabbit atherosclerosis model has functioning LDL receptors?
St. Thomas Hospital strain
What rabbit atherosclerosis model does not have functioning LDL receptors in the liver?
WHHL
What musculoskeletal injury are rabbits prone to with poor handling?
L7-S1 fracture
At what age do neonatal rabbits start to thermoregulate?
7 days
Fasting neonatal rabbits for 6 hours results in what?
hypoglycemia, ketosis
How many forms of ALP do rabbits have? Other mammal species?
rabbits have 3 isotypes, other species only have 2
What is special about the heart in rabbits?
Tricuspid valve only has 2 cusps
A rabbit has a normal physical exam. Bloodwork reveals polychromasia with 2-5% circulating reticulocytes. How do you address this issue?
This is normal.
T/F: Rabbits are obligate nasal breathers
T
A rabbit is apneic after induction of anesthesia. Will chest compressions assist with artificial ventilation?
No- respiration via diaphragm, chest compressions don’t work
How does lung volume in rabbits change with age?
It increases unlike humans and dogs
A rabbit lacks peg teeth. Is this congenital abnormality dominant or recessive?
absence is dominant
What type of muscle lines the rabbit esophagus?
skeletal
What is the thick-walled area of lymphoid tissue at the ileocecal junction called?
sacculus rotundus
What is the cecal tonsil?
round patch of lymphoid tissue adjacent to sacculus rotundus
What is the thick-walled tan-colored lymphoid tissue at the tip of the cecum called?
vermiform appendix
What anatomic structure regulates the release of cecotrophs vs hard pellets?
fusus coli
Does the pancreatic duct enter the duodenum separately from the bile duct or together? What other species are similar to rabbits?
Separately Rodents
What type of crystals are excreted in normal rabbit urine?
calcium carbonate monohydrate ammonium magnesium phosphate
What 2 elements are excreted in the urine in rabbits but in the bile of other species?
calcium magnesium
How much urine do rabbits produce per day?
50-75ml/kg/day
When do rabbits hit puberty?
4-8mo depending on breed, size, gender
What type of uterus do rabbits have?
duplex/bicornuate uterus w 2 cervices and 2 uterine horns
T/F: Rabbits are spontaneous ovulators.
F- they are induced
How long is the rabbit estrus cycle
4-17d
What are signs of receptivity to a male in female rabbits?
lordosis in response to mounting vulvar swelling/congestion rubbing of chin on hutch/cage restlessness
Do bucks have open inguinal canals?
yes
Do bucks have abdominal nipples?
no
When breeding rabbits, which of the following should you do? a. bring the doe to the buck’s cage b. bring the buck to the doe’s cage c. pair house permanently d. pair house until just before parturition e. use a collar just slightly smaller than the male’s cage opening to prevent does from accessing the buck
a. bring the doe to the buck’s cage
How long is gestation in rabbits?
30-32d
A rabbit is kindling, and one of the kits is in the breech position. Should you intervene?
No- this is normal
What type of placentation do rabbits have?
hemochorial
When can pregnancy be diagnosed in rabbits?
11d by radiographs 14d by ultrasound
T/F: Calcium is absorbed in proportion to Ca provided in the diet.
T
How much water do rabbits need per day?
120ml/kg/day
Thumping, biting, and charging are considered what kind of behaviors?
defensive
T/F: lab rabbits are crepuscular
F- they are diurnal. Wild rabbits are crepuscular or nocturnal
What cage height is required by the Guide for rabbits?
16in
What cage height is required by the AWA for rabbits?
14in
What floor space is required by the Guide for rabbits <2kg?
1.5ft2
What floor space is required by the Guide for rabbits <4kg?
3ft2
What floor space is required by the Guide for rabbits <5.4kg?
4ft2
What floor space is required by the Guide for rabbits 5.4kg or more?
at least 5ft2
How many rabbits can be transported together in a single container?
15
What procedure should occur before washing rabbit caging?
acid wash to remove urine scale
What temperature should rabbits be kept at?
61-72F (16-22C)
What is the TNZ of rabbits per the Guide?
15-20C
How is shope papillomavirus transmitted?
insect vectors- why it’s on places that flies land
Squamous cell carcinoma is associated with malignant transformation of what viral disease?
Shope papillomavirus
What viral disease is used as a model of oncogenic viral biology and treatment and prevention of this disease in humans?
Shope papillomavirus
Does vaccination against Shope papillomavirus protect against development of papillomas?
No
What age is most often affected by rabbit oral papillomavirus?
2-18mo
How is rabbit oral papillomavirus spread?
direct contact
You see a pedunculated lesion on the ventral surface of the tongue in a rabbit with basophilic IN inclusions. What is your primary differential?
rabbit oral papillomavirus
How is Shope papillomavirus resolved?
The immune response causes lesion regression
What polyomavirus is a contaminant of papilloma virus stocks but has no pathogenic effect?
rabbit kidney vacuolating virus
How prevalent is parvovirus in rabbits?
Most lab rabbits seropositive
How is myxoma virus transmitted?
arthropods, direct contact
What are clinical signs of myxomavirus in rabbits?
subq mixoid mass 3-4d after exposure conjunctivitis, SQ edema, tumors fatal dz w bacterial pneumonia possible
How is myxoma virus definitively diagnosed?
clinical signs, PCR, ELISA, viral cltr
How do you prevent myxomavirus?
adequate quarantine and arthropod control
What is the causative agent of shope fibromatosis?
rabbit fibroma virus
What causes firm, flattened tumors on the legs and feet of cottontails that persist for months?
rabbit fibroma virus (Shope fibromatosis)
How is rabbit pox transmitted?
aerosol
What is rabbit pox a model for?
smallpox in humans
What age is most often affected by leporid herpesvirus 1?
Herpes sylvilagus- seen in young rabbits
What are the clinical signs of leporid herpesvirus 1?
lymphoproliferative disease in Sylvilagus, model of Epstein-Barr virus Nonpathogenic for domestic rabbits
What herpesvirus causes clinical signs in rabbits?
Leporid herpesvirus 4 (see eye/skin ulceration) Herpes simplex 1 (human)
Exposure of rabbits to herpes simplex is a model for what?
experimental herpes simplex encephalitis
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease is caused by what virus?
calicivirus
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease has the highest mortality in what age group?
adults
What is the only consistent histopathologic finding in rabbit hemorrhagic disease?
hepatocellular periportal necrosis
What are the clinical signs of rabbit hemorrhagic disease?
incoordination, shaking, CNS signs, death, coagulopathy
What is seen on gross necropsy with rabbit hemorrhagic disease?
pulmonary hemorrhage/edema, hepatosplenomegaly, perirenal hemorrhage, serosal ecchymoses
How is rabbit hemorrhagic disease diagnosed?
EM of liver, ELISA, hemagglutinin inhibition
How is rabbit hemorrhagic disease treated?
“treated” by quarantine and depopulation- economically important disease
What clinical signs are seen with coronaviral enteritis?
low BCS, dehydration, perineal fecal staining
What histopathologic findings are common for coronaviral enteritis?
villous blunting, vacuolation/necrosis of enterocytes, mucosal edema, mononuclear cell infiltration
A rabbit is inoculated with Treponema pallidum as part of a study. After several weeks, it develops uveitis and signs of CHF. What is the likely cause?
coronavirus contamination of the T. pallidum
What are the histopathologic findings of coronaviral pleural effusion disease with cardiomyopathy?
multifocal myocardial degeneration and necrosis, lymphoid depletion, uveitis
what virus is used in the rabbit model of cardiomyopathy and CHF?
coronavirus
Coinfection with what pathogen in rabbits affected by rotavirus induces worse pathology?
E. coli
Where does rotavirus replicate?
mature enterocytes
What age group is most affected by rotavirus?
suckling and weanling kits
What histopath is seen with rotavirus in rabbits?
villus blunting, malabsorption
Where is Sendai virus found in rabbits?
respiratory tract
Do rabbits shed Sendai virus?
Yes, for 10d after IN inoculation
Do rabbits get rabies?
YES- highly susceptible with rapid progression to paralysis and death over the course of weeks
What is the major cause of respiratory pathology in rabbits?
Pasteurella multocida