Rabbit dentistry Flashcards
A rabbit presents with a retrobulbar mass. CT shows no clear odontogenic involvement. The client declines surgery. What is a reasonable alternative?
A. Immediate enucleation of the globe
B. Long-term broad-spectrum antibiotics targeting anaerobes
C. NSAIDs only
✅ Correct Answer: B
🔎 Rationale: Non-odontogenic abscesses responded to long-term antibiotic therapy alone in 75% of cases.
A rabbit is diagnosed with a CT-confirmed retrobulbar abscess of odontogenic origin. What is the best approach to maximize treatment success?
A. Topical antibiotics and eye flushing only
B. Long-term antibiotics combined with intraoral or extraoral surgical drainage
C. Enucleation to remove the abscess directly
✅ Correct Answer: B
🔎 Rationale: Surgical intervention combined with systemic antibiotics led to 78% resolution in this study.
A lip mass in a rabbit is biopsied and diagnosed histologically as an elodontoma. The clinician is surprised as the mass was not located near the teeth.
What is the most accurate interpretation based on this study?
A. Odontogenic neoplasms only arise from jaws
B. Ectopic elodontomas can occur in soft tissue like lips
C. The result is likely a mistake and should be disregarded
✅ Correct Answer: B
🔎 Rationale: The article highlights ectopic elodontomas as valid and rare findings in rabbit soft tissues.
A 6-year-old rabbit presents with a firm, non-painful swelling of the jaw. The mass appears encapsulated and is suspected to be an abscess. Histopathology reveals a trichoblastoma.
According to the study, what does this case illustrate?
A. Abscesses and neoplasms are easily distinguished on gross exam
B. Ectopic odontomas are more likely than trichoblastomas
C. Histopathology is essential to distinguish between neoplasia and inflammation
✅ Correct Answer: C
🔎 Rationale: Gross similarity can mislead; histology is critical for diagnosis, as emphasized in the conclusion.
A rabbit undergoes bilateral TMJ surgery. At 4 weeks post-op, CT reveals mandibular body regeneration. The rabbit eats well and needs no further dental care.
What does this suggest about long-term outcome after surgical TMJ management?
A. Malocclusion always worsens
B. Regeneration can occur and long-term outcome may be excellent
C. TMJ ankylosis is inevitable
✅ Correct Answer: B
🔎 Rationale: The article demonstrates that even in a juvenile rabbit, mandibular remodeling can support full recovery.
A young rabbit presents with a dropped jaw after trauma and CT confirms bilateral TMJ luxation. After multiple failed attempts at closed reduction, what does this article suggest as the next most appropriate step?
A. Continue trying closed reduction weekly
B. Euthanize the animal
C. Perform bilateral coronoidectomy and condilectomy
✅ Correct Answer: C
🔎 Rationale: The article supports open surgical management as an effective solution when closed reduction fails.
A Dwarf Lop cross rabbit presents with chronic epiphora and no other health issues. The owner is concerned about the need for ongoing tear duct flushing.
According to the study, what should the clinician explain?
A. The breed is predisposed to dacryocystitis, and early monitoring is advised
B. Only dental issues can cause dacryocystitis, not breed
C. This is a rare presentation and doesn’t need follow-up
✅ Correct Answer: A
🔎 Rationale: Dwarf Lop/Dwarf Lop crosses were significantly overrepresented in cases of dacryocystitis.
🐰 Case 1
A 4-year-old male neutered Lionhead rabbit presents with mucopurulent discharge at the medial canthus. He is otherwise healthy.
Based on the study, what is the best interpretation?
A. This presentation is likely due to environmental dust exposure
B. Breed and sex/neuter status increase this rabbit’s risk of dacryocystitis
C. This breed has no established risk factors for ocular conditions
✅ Correct Answer: B
🔎 Rationale: The study found both Lionhead breed and male neutered status were significant risk factors.
A rabbit has a draining wound on the thigh. The veterinarian considers empirical treatment and wants to select the most effective and safest systemic antibiotic.
Based on the study’s findings, which is the most appropriate first-line option?
A. Amikacin, considering efficacy and legal access
B. Erythromycin, due to common availability
C. Clindamycin, because it targets Staphylococcus spp.
✅ Correct Answer: A
🔎 Rationale: Amikacin showed the highest efficacy but must be used considering nephrotoxicity and legal regulations; erythromycin and clindamycin are contraindicated in rabbits.
A 3-year-old rabbit presents with a submandibular abscess. The clinician initiates empirical enrofloxacin therapy and submits a swab for aerobic culture. The culture yields Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to enrofloxacin.
According to the study, what is the best next step?
A. Continue enrofloxacin for 10 days
B. Switch to amikacin and request antibiotic sensitivity testing
C. Add penicillin orally
✅ Correct Answer: B
🔎 Rationale: P. aeruginosa showed high resistance to enrofloxacin; amikacin was most effective, and treatment should be guided by sensitivity testing.
A clinician is grading a CT scan for dental disease but overlooks sagittal curvature and subtle apical elongation in the premolars. The rest of the quadrant appears only mildly abnormal.
According to the study’s conclusion, what is the most appropriate approach?
A. Grade the quadrant as mild without adjustment
B. Consider these features and possibly revise the grading
C. Repeat imaging before making any grading decisions
✅ Correct Answer: B
🔎 Rationale: The study recommends including sagittal curvature, apical elongation, and canal deformation in the dental grading system.
Here is your visual study guide for the following article:
A rabbit presents for a CT scan to evaluate suspected dental disease. Imaging shows premolar curvature in the sagittal plane and slight deformation of the mandibular canal, but the dental score is mild in one quadrant and moderate in the contralateral quadrant.
Which interpretation best reflects the study’s findings?
A. The disease is symmetrical and chronic
B. There is likely asynchronous dental disease progression
C. The grading system confirms bilateral severity
✅ Correct Answer: B
🔎 Rationale: The conclusion reports asynchrony between quadrants despite some scoring similarities.
✅ Correct Answer: B
🔎 Rationale: The conclusion reports asynchrony between quadrants despite some scoring similarities.
A rabbit undergoes excisional biopsy of an oral mass diagnosed histologically as a complex odontoma. Sixteen months later, no recurrence is observed, but the animal requires dental trims every 3 months.
What is the most plausible explanation for the ongoing dental care?
A. Tumor regrowth
B. Chronic mandibular fracture
C. Secondary malocclusion due to prior abscessation
✅ Correct Answer: C
🔎 Rationale: The initial abscess likely caused osseous changes leading to altered dental wear patterns.
A 9-year-old rabbit presents with ptyalism, weight loss, and a right mandibular swelling. CT reveals a mineralized buccal mucosa mass with no osseous involvement and a concurrent 1st molar abscess.
Which diagnosis is most consistent with the imaging and histopathology findings?
A. Buccal squamous cell carcinoma
B. Odontogenic cyst
C. Oral ectopic elodontoma
✅ Correct Answer: C
🔎 Rationale: The mineralized soft tissue mass with dental-like elements is characteristic of ectopic elodontoma.
A 14-month follow-up CT on a rabbit previously managed conservatively for bilateral TMJ dislocation shows osteoarthritic changes but normal feeding.
Which treatment is most appropriate given the clinical condition?
A. Intra-articular corticosteroid injection
B. Glucosamine dietary supplement only
C. Surgical joint replacement
✅ Correct Answer: B
🔎 Rationale: No clinical pain was present; conservative supplement management is sufficient.
A 2-year-old rabbit presents with inability to chew after trauma 4 days ago. CT shows bilateral TMJ dislocation and minimally displaced fractures. A closed reduction attempt fails.
What is the next most appropriate step?
A. Immediate mandibular condylectomy
B. Placement of an esophagostomy tube for supportive feeding
C. Use of a tape muzzle for 4 weeks
✅ Correct Answer: B
🔎 Rationale: Conservative management with nutritional support was successful even without reduction.
