Rabbit External Features Flashcards
What are rabbits’ large ears important for?
Name the slit below the nose.
What is the dewlap? — clinical significance?
Thermoregulation
Philtrum.
Essentially a double chin found in the doe. Purpose unknown but the fur of this area can be pulled to make a nest.
Thought to be fat storage — can become more prominent in obese, rabbits with dental disease can dribble and the dewlap may become moist, causing anaerobic bacteria to infiltrate and result in dermatitis of the dewlap.
What percentage of the body surface do the ears take up in the rabbit?
What fat type do rabbits not possess?
How is body heat retained in the rabbit?
12%
Brown fat.
By shunting blood away from the ears and back to the core through a COUNTERCURRENT ARTERIOVENOUS SHUNT.
What structures can be seen in the translucent ear of the rabbit?
What vein is offer used as a venepuncture site? — consideration?
Central auricular artery and peripheral veins on the lateral and medial surface of the ear.
Caudal auricular/marginal ear vein. (IV catheter/blood samples) — ear needs to be supported if IV catheter placed. Often with rolled up bandage to prevent irritation and removal by the patient.
Why is the central auricular artery not used as a site for IV catheterisation?
In what case may it be appropriate to use this artery for
Risk of clot and disruption of blood supply to the rest of ear, causing tissue necrosis and sloughing off of the ear.
May be appropriate to use if PTS.
Give 2 other venepuncture sites in the rabbit.
Jugular vein and saphenous vein.
Where is a rabbit’s blind spot?
How do the upper and lower eyelids differ?
How far across the globe does the third eyelid move in the rabbit?
What is the blinking rate of the rabbit? — relevance in animal testing? — other anatomical feature in the eye that allows testing?
Consideration when conducting an enucleation?
Just in front of nose.
Upper is shorter and thicker than the lower.
2/3 across globe.
1-12 blinks per hour — if any noxious substance applied to eye, won’t be blinked away. — narrow lacrimal duct means substances cannot be drained away easily.
Care with the extensive orbital venous plexus — needs ligation.
Where is the lacrimal punctum situated in the eye?
What is situated between the lacrimal punctum and the lacrimal sac?
What structure comes after the lacrimal sac?
Describe the lacrimal duct.
Where does the lacrimal duct open out?
Technical name for inflammation of the lacrimal duct.
On the lower lid, next to the medial canthus.
A short canaliculus.
The lacrimal duct after the lacrimal sac.
Tortuous with 2 sigmoid curves, encased in bone.
Opens out into the nasal cavity via tiny nasal punctum.
Dacrocystitis.
How do rabbits discriminate and obtain food.
On the upper incisors, what ridges or normal and what ridges are not?
What consideration must be made for incisor removal in rabbits?
With their sensory receptors on their lips and vibrissae.
Vertical ridges are normal, horizontal ridges are a sign of damage or disease upon eruption.
Incisor removal may affect the occlusion of the cheek teeth.
How many digits on the forefoot.
How many digits on the hind foot?
Why are rabbits probes to pododermatitis?
What is the usual stance of a rabbit?
How does the anatomy allow for swift hopping movements in rabbits?
5 on fore.
4 on hind.
Plantigrade stance causes pressure sores typically at level of hock if kept on inappropriate bedding or on wire mesh. These sores can be invaded by bacteria.
Plantigrade but digitigrade when running.
Hind limbs longer than forelimbs.
What is the average number of nipples and in what regions are they?
Average of 8 nipples in at level of thorax, abdomen and inguinal regions.
Where are the scent glands of rabbits located?
Submandibular
Either side of the anus dorsal to the urogenital opening are the inguinal glands.
And anal glands.
Where does the urethra open into?
Sexing of rabbits.
In the floor of the genital tract.
Protrude penis, could use testes but they are retractable. Can part fur to reveal genitalia — ovular vulva and slit like opening for female, more circular opening to the penis for males.
What is an identifiable feature on the rabbit scapula?
What is an identifiable feature on the rabbit pelvis?
Hook shaped suprahamate process.
Acetabulum excludes the pubis.
