Rabbit form and function Flashcards
The BCS of rabbits is from…
1-9
Where is adipose tissue stored?
Dewlaps (more pronounced in female)
Abdomen
Rabbis have a soft dense undercoat and long guard hairs. Name a species that has a different type of coat
Rex
No guard hair
Only undercoat - feel velvety
Rabbits don’t have footpads which makes them prone to pododermatitis. What hindlimb stance do they have? What bones are in contact with the floor?
Plantigrade
Tarsals and metatarsals
How many digits are on each foot in the rabbit?
5 on FL - 1 dew claw
4 on HL
18 in total
What is palpable in the rabbit abdomen?
Caecum (right side)
Colon (faecal pellets palpable)
Possibly bladder
Kidneys
Do male rabbits have nipples?
No - but lack of nipples does not mean female. Some females lack nipples
Describe the male repro anatomy in rabbits
Hairless scrotum with large epididymal fat pads
Scrotum cranial to penis
Why is it hard to sex rabbits, especially ones below 8 weeks?
Retract testes into inguinal canal
Cannot extrude prepuce until 8 wks
What scent glands are in the rabbit?
Anal
Inguinal (either side of genital)
Submental (below chin)
When palpating the mandible and maxilla, should you be able to feel lumps associated with tooth roots?
No - indicates chronic dental disease
What can the central auricular artery and the marginal ear veins be used for?
Artery - for feeling pulse
Vein - for IV catheters and drug administration
Rabbits have a very large field of view. Where is the blind spot on the rabbit?
Nose
Why do you need to be careful when performing an enucleation (eye removal) in rabbits?
Large retrobulbar venous plexus - easy to cause lots of bleeding
What can the lacrimal punctum be used for?
Cannulation
Flushing each tear duct - easily blocked
What is the dental formula for a rabbit?
I2/1
C0/0
PM3/2
M3/3
Why must rabbit abdomen be tented during the incision?
Rabbits have very thin skin - easy to puncture abdominal organs
The thoracic and abdominal cavities of a rabbit are very different in size. Why is this clinically relevant?
High chest wall compliance
High tidal volume = 4-6ml/kg
Which lymphatic organ remains present in the adult rabbit?
Thymus
What is the most important muscle in rabbit respiration?
Diaphragm
The stomach is extremely large in the rabbit. What is the pH of the stomach?
1-2
5-6 in preweaned
What is at the end of the ileum?
Ileocaecal tonsil
or sacculus rotundus
What does the caecum terminate in?
The vermiform appendix
What is the function of the caecum in the rabbit?
Microbial fermentation to VFAs
Where caecotrophs are produced
Antiperistalsis returns caecotrophs into caecum for further fermentation
Caecum contracts to expel caecotrophs into colon
