Rabbits 1 Flashcards
What is the order and family of rabbits?
Order = Lagomorpha
Family = Leproidae
What is the normal range of lifespan of rabbits?
5-10 years
What is the normal range of heart rate of rabbits?
150 - 300 bpm
What is the normal range of respiratory range of rabbits?
30 - 60 brpm
What is the normal range for rectal temperature of rabbits?
38.5 - 40 degrees Celsius
At what age do rabbits reach sexual maturity?
16 weeks
What is the gestation period of a rabbit?
30 - 33 days
What is the pH of rabbit urine?
8-9
Is a rabbit a carnivore, omnivore, insectivore or herbivore?
Herbivore
Describe specialisations of the head of a rabbit.
Large erect pinnae (ears)
Large protuberant eyes
Cleft lip - split up to nose
Twitchy nose - not used for respiration
Vibrissae (whiskers)
Specialised dentition
What are the rabbits ears useful for?
Thermoregulation
Funnelling sound - can rotate 270 degrees
What are the main blood vessels in the rabbit ear?
Marginal ear vein (lateral)
Central auricular artery (medial)
Which vessel would we use for blood sampling a rabbit? Why is the other artery not used?
Marginal ear vein.
Arteries have high blood pressure and are prone to haemotoma. It can be used but only for a very large sample.
What are specialised features of the eyes of rabbits?
Have a third eyelid.
Have a Harderian gland which produces a very stable tear film.
Single ventral lacrimal puncture, draining into nasolacrimal duct (just inside medial canthus).
Where are the rabbits blind spots?
Very tip of the nose
Directly behind them.
What feature of rabbits eyes mean they are at high risk of trauma?
Protuberant eyes
What often leads to eye issues in rabbits?
Underlying dental disease
Why does the course of the nasolacrimal duct often cause problems?
It runs very close to the apices of cheek teeth
Describe the retina of a rabbit.
Merangiotic. Blood vessels just go laterally. Part of the retina does not have blood vessels. This means you have to look upwards when performing an eye exam.
What technique would you use to minimise risk of haemorrhage when performing enucleation in rabbits?
Large retrobulbar venous plexus (orbital venous sinus) - cuts into if it bleeds lots.
Use transconjunctival technique
What is the term used for a rabbits eyes that become more protuberant looking?
Exopathlmos
Do rabbits have a tapetum?
No
What is unique about the extra ocular muscles of rabbits eyes?
They have an additional extraocular muscle called the depressor palpebrae (closes eyes)
What muscle can be used to stabilise the globe during surgery in rabbits?
Rectus dorsalis muscle (posterior to limbus under lobular conjunctiva)
What is found outside the extra ocular muscles in rabbits?
The large retrobulbar venous sinus
In rabbits, what vessel is drainage from the eyes via?
External jugular
What is the dental formula of the rabbit?
I 2/1, C 0/0, P 3/2, M 3/3
What is unique about the maxillary incisors of rabbits?
Only one is visible. There is a peg tooth sitting inside the front teeth.
Describe the dentition of rabbits.
Hypsodont teeth
Reserve crown, enamel extends below the gumline
Aradicular/elodont (open rooted/no true root)
In rabbits, what is the rate of eruption for incisors and cheek teeth?
Incisors = approximately 3mm/week
Cheek teeth = approximately 3mm/month
What are common results of dental disease in pet rabbits?
Overgrown incisors
Cause issues for nostrils or roof of mouth
Usually secondary to cheek teeth disease
Outline the sequence of events which leads to the development of chronic dental disease in the rabbit.
High CHO/low fibre diet results in reduced tooth wear and elongation of the crowns of the teeth.
This leads to occlusion of the cheek teeth at rest, which puts pressure on the crowns.
As this continues the mouth is forced open resulting in retrograde pressure forcing apices of teeth back into bone (bony swelling develop on mandible).
Chewing becomes difficult and anatomy of chewing is altered - up and down rather than side to side movement.
This results in formation of enamel spurs.
As jaw forced apart, incisor teeth also begin to wear incorrectly and we then also see incisor malocclusion and elongation.
Which features make it difficult to fully examine the mouth of a conscious rabbit?
Fleshy cheek, small gape, tongue torus (additional bit of tongue muscle)
Describe the nose twitching in rabbits.
It is normal, even at rest (up to 150 twitches/min).
Rate increases if rabbit interested in something or sometimes through anxiety