Rabbits 1 Flashcards
Lifespan
5-10 years
Normal heart rate
150-300 bpm
Resp rate
30-60 bpm
Rectal temperature
38.5-40 deg cel
Water intake
50-150ml/ kg
Sexual maturity
16 weeks
gestation
30-33 days
Urine pH
8-9
Taxonomy of rabbit
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- ORDER: Lagomorpha
- Family: Leporidae
Head features
- Large erect (hear sound better) (or floppy) pinnae
- Large protuberant eyes, laterally wild field of view
- Cleft lip
- Twitchy nose
- Vibrissae thicker whiskers sensitive to touch and vibrations
- Specialised dentition
Are ears sensitive?
VERY sensitive, easily damaged. MUST never pick up from ears!
How are ears useful for the rabbit?
- Thermoregulation – thin skin, lots of blood vessels, good for retaining or losing heat
- Funnelling sound – can rotate 270 degs help locate predators
How are ears useful for us?
- Administering medications/fluids
- Blood sampling (Marginal earn vein) ONLY use Central auricular Artery if marginal blown or if need large blood samples or sampling arteriole gases
Rabbits eyes
- Large and protuberant
- Positioned laterally
- Blind spot - tip of nose and right behind, like horse
- third eyelid
- Harderian gland
- SINGLE ventral lacrimal punctum (c and d have 2)
What does protuberant eyes mean to the rabbit?
higher risk of trauma
• Corneal ulceration and laceration (cut) common
Harderian gland role
- Produces very stable tear film due to lipid component
* Rabbits able to go long periods without blinking and still have well lubricated eyes
Where does the single ventral lacrimal punctum drain?
into nasolacrimal duct
If a rabbit presents with eye disease - lymph from eyes, tear overflow what should you think
ALWAYS look at teeth
If a rabbit presents with eye disease why should you check the teeth?
- Nasal lacrimal duct
- Sharp bends that cross root of cheek teeth
- Root of cheek tooth comes right up almost into eye socket which is why has to bend
- Also has to bend at root of incisor
- So any dental disease causing teeth to elongate or push up into canal occlusion of duct, often get problems from this.
What type of retina do rabbits have? and describe
- Merangiotic Retina
- Blood vessels not spread across retina like in D and C
- out of optic disc and run side to side
- when using ophthalmoscope must look UPWARDS to find optic disc
- No tapetum lucidum so can’t see too well in dark therefore diurnal!
What causes rabbits eyes to become more protuberant when inc Blood pressure?
Large retrobulbar venous plexus (orbital venous sinus) behind eye. BV behind eye)
• Important to note during enucleation
• Retrobulbar abscessation common
Technique used to remove rabbit eye?
- Transpalpebral technique to remove eye
* Transconjunctival technique less likely to cause haemorrhage
Which extraocular muscle shuts eye?
• Depressor palpebrae (shuts eyelid)
Rabbit dentition formula
• I 2/1, C 0/0, P 3/2, M 3/3 = 28