Rabbits

Question 1

What makes enucleation of rabbit eyes more difficult than other species?

Answer 1

The extensive orbital venous plexus

Question 2

What two locations in rabbits are prone to obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct (dacryostenosis)?

Answer 2

The proximal maxillary bend and apex of the main upper incisor

Question 3

During a bulla osteotomy, what landmark needs to be avoided to prevent loss of palpebral reflex, ipsilateral drooling and ipsilateral facial contraction?

Answer 3

The facial nerve

Question 4

What is the most common vertebral formula in rabbits?

Answer 4

C7/T12/L7/S4

Question 5

Where does the spinal cord end in most rabbits?

Answer 5

Within S2

Question 6

What is the classification of rabbit teeth?

Answer 6

Elodont, hypsodont, aradicular

Question 7

What is the rabbit dental formula

Answer 7

2 x I2/1 PM3/2 M3/3 = 28

Question 8

What is the gestation length in rabbits?

Answer 8

30-32 days

Question 9

What is unique about rabbit milk?

Answer 9

It is higher in fat, protein and ash than that of other species except rats

Question 10

What organism is implicated in ‘wet dewlap’ disease?

Answer 10

Pseudomonas causing a moist dermatitis of the chin/dewlap

Question 11

What is the best site for spinal fluid collection in rabbits?

Answer 11

The cerebellomedullary cistern

Question 12

What are the landmarks for needle placement for a CSF tap in a rabbit?

Answer 12

The cranial margins of the wings of the atlas and occipital protuberance

Question 13

Where can intraosseous catheters be placed in rabbits?

Answer 13

The proximal humerus, greater trochanter of femur or tibial crest

Question 14

What is the most common inherited disease in rabbits and what does it lead to?

Answer 14

Mandibular prognathism, causing primary incisor malocclusion

Question 15

What organism causes hepatic coccidiosis in rabbits? Where specifically do they proliferate?

Answer 15

Eimeria stiedae; Bile duct epithelial cells

Question 16

A rabbit with a diffusely heterogenous liver with multiple poorly defined, hyperechoic regions and dilated hepatic blood vessels and bile ducts on ultrasound is likely suffering from what?

Answer 16

Hepatic coccidiosis

Question 17

What is cholestyramine used for in rabbits?

Answer 17

To bind bacterial toxins in bacterial enteritis

Question 18

Intrauterine transmission of what organism into the lens before capsule formation can cause phacoclastic uveitis?

Answer 18

Encephalitozoon cuniculi

Question 19

Rabbits are prone to this type of respiratory diseases which lead to short, rapid, shallow breaths because of their small thoracic cavity.

Answer 19

Restrictive diseases, which prevent the lungs from expanding

Question 20

What type of respiratory disease in rabbits leads to slower/deeper breaths?

Answer 20

Obstructive disease, which occurs with narrowing of the airway passages

Question 21

Upper obstructive respiratory disease causes increased ___ effort, while lower obstructive respiratory disease in rabbits causes increased ___ effort.

Answer 21

Upper - inspiratory; Lower - expiratory +/- inspiratory

Question 22

Unilateral nasal discharge is usually indicative of what type of disease in rabbits?

Answer 22

Upper respiratory disease

Question 23

Thoracocentesis in rabbits should be performed with the patient in ___ lateral recumbency at what location?

Answer 23

Lateral; in the 7th-9th intercostal space along the cranial border of the rib along the body wall

Question 24

What disease should be considered with epistaxis, hyperemic tracheal mucosa, fluid in the trachea and/or congested/hemorrhagic lungs in rabbits?

Answer 24

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease

Question 25

What 3 ways is myxomatosis transmitted?

Answer 25

Direct contact w/oculonasal secretions or eroded skin lesions, via biting insects/arthropods or via contaminated environment

Question 26

What serogroup of Pasteurella multocida most commonly causes disease in rabbits?

Answer 26

Serogroup A, lesser extent D & F

Question 27

Pasteurella multocida strains in rabbits are generally sensitive to which antibiotics?

Answer 27

Chloramphenicol, novobiocin, oxytetracycline, penicillin G, fluoroquinolones, azithromycin, TMS

Question 28

Reinfection of what area is common in rabbits with pasteurellosis due to poor antibiotic penetration?

Answer 28

The nasal cavity (+ eustachian tubes, middle ear cavities)

Question 29

What two bacteria are commonly implicated in opportunistic infections with pasteurellosis?

Answer 29

Bordetella bronchiseptica and Staphyloccocus aureus

Question 30

What are the most common types of lung tumors in rabbits?

Answer 30

Metastatic lesions from uterine carcinoma, mammary gland adenocarcinoma and lymphoma

Question 31

List 4 possible causes of mediastinal masses in rabbits:

Answer 31

1. Thymoma (most common) 2. Thymic lymphoma 3. Thymic carcinoma 4. Mediastinal abscess

Question 32

List 4 possible paraneoplastic syndromes that can occur in conjunction with thymoma:

Answer 32

1. Anemia 2. Hypercalcemia 3. Systemic immune disorders 4. Dermatoses (sebaceous adenitis)

Question 33

What is recommended when a rabbit is in dorsal recumbency to avoid compromising spontaneous respiration or assisted ventilation during surgery?

Answer 33

Slight thoracic elevation

Question 34

How is a chylous effusion diagnosed?

Answer 34

Fluid with an elevated triglyceride concentration when compared with plasma and a decreased or WNL cholesterol concentration; Chol:trig concentrations are generally less than 1

Question 35

What does a fluid to plasma triglyceride ratio greater than 2-3:1 indicate?

Answer 35

A chylous effusion

Question 36

How is RHDV2 transmitted?

Answer 36

Direct contact w/infected animals, carcasses, bodily fluids and hair; Fomites and insect/animal vectors

Question 37

RHDV2 not only infects the European rabbit as RHDVa does, but can also affect what?

Answer 37

Various Lepus species including hares (and cottontails now)

Question 38

RHD from classic RHDVa causes ___ morbidity and ___ mortality in adult rabbits

Answer 38

High (up to 100%); high (70-90%); But does not affect kits <30 days and young less likely to be infected

Question 39

RHDV2 causes disease and death in animals as young as ___ and has ___ mortality.

Answer 39

15-20 days old; More variable mortality from 5-80%, but seems to be increasing indicating evolution

Question 40

_____ is now the primary viral RHD strain in Europe and Australia

Answer 40

RHDV2

Question 41

A rabbit presenting with lethargy, anorexia, weight loss, and jaundice is likely suffering from what infectious disease?

Answer 41

RHDV2

Question 42

What is the primary pathologic lesion associated with RHD?

Answer 42

Extensive hepatic necrosis; could also see evidence of DIC w/petechiation/hemorrhage of all tissues

Question 43

What agents can inactivate RHDV viruses?

Answer 43

Bleach, formalin and chloramine

Question 44

A rabbitry is experiencing acute deaths in animals housed outside. Necropsy findings of affected animals include multifocal white nodules in the lungs, kidneys, GIT and lymph nodes. What pathogen should be suspected?

Answer 44

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex

Question 45

What emerging virus that is typically asymptomatic in rabbits but causes hepatitis in humans should veterinarians in contact with rabbits be familiar with due to potential zoonosis risk?

Answer 45

Hepatitis E virus

Question 46

Why are rabbits kept in hutches with minimal exercise more prone to vertebral fracture?

Answer 46

They have less opportunity/motivation to stand so epaxial muscles are not utilized (therefore calcium deposition into vertebrae does not occur)

Question 47

Why is clumping litter unsafe for rabbits?

Answer 47

Rabbits commonly eat their litter; clumping litter will clump within the GIT and cause blockage; or could be toxic

Question 48

What area is blocked by infusion of local anesthetic at the infraorbital foramen?

Answer 48

sensory innervation to the upper incisor teeth, upper lip and adjacent soft tissues

Question 49

What 2 locations can be utilized to block the maxillary nerve?

Answer 49

In large rabbits, the caudal infraorbital canal; Below the zygomatic arch, caudal to lateral canthus of eye, advanced dorsally/medially/caudally to pterygopalatine fossa

Question 50

What areas are affected by a maxillary nerve block?

Answer 50

Hard and soft tissues of the ipsilateral maxilla, skin of the nose, cheek, upper lip and maybe ipsilateral hard/soft palate and nasal mucosa

Question 51

What block should be used to anesthetize the lower incisor?

Answer 51

Mental nerve block

Question 52

Where are epidural injections performed in rabbits?

Answer 52

At the LS junction (around the level of the most prominent portion of the wings of the ilium)

Question 53

What should be done if CSF is detected while attempting a LS epidural

Answer 53

Administer a lower volume than originally planned

Question 54

How can rabbits be tested for hyperthyroidism?

Answer 54

Check the thyroid:salivary ratio using scintigraphy with technetium 99 pertechnetate

Question 55

What are normal and abnormal values for the thyroid:salivary gland ratio in hyperthyroid rabbits?

Answer 55

Euthyroid should be 1:1; Hyper have approached 4:1

Question 56

How much blood can safely be collected from rabbits?

Answer 56

3.3-6.5 mL/kg (6-10% total blood volume)

Question 57

What effect can hemolysis have on chemistry values?

Answer 57

Increased serum potassium and phosphorus concentrations

Question 58

What effect can clotting have on rabbit blood samples?

Answer 58

Artifactually increased LDH, AST, CK, TP, K+ and altered hematology results

Question 59

What is the lifespan of the rabbit RBC? What implication does this have?

Answer 59

Short! 45-70 days; Anisocytosis, polychromasia, nucleated RBCs/Howell-Jolly bodies occur in healthy rabbits (would indicate regen anemia in other species)

Question 60

Rabbits housed outdoors with natural diets have ___ PCV, RBC counts, hemoglobin and lymphocytes counts vs. those caged, on commercial diets, and with dental disease

Answer 60

Higher

Question 61

What is the most common granulocyte in rabbits?

Answer 61

Heterophil

Question 62

What is the most common hematologic response to inflammation in rabbits?

Answer 62

A relative heterophilia (without leukocytosis - ratio of H:L is inverted)

Question 63

What is the dominant leukocyte in circulation in healthy rabbits?

Answer 63

Lymphocytes

Question 64

Increases in what serum analyte most consistently correlate with the degree of hepatocellular degeneration in rabbits?

Answer 64

AST

Question 65

What analyte can differentiate liver from muscle as source of plasma enzyme abnormalities in rabbits?

Answer 65

ALT (AST and LDH can both increase as result of struggle w/restraint)

Question 66

List common causes of GGT elevation in rabbits

Answer 66

Eimeria stiedae (hepatic coccidiosis), hepatic neoplasia, liver lobe torsion, hepatic lipidosis (any cause of biliary obstruction)

Question 67

What changes usually occur if azotemia is due to renal disease in rabbits?

Answer 67

Hyper- or hypokalemia, hyperphosphatemia, nonregenerative anemia, isosthenuria

Question 68

Why can diseases that prevent cecotrophy cause hypoalbuminemia?

Answer 68

Cecotrophy is a significant source of dietary protein

Question 69

What is the fractional excretion of calcium in rabbits compared to other mammals (%)?

Answer 69

45-60% vs. 2%

Question 70

What is the normal pH of rabbit urine?

Answer 70

~8 (range 7.5-9)

Question 71

What effect does E cuniculi have on the rabbit kidney?

Answer 71

Causes chronic interstitial nephritis

Question 72

Which 4 rabbit breeds have a higher incidence of uterine adenocarcinoma?

Answer 72

Tan, French silver, Havana, Dutch

Question 73

What are the signs of uterine adenocarcinoma in breeding does?

Answer 73

Decreased fertility, fetal resorption, stillbirths

Question 74

What 3 bacteria are normal conjunctival flora in rabbits?

Answer 74

Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Bacillus spp.

Question 75

What antibiotics can be used with suspected anaerobic infections?

Answer 75

CAMP Chloramphenicol Azithromycin Metronidazole Parenteral penicillin G

Question 76

What is the most common cause of intermittent diarrhea in rabbits?

Answer 76

Improper diet

Question 77

Why is jaundice rare in rabbits?

Answer 77

Heme breaks down to biliverdin, not bilirubin

Question 78

What is the most common causative agent of pyelitis or pyelonephritis in rabbits?

Answer 78

Escherichia coli

Question 79

What is the most sensitive tool for diagnosing uterine disease in rabbits?

Answer 79

Ultrasound

Question 80

Mammary gland disorders are frequently associated with ___ in rabbits.

Answer 80

Uterine disorders s/a endometrial hyperplasia or adenocarcinoma

Question 81

What were the most common adverse effects observed in rabbits with thymoma treated with radiation therapy?

Answer 81

Alopecia, pneumonitis, myocardial fibrosis

Question 82

What are the recommended surgical margins for epithelial tumors in rabbits? Mesenchymal tumors?

Answer 82

Epithelial - 5 mm margins; Mesenchymal - 3 cm lateral, 1 fascial plane deep (so consider amputation on extremities)

Question 83

What possible complications are associated with limb amputation in rabbits?

Answer 83

Difficulty ambulating, difficulty grooming, pododermatitis

Question 84

What has been observed in rabbits with osteosarcoma that is different than canines?

Answer 84

One case report of OSA crossing the glenohumeral joint space

Question 85

What is the most sensitive test for diagnosis of liver lobe torsion in rabbits?

Answer 85

Bloodwork + AUS indicating absence of blood flow to the affected lobe and often a mild-moderate amount of fluid localized around the affected lobe

Question 86

What is the ultrasonographic appearance of hepatic coccidiosis in rabbits?

Answer 86

A heterogenous liver with hyperechoic parenchyma, hyperechoic bile ducts and gallbladder wall

Question 87

What can help distinguish an abscess from a soft tissue mass on ultrasound in rabbits?

Answer 87

Color flow - abscess won't have any and mass may have substantial

Question 88

A 7 year old rabbit presents with a nonpruritic scaling dermatitis with patchy to coalescing areas of alopecia. What diagnostic tests would give the most definitive diagnosis?

Answer 88

Skin biopsy (sebaceous adenitis) Other tests for ddx - cytology, DTM culture, skin scrape

Question 89

What skin lesion causes haphazardly arranged collagen bundles thickening in the middermis along the abdomen and thorax, primarily in geriatric males rabbits?

Answer 89

Collagenous hamartoma

Question 90

What is the most frequent isolate from pododermatitis lesions in rabbits?

Answer 90

Staphylococcus sp.

Question 91

What is unique about the rabbit heart?

Answer 91

Right AV valve has only 2 cusps

Question 92

How many lobes does the rabbit thymus have?

Answer 92

3 - right ventral lobe, dorsal thoracic lobe, left thoracic lobe

Question 93

What is the most common cardiac disease in rabbits diagnosed on echocardiogram (per VCNA)?

Answer 93

Cardiomyopathy (DCM most commonly)

Question 94

What is the prognosis for rabbits preventing in CHF?

Answer 94

Guarded - often in end stage disease so may only live few hours/days, but reports of some living for months

Question 95

What is inflammation of the lacrimal sac?

Answer 95

Dacryocystitis

Question 96

What is diagnosed when purulent material can be expressed from NL puncta when skin below the medial canthus is pressured?

Answer 96

Dacryocystitis

Question 97

Name the 5 tear glands in the rabbit:

Answer 97

Harderian Nictitating Lacrimal Infraorbital Extraorbital

Question 98

A rabbit has edematous and exudative lesions around the face and anogenital area. What is the most likely causative agent?

Answer 98

Myxomatosis (this presentation is pathognomonic)

Question 99

What signalment of rabbits is most likely to be affected by pseudopterygium?

Answer 99

Young male dwarf rabbits

Question 100

What is thought to be the most common cause of corneal surface disease in rabbits?

Answer 100

Trauma (irritants from bedding/hay, fighting)

Question 101

What can be administered to a rabbit doe to ensure successful ovulation after breeding

Answer 101

100 IU hCG

Question 102

Fetal death before 21 days in rabbits results in ___ , while fetal death after the 21st day results in ___.

Answer 102

Fetal resorption; abortion

Question 103

In rabbits, a sterile/unsuccessful mating, injection of luteinizing hormone, or stimulation from 1 doe mounting another can all result in?

Answer 103

Pseudopregnancy

Question 104

What two organisms are most commonly isolated from rabbit uteruses with pyometra?

Answer 104

Pasteurella multocida and Staph aureus

Question 105

What is a potential adverse effect when deslorelin was administered to rabbit does to suppress ovarian function?

Answer 105

Endometritis (7/13 developed)