Rabbits Flashcards
Scientific name for rabbits
Oryctolagus cuniculus
Order of rabbits
Lagamorpha
Family of Rabbits
Leporidae
What animal can rabbits mate with, but will not produce viable offspring?
Hares
Where are rabbits derived from?
wild European rabbits
Most commonly used rabbit in research
New Zealand White
Why are rabbits used in research? (3)
- Drug testing
- Genetics
- Immunology
Why are rabbits used for immunology studies?
Produce a lot of antibodies per antigen
Which rabbit has long, floppy ears
Lops
Which rabbit is one of the larger breeds we discussed in class?
Flemish giant
Which breed of rabbit is smaller and black and white?
Dutch
Average life span
5-6 years
Up to 15
Average gestation
29-35 days
Average litter size
4-10 kits
Average temp
101.3-104
Average Pulse
130-325 BPM
Average resp rate
30-60 RPM
Where is the easiest to get a pulse on a rabbit?
Ears
To deal with an aggressive/nervous rabbit, you should use what to cover their eyes?
Towel
Sexually mature rabbits tend to be
territorial
Unlike other rodents, rabbits can be trained to use 2 things
- litter box
2. harness
Rabbits have two pairs of these upper teeth
incisors
Because rabbits have a high muscle to bone ratio, this is a common injury seen
fractures
What percent of a rabbit’s body weight is their bone?
7%
What does rabbit urine look like?
Thick, cloudy, red/orange/rusty
pH of urine
8.2
These type of poo are round, firm, and green in color?
Daytime
What type of poo do rabbits consume directly from their anus and is covered in mucus?
Cecotropes (Nighttime feces)
What is the purpose of ingesting cecotropes?
Improves digestibility of proteins and intestinal flora
If you see cecotropes in a cage, it could be a sign of
pain/illness
Rabbits eyes are directed more __________ to provide a better panoramic field of vision
laterally
Rabbit feet have no _______ and non-retractable ______
Footpads, claws
2(I 2/1, C 0/0, PM 3/2, M 3/3)
Dentistry formula
These teeth are situated directly behind the maxillary incisors
Peg teeth
Incisors grow approximately __ cm/yr
10
Why can’t rabbits vomit?
Their esophageal muscle is not strong enough
Heterophils are AKA
Pseudoeosinophil
How large is their cecum?
10 x the stomach size
Dominant WBC
lymphocyte
More common WBC in rabbits than other species
Basophil
A large fatty skin fold that only females have on their chest
Dewlap
What kind of ovulators are rabbits?
Induced
Period of receptivity
7-10 days
How often do kits nurse?
Once a day
Are kits born precocious?
No
Kits are weaned at
4-6 wks
Sexual maturity
5-8 mos
Birthing process is AKA
kindling
When trying to breed rabbits, you should take the ______ to the _______’s cage
female, male
Male rabbits are AKA
Bucks
Female rabbits are AKA
Does
Since young rabbits don’t require colostrum to acquire passive immunity, they acquire it through the
placenta
A female rabbit has a _______ uterus
duplex
A rabbit is considered a _________ because of it’s diet
herbivore
A rabbit’s pelleted diet should be high in
fiber
Rabbits should consume how much of their body weight in food? How much water?
5% food
10% water
A rabbits diet should be supplemented with good quality ______ and fresh __________
hay, veggies
When a rabbit it out for exercise, it is good for it to graze on these two things
- dandelions
2. grass
The number one cause of disease
poor diet
1 packed cup of ______ foods per 2 lbs of body weight at least once a day is recommended
green
What percentage of fiber should a rabbit’s diet have?
18%
This helps with rabbit’s peristalsis
Exercise
Where do rabbits dissipate their heat since they do not sweat?
Ears
If a rabbit is fed a diet high in Ca, it could develop
bladder stones
Obesity, pododermatitis, poor bone density, poor muscle tone, poor GI function, aggression, overgrooming, and boredom can be due to
Being confined for 24 hrs a day
Rabbits should be kept in this temperature range
60-70 degrees F
This should be adequate to maintian health and minimize draft and odors
Ventilation
Humidity rabbits should be kept in
30-70%
Air exchanges
10-15/hr
Light:Dark
12-14 hrs of light perday
Most common area for spinal fractures
L7-S1
When handling a rabbit you should always support the
hindquarters
You should never pick a rabbit up by their
ears
How many rabbits should be stored in a cage?
1
When placing a rabbit back into their cage, you should place them this way first
hindquarters
SQ inj
20ml/kg
IM inj
Where and how much?
lumbar, quads, semimembranosous, and semitendinosus
0.5 per site
IP inj
20 ml/kg
ID inj
0.1 ml or less
IV inj
2ml/kg as a bollus
10ml/kg as an infusion
Which injection site is not commonly used?
IP
ID injections are usually used for
immunology studies
When giving an IV injection, where is it normally given?
Marginal ear vein, saphenous, and cephalic
Which artery should we never inject into?
Aurical artery
To draw blood from the jugular, you should position the rabbit similar to a
cat
If drawing blood from the aurical artery, you should do this after?
Hold off longer
PO dosing
15 mls/kg
What enzyme do rabbits produce that negates the effects of atropine?
Atropinesterase
Since rabbits lyse atropine, which pre med should we use prior to anesthetizing?
Glycopyrrolate
How long should a rabbit be fasted before surgery?
2-6 hrs
These are unreliable indicators of depth of anesthesia
reflexes
Most popular mix for anesthesia
Ket/Xyaline with butorphanol
2 best indicators of depth of anesthesia
- Jaw tone
2. RR
Common in unspayed females
Ovariocancer
Neutering males cuts down on the chances of 2 things
- spraying
2. aggressiveness
4 Common pain meds for rabbits
- Butorphanol
- Buprenorphine
- Metacam
- Rimadyl
Best euthanasia method
O/D of a barbiturate or euthanasia solution IV
