Rabbits non-infectious diseases Flashcards
What are risk factors for skin disease?
- Lack/reduced grooming:
◦ Lack of companion (mutual grooming)
◦ Dental disease
◦ Obesity
◦ Spinal disease, arthritis, neuro problems - Environment:
◦ Type of flooring and bedding - Breed:
◦ Long haired rabbits prone to matting
◦ French lops with excessive skin folds
What are the main problems with skin disease in rabbits?
◦ Matted hairs
◦ Bacterial dermatitis
◦ Pododermatitis
◦ External ear disease
◦ Other problems (e.g. mites)
What are hair matts, what should be done? What can they lead to?
- Long or densely haired breeds = clumped hair
- Clip under sedation + analgesia
*Careful with iatrogenic skin trauma - Bathe and clean skin AFTER clipping matts
- Treat any underlying skin condition and any other health
problem - Frequently have 2ary bacterial dermatitis
What is bacterial dermatitis usually secondary to?
What is the possible aetiology?
What should be done?
◦ Urine scalding
◦ Skin fold dermatitis
◦ Epiphora/blocked tear ducts
◦ Drooling 2ary to dental disease
◦ Matted hairs
- Aetiology = S. aureus, P. multocida, P. aeruginosa
- Treat dermatitis (Antibiotics) + underlying cause
- Painful = NSAIDs
- Supportive Tx = hair clipping, topical Tx
What is pododermatitis?
- Avascular necrosis/pressure sore of plantar surfaces
- “sore hocks” – although can affect front paws as well
- Painful multifactorial condition
- 2ary infections
What are risk factors of pododermatitis?
- Obesity
- Inactivity/lack of exercise
- Inadequate flooring (concrete, wire)
- Loss of plantar hairs
- Other conditions: spondylosis, arthritis, neuro conditions
- Contaminated bedding
What are pathological changes caused by pododermatitis?
- ischaemia + necrosis of skin
↓ - Loss of plantar hairs
↓ - Skin hyperkeratosis
↓ - Skin ulceration + 2ary bacterial infections
↓ - Osteomyelitis + Osteoarthritis
↓ - Displacement of superficial digital flexor tendon
What are 3 key point to manage pododermatitis?
- Relieve pressure:
* Provide adequate bedding
* Extra padding
* Bandaging
* Increase exercise - Analgesia:
* Meloxicam
* Gabapentin - 2ary infections:
* Long course Antibiotics
* Keep skin clean and dry
* Trim hairs around ulcers
* Local treatment:
* Dilute Chlorhexidine
* Hydrocolloid gels
* Manuka honey
What nerve lies close to the tympanic bullae?
- Facial nerve
What are common signs of external ear disease?
◦ Head shaking, pruritus
◦ Discharge, increased amount of cerumen
◦ Swelling at ear base (lop breeds)
◦ Facial paralysis
How would you investigate external ear disease?
1◦ Full clinical exam
2◦ Otoscopy
3◦ Endoscopy under sedation/GA may be more useful
4◦ Cytology – mites, bacterial infection, cerumen
5◦ Skull radiographs under GA
6◦ CT scan
What are common external ear disease?
- Aural hematoma / oedema
- Traumatic lacerations
- Neoplasia
- Otitis externa
What is needed for ear surgery in rabbits? What are possible complications?
- General surgical considerations
- Provide excellent multi-modal analgesia
- Antibiotics depending on c&s results
- Possible complications (with any technique) =
◦ Chronic vestibular disease
◦ Wound dehiscence
◦ Facial nerve paresis/paralysis
What are common urinary disorders in rabbits?
◦ Cystitis/”bladder sludge”
◦ Uroliths
◦ Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and renal failure
◦ Acute Kidney failure
What are clinical signs of urinary disorders?
◦ Non-specific: weight loss, anorexia, gut stasis
◦ Pollakiuria/dysuria, pain while urinating, etc
◦ Pu-pd vs urinary incontinence
◦ Haematuria – can also be related to reproductive disease in females
◦ Urine scald – contact dermatitis
What is the function of kidneys in rabbits?
- Acid-base balance = Alkaline urine, Limited capacity to excrete H+ and very sensitive to systemic acidosis
- Not as sensitive to loop diuretics
- Stress significantly reduces blood renal flow
- Calcium metabolism =
◦ Efficient intestinal ingestion of Ca2+ independent from Vitamin D
◦ Calcium is mainly regulated by their kidneys
◦ Excrete large amounts of Ca2+ in urine (excess that was absorbed in GIT)
◦ Calcium carbonate crystals = whitish precipitate
How would you investigate urinary disease?
- Urinalysis - dipstick, USG + sediment microscopic exam
- Blood biochem + haematology
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Radiography
What are common signs of cystitis / lower urinary tract disease?
- Dysuria/pollakiuria
- Painful urination
- Pu/pd vs incontinence
- Urine scalding
- Abnormal urine: haematuria, abnormal colour or turbidity
What are predisposing factors for cystitis?
- Loss of mobility/balance =
◦ Spinal disease
◦ Osteoarthritis
◦ Pododermatitis
◦ Neuro disease
◦ Obesity - High calcium diet
- Lack of social interactions
- Limited exercise areas
What is medical therapy of rabbits with sludgy urine?
- Analgesia =
◦ Meloxicam
◦ Buprenorphine
◦ Maropitant - Antibiotics (ideally with c&s) =
◦ Fluoroquinolones
◦ TMP + Sulfa - Diuretics = Bendroflumethiazide
- Managing urine scald + dermatitis =
◦ Clip and clean skin (under sedation)
◦ Topical zinc oxide, fusidic acid
What is supportive care of sludgy urine?
- Identify and treat any predisposing cause
- Increase exercise
- Provide dry clean bedding
- Increase water intake
- Reduce Calcium intake
What is surgical management of sludgy urine?
- Catheterize and flush bladder =
◦ Under sedation/GA
◦ Flush with sterile saline until comes clear
◦ Radiograph before AND after flushing - Perineal dermatoplasty + tail amputation =
◦ Redirects urine stream away from perineum
What are predisposing factors for uroliths? What tests should always be included if suspecting uroliths?
◦ Urinary obstruction (e.g. adhesions, sludgy urine, masses, etc)
◦ Reduced water intake
◦ Reduced urine outflow
◦ High Calcium diet and urolithiasis connection is NOT proved
* ALWAYS include:
◦ Bloods – possible renal failure
◦ Radiographs – uroliths size and location
◦ Ultrasound
How should you manage different urolithiasis?
- Bladder uroliths = Cystotomy
- Urethral uroliths = Retropulsion into bladder, Cystotomy
- Renal uroliths/nephroliths =
◦ Nephrectomy if unilateral?
◦ Medical management (analgesia + ACE inhibitors)
◦ Monitor renal function closely
