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Y4 - Small Animals > Rabbits non-infectious diseases > Flashcards

Rabbits non-infectious diseases Flashcards

1
Q

What are risk factors for skin disease?

A
  • 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
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2
Q

What are the main problems with skin disease in rabbits?

A

◦ Matted hairs
◦ Bacterial dermatitis
◦ Pododermatitis
◦ External ear disease
◦ Other problems (e.g. mites)

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3
Q

What are hair matts, what should be done? What can they lead to?

A
  • 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
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4
Q

What is bacterial dermatitis usually secondary to?
What is the possible aetiology?
What should be done?

A

◦ 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
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5
Q

What is pododermatitis?

A
  • Avascular necrosis/pressure sore of plantar surfaces
  • “sore hocks” – although can affect front paws as well
  • Painful multifactorial condition
  • 2ary infections
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6
Q

What are risk factors of pododermatitis?

A
  • Obesity
  • Inactivity/lack of exercise
  • Inadequate flooring (concrete, wire)
  • Loss of plantar hairs
  • Other conditions: spondylosis, arthritis, neuro conditions
  • Contaminated bedding
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7
Q

What are pathological changes caused by pododermatitis?

A
  • ischaemia + necrosis of skin
    ↓
  • Loss of plantar hairs
    ↓
  • Skin hyperkeratosis
    ↓
  • Skin ulceration + 2ary bacterial infections
    ↓
  • Osteomyelitis + Osteoarthritis
    ↓
  • Displacement of superficial digital flexor tendon
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8
Q

What are 3 key point to manage pododermatitis?

A
  1. Relieve pressure:
    * Provide adequate bedding
    * Extra padding
    * Bandaging
    * Increase exercise
  2. Analgesia:
    * Meloxicam
    * Gabapentin
  3. 2ary infections:
    * Long course Antibiotics
    * Keep skin clean and dry
    * Trim hairs around ulcers
    * Local treatment:
    * Dilute Chlorhexidine
    * Hydrocolloid gels
    * Manuka honey
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9
Q

What nerve lies close to the tympanic bullae?

A
  • Facial nerve
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10
Q

What are common signs of external ear disease?

A

◦ Head shaking, pruritus
◦ Discharge, increased amount of cerumen
◦ Swelling at ear base (lop breeds)
◦ Facial paralysis

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11
Q

How would you investigate external ear disease?

A

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

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12
Q

What are common external ear disease?

A
  • Aural hematoma / oedema
  • Traumatic lacerations
  • Neoplasia
  • Otitis externa
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13
Q

What is needed for ear surgery in rabbits? What are possible complications?

A
  • 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
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14
Q

What are common urinary disorders in rabbits?

A

◦ Cystitis/”bladder sludge”
◦ Uroliths
◦ Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and renal failure
◦ Acute Kidney failure

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15
Q

What are clinical signs of urinary disorders?

A

◦ 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

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16
Q

What is the function of kidneys in rabbits?

A
  • 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
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17
Q

How would you investigate urinary disease?

A
  • Urinalysis - dipstick, USG + sediment microscopic exam
  • Blood biochem + haematology
  • Abdominal ultrasound
  • Radiography
18
Q

What are common signs of cystitis / lower urinary tract disease?

A
  • Dysuria/pollakiuria
  • Painful urination
  • Pu/pd vs incontinence
  • Urine scalding
  • Abnormal urine: haematuria, abnormal colour or turbidity
19
Q

What are predisposing factors for cystitis?

A
  • Loss of mobility/balance =
    ◦ Spinal disease
    ◦ Osteoarthritis
    ◦ Pododermatitis
    ◦ Neuro disease
    ◦ Obesity
  • High calcium diet
  • Lack of social interactions
  • Limited exercise areas
20
Q

What is medical therapy of rabbits with sludgy urine?

A
  • 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
21
Q

What is supportive care of sludgy urine?

A
  • Identify and treat any predisposing cause
  • Increase exercise
  • Provide dry clean bedding
  • Increase water intake
  • Reduce Calcium intake
22
Q

What is surgical management of sludgy urine?

A
  • 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
23
Q

What are predisposing factors for uroliths? What tests should always be included if suspecting uroliths?

A

◦ 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

24
Q

How should you manage different urolithiasis?

A
  • Bladder uroliths = Cystotomy
  • Urethral uroliths = Retropulsion into bladder, Cystotomy
  • Renal uroliths/nephroliths =
    ◦ Nephrectomy if unilateral?
    ◦ Medical management (analgesia + ACE inhibitors)
    ◦ Monitor renal function closely
25
Q

What are possible causes of renal disease?

A
  • Congenital
  • Infections (abscess, pyelonephritis, etc)
  • Neoplasia
  • Renal amyloidosis
  • E. cuniculi – nephritis + fibrosis
  • Urinary obstruction (sludge, urolith, etc)
  • Renal calcification (2ary to high Ca2+ blood levels)
  • Toxins
  • Stress and reduced renal blood flow
  • Degenerative
26
Q

How can you treat acute / chronic renal failure in rabbits?

A

ACUTE RENAL FAILURE =
* Identify and treat main cause(s)
* IV fluids:
◦ Maintenance 75-100ml/kg/day
◦ Calculate dehydration/losses
◦ Careful with OVERHYDRATION
* Reduce stress
* Analgesia

CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE
* Identify and treat main cause(s)
* Treat any other signs (e.g. gut stasis)
* Fluid therapy SC
* Increase water intake
* ACE inhibitors
* Phosphate binders
* Anabolic steroids? E.g. Nandrolone

27
Q

What are common presentations of neurologic and muscoskeletal disease

A

◦ Lameness
◦ Abnormal gait/posture
◦ Head tilt +/- facial nerve paresis
◦ Ataxia, seizures
* Can be subtle and 2ary to other diseases/problems

28
Q

What are different causes of lameness in rabbits?

A
  • Trauma = Fractures, Dislocations, Soft tissue trauma
  • Pododermatitis
  • Spinal disease (e.g. discospondylosis)
  • Arthritis (degenerative, septic)
  • Osteomyelitis
  • Neoplasia
  • Hypertrophic osteopathy
29
Q

What are secondary signs of neuro disorders?

A
  • Lack of grooming
  • Urine scald
30
Q

What are possible causes of vestibular disease? What are the signs seen?

A

◦ E. cuniculi
◦ Pasteurellosis
◦ Toxoplasmosis
◦ Neoplasia
◦ Head trauma

  • Frequent clinical signs =
    ◦ Head tilt, torticollis
    ◦ Ataxia, paresis, paralysis
    ◦ Seizures, falling and rolling
    ◦ Facial nerve paralysis
    ◦ Nystagmus
31
Q

Where are lesions with central vestibular diseases? What can be seen?

A
  • Brainstem lesions
  • Vertical/positional nystagmus
  • Intention tremors possible
  • Hemiparesis possible
  • E. cuniculi possible
32
Q

Where are lesions with peripheral vestibular diseases? What can be seen?

A
  • Lesions on cochlea, middle ear or vestibular nerve
  • Only horizontal and rotational nystagmus
  • No intentional tremors
  • No hemiparesis
  • Usually not E. cuniculi
33
Q

How would you treat vestibular disease?

A
  • Meloxicam
  • Empirical use of antibiotics = (Doxycycline, Marbofloxacin, Azithromycin)
  • Prochlorpoerazine – anti-vertigo
  • Midazolam – in case of seizures
  • Fenbendazole - confirmed E. cuniculi cases
  • SUPPORTIVE CARE =
  • Restricted exercise in padded environment
  • Reduce stress and handling
  • Monitor for corneal ulcer development
34
Q

What are possible causes of spinal disease?

A
  • Congenital - spondylosis, kyphosis, lordosis, hemivertebrae
  • Trauma
  • Degenerative
35
Q

What is seen with spinal disease?

A
  • Loss of flexibility =
  • Stiff gait
  • Lack of grooming
  • Cheyletiella parasitovorax
  • Urine scald
  • Uneaten caecotrophs
  • Facial dermatitis
  • Pain – immobility, gut stasis, etc
  • Neuro deficits
36
Q

What is Therapy of spinal disease?

A
  • Meloxicam - long term
  • Gabapentin
  • weight loss, stimulate exercise
  • Padded flooring, nursing care
  • Poor prognosis for rabbits w paralysis +/- incontinence
37
Q

What is ‘floppy rabbit syndrome’?

A
  • Generalized muscle weakness → paresis → paralysis
  • Poorly understood. Possible causes for muscle weakness =
    ◦ Neurological – compression lesions, vascular
    ◦ Hepatic lipidosis
    ◦ Hypokalaemia
    ◦ Toxicity
    ◦ E. cuniculi
    ◦ Myasthenia gravis
    ◦ Vitamin E/Selenium deficiency

SELF LIMITING

38
Q

What are common neoplasias in rabbits?

A
  • ** Uterine adenocarcinoma ** - entire females (CS = haematuria + palpable uterine horns)
  • Bile duct adenoma/adenocarcinoma - 2ary to bile duct irritation + hyperplasia
  • Embryonal nephroma
  • Lymphoma
  • Thymoma
39
Q

What are features seen with gut stasis?

A

◦ Anorexia (total/partial) for >12-24h
◦ Reduced/no faecal output
◦ Reduced/absent gut sounds
◦ Some cases with abdominal pain
◦ Occasionally hypothermia
◦ Occasionally bloat

40
Q

How do you treat gut stasis?

A
  • STABILIZE FIRST
  • Fluid therapy - IV / SC w glucose (careful with overhydration)
  • Analgesia - meloxicam +/- buprenorphine +/- maropitant
  • Gut motility meds = metoclopramide, cisapride, domperidone, ranitidine
  • Supplemental feeding
41
Q
A

Y4 - Small Animals (105 decks)

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