Rabbit Handling and Husbandry ALAT Chapter 21

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Rabbit Handling and HusbandryALAT Chapter 21

• Tracy Gluckman, D.V.M, M.S.
• Dept. Comparative Medicine
• Clinical Resident

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General Information

• Oryctolagus cuniculus
• New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits most common
  breed in the research environment.
• Behavior and response reflects prey status in the
  wild nervous, flight reactions, covert pain
  manifestations.

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Rabbit Research Models

• Common use for rabbits in research
• Serum antibody production ascites
• Drug testing/screening toxicology, pharmacology
• Pyrogen (fever) induction
• Atherosclerosis arterial plaque formation

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Handling and Restraint

• Manual v. device restraint
• Slow, calm movements
• Cage removal One hand at scruff and one hand
  always supporting hindquarters.
• Vertebral column fracture (7th lumbar vertebrae)
• Never lift or move a rabbit by the ears
• Pinnal (external ear) cartilage trauma
• Transport Tuck head under arm, support
  hindquarters. Short distances only!
• Transport carrier for longer distances.

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Initial transport
Cage Removal
Walking transport
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Restraint Device

• Snug fit
• Easy access to ears,
• musculature for sedation
• and minor procedures
• treatments
• intramuscular/intravenous/subcutaneous
• drug or fluid administration
• tattooing
• blood collection
• Never leave a rabbit unattended !

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Manual restraint for health examination

• Head, abdomen, thorax, genital area
• Neck restraint at scruff
• Gently rotate rabbit onto back
• Access to genital area for sexing
• Access to oral cavity
• Always support the hindquarters !
• Always keep the rabbit calm !

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Physiologic Data

• Body Temp 100 - 104F (38 - 40C)
• Heart Rate 130 325 bpm
• Respiratory Rate 30 60 bpm
• Weight (adults) 2 6 kgs
• Weight (kits) 0.02 0.08 kgs (20 80g)
• Average Lifespan 5 8 years (captivity)

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Nutrition

• Obligate herbivores
• Prefer high protein, low carbohydrate feed
• Water consumption 50 100ml/kg/day
• Food consumption 50g/kg/day
• Cecotrophes (night feces) soft stool with thick
  mucus consumed (coprophagy) to supplement
  protein, water and B-vitamins.
• Day feces dry, round pellets
• Urine yellowish (brown or reddish) /- cloudy
  appearance from high mineral content
  (calcium/phosphate/ammonium).
• Male urine has very strong odor.

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Sexing

• Urogenital examination
• Males (bucks)
• descended testicles within an external scrotum
  (open inguinal canals)
• Penis gentle caudal pressure at prepuce
• Urethral opening (penile tip) rounded
• Females (does)
• Vaginal opening central line

male
female
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Reproduction

• Polygamous species no bonded mating pairs.
• Puberty at 5 7 months
• Reproductivity males 5 6 years, females 1 3
  years.
• Males can breed up to 5x/week
• Buck moved to does cage for breeding
• Females are very territorial
• Males will scent mark
• Sexual receptivity can be determined in 15 20
  min.
• No distinct estrous cycle. Period of receptivity
  marked by swollen vulva, behavior change.
• Induced ovulators ovulation 10 13 hrs
  post-coitus.

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Reproduction (continued)

• Gestational period 29 35 days
• Average litter size 4 10 kits
• Kindling (parturition) nest box or nesting
  material 3 4 days before kindling. Dewlap hair
  plucked for nest.
• Kindling early morning, 30 60 minutes
• Doe first litter Do Not Disturb! Stress can
  promote cannabalism.
• Altricial young helpless, blind.

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Behavior

• Curious actively play with cage toys
• Prey species
• Nervous around loud noises
• Cower in corner
• Run, kick, jump, bite or vocalize when stressed
• Aggressiveness lunging, stopping, biting
• Diurnal research rabbits primarily.
• Most active early a.m., early p.m.
• Rest with even weight distribution
• May lie in lateral recumbency (on side)

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Diet

• Water must be available ad libitum (free choice)
• Rabbits have very high water requirements.
• Condition the rabbits to use automated lixits.
• During water deprivation, rabbits become
  anorexic. Always check water source.
• Standard feed high fibre, lower protein.
• High gastrointestinal transit time 6 8 hours.
• Coprophagy 3 8 hours post-meal.
• First signs of illness loss of appetite,
  decreased stool production

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General Husbandry

• Ambient temperature 61- 72
• High temperatures can increase shedding and lead
  to gastrointestinal obstruction from hairballs
  (trichobezoars).
• Rabbits excrete a high percentage of minerals
  (primary calcium) in the urine and high ammonia
• Cage pans cleaned 2 3x/week. Urine minerals
  can cause scale accumulation.
• Cages washed every 2 weeks

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General Husbandry Cage Design

• Indirect bedding systems avoid contact with
  feces
• Slated flooring filter down feces
• Gated fronts non-stressful observations, good
  ventilation
• Ventilation 10 15 air changes/hr
• Ammonia accumulation

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General Husbandry

• Rabbit teeth grow continuously.
• Malocclusion (poor tooth alignment) can lead to
  tooth
• overgrowth.
• Clinical presentation inappetance, weight loss
  and oral trauma.

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Questions??