Correct handling minimises stress of the patient, as well as reducing risk of injury. Trancing should be avoided in rabbits, as this is a stressful event for them. For problematic patients, a towel can be used to safely ‘wrap’ them for lifting and restraint.

- bunny burrito

- trancing useful but stressful to rabbit 

Indications: Administration of fluids or drugs in situations where intravenous access is limited or non-existent (eg. rabbits in cardiogenic shock, juvenile rabbits).

 Does: floor of vagina- will find urethral opening for catheterisation

- medazolam and buprenorphine- catheter placement 

A wet preparation involves adding a small amount of faecal material to water on a glass slide, before examining under a microscope.

-  

• Gently insert the nozzle of a syringe (containing food or medication) into the mouth behind the incisor teeth, through the diastema and direct towards the caudal mouth

•   

  Ensure the rabbit’s head is parallel with the table/floor (if elevated there is an added risk of aspiration)

•   

  Administer a small volume of liquid (0.5-1ml), remove the syringe and wait for the rabbit to swallow before administering more. This procedure must not be rushed 

  * NEVER PILL A RABBIT - use suspensions

  - use dosing syringes- 50ml or 15ml supreme syringe 

This is the process of creating and delivering a fine mist of liquid into the respiratory tract. It is a good adjunctive to treatment for respiratory tract disease. The aim is to produce a vapour droplet smaller than 5μm in order to reach the lower airways. Patients can be nebulized for 10-20 minutes 2-4 times daily with F10 or an antibiotic solution. 

When grooming it should be remembered that rabbit skin is extremely thin and prone to tearing. If bathed, a rabbit should be thoroughly dried to prevent the development of hypothermia. 

Indications: Collection of blood and administration of intravenous medication. Principles

•   Adequate lighting must be available to visualise the small veins of rabbits

•   The rabbit’s blood volume is 55-78ml/kg and up to 10% of this can be removed safely,

  so sample volume is rarely a limiting factor in rabbit medicine
  
  

  Sites: Marginal ear vein, lateral saphenous vein (very good but mobile), jugular vein and cephalic vein. All vessels, particularly the lateral saphenous are prone to bruising, therefore pressure should be applied to the site for up to 1 minute post sample.
  
  

  Useful Tip - Prior application of EMLA cream usually prevents needle reaction. 

0. Indications:

•   to facilitate flushing of the nasolacrimal duct in cases with suspected blockage or

  infection

•   to instill topical medication into the nasolacrimal duct

•   to perform contrast dacryocystography 

  
  

Indications: Temporary correction of overgrown incisors.
Technique: The rabbit should be ‘bunny burritoed’ to safely restrain the body. An assistant should hold a plastic syringe through the diastema of the mouth, to protect the tongue from the rotating blade. Holding rabbit’s head in one hand, the incisors should be systematically cut with a high-speed rotating blade.

Each tooth should be cooled with a wet cotton bud, immediately after shortening. If the incisors are left with sharp edges, they should be smoothed with the high speed dental burr. Incisors should NEVER be clipped. This is painful and distressing for the rabbit and likely to result in incisor fractures and infection of the reserve crown (root). 

Euthanasia of pet rabbits is usually performed by intravenous injection of pentobarbitone.

The marginal ear vein is a useful site, however due to the risk of struggle, injecting off the needle is ill-advised. Instead, placement of an IV catheter provides a secure intravenous route. It is the author’s preference to sedate a rabbit immediately prior to euthanasia, to reduce the risk of reaction to the pentobarbitone.

Sedation can be achieved with midazolam or alfaxalone, which has immediate effect. If intravenous access cannot be achieved the rabbit can be anaesthetised (with injectable medication) and the pentobarbitone injection given into a well perfused organ eg. kidney or liver, or directly into the heart.

The aim of any euthanasia is to facilitate a painless and peaceful death for the animal, in a respectful manner for the owner. 

Complete assessment of skull radiography (predominantly used to evaluate dental structures) includes 5 standard views (one lateral, a left and a right lateral oblique, a dorsoventral or ventrodorsal and a rostrocaudal view). Intraoral views to enable visualisation of a single dental arcade with no superimposition are ideal. Features to note include incisor occlusion, cheek teeth occlusal plane, orientation, length and degree of curvature of all teeth, the radio-density of the surrounding bone and the symmetry of structures e.g. tympanic bullae. 

radiography is achievable conscious however, as the thorax is very small, the best images are achieved in an anaesthetised, intubated rabbit to ensure the lungs are inflated during exposure. Ideally left and right lateral and ventrodorsal views are taken.

Intrathoracic fat and the presence of the thymus can complicate interpretation. 

radiography is useful for evaluation of gastrointestinal tract, liver, urinary tract and sometimes reproductive tract. It is an important tool for the evaluation of any rabbit with a distended abdomen. Gaseous distension of bowel loops indicative of ileus and urinary calculi or ‘sludge’ are common findings. Two views should be taken. Abdominal radiographs are readily performed conscious.

Once stabilised trauma patients or those with a history of lameness, paresis or paralysis can undergo radiography to assess skeletal elements. Avoid ‘whole body’ views and try to collimate accurately to the area of concern.

Contrast agents are useful in the evaluation of the nasolacrimal duct, the gastrointestinal tract and the urinary tract. 

Approximate timings:
Stomach Emptying – 15-30 minutes;

Reaches Caecum – after 40-60 minutes;

Caecal fill – in 1- 3 hours;

Contrast in Colon – 4-6 hours (5-12 hours).
Views taken - Immediate, 30 mins, 1hr, 2hrs, 3-4hrs later and, if hospitalised, the following morning 

Useful for bladder, kidneys, uterus, liver, lymph nodes, spleen, adrenal glands and free fluid. Sonographic evaluation of the abdominal viscera, intrathoracic masses/fluid, retrobulbar space and heart may be helpful in certain clinical situations. In rabbits with primary or secondary gastrointestinal hypomotility, the accumulation of gas within the intestines may impair the evaluation of abdominal structures with this imaging tool.

Ultrasound guided needle biopsy or aspirate may be performed under sedation. 

Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are advanced imaging modalities that are available at a limited number of referral practices. When in practice, remember Edinburgh offer rabbit conscious CT full body scans for approximately £250 per scan. CT provides unparalleled information about bony and air-filled structures eg. nasal cavities, dental structures, middle ear and the lungs, whereas MRI is most useful for evaluating soft tissues eg. brain.