Rabbits

Lameness in Rabbits Lameness is defined as the disabillity of a limb to the point where movement is impaired. This is typically the result of a severe limb injury or as a side-effect of severe pain in the limbs. As the rabbit spends less time using the limb it may begin to favor other unaffected limbs. Moreover, the rabbit will appear to walk rather than hop, as it will not use its hind limbs to push off. The muscular, nervous, and skin systems may all be affected by lameness. Symptoms and Types In addition to limited range of motion in the joints, abnormal positioning of joints, and abnormal joint sounds, a rabbit with lameness may display signs such as: Pain Depression Lethargy Hunched posture while sitting Reluctance to move Hiding Teeth grinding Grunting or crying with movement Decreased appetite or water intake Lack of self grooming Faulty gait — difficulty with hopping, climbing (stairs) Imbalanced muscle mass Bony prominences Swelling over joints Urine scald in the perineal region (due to inability to correctly position self for urination) Causes There are a variety of causes for lameness, including: Congenital development abnormalities Injury to soft tissue, bone, or joint Infection — abscess, septic arthritis, pododermatitis (foot infection) Soft tissue or bone tumors Arthritis Shoulder or hip dislocation (dysplasia) Elbow dislocation (dysplasia) Ligament tears or injuries Fractures Spinal diseases (intervertebral disc disease) Spondylitis (inflammation of the vertebrae) Obesity, lack of exercise Diagnosis Your veterinarian will need to begin by differentiating between lameness due to muscle imbalance and lameness due to a nervous disorder. You will need to give a thorough history of your rabbit’s health, onset of symptoms, and possible incidents that might have led to this condition. A blood and urine analysis will be performed, and an examination of joint fluid to identify and differentiate joint disease. Visual diagnostics will include X-rays for all suspected musculoskeletal causes, and computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to help identify and differentiate between causes. Your doctor may also use electromyography (EMG) to test the muscle’s electrical activity. A muscle and/or nerve biopsy to study the cellular structure of the muscle tissue may also be necessitated by your doctor’s findings. Treatment Treatment will depend on the underlying cause and severity of the disease. If your rabbit is suffering from severe loss of appetite, tube feeding can be used to sustain nutrition until its condition has stabilized. Sedatives, or strong or mild pain relievers may be used – such as morphine or regular anti-inflammatory drugs to decrease inflammation and swelling, thereby decreasing discomfort. If infection is suspected, antibiotics may be used with caution. Bandage or splint care may be all that is needed to correct the limb problem, but if the condition is of a more severe nature, such as joint deformities, fractures, abscesses, etc., surgery may be done to repair or remove the cause of the disability. Living and Management   At home, you will need to provide your rabbit with a quiet spot in which to recover, with soft bedding and daily bedding changes. Removal of soiled bedding and measures to keep the fur clean and dry will be an important part of protecting your rabbit from a worsening of its condition. Activity should be restricted to protect the limb from any further injury until the symptoms have resolved. It is important that your rabbit continue to eat during and following treatment. Encourage oral fluid intake by offering fresh water, wetting leafy vegetables, or flavoring water with vegetable juice, and offer a large selection of fresh, moistened greens such as cilantro, romaine lettuce, parsley, carrot tops, dandelion greens, spinach, collard greens, and good-quality grass hay. Also, offer your rabbit its usual pelleted diet, as the initial goal is to get the rabbit to eat and to maintain its weight and nutritional status. If your rabbit refuses these foods, you will need to syringe feed a gruel mixture until it can eat again on its own. Unless your veterinarian has specifically advised it, do not feed your rabbit high-carbohydrate, high-fat nutritional supplements. 

Ptyalism Commonly referred to as “rabbit slobber” or the “slobbers,” ptyalism is a condition that causes a rabbit to produce an excessive amount of saliva. This can often lead to dental problems and is recognized because of the moisture around the rabbit’s face. Symptoms Rabbits with ptyalism are in constant pain, which may be exhibited as lethargy, a hunched posture, or an inability to groom. Rabbits may also develop hair loss, especially around the mouth or dewlap (skin flap under lower jaw), or form thickened skin folds. Other symptoms include: Weight loss Inability to eat (anorexia) Uneven facial symmetry Nasal discharge or mucous Grinding teeth Excess tear production Cause Some rabbits are more at risk than others, including those with elongated or abnormally long teeth. Rabbits that eat pellet foods are also more at risk. Occasionally, ptyalism appears in rabbits suffering from a central or autonomic nervous system disorder — a disorder affecting the part of the nervous system controlling automatic functions including heart rate, respiration and saliva production. Soft tissues diseases or bacterial infections that affect the oral cavities and gut can be precursors to ptyalism. There are even medications and environmental toxins that can invade the rabbit’s body and oral cavity causing dental disease(s) and, thereby, ptyalism. Some other causes for this condition include: Gingivitis Rabies Tetanus Metabolic or other gastrointestinal disorders   Diagnosis Your veterinarian will want to conduct a full dental and medical exam on the rabbit to identify any neurological or dental diseases causing ptyalism, or to rule out any other causes. A biopsy may also be performed to rule out oral masses.   Treatment A rabbit suffering from ptyalism may need help eating or fluid replacement therapy, especially if it has severe weight loss. It is important to keep its hair and coat clean and dry. Some require tooth (or teeth) extraction or teeth trimming(s). If the rabbit has developed abscesses or infectious pockets under the affected teeth, your veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics. Living and Management Lifelong treatment is often needed for rabbits with ptyalism, however, with proper care most recover. Follow-up care is also beneficial for rabbits with this condition, especially if they are young. Featured Image: iStock.com/Narongrit Sritana

Pyoderma is a medical term for bacterial skin infections occurring in rabbits. These infections usually occur when the rabbit’s skin tears or breaks, or when the skin is exposed to moist conditions, therefore altering the flora found within. Normally, healthy bacteria exist in the rabbit’s skin and moist mucous membranes. At times, however, this can become compromised, allowing for harmful bacteria to overgrow. Symptoms Most signs for pyoderma depend on the type of bacterial infection the rabbit has, but some of the more common symptoms include: Obesity Diarrhea Muscle pain Nasal (and occasional eye) discharge Urinary tract infection(s) Poor sanitation and personal hygiene Matted fur (especially around the anus, thighs and abdomen) Redness and crusting around the area of infection Dental disease (displayed as swollen/bleeding gums, slobbering, and loose and decaying teeth) Cause Typically a bacterial skin infection occurs when there is a break in the rabbit’s skin, generally occurring when it has been exposed to poor environmental conditions, including moisture. It can also occur in cases of injury or poor blood circulation. Pyoderma is, for the most part, a very common occurrence, much like cuts and scrapes are in human children. The bacteria that cause pyoderma include: Staphylococcus aureus Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pasteurella multocida (one of the more common bacteria) Bacteria can also penetrate oral openings or become trapped in matted fur, especially in unhealthy or obese rabbits. Diagnosis Your veterinarian will want to look at all possible causes before making a diagnosis, as there are other things which may resemble a common skin infection. These may include: Ear mites, which can cause similar-looking crusty regions around the ears, leading to hair loss around the ears and ear canal Fleas, which can cause hair loss and matted hair in many areas around the body Skin reaction to a recent vaccination or injection, which can form crusting or scabbing Rabbit syphilis, a condition that often causes hair loss and crusty regions If these are ruled out, your veterinarian may take skin samples or cultures to identify the underlying cause of the infection. Treatment Treating bacterial infections in rabbits typically occurs on an outpatient basis. Most rabbits will require bathing; the area then needs to be dried well to avoid retaining excess moisture. If the infection is serious, the surrounding area may require shaving. Your veterinarian may prescribe topical antibiotics to apply on the affected area. Prevention It is important to provide a well-balanced diet for your rabbit. Preventing obesity will help prevent the risk of future infections occurring within skin folds. Trimming overgrown areas of hair and brushing matted fur can also help reduce the risk of infection.

Apical Abscesses in Rabbits    Tooth root abscesses in rabbits, formally known as apical abscesses, are defined as pus-filled capsules or pockets within the animal’s tooth or mouth. These abscesses are painful for the animal and tend to grow within inflamed areas of the gums, where infection is more likely to spread. Symptoms and Types Some common signs include: Oral cavity Loose teeth Abnormal teeth or bite alignment (cheek teeth elongation) Overgrowth of the incisor teeth (used to grasp and bit food) Oral tissue swelling, especially along the soft tissues A preference towards eating softer foods Loss of weight, can be extreme Obstruction of the tear or nasal ducts Respiratory irritation (e.g., sinusitis and rhinitis) Signs of pain or discomfort, which may include inability or lack of interest in moving, lethargy, hiding, hunched posture or depression Causes There are many different reasons an abscess forms under a tooth or near a tooth’s root. For example, an infection can occur in cases of tooth or dental decay. However, rabbit abscesses are unlike those that form in other animals, like cats and dogs. They do not rupture on their own and drain infrequently. Rather, they tend to puncture the bone of the rabbit, often requiring surgical treatment. The most common cause of tooth root abscesses in rabbits is tooth elongation. This is a chronic and common condition because rabbit teeth tend to grow constantly — at the rate of nearly one-half an inch every month. The cheek teeth can then become spiked and erode, or gradually wear into the soft tissue near the teeth, allowing abscess-causing bacteria to enter into the gums. Tissue damage can also lead to the formation of an abscess. Other causes and factors contributing to tooth root abscesses include: Infection with pyogenic bacteria (e.g., Streptococcus spp., Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella spp. and Peptostreptococcus micros) Trauma to the teeth or roots, including clipping of the teeth or cutting the pulp when trimming teeth, which can expose them to bacteria Acquired teeth elongation, which can occur from an exclusive pellet diet Suppression of the immune system, which can occur from the overuse of topical or oral steroids Diagnosis Diagnosis involves ruling out other conditions contributing to tooth decay. A veterinarian will look for signs of dental disease and swelling in the mouth, and may take a culture to identify a possible infection. Treatment Treatment can be done on an outpatient basis, unless the rabbit has large abscesses or wounds which may get infected. Some animals may require long-term pain therapy and management, consisting of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for inflammation control and to help reduce pain. (Needle aspiration can be used to help drain excessive fluids.) In severe cases, the animal will need to undergo surgery to remove affected teeth. Many times, extraction is time consuming because rabbits have curved tooth roots. However, if such a procedure is done, the veterinarian will prescribe medication, including antibiotics to help reduce bacterial infections and pain. Living and Management A well-balanced diet is a vital part of management, as it helps prevent tooth decay. This means feeding the rabbit low-carbohydrate and low-fat foods, and enough water to keep it hydrated. The veterinarian will re-evaluate the rabbit every one to three months to trim its teeth and search for any cavities or oral growths. Be aware, chronic pain is a potential side effect of this condition.

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Hematuria in Rabbits Hematuria is defined as the presence of blood in the urine. Although dietary pigments (i.e., components of ingested food or drink) or blood from the female reproductive tract can sometimes lend a red tinge to the urine, this should not be confused with true hematuria, which is indicated by blood that has originated with the stream of urine. Symptoms and Types Red-tinged urine (due to the discharge of blood clots) Painful abdomen on palpation Development of tumor/lump Enlarged bladder, leading to distended abdomen Frequent bruising (due to excessive clotting) Urocystoliths (bladder stones) may be detected by abdominal palpation; often, one single, large calculus can be felt Causes Sedentary rabbits, female rabbits, and middle-aged rabbits are all at risk of developing hematuria. This may be due to kidney stones, bacterial bladder infections, and/or an increase of calcium in the blood. The most common cause of hematuria in intact females, however, is the dysfunction of the reproductive tract. Coagulation, clotting disorders, or an injury to the genitals, urinary tract or bladder may also cause blood to develop in the urine. Diagnosis Your veterinarian will first need to rule out typical causes for red-colored urine, such as a dietary trigger. Also, discolored or brown urine will need to be differentiated from true hematuria. Blood and urine component analysis will be completed and tests will be done to check for the presence of calcium or cancer cells in the blood. If your doctor suspects the origin of the blood to be from within the bladder, such as from a tumor, or from bladder stones, an endoscopy can be used to visually examine the bladder space. This method uses a small camera that is attached to a flexible tube, and which can be inserted into the actual space to be examined. The endoscope may be inserted into the bladder cavity by way of the urinary tract, using a cystoscope, or it may be inserted through a small incision that is made in the abdomen. In this way, your veterinarian can get a more precise image of any blockages, or injuries, and if indicated, take a tissue sample for biopsy if a tumor is detected. Treatment True hematuria may indicate a serious underlying disease, which will require immediate treatment. It is possible that your rabbit has lost a lot of blood through the urine; if it is severely anemic, a blood transfusion may be necessary. Hypercalciuria, meanwhile, requires a modified diet as well as changes to the environment. If your rabbit’s is showing discomfort, pain medications may be used to decrease inflammation. Fluids will be given to treat dehydration, and kidney and urinary stones require surgical removal. Living and Management After the initial treatment has resolved the cause of the hematuria, your veterinarian will schedule a follow-up visit to monitor your rabbit’s response to treatment. Physical examinations, laboratory testing, and radiographic and ultrasonic evaluations will be required, as your doctor looks for any complications or recurrences of anemia, urinary tract obstruction, or kidney failure.

Molar and Premolar Malocclusion and Elongation in Rabbits    In rabbits, the molars and premolar teeth are aligned as a single functional unit and referred to as the cheek teeth. Cheek teeth elongation occurs when normal wear does not properly occur, or when the teeth do not align properly (malocclusion). The latter is one of the most common complaints in pet rabbits, and can happen either at birth from trauma or because of other reasons. Cheek teeth elongation generally occurs in middle-aged or older rabbits, while younger rabbits may suffer from congenital malocclusion. Also, Dwarf and Lop breeds are believed to be at a higher risk for congenital misalignment. Symptoms and Types Inability to chew food Anorexia and subsequent weight loss Preference for water bowl over sipper bottle Excessive drooling Nasal discharge Tooth grinding Excessive tear production Pain Causes Elongation is often a normal part of aging for pet rabbits who live significantly longer than wild rabbits, and therefore experience longer periods of tooth growth than would normally occur in a natural lifespan. However, acquired cheek teeth elongation — which generally appears in older rabbits — often occurs due to a lack of fibrous tough foods. These tough foods allow the rabbit to properly grind its teeth. Conversely, congenital skeletal malocclusion is most likely to occur in younger rabbits as well as Dwarf or Lop-eared breeds. This is a birth defect that cannot be prevented. Diagnosis A veterinarian will generally conduct an oral examination to diagnose malocclusion or elongation. An analysis of bacterial cultures and fluid taken from oral abscesses is also recommended. Other diagnostic tests may include urine analysis, CT scans, and skull X-rays.   Treatment Treatment depends on the severity of the condition. A surgical procedure known as coronal reduction, in which the cheek teeth are trimmed down, is one option. In some cases, extraction may be necessary. In addition, a variety of medications including antibiotics and painkillers may be prescribed. Living and Management The rabbit should be re-evaluated and have its teeth trimmed every four to eight weeks, as needed. These oral evaluations should include the entire oral cavity, as well as the skull. In some cases, skull X-rays may be recommended three to six months after initial treatment in order to check for progress. Prevention To help prevent acquired dental disease — malocclusion and elongation of cheek teeth — limit the intake of pellets, soft fruits or vegetables from the rabbit’s diet. Instead, provide adequate tough fibrous foods such as hay and grasses to encourage normal wear of teeth. Unfortunately, prevention is not possible for rabbits that have already shown symptoms of acquired dental disease. However, progression may be slowed down with periodic coronal reduction and appropriate diet. It is also important to not breed rabbits with congenital malocclusion. Featured Image: iStock.com/skynesher

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Cataracts in Rabbits A cataract is an opaque film on the lens of the eye, and may mean the lens is entirely or only partially clouded. In most instances, cataracts are present at the rabbit’s birth. Symptoms and Types Lens is partially or fully opaque Eye discharge (hyper-mature cataract) Swelling of the iris White nodule-like bumps on the iris Cataract types: Immature – lens partially covered Mature – entire lens covered Hypermature – lens liquefaction has occurred Causes Cataracts are most commonly present at birth. However, it may develop spontaneously and with no known cause. It occurs for many reasons, but is usually related to a bacterial infection (encephalitozoon cuniculi). Other causes include a nutritional deficiency or elevated levels of glucose in the blood. Cataracts may also develop spontaneously with no known cause. Diagnosis Cataracts are generally evident by the opaque (cloudy) appearance of the lens. The veterinarian may run tests if bacterial infection is suspected. Other analyses include a urine analysis to test for infectious disease and blood tests. In cases where the rabbit has a white mass protruding from the eye, a sign which may indicate cataracts, alternate diagnoses may conclude an abscess in the eye or an unnatural growth of cells (neoplasia), such as a tumor in the eye. Treatment Surgery to remove cataracts is the primary treatment method, and can be performed on both congenital and spontaneous cataracts. The sooner the surgery is done, the better the prognosis. Various medications may also be prescribed, especially in cases of bacterial infection. Living and Management Following the treatment, the rabbit should be carefully monitored for signs of cataract recurrence. Owners should be aware of possible complications such as glaucoma and retinal detachment. If surgery is successful, prognosis is good. In some cases however, surgical treatment is not an option in which case prognosis for the health of the affected eye is guarded – most of these cases will progress until the rabbit contracts glaucoma in the damaged eye. Prevention There are no specific methods of prevention when it comes to cataracts because most cases are congenital — and thus unstoppable — or spontaneous with no known cause.

5. Birds Birds are lifelong companions to 6.1 million U.S. households. And we mean lifelong—some bird species can live well over 60 years. The oldest parrot, a Major Mitchell’s cockatoo named Cookie, enjoyed 82 years of life.  While Cookie may be an outlier, many more common pet bird species offer impressive lifespans. Cockatiels are one of the most popular species of pet parrots, and they typically live 15–25 years in captivity, with the oldest recorded living for 35 years. Just like any other pet, birds require dedicated care. Annual veterinary checkups are essential, and birds require nutrition tailored to their specific breed. Remember that birds are intelligent companions that crave social interaction, so spending time with their humans outside a cage is a must for their well-being. ,6. Reptiles According to APPA, 6 million U.S. households share their home with a reptile, whether it be a turtle, leopard gecko, bearded dragon, or other variety. Like fish, birds, and small mammals, there are so many reptiles to choose from. The selection can be based on the size of pet you can house, their lifespan, and even their dietary preferences, which typically consist of crickets, worms, veggies, or mice.,Adoption rates for all sorts of pets soared during the pandemic as people sought furry, scaled, and feathered friends for companionship. In 2023, that hadn’t changed. People value the companionship of pets and the positive impact of having a loving creature in their lives, says Charlotte Reed, a pet trends expert and host of The Pet Buzz podcast. Just look at the numbers: As of 2023, 66% of U.S. households have a pet—that’s about 87 million homes. The latest pet trends show that Americans continue to embrace unconventional companions. Yet, the popularity of canine and feline friends remains unbeatable. Here’s an inside look at the latest pet stats compiled by the American Pet Products Association (APPA).