Standards of Care in the 21st Century: The Rabbit

Fisher, Peter G.

doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2010.01.004

Cited by 30 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The recommendation that ‘the body should be supported and the back feet controlled with one arm while the opposite hand supports the chest between the front legs’ (Fig h; Fisher , p. 23) is likely to cause less stress [also recommended by the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (Magnus )]. If a rabbit must be held, it should be held firmly and gently as hesitant restraint promotes struggling which can cause injury (Batchelor ).…”

Section: Reducing Stress Around Carryingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Appropriate handling of pet rabbits: a literature review

Bradbury

Dickens

2016

J of Small Animal Practice

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Many rabbits show fear behaviours when lifted off the ground. Estimates from owner surveys suggest that around 60% of pet rabbits struggle when lifted and fear-related aggression is common. This article integrates information from both laboratory and pet rabbit studies to formulate a list of recommendations for appropriate handling of rabbits. Reduction of the frequency of the stressor can be achieved by educating owners on alternative management practices to reduce the need to carry their rabbits. However, in some situations, it is unavoidable that a rabbit is lifted. Amelioration of the stress in these instances can be achieved by a 2 pronged strategy. First, the population of rabbits can be made more resilient to infrequent stressors by selectively breeding for confident rabbits and by better socialisation of unweaned kits, and, where possible, training of individual animals to permit handling. Secondly, any unavoidable lifting can be made less stressful by educating veterinary staff in appropriate methods of holding rabbits during both consultations and inpatient care. Better understanding of appropriate interactions with rabbits will improve welfare.

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Section: Reducing Stress Around Carryingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Appropriate handling of pet rabbits: a literature review

Bradbury

Dickens

2016

J of Small Animal Practice

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“…The approximate total blood volume of a rabbit is 7% of body weight, 17 corresponding to 210 mL in a 3 kg rabbit. Daily fluid maintenance requirements are proportionally higher than in humans at 75–100 mL/kg, 18 and in the setting of dehydration or shock suggested isotonic fluid boluses can range from 10 19 to 100 mL/kg. 18 High quality OCT imaging of the thoracic aorta via the femoral artery is difficult due to mixing of antegrade blood from cardiac output with the retrograde saline injection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Optical coherence tomography for serial in vivo imaging of aortic plaque in the rabbit: a preliminary experience

et al. 2015

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BackgroundIn this pilot feasibility study, we aimed to establish a reproducible means of performing serial optical coherence tomography (OCT) procedures in the abdominal aorta of the cholesterol-fed rabbit.MethodsEight cholesterol-fed New Zealand White rabbits were assigned to abdominal aortic balloon injury at baseline (n=6) or as controls (n=2). Three of the balloon injured rabbits received statins from weeks 6 to 12 post balloon injury. OCT of the abdominal aorta in each rabbit was performed at baseline±week 6±week 12 via alternate vascular access points (left or right femoral artery or left carotid artery). OCT sequences were analysed to derive an indexed plaque volume and other OCT measures of plaque complexity, and results were compared between groups. Histopathological correlations with OCT images were made following terminal procedures.ResultsOf the 16 OCT procedures in these rabbits (6 at baseline, 4 at 6 weeks, 6 at 12 weeks), excellent and analysable images were obtained on 15 occasions (94%). Inability to obtain adequate arterial access for the OCT catheter was the major experimental limitation encountered in the early part of our experience. Balloon injured rabbits developed larger volume and more complex plaque than non-balloon injured rabbits on all OCT indices measured (eg, both mean plaque volume and lumen stenosis were approximately double in the balloon injured group, p<0.0001). A significant correlation between 12 week measures of plaque area by OCT and histology was demonstrated (Pearson correlation coefficient: 0.992, p<0.0001).ConclusionsOur preliminary experience suggests that serial OCT of the abdominal aorta in the New Zealand White rabbit is feasible and a potentially promising means of performing serial studies of aortic atherosclerosis.

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“…They are already used as laboratory subjects in several medical fields. Even though they are also praised as household pets, particularly in Europe, their use in laboratory is well accepted …”

Section: Ethical Considerations In Animal Welfarementioning

confidence: 99%

“…More than two million pet rabbits are estimated to have existed in the past decade . They are the most popular exotic animal in US private veterinary practices . In view of these trends, the demand for higher standards of rabbit medicine is increasing and thus the need to enhance veterinary knowledge also exists …”

Section: Rabbits In Bone Research: Where Are We?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Animal modeling in bone research—Should we follow the White Rabbit?

Macedo

Feitosa

Kawamoto

et al. 2019

Anim Models and Exp Med

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In the long history of mankind, animals have played significant roles.We owe much of our intellectual sophistication and societal status to animal husbandry. 1 Farming and agriculture have allowed humans to control their environment and an improved nutrition. The first rural settlements marked the birth of the ancient civilizations, 2 but also triggered the first zoonotic outbreaks and the beginning of public health concerns. 3 The earliest records of animal use coincide with the appearance of Hippocrates' concepts and the birth of Western medicine. 2 Jumping ahead 2400 years, in the year 2018 more than 20 000 animal subjects-exceeding 200 species-were part of translational studies worldwide, 4 in pre-clinical trials. 2 Animal modelling can provide reliable data to elucidate human diseases. 5 Despite benefiting our quality of life, animal research remains controversial. 3 There is a growing sense of disapproval over using household pets in experiments. 1 New technologies have been created to replace animals in research, but the position of ideal bone substitute remains open. 6 Thus, primary research on novel models continues paramount. 7 AbstractAnimal models are live subjects applied to translational research. They provide insights into human diseases and enhance biomedical knowledge. Livestock production has favored the pace of human social development over millennia. Today's society is more aware of animal welfare than past generations. The general public has marked objections to animal research and many species are falling into disuse. The search for an ideal methodology to replace animal use is on, but animal modeling still holds great importance to human health. Bone research, in particular, has unmet requirements that in vitro technologies cannot yet fully address. In that sense, standardizing novel models remains necessary and rabbits are gaining in popularity as potential bone models. Our aim here is to provide a broad overview of animal modeling and its ethical implications, followed by a narrower focus on bone research and the role rabbits are playing in the current scenario. K E Y W O R D Sanimal experimentation, bone density, Lagomorpha, translational medical research MACEDO Et Al.

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Standards of Care in the 21st Century: The Rabbit

Cited by 30 publications

References 16 publications

Appropriate handling of pet rabbits: a literature review

Appropriate handling of pet rabbits: a literature review

Optical coherence tomography for serial in vivo imaging of aortic plaque in the rabbit: a preliminary experience

Animal modeling in bone research—Should we follow the White Rabbit?

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