A surgical approach to the rabbit patient: part 1

Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are very popular pets, with approximately 1.5 million of them being kept in the UK (UK Pet Food, 2023). Improvements in how medical and surgical care is provided to rabbits is resulting in them often living longer (Fisher, 2010), with many owners having high expectations of veterinary surgeons (Graham, 2006). This series of articles gives a broad overview of a number of surgical procedures performed in this species, as well as covering general pre-, peri- and postoperative specifics to help veterinarians and veterinary nurses meet these expectations. Anaesthesia and analgesia protocols are beyond the scope of these articles.

Rabbits are a prey species, and have evolved to conceal signs of illness to escape predation (Paul-Murphy, 2007; Huynh et al, 2016; Miller and Leach, 2023). For this reason, as well as dramatic differences between a rabbit's anatomy and physiology, they cannot be thought of as small dogs or cats (Mullen, 2000). Rabbits, unlike cats and dogs, do not need to be fasted before surgery, as they are unable to vomit (Szabo et al, 2016). As with all species, a thorough, systematic examination is a vital part of patient assessment before any surgery (Antinoff, 1999; Graham, 2006; Szabo et al, 2016). It is wise to remember that if inappropriately handled, rabbits can be prone to back and hind limb fractures (Graham, 2006). Any rabbit deemed unwell on a clinical examination should be stabilised before surgery (Redrobe, 2002; Szabo et al, 2016). Any dehydration should be suitably corrected, with intravenous fluid therapy (Szabo et al, 2016) (Figure 1). If intravenous catheter placement is not possible, fluids can be administered subcutaneously or intraosseously (Fisher, 2010).