Be vewy vewy quiet

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Be vewy vewy quiet

• Wewe anesthetizing wabbits.
• Selina Balding
• C. J. Weideman

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Why use anesthesia in Rabbits?
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Thats a very BAD BUNNY!!!

• (No yogurt drops for him)

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Why ELSE would you anesthetize a rabbit???

• Common surgical procedures
• Neutering (Gee doc, my rabbit made love to my
  slipper SIX TIMES last night!)
• Spaying (The kids have seen the miracle of life
  5 times this year already!)
• Dental work
• Trichobezoars (Hairballs)
• Tumor removal, wound treatment, etc

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Pre-operative considerations

• Basic Husbandry
• Body weight, diet, caging/housing, companions
• To fast, or not to fast?
• Pre-Sx Bloodwork
• Serum chemistry profile
• /- CBC depending on procedure
• Bare minimum (in our opinion) TS, PCV, Glucose
• Accurate weight (Duh!)

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Possible Pre-medications induction agents

• Ketamine/Diazepam
• 0.2-0.5 mg/kg Diaz. IV then 10-15 mg/kg Ket. to
  effect.
• Acepromazine
• 0.75-1.0 mg/kg IM
• (No, the decimal points are NOT in the wrong
  place).
• Many other possibilities/combinations.
• Telazol not recommended
• At higher doses, can be nephrotoxic.

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Intubation

• Unless rabbit is very large, intubation is blind
• Lidocaine splash is possible with visualization
  in large rabbits
• Most rabbits masked, not intubated
• Practice, practice, practice

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Inhalant Anesthetic Agents

• Isoflurane
• Inhalant of choice
• Can induce with Iso alone
• Induction 3-5
• Maintenance 1.5-1.75
• Halothane
• Induction 3-4
• Maintenance 0.5-2
• Sevoflurane
• To effect
• More expensive

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Surgical considerations

• Bain system is preferred over re-breathing system
• Chest elevation
• Temperaturemonitor frequently to avoid
  bunny-cicles
• Fluids
• If procedure gt ½ hour.
• 5-10 ml/kg/hr crystalloid fluids, add 5 dextrose
• Monitor as in other species (Pulse, respiration,
  etc)
• May need to use stainless steel sutures to
  prevent post-op complications (Remember Rabbits
  chew!)

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Post Operative Care

• Keep warm, but not too warmwe arent dealing
  with tropical species here!
• QUIET!!!
• May or may not need to isolate from other rabbits
• Feed
• Blenderize regular pelleted feed with water.
• Can also be done with veggies, greens, etc
• Last resort Canned, strained pumpkin (without
  pie spice!)
• Pain management

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Daytona International Speedway
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Policing Pain
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Why should we care?

• Decreasing pain can shorten recovery time
• Rabbits in pain may not eat, possibly leading to
  gastric ulcers and/or GI stasis
• Remember
• above all DO NO HARM
• Imagine getting yourself castrated or
  hysterectomized with no pain killers

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Signs of Pain

• Bunnies cant say OWEEEEE!
• Reduced feed/water intake
• Lack of grooming
• Hunched position and refusal to move
• Put head in corner/hide
• Abnormal aggression towards handlers/companions
• Vocalization on handling
• Not consuming cecals
• Tooth grinding

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Means of Alleviating Pain

• Warm compress
• Soft resting area/bedding
• Medical management
• Many, many options.
• See next slide.

Disclaimer We do not condone the use of illicit
substances for pain management in animals.
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Pain killers

• NSAIDS
• Acetaminophenalone or in combination with
  codeine
• Aspirin
• Carprofenfor chronic joint pain
• Flunixin meglumineuse for no more than 3 days
• IbuprofenGI side effects common
• Opioids
• Buprenorphine, Butorphanol
• Morphine
• Many many others.

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So many drugsHow do I choose the right one?

• Many analgesics can be used in rabbits
• Check a formulary for the dose and side effects
• Avoid those with GI side effects
• Plumb does have doses for rabbits

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When all else fails

• Euthanasia

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Means of euthanasia

• Consider the owners feelings
• They may not want to see you fishing for veins
• Anesthetic overdosecan use gas anesthetics
• Carbon Dioxide
• Other means See next slide

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Wecommended ONLY for wild (wascally) wabbits!!!
Wabbit swayer!!!
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Final disposition

• Depending on cause of death and/or
  illnessnecropsy?
• The owner may want to take the body
• They may want you to dispose of it
• Normal rendering service.
• Others See upcoming slides

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If healthy, and gassed down with CO2
The circle of life Especially if youre involved
with wildlife rehab Not recommended for peoples
pets.
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And for the one Elmer got

• Peel meat from rabbit carcasses. (Its a good
  idea to make sure you get all the shot out at
  this point.)
• Coat meat with flour/seasonings and place in
  crock pot.
• Add veggies to crock pot.
• Add water.
• Cook on low-medium heat for 6-8 hours.
• Add 1-2 tsp corn starch, as needed, after
  cookingto thicken broth/gravy.
• Best served with Biscuits.

• 2-3 cottontail rabbits
• 3 potatoes--diced
• 1 handful baby carrots
• 1 handful corn
• 1 handful peas
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 ½ cups water
• Salt Pepper to taste
• 2 tsp. Garlic powder
• 1 tsp. Paprika

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References

• Hillyer EV, Quesenberry KE. Ferrets, Rabbits,
  and Rodents, Clinical Medicine and Surgery.
  Saunders, Philadelphia. 1997.
• Carpenter JW, Mashima TY, Rupiper DJ. Exotic
  Animal Formulary, Second Edition. Saunders,
  Philadelphia. 2001
• Cantwell, SL. Ferret, Rabbit, and Rodent
  Anesthesia. The Veterinary Clinics of North
  America, Exotic Animal Practice, Analgesia and
  Anesthesia. Saunders, Philadelphia. 2001. pp.
  169-191.
• Kris Springsteen, LVT