If normal eating and drinking does not resume within 24 hours consult your veterinarian. However, a pre-anesthetic fast of one to four hours is recommended, as they accumulate food and fluid within the oral cavity and oropharynx. It would be obvious if your rabbit is not eating at … Regardless of heat source, do not place animals directly on the heat.Following sedation, place an indwelling catheter to administer anesthetic drugs, emergency drugs, and intravenous fluid support. Once the rabbit was able to make purposeful movement, it was returned to its cage. Rabbits should eat as soon as possible after an operation to help prevent ileus. Consequently, guidelines do not reference specific research-associated concerns. Underlying lung damage from this pathogen may lead to respiratory distress or arrest under anesthesia. As with other species, anesthesia (maintenance) can be accomplished via inhalation or parenteral methods.Administering sedative drugs decreases excitement and causes relaxation to allow for placement of indwelling catheters (for IV drug and fluid administration) or allow for intubation (for inhalation anesthesia). You can try hiding the pill in some food. It must be noted that any patient undergoing anesthesia, no matter the age or health status, accepts some risk and/or chance of unplanned or unexpected complications that could arise. More information on required monitoring parameters during post-operative recovery can be found in Guidelines on the Performance of Surgery in Non-Rodent Mammals and Anesthesia and Sedation Monitoring Guidelines. Practitioners should adopt protocols that work for them, perform appropriate pre-anesthetic evaluation, and develop an understanding of the unique characteristics of rabbits that make them such amazing animals! Supplemental heat sources include circulating water blankets, air heating devices or commercial products that can be heated up or create heat via a safe chemical reactions. Make a “bunny burrito” by wrapping the rabbit in a towel when needed to … A non-profit rabbit rescue and education organizationMany veterinarians and pet owners believe rabbit anesthesia is always a high-risk procedure; however, when done properly the risks are low and do not outweigh the benefits. One study found the risk of a rabbit dying under anesthesia to be about 1.39% overall – which is fairly low, but higher than for dogs and cats.Some sample anesthetic protocols are shown below and are intended to precede gas anesthesia (isoflurane or sevoflurane) for maintenance. The rabbit was moved from the surgery suite to the recovery area, the sutures were removed from the nares, and the rabbit was placed in sternal recumbency for recovery. A small amount of treats (e.g., apples, carrots, kale) or syringe-fed Critical Care diet may aid in promoting post-operative eating.Rabbit anesthesia is generally broken up into premedication (sedation), anesthetic induction, and anesthetic maintenance. Glycopyrolate (0.01-0.02 mg/kg) appears to maintain effectiveness in rabbits with atropine esterase.
Underlying lung damage from this pathogen may lead to respiratory distress or arrest under anesthesia. This stabilization period is not required for animals used acutely (anesthetized and euthanized at the end of the procedure), although it is recommended. For some procedures, sedation and maintenance are covered by the initial drug administration.Induction refers to an anesthetic administered to place an animal in an unconscious state and allow for tracheal intubation.Maintenance refers to drugs administered to keep animals unconscious and allow for surgical (or other) procedures to be performed.We are committed to protecting research participants, upholding ethical standards, and improving our practice at every step of our work.The injectable anesthetics of choice are Ketamine combinations with either Xylazine or Diazepam.
Recovery was rapid and unremarkable. A one-week acclimation period is recommended. Rabbits are extremely susceptible to hypothermia, which slows recovery and further stresses the animal. NO electric heating pads are allowed for use with rabbits. Practitioners are referred to Chapter 4 in the Rabbit anesthesia when done safely and smartly should not be a hindrance to management of surgical patients and risks and fears should not outweigh the benefits. The rate of recovery appears, furthermore, slowed down in rabbits whose food was taken away hours prior to surgery. Do not redose Xylazine due to its hypotensive effects.References for these guidelines are available by request.Helping researchers external and internal to the University of Minnesota find services, facilities, and equipmentIntegrative Biology and Physiology Phenotyping Cores