Hello VETAHEADER!

Time for our monthly newsletter.

No, you are not reading this wrong, it is the April Newsletter indeed, a bit late but here for you. It just so happened we forgot to hi “submit”, so it never got sent! LOL, it happens to all of us! But here it is, with just out of the oven studies!🦎

First up, we’ve got a 2023 paper on the perioperative complications and outcomes following partial ear canal ablation and lateral bulla osteotomy in pet rabbits: 20 cases (2009-2021).

The goal of this study was to evaluate the complications and results of PECALBO in rabbits with chronic otitis. The study dived into surgical logbooks from December 2009 to September 2021 to find rabbits cases that underwent this procedure. They gathered data such as the rabbits’ background information, medical history, clinical signs, past and current treatments, exam findings, imaging results, bacterial culture results, surgery details, hospital stay duration, complications, and final outcomes.

Here’s the scoop on the results:

Twenty rabbits had chronic, medically unresponsive otitis and were included in the criteria. A total of 27 partial ear canal ablation and lateral bulla osteotomies were performed. Ten rabbits had pre-existing neurologic issues and 17 had an ear base abscess at the time of surgery. Out of these, 13 (65%) developed at least one complication either during surgery or after. Three rabbits (15%) needed additional surgery for persistent or recurring ear base abscess. Good news! At the end, 12 (60%) rabbits saw a complete resolution of their clinical signs. Three (15%) improved but didn’t fully resolve their symptoms (think facial asymmetry). Unfortunately, five (25%) rabbits died from causes potentially related to their chronic otitis or the surgery itself; two of these had undergone revision surgery.

And here’s the lowdown:

Even though this study shows a high complication rate (65%), most of them resolved, with 15 (75%) rabbits ending up with a good to excellent final outcome. Since most of the rabbits in this study had very severe ear disease, more studies are needed to evaluate if performing surgery earlier could have help lower the complication rate.

Take home:

PECALBO is an effective treatment option for rabbits with chronic medically unresponsive otitis, but prepare owners for some complications, with 65% of the cases of this study having at least one. Majority were minor, with only 3 rabbits having mild persistent neurological deficits. Of none, 25% died of causes related to otitis or PECALBO.

Second, let’s talk about a 2023 paper on Radiological and laboratory prognostic parameters for gastric dilation in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

I am particularly excited about this paper, as you know I love some validation for not taking GI obstructed rabbit to surgery myself. This study aimed to evaluate radiographical and laboratory findings in pet rabbits with gastric dilation and identify prognostic parameters.

Here’s the deal:

They studied radiographs of 155 rabbits with gastric dilation (GD) and laboratory results of 75 rabbits with GD. They also developed a vertebral stomach score (VSS) to measure the caudal distention of the stomach on lateral radiography. A very cool feature is that they also evaluated the presence of gas in the stomach, by quantifying it and identifying the position of the gas within the stomach.

The results?

Rabbits with GD had a higher VSS than healthy ones. Large accumulation of gas in the stomach (>50%) and gas in a ventral or central position were linked to higher mortality rates. The most common laboratory findings were azotemia (51%), hyperglycemia (44%), and hyponatremia (37%). Interestingly and contrasting with a previous study, hypothermia was not a prognostic indicator. The surgically treated rabbits all died either during or after surgery or were euthanized due to inoperable condition. It makes one think, right?

Take home message:

Amounts and location of gas in the stomach, as well as blood parameters including glucose, sodium, and creatinine, may be useful prognostic parameters in rabbits with gastric dilatation. Hypothermia might not be a prognostic indicator in rabbits with GD.

I hope these are useful! 

Let us know which one was your favorite!

As always, I will see you next month.

Ops, in this case, I will see you this month for the May newsletter.