Page 177 - BSAVA Guide to Pain Management in Small Animal Practice

BSAVA Guide to Pain Management in Small Animal Practice

VetBooks.ir e ex p e Fractured limb

and reluctant to move, but many rabbits
HISTORY AND PRESENTATION
initially continue to eat, pass faeces and
Orthopaedic injuries are not uncommon in may not even react to palpation of the
rabbits, especially giant breeds. There may fracture site.
be a known history of trauma, such as the
rabbit having fallen or been dropped. TREATMENT
Alternatively, as rabbits often spend large
periods of the day unsupervised, the owner If left untreated, the rabbit is likely to show
may have returned home to nd the animal reduced activity and this may progress to
non-weight bearing on one limb. reduced appetite and reduced faecal output.
Both NSAIDs and opioids are likely to be
CLINICAL SIGNS indicated for these patients. ull opioid
agonists such as morphine and methadone
The most obvious clinical sign is usually may be used successfully for initial
lameness and a reluctance to move around. stabilization of these patients. The fracture
The limb may be held up or at an abnormal
angle. However, some animals will continue will need to be immobilized if possible and
to weight bear despite severe fractures. the patient con ned to a clean padded area
On clinical examination, a fracture may to minimize further pain and injury.
be palpated. Longer-term, if surgical repair is
performed, multimodal analgesia should be
considered including local anaesthetic
SIGNS OF PAIN
blocks, epidural analgesia and ketamine
Signs of pain are not always obvious and can constant rate infusions. Additional help with
be di cult to assess in a consulting room grooming and feeding is often required
situation. The animal may appear depressed during this time.

e ex p e 3 Dental abscess

Dental abscesses may be seen in the pet sometimes be detected incidentally on a
rabbit as a consequence of chronic dental routine health check.
disease or following a traumatic injury or
foreign body. CLINICAL SIGNS
HISTORY AND PRESENTATION Rabbits may have a reduced appetite or
be favouring softer food types. Drooling
The rabbit may be presented for obvious may be noted and the animal may
clinical signs, with the owner having detected choose to chew preferentially on the
a facial mass. Alternatively, abscesses may una ected side. owever, many patients

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