Rabbit Pediatrics

Rabbits encompass roles spanning from companion animals, wildlife species to laboratory animal models. Pediatric care of these species therefore may extend to various disciplines of veterinary medicine. Rabbits are born altricial but have a unique perinatal relationship between kit and doe with infrequent nursing. Nursing is immunologically protective to the kit and close contact with the doe allows for colonization of their gastrointestinal tract with bacterial flora. The most common diseases that pediatric rabbits are faced with are gastrointestinal in nature with orphaned and hand-reared rabbits at higher risk due to the aforementioned effects on their immune system.