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Hereditary compulsive self-mutillating behaviour in laboratory rabbits
1Laboratory Animal Facilities, University Hospital, Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.
Laboratory Animals
|October 1, 1995
Summary
Checkered cross rabbits exhibit self-mutilation of front feet, a condition unresponsive to standard diagnostics. Genetic predisposition is suspected due to high inbreeding in this rabbit breeding colony.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- A Checkered cross rabbit colony experienced a rise in extensive automutilation cases.
- The self-inflicted injuries primarily affected the digits and pads of the front feet.
Observation:
- Automutilation occurred across various housing conditions (individual, group, different buildings) and staff care.
- Affected rabbits showed no other behavioral issues or signs of disease.
- The condition persisted even when rabbits were moved to new environments.
Findings:
- Parasitological, mycological, histological, clinical, and hematological examinations did not identify an external cause.
- Automutilation episodes in 21 cases were successfully managed with haloperidol, a dopamine antagonist.
- No similar self-mutilation was observed in a different rabbit line housed under identical conditions.
Implications:
- A high inbreeding coefficient in the 15-year-old Checkered cross colony suggests a likely genetic predisposition for this behavioral anomaly.
- Further research into the genetic basis of automutilation in this rabbit line is warranted.
- Understanding the genetic factors could inform breeding strategies and preventative measures for similar conditions in animal populations.