Rabbit

1. Rabbit • Oryctolagus cuniculus • New Zealand White (NZW)

2. Europe

3. Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) • Order Lagomorpha • European rabbit originates from Spain • Rabbit has been farmed since the 17th Century • Common laboratory animal breeds: • New Zealand White (NZW) • Dutch Belted • Watanabe (WHHL)

4. Active & curious • Get bored in cages - > behavior problems

5. shy, but can be aggressive • may bite or scratch • kick on walls with hind legs

6. Enrichment Activity -> stronger bones Watch for fighting

7. Housing • Group housing if possible • Optimal room temperature 16-18ºC • Enrichment • Groups • Larger cages • Hiding boxes or shelves • Hay • Chewing sticks

8. Physiologic values • Weight at birth 30-100 g • Weight of adult 1-6 kg • Life span 5-6 years • Food consumption 5g/100g/day • Water consumption 5-10 ml/100g/day • Respiration rate 32-60 /min • Heart rate 130-325 /min

9. Mating • Take female to male cage for mating • Induced ovulation: ovulation requires mating

10. Rabbit as Animal Model • Antibody production • Traditionally most common (polyclonal antibodies) • Easy to obtain large amounts of blood • Arteriosclerosis research • High cholesterol diets • Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic • Surgery

11. Rabbit as Animal Model • Toxicological tests • Skin irritation • Eye irritation (Draize test) • Teratology • Non rodent model • Osteoarthritis (Induced models) • Knee joint with chemical exposure • Ophthalmology (Glaucoma model)

12. Biology • Herbivore • Large caecum • Coprophagy • Re-ingestion of the special soft fecal pellets, excreted in the morning and taken directly from the anus • Necessary for the production of some B-vitamins • No vomiting reflex • Large amount of bile secretion

13. Biological data Adult body weight: male 2-5 kg female 2-6 kg Life span 5-6 up to 15 years Food consumption 5 g/100 g/ day Water consumption 5-10 ml/100 g/day Rectal Temperature 38.5-39.5 ºC Heart rate 205-235/min Respiratory rate 30-60 /min

14. Feces • Hard pellets Cecotrophs (seldom seen): • Soft & slimy • Excreted 4-8 h after eating (night)

15. Gall Bladder Small Intestine Fusus coli Pancreas Cecum Large Intestine Sacculus rotundus Vermiform appendix

16. Trichobezoars • Ingest hair • Form 'balls' because cannot vomit and pylorus is narrow • Most often incidental finding without symptoms

17. Feeding • Require high fiber • Become obese -> restricted feeding • No water -> no appetite • Transportation stress -> no food for 24 h to prevent diarrhea

18. Diarrhea • Causes • Diet • Stress • Infection • Antibiotics • Too low fiber

20. Malocclusion • Open rooted teeth • Grow throughout the life • Dental formula: i2/1, c0/0 pm 3/2, m 3/3

21. Biology • Prey animals • Well developed senses of hearing and smell • Large vision field • Strong hind legs

22. Biology • Large variation in adult weight • Females bigger • No sweat glands, thermoregulation by blood circulation • Urea contains lot of calcium carbonates and phosphates

23. Sexual Biology • Sexual maturity at 3-4 months (smaller breeds) of 8-9 months (larger breeds) • Two uterine horns with separate cervix • Induced ovulation • Gestation 29-35 days • Litter size 4-10 pups • Pups are hairless, blind • Weaning 4-6 weeks

24. Sexing rabbits • Which is male? • Which is female? Male Female

25. Scrotum Penis Male

26. Vulva Female

27. Behavior of the Rabbit • Prey animal • Difficult to estimate pain and stress • Defending by hiding, escaping, kicking and scratching • Nocturnal • Social, gregarious animals • Establish dominance orders • Male aggression

28. Health problems • Commercial breeders -> SPF animals • Respiratory and intestinal infections common • Teeth problems • Overgrowth of teeth

29. Domesticated variety of the Wild or Peruvian Cavy (C.A.Tschudii) which lives in the mountain areas of Peru and Chile Guinea Pig, Cavia Porcellus

30. Guinea Pig, Cavia porcellus • Rodent (Rodentia) • Originally from South America • Cavia porcellus is a domesticated species • Many different breeds • Dunkin Hartley

31. Guinea Pig as Animal Model • Immunological research • Allergy research • Asthma quite similar to human asthma Vaccine quality control • Classical animal model of auditory research

32. Guinea Pig as Animal Model • Teratology • Long gestation • Toxicology • In vitro studies

33. Communicate their mood by high-pitched squeaks or grind their teeth to make chattering noises

34. Biology of the Guinea Pig, I • Adult weight 700g-1300g • No tail • Three toes in back feet and four toes in fore feet

35. Biology of the Guinea Pig, II • Herbivore • Large intestine, specially caecum • Sensitive to changes in the bacterial balance at the intestines • Coprophagic • Requires external source of vitamin C • All teeth open rooted -> grow continuously

36. Health problems • Commercial breeders -> SPF-animals • Respiratory infections • Guinea Pigs are susceptible to Bordetellabronchiseptica • Intestinal problems • Overgrowth of teeth

37. Behavior of the Guinea Pig • Diurnal • Prey animal • Timid and sensitive • When threatened either panics and runs or freezes • Social animal lives in large family groups • Vocalizes a lot

38. Reproduction • Sexual maturity at 55-99 days age • Estrus cycle 16-19 days • Gestation 63 days • First pregnancy prior 6 months age • Pups are well developed at birth • Mother weans the pups at 2-3 weeks