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Anaemia in pet rabbits: causes, severity and reticulocyte response
Author(s) -
Dettweiler Alexandra,
Klopfleisch Robert,
Müller Kerstin
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
veterinary record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.261
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 2042-7670
pISSN - 0042-4900
DOI - 10.1136/vr.104472
Subject(s) - medicine , reticulocyte , anemia , haemolysis , gastroenterology , physiology , surgery , immunology , biology , biochemistry , messenger rna , gene
The objective of the study was to determine the causes and the severity of anaemia in pet rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ), to classify anaemia and to compare the reticulocyte counts from healthy and anaemic rabbits. Over a time period of 11 years (2000–2011) a retrospective and prospective study of 223 pet rabbits was performed. Based on the clinic's own reference range for healthy pet rabbits (packed cell volume [PCV] levels 0.33–0.45 l/l), animals with a PCV level below 0.33 l/l were considered anaemic. Anaemia was mostly caused by inflammation (65/223, 29 per cent) and bleeding (54/223, 24 per cent). Seven per cent (15/223) of the rabbits suffered from renal diseases and one rabbit got diagnosed with haemolysis caused by liver lobe torsion. In 14 per cent (32/223) of the rabbits more than one underlying pathomechanism, like inflammation and bleeding, was diagnosed as possible cause of anaemia. In 25 per cent (56/223) of the anaemic rabbits no cause was found. Most anaemias were mild (156/223, 70 per cent). Moderate (43/223, 19 per cent) or severe (24/223, 11 per cent) anaemia was diagnosed more rarely. Anaemic rabbits showed similar reticulocyte counts to healthy rabbits with no significant difference. Therefore, a differentiation of regenerative and non‐regenerative anaemia was not possible.