Show Notes
In this episode Sue, John & Paul invite Molly Varga to chat with them about a non-traditional companion animal - the rabbit. Molly heads up the exciting new specialist exotic pets service at Rutlland House Referral Hospital in St Helens, Merseyside.
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SHOW NOTES:
INTRO (00:00) John, Sue and Paul introduce the podcast the guest, Molly Varga (diploma in zoological medicine).
Chapter 1 – Rabbit Owners
(02:13) Sue asks Molly to introduce herself and Molly shares that she works in a multidiscipline referral hospital practice in the northwest seeing everything that isn’t a dog or cat and she has lectured and written on the subjects.
(03:46) Sue asks whether the popularity of rabbits has grown, Molly says they are the third most popular pet after cats and dogs and over lockdown there has been a disproportionate growth in the ownership of rabbits.
(04:31) Sue asks what the advantages are with having a rabbit, and Molly says that the unique nature of rabbits, and the higher need for care mean people engage with them as pets with their personalities - with more people keeping them as house pets, with them being less independent than cats. They are often seen as a precursor to children or a pet people have instead of having children.
(05:46) John asks where the best source of information for rabbit ownership could be found and Molly says the vets unfortunately may not always be the best source of information, so she would advise the Rabbit Welfare Association as the best source, with the PDSA, the RSPCA and the Blue Cross also have good information as well as some pet food companies. For more advanced information The Veterinary information Network.
(07:52) Sue asks if inappropriate diet and husbandry is indeed the main cause of issues with rabbits and Molly agrees with this, saying they are shifting to more rabbits being kept indoors and this can help with companionship but cause some issues with their legs from a different use of those indoors. She also says there are fewer dental issues from poor diet than there used to be.
(09:21) John asks if dental issues are the most common problem with rabbits, and Molly confirms that this and gut stasis are the most common presentations, both of which are interlinked and can be a primary issue or most commonly a consequence of something else which has reduced the appetite such as pain. It is important we remember that often the symptoms we are presented with a part of a bigger picture.
Chapter 2 - Rabbit Skin
(11:02) John asks about if the underlying cause is ever a skin issue and Molly says they are presented with a lot of skin problem because the owners can see it, but again this is often part of a larger picture, so they see ectoparasites and ear based swellings, and alopecia, wounds and abscesses are very common.
(12:13) Sue asks if there are things owners can do at home or whether they should go straight to the vet when faced with a skin problem and Molly says there are things owners can do at home and there are over the counter preparations they can use – but this does often miss the bigger picture mentioned, and so an assessment can pick up these interrelated issues – such as a lack of grooming because of other factors leading to a mite infestation. So if something isn’t working it isn’t worth persisting but would be better to seek professional advice.
(13:41) Sue asks about the over-the-counter preparations, and whether there are any of these owners should avoid and Molly concurs and says fipronil as a red flag product which should never be used in rabbits. She advises a permethrin based antiseptic spray is very useful as long as there are no cats in the household – But for more specific products it would be better to reach for license products, authorise products or products used under the cascade.
(15:03) Sue asks for other ingredients useful for treating skin problems in rabbits and Molly advises imidacloprid as
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