ANAESTHESIA &
SURGERY CASE STUDIES
GIANT RABBIT AND GUINEA PIG
Dr Sing Kong Yuen,
BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS
First written: Dec 11, 2009.
Updated:
17 March, 2013
Giant Rabbit Neutering Case
Study in 2008
The vast majority of
Singapore pet owners keep
small rabbits of around 2-3
kg. My staff was surprised
to see a
Giant Fleming Rabbit of 5.2 kg
turning up for neuter. He wasextremely hyperexcitable. This
type of temperament is a high
anaesthetic risk.
METHOD 1.
One
method is to use injectable
anaesthesia of zoletil IM, 5
minutes later, give domitor IV
via the ear vein.
However, this method seems to be
unsuitable as restraint and
injection causes the rabbit to
move a lot.
Zoletil 50 0.2 ml IM
Waited 15 minutes
Wanted to give Domitor 0.2 ml
IV, ear vein.
Still struggling. Abandoned this
method in favour of Method 2.
METHOD 2
Zoletil 50 0.2 ml IM given. In
around 7 minutes, the rabbit
staggers and by the 15th minute,
the rabbit was recumbent.
However it exhibited excitation
when the ear vein was pricked
and moved away.
So, I used
isoflurane 5% gas by mask.
Isoflurane gas - mask -
maintenance at 0.5% - 1% was
excellent. The rabbit was
neutered without problems.
METHOD 3
Xylazine IM, Ketamine IM is
another method I used for
smaller rabbits of around 2 kg.
Isoflurane Gas top up may
be necessary.
This Giant Rabbit recovered
after 30 minutes and went home.
Method 2 is the best method for
me but each vet has his own
preferences.
Guinea Pig Neutering - Case
study 1 in 2010 In
a 4-month-old, 700-gram male
Guinea Pig I neutered recently,
Zoletil 50 0.1 ml IM was given.
Then a few seconds of isoflurane
gas at 1-2% provided excellent
surgical anaesthesia when the
guinea pig moved. The guinea Pig
woke up within 1 minute after
neutering was completed.
As rabbits and guinea pigs are
not starved 10 hours
prior to anaesthesia and
surgery, unlike dogs, I neutered
this guinea pig 4 hours after
the young lady owner brought him
in for neutering to prevent
breeding. "It is much safer to
neuter than to spay the guinea
pig," the young girl told me.
"You are correct," I replied.
"Spaying takes a much longer
time and require internal access
inside the abdomen."
After Zoletil injection, a
copious amount of
yellowish-brown fluid came out
of the guinea pig's mouth. This
appeared to be "vomitus". His
mouth was cleaned before the gas
mask was applied. This could be
a side effect of Zoletil
injection.
Guinea Pig Neutering
- Case study 2 in 2013
Nowadays, there are safe
anaesthestics to neuter the
rabbit, guinea pig, rat and
hamster.
The
vet must be very careful in
calculating and giving the
appropriate dose based on weight
and health if he wants 100%
success in neutering. A
miscalculated high dose kills
the patient. In a recent March
2013 Straits Times newspaper
report, a doctor gave 1,000
times the recommended dose for
the radiation treatment of
thyroid cancer in a woman. This
resulted in litigation. All
anaesthetic dosages in surgeries
given at Toa Payoh Vets are
recorded by the operating vet in
the Toa Payoh Anaesthesia &
Surgery Record Book. This is to
ensure that the vet is aware of
what he is giving. I do audits
of this Book to ensure good
practices are kept.
Costs of neuter of the
rabbit, guinea pig, rat and
hamster
Anaesthesia
& neutering of a rabbit or
guinea pig less than 3 kg is
$75. With the painkiller and
antibiotic injections
post-operation added in, the
estimated total cost is
$125 in 2013. This will
be the total cost if the
owner does not want the
tablets and Elizabeth
collar.
For pets between 3- 6 kg, an
additional $75 is added.
TOA
PAYOH VETS
