Bun Club Wiki - User contributions [en]

Sore Hocks

2024-02-22T06:20:37Z

Dominothespotcat: /* Clinical Signs */

Pododermatitis (Sore Hock)
[[File:Sorehock urinescald.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Sore Hock caused by Urine Scald]]

alternate names : in the UK Sorehocks is also called bumblefoot which is a chicken foot aliment in the united states

==Etiology (cause)==

Genetics are the primary cause of sore hocks. When genetics are not in play, other contributing factors are lack of sanitation, exposure to moisture, urine, feces. Humidity and moisture can lead to fungal infections that break down foot furring leading to calluses or sores. As well as not keeping up with proper grooming and nail trims which can cause pressure sores on the feet. Solid floors or uncut nails cause the toes of the feet to be pushed upwards, this position changes all the weight bearing to the rear of the heel which leads to sore hocks.

Sore hocks mainly happens to poorly bred rabbits since they do not have thick enough fur on the feet. Wire is not the problem. Incorrect types of wire flooring, carpet, fleece, or any surface that can hold moisture and bacteria is the main culprit. Please remember, even if you clean a litterbox daily, the rabbit can still touch it's urine or feces for part of that day.

**There are further causes for Sore Hocks. Rex rabbits have a genetic predisposition related to their short and soft fur. When there is insufficient litter in their litterbox, or when the Rex lives freely in an apartment, the hair under the feet wears off quickly and no longer offers the necessary protection [1]

==Clinical Signs==

Sore Hocks can be graded into 5 different stages.

Stage one: Balding and pink

The bottom of the hock/heel and possibly the front toes will become bald and pink in appearance. You should act to correct the cause now. DO NOT WAIT.

Stage two:
Bald and deep inflamed red

The foot is greatly irritated. The foot is painful by this point. You'll see even more hair loss.

Stage three:
Open cracks Stage.
The bald area will take on a crusty cracked look. These cracks are how bacteria begin causing the larger sores you see in later stages. The foot will appear dry, crusty, it may bleed. This is immensely painful for the rabbit.

Stage four:
Big wet sores. You will notice Big wet/weeping sores either on rear feet or both front and rear. Bacteria and fungus has fully attacked the damaged tissue. Think of it like bed sores in elderly people... it needs to be cleaned and padded to heal.

Stage 5: The big dry sores stage.
This stage frequently has sores that go clear to the underlying bone. The sore scabs over. Stops weeping/bleeding and becomes a hard rock of infection. Rabbits can go into GI stasis from the pain this inflicts. Rabbits will try their best to avoid standing. If they are standing, they will show signs of pain (grinding teeth, ears pinned back, squinted eyes, lack of movement)

== Prevention, Treatment and Control==

To prevent sore hocks, put your rabbit in a wire cage with a properly gauged wire floor. Proper Gauge wire will measure 1" by 1/2 inch grid spacing using a 12-16 gauge Galvanized After Weld smooth wire mesh. These floors are ideal for the majority of rabbits because they allow a soft surface , cushioned floor, and allowance for urine and feces to drop out of the cage away from the rabbit. This in turn prevents urine scald or soiling surfaces keeping the rabbit cleaner, drier and preventing sore hock lesions.

Here is a quote from Welfare and the intensive production of rabbits by J.-P. MORISSE and R. MAURICE *

"Types of flooring and foot lesions: . . . . The adoption of wire-mesh cages was a decisive step in the transition from traditional to specialized husbandry, making it possible to increase the number of animals by reducing the labor requirement. Wire-mesh walls do not create any special problem, as they even allow social contact between animals (only males require solid walls to prevent conflicts), but flooring has been studied closely to reduce the occurrence of foot lesions.

Such lesions, which are a major cause of culling of breeding stock, commence with skin erosion at the tarsus and usually result in scab formation. The posture adopted by an affected animal clearly demonstrates the discomfort and suffering produced by this lesion.

Manufacturers of flooring have assisted in solving this problem by adopting strict rules for the flooring of cages for breeding stock, namely: - abandonment of 19 x 19 mm square mesh - adoption of 75 x 12.5 mm rectangular mesh, allowing a better sitting posture - using wire of not less than 2.4 mm in diameter - removing all roughness from soldered joints.

For their part, breeders have taken into account morphological criteria, such as size and quality of paws, and density of the hair coat to reduce the incidence of foot lesions.

In recent years, breeders have started to use plastic grid floors for males, and often for females as well (Ph. Le Cerf, personal communication), to provide better comfort for the animals and solve the problem of foot lesions."

http://www.oie.int/doc/ged/D8877.PDF

Treatment:

When Sore Hocks are initially found you need to assess the cause (see cause section above)

*Genetics: a rabbit has thin, narrow and poorly furred feet. If your rabbit is on proper wire flooring with resting mats and keeps getting sore hocks, do not breed it. A rabbit with poor genetics should be culled. There is no treatment for genetic sore hocks. Rabbits with this condition will continue to develop sores on all surfaces. It is kinder to release these animals from their suffering through culling/euthanasia.

*Improper Flooring: Your rabbit is on a solid bottom cage,carpet,fleece, flannel, or is being housed on improper wire such as hardware cloth. Carpet and Fleece/Flannel rugs are actually a HARD flooring surface becuse they are on a solid floor with no give. These surfaces cause rugburn by wearing the fur off the rabbit's feet. Improper wire works the same way. Hardware cloth, a thin small grid wire, will also rub the fur off a rabbits feet and is not recommended as a floor wire for rabbit cages.

*Fungal Infections : Rabbits in a wet or humid environment, putting feet in water bowls, sitting in litterboxes, etc. may develop Fungal infections. This can lead to hair loss on the foot bottom, but is easily treated with antifungal creams, athletes foot cream or spray, or monistat/miconazole cream (yeast infection cream).

We have identified the cause, corrected the sources of the sore hocks...now how do we fix the feet?:

Know this recipe: Triple Whammy Cream

1large tube neosporin.
1large tube hydrocortisone cream.
1 tube 7 day miconazole cream.
Combined in a sealable wide mouth jar, squeeze all tubes in and mix thoroughly until well combined and uniform. Keep jar sealed, keep jar in cool dry place.

For the first 3 days apply triple whammy cream to the feet and wrap with gauze and vet wrap, be careful not to cut off circulation wrapping. Make your wrap firm, but loose enough to allow proper blood flow. For the next 3 days place the rabbit in a wire bottomed cage with correct gauge wire and plastic rest mats covering the whole bottom of the cage. Make sure that you are keeping the feet clean and dry. After removing the wraps continue to apply Triple whammy cream daily for the next week. Then keep your rabbits area as clean as possibly while the fur grows back over the next few weeks. Some rabbits may take a month or more to recover.

*Urine scald: Rabbits kept with litter boxes or in unsanitary conditions where they can sit in their own filth will develop sore hocks. The dampness from the urine and feces will quickly wear the fur off a rabbit's feet and cause lesions.

Give your rabbit a foot bath in lightly medicated WARM water using hospital wound wash. DRY your rabbit Thoroughly, then apply Triple whammy cream to the feet and wrap with gauze and vet wrap. Re-wrap in fresh dressing daily for the next 3 days. For the next 3 days, place the rabbit in a wire bottom cage with correct gauge wire and plastic rest mats covering the whole bottom of the cage. Make sure that you are keeping the feet clean and dry. After removing the wraps continue to apply triple whammy cream daily for the next week. Then keep your rabbit's area as clean as possibly while the fur grows back over the next few weeks.

==References==

[1] Pododermatitis, a difficult problem in rabbits... June 2014

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322921675_Pododermatitis_a_difficult_problem_in_rabbits?fbclid=IwAR280I8fDMplVwCYllgNyGVO6Mw5Fck5iAkF12I3K9IvsT5ImnI2ehXLW3I

[2] Assessing Ulcerative Pododermatitis of Breeding Rabbits

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4494398/?fbclid=IwAR1ztqTUijy8ajJv3B4zfL3g-P2I_h7-W998kTWCyYQWSQkc_2EaTcTpTyg

Testimonies

Testimony from CKS Rabbitry
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RFtxVd/

Treatment of urine scalded feet using wire cages
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RF3RMM/
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RFEh5T/

Demonstration of rabbit feet
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RFtX4v/

Sore Hocks

2024-02-22T06:02:06Z

Dominothespotcat: /* Prevention, Treatment and Control */

Pododermatitis (Sore Hock)
[[File:Sorehock urinescald.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Sore Hock caused by Urine Scald]]

alternate names : in the UK Sorehocks is also called bumblefoot which is a chicken foot aliment in the united states

==Etiology (cause)==

Genetics are the primary cause of sore hocks. When genetics are not in play, other contributing factors are lack of sanitation, exposure to moisture, urine, feces. Humidity and moisture can lead to fungal infections that break down foot furring leading to calluses or sores. As well as not keeping up with proper grooming and nail trims which can cause pressure sores on the feet. Solid floors or uncut nails cause the toes of the feet to be pushed upwards, this position changes all the weight bearing to the rear of the heel which leads to sore hocks.

Sore hocks mainly happens to poorly bred rabbits since they do not have thick enough fur on the feet. Wire is not the problem. Incorrect types of wire flooring, carpet, fleece, or any surface that can hold moisture and bacteria is the main culprit. Please remember, even if you clean a litterbox daily, the rabbit can still touch it's urine or feces for part of that day.

**There are further causes for Sore Hocks. Rex rabbits have a genetic predisposition related to their short and soft fur. When there is insufficient litter in their litterbox, or when the Rex lives freely in an apartment, the hair under the feet wears off quickly and no longer offers the necessary protection [1]

==Clinical Signs==

== Prevention, Treatment and Control==

To prevent sore hocks, put your rabbit in a wire cage with a properly gauged wire floor. Proper Gauge wire will measure 1" by 1/2 inch grid spacing using a 12-16 gauge Galvanized After Weld smooth wire mesh. These floors are ideal for the majority of rabbits because they allow a soft surface , cushioned floor, and allowance for urine and feces to drop out of the cage away from the rabbit. This in turn prevents urine scald or soiling surfaces keeping the rabbit cleaner, drier and preventing sore hock lesions.

Here is a quote from Welfare and the intensive production of rabbits by J.-P. MORISSE and R. MAURICE *

"Types of flooring and foot lesions: . . . . The adoption of wire-mesh cages was a decisive step in the transition from traditional to specialized husbandry, making it possible to increase the number of animals by reducing the labor requirement. Wire-mesh walls do not create any special problem, as they even allow social contact between animals (only males require solid walls to prevent conflicts), but flooring has been studied closely to reduce the occurrence of foot lesions.

Such lesions, which are a major cause of culling of breeding stock, commence with skin erosion at the tarsus and usually result in scab formation. The posture adopted by an affected animal clearly demonstrates the discomfort and suffering produced by this lesion.

Manufacturers of flooring have assisted in solving this problem by adopting strict rules for the flooring of cages for breeding stock, namely: - abandonment of 19 x 19 mm square mesh - adoption of 75 x 12.5 mm rectangular mesh, allowing a better sitting posture - using wire of not less than 2.4 mm in diameter - removing all roughness from soldered joints.

For their part, breeders have taken into account morphological criteria, such as size and quality of paws, and density of the hair coat to reduce the incidence of foot lesions.

In recent years, breeders have started to use plastic grid floors for males, and often for females as well (Ph. Le Cerf, personal communication), to provide better comfort for the animals and solve the problem of foot lesions."

http://www.oie.int/doc/ged/D8877.PDF

Treatment:

When Sore Hocks are initially found you need to assess the cause (see cause section above)

*Genetics: a rabbit has thin, narrow and poorly furred feet. If your rabbit is on proper wire flooring with resting mats and keeps getting sore hocks, do not breed it. A rabbit with poor genetics should be culled. There is no treatment for genetic sore hocks. Rabbits with this condition will continue to develop sores on all surfaces. It is kinder to release these animals from their suffering through culling/euthanasia.

*Improper Flooring: Your rabbit is on a solid bottom cage,carpet,fleece, flannel, or is being housed on improper wire such as hardware cloth. Carpet and Fleece/Flannel rugs are actually a HARD flooring surface becuse they are on a solid floor with no give. These surfaces cause rugburn by wearing the fur off the rabbit's feet. Improper wire works the same way. Hardware cloth, a thin small grid wire, will also rub the fur off a rabbits feet and is not recommended as a floor wire for rabbit cages.

*Fungal Infections : Rabbits in a wet or humid environment, putting feet in water bowls, sitting in litterboxes, etc. may develop Fungal infections. This can lead to hair loss on the foot bottom, but is easily treated with antifungal creams, athletes foot cream or spray, or monistat/miconazole cream (yeast infection cream).

We have identified the cause, corrected the sources of the sore hocks...now how do we fix the feet?:

Know this recipe: Triple Whammy Cream

1large tube neosporin.
1large tube hydrocortisone cream.
1 tube 7 day miconazole cream.
Combined in a sealable wide mouth jar, squeeze all tubes in and mix thoroughly until well combined and uniform. Keep jar sealed, keep jar in cool dry place.

For the first 3 days apply triple whammy cream to the feet and wrap with gauze and vet wrap, be careful not to cut off circulation wrapping. Make your wrap firm, but loose enough to allow proper blood flow. For the next 3 days place the rabbit in a wire bottomed cage with correct gauge wire and plastic rest mats covering the whole bottom of the cage. Make sure that you are keeping the feet clean and dry. After removing the wraps continue to apply Triple whammy cream daily for the next week. Then keep your rabbits area as clean as possibly while the fur grows back over the next few weeks. Some rabbits may take a month or more to recover.

*Urine scald: Rabbits kept with litter boxes or in unsanitary conditions where they can sit in their own filth will develop sore hocks. The dampness from the urine and feces will quickly wear the fur off a rabbit's feet and cause lesions.

Give your rabbit a foot bath in lightly medicated WARM water using hospital wound wash. DRY your rabbit Thoroughly, then apply Triple whammy cream to the feet and wrap with gauze and vet wrap. Re-wrap in fresh dressing daily for the next 3 days. For the next 3 days, place the rabbit in a wire bottom cage with correct gauge wire and plastic rest mats covering the whole bottom of the cage. Make sure that you are keeping the feet clean and dry. After removing the wraps continue to apply triple whammy cream daily for the next week. Then keep your rabbit's area as clean as possibly while the fur grows back over the next few weeks.

==References==

[1] Pododermatitis, a difficult problem in rabbits... June 2014

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322921675_Pododermatitis_a_difficult_problem_in_rabbits?fbclid=IwAR280I8fDMplVwCYllgNyGVO6Mw5Fck5iAkF12I3K9IvsT5ImnI2ehXLW3I

[2] Assessing Ulcerative Pododermatitis of Breeding Rabbits

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4494398/?fbclid=IwAR1ztqTUijy8ajJv3B4zfL3g-P2I_h7-W998kTWCyYQWSQkc_2EaTcTpTyg

Testimonies

Testimony from CKS Rabbitry
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RFtxVd/

Treatment of urine scalded feet using wire cages
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RF3RMM/
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RFEh5T/

Demonstration of rabbit feet
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RFtX4v/

Sore Hocks

2024-02-22T05:20:27Z

Dominothespotcat: /* Etiology (cause) */

Pododermatitis (Sore Hock)
[[File:Sorehock urinescald.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Sore Hock caused by Urine Scald]]

alternate names : in the UK Sorehocks is also called bumblefoot which is a chicken foot aliment in the united states

==Etiology (cause)==

Genetics are the primary cause of sore hocks. When genetics are not in play, other contributing factors are lack of sanitation, exposure to moisture, urine, feces. Humidity and moisture can lead to fungal infections that break down foot furring leading to calluses or sores. As well as not keeping up with proper grooming and nail trims which can cause pressure sores on the feet. Solid floors or uncut nails cause the toes of the feet to be pushed upwards, this position changes all the weight bearing to the rear of the heel which leads to sore hocks.

Sore hocks mainly happens to poorly bred rabbits since they do not have thick enough fur on the feet. Wire is not the problem. Incorrect types of wire flooring, carpet, fleece, or any surface that can hold moisture and bacteria is the main culprit. Please remember, even if you clean a litterbox daily, the rabbit can still touch it's urine or feces for part of that day.

**There are further causes for Sore Hocks. Rex rabbits have a genetic predisposition related to their short and soft fur. When there is insufficient litter in their litterbox, or when the Rex lives freely in an apartment, the hair under the feet wears off quickly and no longer offers the necessary protection [1]

==Clinical Signs==

== Prevention, Treatment and Control==

To prevent sore hocks, Put your rabbit on a properly gauged wire floor. Proper Gage wire will measure 1" by 1/2 inch grid spacing using a 12-16 gage Galvanized After Weld smooth wire mesh. these floors are ideal for the majority of rabbit becuse they allow a soft surface , cushioned floor, and allowanced for urine and feces to drop out of the cage preventing urine scale or soil surfaces keeping the rabbit cleaner and preventing sore hock lesions.

Here is a quote from Welfare and the intensive production of rabbits by J.-P. MORISSE and R. MAURICE *

"Types of flooring and foot lesions: . . . . The adoption of wire-mesh cages was a decisive step in the transition from traditional to specialized husbandry, making it possible to increase the number of animals by reducing the labor requirement. Wire-mesh walls do not create any special problem, as they even allow social contact between animals (only males require solid walls to prevent conflicts), but flooring has been studied closely to reduce the occurrence of foot lesions.

Such lesions, which are a major cause of culling of breeding stock, commence with skin erosion at the tarsus and usually result in scab formation. The posture adopted by an affected animal clearly demonstrates the discomfort and suffering produced by this lesion.

Manufacturers of flooring have assisted in solving this problem by adopting strict rules for the flooring of cages for breeding stock, namely: - abandonment of 19 x 19 mm square mesh - adoption of 75 x 12.5 mm rectangular mesh, allowing a better sitting posture - using wire of not less than 2.4 mm in diameter - removing all roughness from soldered joints.

For their part, breeders have taken into account morphological criteria, such as size and quality of paws, and density of the hair coat to reduce the incidence of foot lesions.

In recent years, breeders have started to use plastic grid floors for males, and often for females as well (Ph. Le Cerf, personal communication), to provide better comfort for the animals and solve the problem of foot lesions."

http://www.oie.int/doc/ged/D8877.PDF

Treatment: when Sore are initially found you need to access the cause, if you have your rabbit on carpet or in a solid bottom cage sore are more likely from either genetics or urine scald. the primary causes are:

*Genetics: a rabbit has thin, narrow and poorly furred feet. If your rabbits on proper wire flooring with resting matts and keeps getting sore hocks, do not breed it it has poor genetics and that rabbit should be culled. There is no treatment for genetic sorehocks and rabbits with this condition will continue to develop sores on all surfaces.

*Improper Flooring: your rabbit is on a solid bottomed cage or carpet and flannel , or is being house on improper wire such as hardware cloth. Carpet and Flannel rugs are actually a HARD flooring surface becuse they are on a solid floor with no give, these surfaces also cause rugburn by wearing the fur off the rabbits feet. improper wire works the same way hardware cloth a thin small grid wire will also rub the fur off a rabbits feet and is not recommended as a floor wire for rabbit cages.

*Fungal Infections : Rabbits in wet Environment may develop Fingal infections,. This can lead to gair loss on the foot pad. But is easily treated with antifungal creams, athlete foot cream or soray, or monistat.

for the first 3 days apply Preparation H to the feet and wrap with gauze and vet wrap. for the next 3 days place the rabbit in a wire bottomed cage with correct gage wire and plastic rest mats covering the whole bottom of the cage. make sure that you are keeping the feet clean and dray. after removing the wraps continue to apply Preparation H daily for the next week. Then keep your rabbits area as clean as possibly while the furs grows back over the next few weeks.

*Urine scale: Rabbits kept with litter boxes or in unsanitary conditions where they can sit in their own filth will develop sore hocks . the dampness from the urine and feces will quickly ware the fur off rabbit's feet and cause lesions.

Give your rabbit a foot bath in lightly medicated WARM water using hospital wound wash. DRY your rabbit Thoroughly, then apply Preparation H to the feet and wrap with gauze and vet wrap rewrap in fresh dressing daily for the next 3 days . for the next 3 days place the rabbit in a wire bottomed cage with correct gage wire and plastic rest mats covering the whole bottom of the cage. make sure that you are keeping the feet clean and dray. after removing the wraps continue to apply Preparation H daily for the next week. Then keep your rabbits area as clean as possibly while the furs grows back over the next few weeks.

==References==

[1] Pododermatitis, a difficult problem in rabbits... June 2014

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322921675_Pododermatitis_a_difficult_problem_in_rabbits?fbclid=IwAR280I8fDMplVwCYllgNyGVO6Mw5Fck5iAkF12I3K9IvsT5ImnI2ehXLW3I

[2] Assessing Ulcerative Pododermatitis of Breeding Rabbits

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4494398/?fbclid=IwAR1ztqTUijy8ajJv3B4zfL3g-P2I_h7-W998kTWCyYQWSQkc_2EaTcTpTyg

Testimonies

Testimony from CKS Rabbitry
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RFtxVd/

Treatment of urine scalded feet using wire cages
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RF3RMM/
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RFEh5T/

Demonstration of rabbit feet
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RFtX4v/

Cancer

2022-02-19T15:30:40Z

Dominothespotcat: Current science indicates very high risk and little benefits of spaying female rabbits.

Cancer in Rabbits

The 80% study is from one colony in 1958. New evidence shows it's much much less likely, and highly tied to genetics

gleaned from these looks like the initial 1950's study was based in ONE herd and in latter studies instances were all less then 40% total occurrence of cancer . And that included all forms of tumors present at time of death. And the numbers were rabbits who died WITH lesions. Not rabbits that died FROM lesions. its grievously dishonest to claim an 80% chance of specifically uterine cancer , when uterine cancer was more like maybe 14%. And mostly occurred in rabbits older then 6 years.

There are multiple studies and opinions now arguing against spaying female rabbits.

"In my practice, for all 53 entire does
presented for which we had both an age at
death and an entry in the clinical records
about the death, age at death averaged
4.9±2.9 years (median 5.0 years). Of the
61 entire does older than six months that
were examined at or within a few days
before death, only three (ages 5.5, >6, and
7.2 years) had evidence of caudal or midabdominal
tumours – each euthanased
because of the tumours. For one case,
ultrasonography indicated the tumour was
uterine, the others were palpated only.
For one additional rabbit (6.8 years) the
vet queried whether she was palpating
an abdominal mass or the caecum. No
currently living does have evidence of
abdominal masses.
These ‘messy’ first-opinion data indicate
that (i) only 10 to 13 per cent of entire
does of 5.0 years or older had a clinically
detectable abdominal mass consistent with
a uterine tumour at the time of death, and
(ii) if my practice had spayed these 61 does
when young, we would have prevented
uterine tumours in only three, possibly
four (five to six per cent), of them. In other
words, to prevent one case of uterine cancer
we would have to spay 16 to 20 does.
As Bradbury and Dickens emphasise,
spaying has welfare costs and health
risks. The anaesthetic-related death rate
of healthy rabbits within 48 hours is 0.73
per cent (Brodbelt and others 2008) and
rabbits can have longer-term morbidity
and mortality as a result of adhesions –
our practice has lost a rabbit to caudal
abdominal adhesions strangulating the
colon. At what number of young rabbit
spays does the welfare cost equal the benefit
of preventing one uterine tumour in an
older doe? There are other reasons to spay
rabbits, but after consideration, my policy is
to discourage spaying of does, whether kept
singly, with other females, or with neutered
or entire males (in which case I encourage
castration), unless there is a specific
indication to do so." -Martin L. Whitehead, Chipping Norton
Veterinary Hospital.

Whitehead is referencing "Should we advocate neutering for all pet rabbits?" By AG Bradbury, GJE Dickens, Veterinary Record, 2016.

A January 2022 study found only 9% adenocarcinoma present in their sample.
Thier main findings were cystic endometrial hyperplasia. They acknowledge the study limitations.... and do not account for rabbits lacking a steady estrus cycle, therefore the endometrial lining would remain thickened on histology findings. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1557506322000015
cystic endometrial hyperplasia is not cancer, it's simply the endometrial lining being thick and proliferating cells... which would be normal given that rabbits are induced ovulators and their uterus needs to be in a constant state of conception readiness.
The findings in this study are concurrent with the logic from Martin Whitehead's policy on not spaying, as you'd have to spay 20 young rabbits to prevent 1 case of adenocarcinoma in an older doe. Given the risks from anesthesia, both on the table and post surgical anesthesia induced GI stasis, post operative abdominal adhesions. The risk to benefit ratio weighs much higher on risk to female rabbits being spayed.

[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33213301/ Neoplasia and Tumor-Like Lesions in Pet Rabbits ]( Oryctolagus cuniculus): A Retrospective Analysis of Cases Between 1995 and 2019
Christof A Bertram 1, Beate Bertram 1, Alexander Bartel 1, Anja Ewringmann 2, Marco A Fragoso-Garcia 1, Nancy A Erickson 1, Kerstin Müller 1, Robert Klopfleisch 1
Affiliations expand
PMID: 33213301 DOI: 10.1177/0300985820973460

Rabbit housing

2022-01-27T21:06:36Z

Dominothespotcat: Domesticated rabbits do best housed individually for their safety. Rabbits are territorial and aggressive.

Domesticated rabbits descend from European wild rabbits. European wild rabbits live in groups depending upon resources available. The more resources that are available, the less tightly they group, and actually prefer quite a bit of distance from the other rabbits. A literature review concluded that wild rabbits are either dominant or subordinate and the subordinate animals live in a constant state of stress and fear when in a group setting. Dominant animals require submission from subordinate daily, and if not performed, leads to violent fighting.

Domesticated rabbits allowed to live in colonies showed much aggression to each other, and the reviewers came to the conclusion that rabbits are very aggressively territorial animals and for their safety, should be housed individually. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5113872/

Max Factor Rabbit (genetic Defect)

2021-11-22T01:36:39Z

Dominothespotcat:

Max Factor is a recessive gene carried by Netherland dwarf rabbits. It's named after a rabbit named Max that had exceptional kits, but when his offspring were bred, the combination of 2 Max Factor recessive rabbits, created the Max Factor genetic defect. A litter with Max Factor can result in rabbits with exceptional type and conformation, or in genetic defect kits.

Max Factor deformed kits are born with severe limb deformities, missing limbs, and eyes open in slits at birth with immovable eye lids.
These deformed kits may be dead at birth, if they survive, euthanasia is recommended.

"It is estimated that at least 80% of the winning Dwarfs at National shows carry the Max Factor gene along with the regular "peanut" Dwarf gene." http://dwarf_info.tripod.com/maxfactor.html

Max Factor Rabbit (genetic Defect)

2021-11-22T01:34:52Z

Dominothespotcat: Max Factor can result in genetic deformities

Genetic Health Defects

2021-11-22T01:05:18Z

Dominothespotcat:

*Charlie color has been tied to megacolon in rabbits
*Double Dwarf Genes cause Peanuts
*Max Factor genes Netherland Dwarf breed, causes deformed kits born with open eyes

Netherland dwarf skull myth

2021-11-22T00:34:20Z

Dominothespotcat: Netherland Dwarf Rabbits Do Not have flattened faces like dogs/cats. The myth is false.

The Netherland dwarf rabbit breed has long had this prevalent myth, of their round heads creating malocclusions in their teeth and other skull shortening symptoms. This is false.

The Netherland dwarf breed carries a dwarf gene, this shrinks the entire body of the animal proportionately.
A rabbit kit *baby rabbit* has a round face as well, because of their small size. The physical structures of a dwarf rabbit are identical to their regular size rabbit counterparts, just reduced in size. Dwarf rabbits have large cheek muscles that create the rounded shape.

This myth began in the late 1990s when people became aware of the skull anatomy changes in flat face dog and cat breeds and their associated health problems. An incorrect correlation was made between flat faced dogs and cats and dwarf rabbit breeds.

Anatomically, a dwarf rabbit skull is identical to it's regular size counterparts. There is no foreshortening of the nasal bones. There is no rise of the frontal bones of the skull. Therefore the health concerns in flat faced dogs/cats do not apply to dwarf rabbit breeds.

Dwarf rabbits, specifically the Netherland Dwarf descend from wild rabbits with a dwarfing gene. It exists in the wild and there are still several species of wild rabbit that carry this dwarfing gene.

There are zero anatomical differences in these wild dwarf rabbits and domesticated dwarf rabbits.
The only difference is overall size, but all landmarks on the skull are proportionate.