Many articles previously featured on the Vet Image Solutions website have focused on topics surrounding the larger animal members of the veterinary world, such as dogs, cats, cows and horses. However, it would be remiss to neglect the smaller creatures that are equally as important, and consequently this week the attention will be directed towards rabbits. To kick off proceedings, here are some rabbit-based facts: whilst male rabbits can also be referred to as bucks, a female rabbit can be called a doe (Wikipedia). Interestingly, these terms are not exclusively linked to the rabbit species, with both terms also being associated with deers, antelopes and goats (Dictionary.com). Furthermore, baby rabbits can also be called kits/kittens (not to be confused with cats!) (Wikipedia). However, this wasn’t always the case, with a rabbit being called a coney, and a baby coney used to describe a rabbit (Animal Corner). Nothing is ever simple in the veterinary world!

Leaving the somewhat confusing terminology behind, it is probably fair to deduce that rabbits are easier to look after relative to other animals, particularly with respect to accommodation, grooming, feeding etc… On the contrary when it comes to ultrasonography, it is likely to be trickier to scan a rabbit when compared to a cow! Taking pregnancy as an example where ultrasound imaging would be required, the sheer difference in size between these animals could be problematic– whereas cows have a large surface area available for practitioners to scan and experiment with probe positioning, the surface area of a rabbit is more limited. Furthermore, rabbits have a much shorter gestation period than cows (30 days versus 280 days), and this can cause issues for an ultrasonographer from a practical point of view. Whereas a practitioner can retrieve an image at 20 days of gestation where only 7% of the pregnancy has elapsed, practitioners have to wait until over a quarter of the pregnancy has elapsed to scan rabbits at 8 days of gestation, or 27% of the way through the pregnancy. 

Nevertheless this shouldn’t put potential rabbit breeders off, as here at Vet Image Solutions we can provide the perfect ultrasound equipment required to help get your rabbit pregnancy off to the best start possible – the VIS Scan Pad could be just what you need, with the microconvex probe a good choice. If you would like more information on rabbit breeding, please do not hesitate to contact us by clicking here.