There was a lot of relevant content in this webinar for vets in first opinion practice, & five of the key points are summarised below:-
Prepare the Patient-Get owners to bring in the foods that the rabbit normally eats at home. This is much better for the patient than attempting to feed it whatever is in your practice. It’s very important to do everything possible to ensure that the rabbit does not suffer gut stasis following anaesthesia, & feeding a diet that it’s used to can help. It also makes the rabbit more comfortable in your practice environment.2. Consider the procecure-There are various options for analgesia, so think about the procedure & how painful it is likely to be. Also look at the duration of action of the analgesics; is post-operative analgesia important & if so how will you ensure that levels of analgesic drugs are adequate?
- Avoid Hypothermia-Rabbits are prone to hypothermia under general anaesthesia. Methods of maintaining body temperature were discussed in this webinar, including the use of heat sources and the precautions that you need to take when using them. Individual rabbits have a fairly wide range of normal rectal temperatures; therefore it’s very important to take the rectal temperature on the morning of the procedure so that you have an accurate reference point for each patient.
- Intubate if possible-Techniques were demonstrated using an otoscope to visualise the larynx. It’s good practice to apply local anaesthetic to the laryngeal area before attempting intubation. Care should be taken in the intubation attempts; it is not always straightforward, even with the technique described. It’s better to stop & use alternative methods rather than use excessive force or keep trying for too long. Rabbits have been killed with over vigorous attempts at intubation.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6367921
