Diane McClure DVM presents the experiences on a multi-sector task force that successfully addressed the rabbit overpopulation problem on the Long Beach City College on Southern California. Sept. 19, 2013 Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians Indianapolis, IN

1. RABBIT (ORYCTOLAGUS CUNICULUS)
TRAP-NEUTER-RELEASE –
NOT JUST FOR CATS ANYMORE
Diane McClure, DVM PhD, DACLAM, Frank Bossong, DVM,
Eva M. Jaeger, BS, RVT, LuAnn Peterson, RVT
Veterinary Ambulatory Community Service - College of Veterinary Medicine
Western University of Health Sciences
309 E. Second Street, Pomona, CA, 91766, USA

2. Rabbit Overpopulation Problem
 Cottontails?

3. Rabbit Overpopulation Problem
 Not Cottontails
Abandoned
Domestic Rabbits

4. Rabbit Overpopulation Problem
LBCC is the
Bunny
College!
Silver Martins * English Spot * Tan Dutch
White Rex * New Zealand white
New Zealand Black
Agouti, WhiteTan & Black Rabbits

5. Abandoned Domestic Rabbits
 Feral – free-living
 Do not breed with cotton tails
 Not wild, but abandoned pet rabbits

6. Survival: Where? How?
 Locations protected from or with low #s predators
◦ City Parks
◦ School & College Campuses
◦ Zoos
◦ Airports
 Breeding fecundity
 Climate, food
 MOST ABANDONED RABBITS LIVE A SHORT LIFE

7. HOW MANY?
 Kelowna, Canada - Est.1,500
 University ofVictoria - Est. 2,000 plus
 Orlando, FL - Est. 1,000
 Garden Grove – CA 500 removed
 Long Beach City College Est. 300-400

8. Rabbit Overpopulation Problem
Destruction
& Death

9. Rabbit Overpopulation Task Force
Multi-Sector Coalition
 Coach
 Feral Cat TNR
 Organized fund
raising, grants,
donations……$$$$$
 Volunteers
 Multi-sector
Coalition

10. Rabbit Overpopulation Task Force

11. Rabbit Overpopulation Task Force

12. Rabbit Overpopulation Task Force
Veterinary Ambulatory Community
Service – VACS

13. Rabbit Overpopulation Task Force
Bunny Bunch Rabbit
Rescue in Montclair, CA

14. Rabbit Overpopulation Task Force

15. Rabbit Overpopulation Task Force
Bunny Bunch

16. Why TNR for Rabbits?
 A humane approach
 Rescues are full
 Shelters are not
able to care for the
large numbers
 Domestic rabbits
are the third most
abandoned and
euthanized animal
after cats & dogs

17. Neuter (and Spay) Events
 Adapted catTNR protocols
 Training vets, students, doctors and
volunteers
 Drugs
 Recordkeeping
 Tattoo

18. Expenses:
 $43/surgery
 Food, misc. care items, extra vet visits,
$300/week
 Housing Space – donated by LBCC
 Care of Ill Rabbits: Bunny Bunch &
donations
 Western University 3rd year Internal
Veterinary Medicine Rotation

19. Trap100 Rabbits

20. Hold
 Set-up caging
 Multiple days
trapping
 Two spay/neuter
events

21. Hold

22. The Starting Line

23. Restraint, Physicals and Pre-op

24. Physicals and Pre-op
Vet student involvement
first and second year
veterinary students learned
rabbit restraint, physical
examinations, injection sites,
anesthesia and postoperative
recovery monitoring

25. Records - Scribes

27. Records

28. Health Assessment –Triaged
March
 3 severe syphilis
 2 pneumonia
 3 unilateral eye lesions
 1 large draining abscess
 1 poor body condition score (BCS<1/5)

29. Health Assessment – Cautions
 Snuffles limited to upper respiratory disease
and not pneumonia
 Traumatic wounds - commonly around the
face and neck
 Healing sore hocks
 Diarrhea
 Vent disease or syphilis with milder signs
 Poor body condition - typical body condition
score was 2
 The May Event rabbits were younger &
better BSC

30. Personality Assessment
 Feisty
 Fearful
 Tame

31. Runners

32. Anesthesia

33. Anesthesia per Dr. Ko

34. Surgeons - DVMs

35. SurgeonTraining
 Understanding of rabbit anatomy
 Understanding of the additional fat in
the spay
 Careful application of minimal tissue
glue for closure of the castration
 In closed castrations the testicular
pedicle should be ligated as close to the
body wall as possible

36. Surgery

37. Post-op

38. Post-op

39. Records

40. Post-Operative Period
 All rabbits received three days of
postoperative monitoring and
meloxicam or other postoperative pain
management.
 Rabbits monitored through post-op
day four to determine that they are
eating, drinking and defecating. About
10% of animals required an additional
day of pain management.
 Rabbits can be released when they
eat, drink and defecate without having
received pain relieving medications

41. Round 2

42. Post-op

43. Anesthesia & Post-Anesthetic
RecoveryTime
Anesthesia
March RecoveryTime
(min)
May RecoveryTime
(min)
Ketamine-midazolam-
buprenorphine
followed by
Sevoflurane gas
anesthesia
30
TTDex – 0.04 ml/kg, IM
followed by
Sevoflurane gas
anesthesia
90

44. Post-Op Monitoring

45. Records

46. Post-Procedural Orders
(report abnormalities and drugs administered) and Notes:
1. Assess attitude. Is the rabbit Bright and Alert? Quiet? Responsive? Code: BAR
or QAR
2. Assess hydration status, drinking and urination. Note score on the record ↑ or ↓
or (↓) for slightly. If abnormal, report onVet Check list. If dehydrated, 25
ml sterile saline/ km BW SC once or twice daily until rabbit is drinking,
urinating, and maintaining hydration within normal limits (WNL).
3. Assess appetite. If not eating, initiate “special food” like banana and alfalfa.
Restart meloxicam (MLX) or add additional dose per day as long as the doses
are at least 8 hrs. apart. Recheck in next 2 hours. If not eating, syringe feed
OxBow critical care. Recheck in next 2 hours. If still not eating, move to
Bunny Bunch for critical care. Monitoring body weight daily until eating if a
scale is available. If BW loss is >10% starting body weight, then move to
Bunny Bunch for critical care.
4. Assess defecation. If NOT defecating or stool is abnormal, report onVet
Check list.

47. Post-Procedural Orders
5. Assess for pain. Administer MLX PO for a minimum of 3 days post-
op. Carefully monitor for inappetance or decreased stool
production on the 1st day without analgesia. Restart MLX if rabbit is
not continuing normal behavior or bodily functions. If painful and not
receiving MLX restart meloxicam for 1-2 days. If painful and receiving MLX,
report onVet Check list.
6. Assess wound closure. If wounds are open or there is fresh bleeding, report
onVet Check list.
7. Assess the wound for infection. Check for redness, discharge, or heat. If
noted, report onVet Check list.
8. Assess the wound for self-trauma (scratching) that results in excoriation, skin
irritation or dermatitis. If noted, report onVet Check list.
9. Assess the wound for swelling. Swelling is expected. Assess the degree of
swelling on the chart.
10. Assess for appropriate progress of any health issue noted on the PE. If the
rabbit is worsening or there are any concerns regarding new health issues,
report onVet Check list.

49. Spay Certificates

50. Post-Event Debriefing - Surgery
 Clipper burn avoided in round 2
 Castrations
◦ Castration seemed to be more
painful than spay.
◦ Round 2 Modifications:
 1. Application of tissue glue - minimal
amount of tissue glue for skin
closure
 2.Testicular pedicle - tie the
testicular pedicle close to the
body wall

51. Post-Event Debriefing - Surgery

52. Losses
 March
◦ One intraoperative loss related to pulmonary
edema and anesthesia
◦ Three postoperative day 4, 7 and 8 - possibly
related to G.I. stasis or pre-existing internal
disease, like an enlarged heart
 May
◦ One postoperative day 4 - possibly related to
G.I. stasis

53. Post-Event Debriefing Post-Op
 See postoperative orders – standing orders
 Volunteers were trained to assess for eating, drinking and
defecating before cleaning the cages. Rabbits who were
off-feed or not hopping were reported to the vet team.
See the postoperative orders for more details
 Timely delivery of pain medication and small
improvements surgical details were associated with better
outcome
 Around 3 % received SQ fluid administration on
postoperative day one
 Intensive care was not required

54. How long until the rabbits
could be released?
 Minimum of 3 days
 Ideally 4 days –
including the one
day off pain meds
to confirm eating
and drinking

55. Continued Commitment

56. Continued Commitment

57. A “Caring” Multi-Sector Plan
 Prevent dumping
 Increased campus security
 Out of sight feeding and watering stations
 Continued S/N
 Adoption, release
 Education

58. Actions
 Change the laws
 Stop sales
 Adopt
 Give rabbits the same consideration as
other pets
 Easter Rabbits should be made of
chocolate
 Don’t abandon us!
 TNR is a humane option, but not the
solution

59. Two Events & On-Going S/N
Rabbits March May Total
Trapped 100 80
Kindled 10 0
Health Issues 10 5
Recaptured 0 3
Spays 46 41
Neuters 34 34
Surgeries
LBCC
80 75 175
Surgeries
Clinics
110
Released 70
Adoptions 186
Rescue/Foster 30

60. RABBIT (ORYCTOLAGUS UNICULUS)
TRAP-NEUTER-RELEASE –
NOT JUST FOR CATS ANYMORE
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/rabbits-loose-long-
beach-city-college-13446043

61. @dmccluredvm
Animal Resource Consulting
Vet Services
www.arcvetservices.com

62. @dmccluredvm
Easter
Spay
Day
2015?