Adrenalectomy and Nephrectomy in a Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) With Adrenocortical Carcinoma and Renal and Ureteral Transitional Cell Carcinoma

Endocrine Diagnostics for Exotic Animals

Endocrine disease in exotic species is less common than in small animals. Nevertheless, the diagnostic principles used in small animals can be adapted to evaluate endocrine disease in many of the exotic species although species-specific aspects need to be considered. This article covers important diseases such as thyroid dysfunction in reptiles and birds, hyperthyroidism in guinea pigs, and hyperadrenocorticism in ferrets. Glucose metabolism in neoplasms affecting normal physiology, such as insulinoma in ferrets and gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma in bearded dragons, is discussed. Calcium abnormalities, including metabolic bone disease in reptiles and hypocalcemia in birds, are also covered.

Not Just Uterine Adenocarcinoma-Neoplastic and Non-Neoplastic Masses in Domestic Pet Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus): A Review

With increasing numbers of pet rabbits living out their natural lifespan, rabbit oncology is stepping more and more into the limelight. On the other hand, rabbit tumors are less covered in recent editions of textbooks of veterinary pathology than before. We present 1238 cases with neoplastic and non-neoplastic masses in rabbit tissue, submitted from 2008 to 2019, supplemented by a review of the literature on neoplasms in rabbits. Cutaneous masses comprised 47% of submissions. Trichoblastoma was by far the most common skin neoplasm, and nodular suppurative panniculitis was the second most frequent skin nodule in this series. Epithelial as well as mesenchymal cutaneous neoplasms can be virally induced in rabbits (eg, Shope papilloma, myxomatosis) but were infrequent in the current cases. Mammary neoplasms comprised 21% of submitted masses and 94% of these had histologic features of malignancy. Tumors of the female reproductive tract were responsible for 9% of biopsies and were predominantly uterine adenocarcinoma. Polypoid proliferation of rectal mucosa was the most common lesion in the alimentary tract. A broad spectrum of other neoplasms was described, including sarcomas at vaccination sites and ocular posttraumatic sarcomas, comparable to lesions described in cats.

Diagnostic Imaging of the Renal System in Exotic Companion Mammals

Radiographs can be used to easily visualize common types of urinary calculi in all parts of the urinary tract. Positive-contrast excretory urography and cystourethrography are sensitive to diseases within the ureters and urethra, most commonly obstruction. Ultrasound is widely available and noninvasive and can be used to evaluate renal architecture, ureteral dilation, urinary bladder wall disease, and urolithiasis. Computed tomography is increasing in availability and provides a large amount of cross-sectional information quickly and noninvasively. Multiple imaging modalities can be used to estimate or quantify glomerular filtration rate.

Disease Overview of the Urinary Tract in Exotic Companion Mammals and Tips on Clinical Management

Diseases of the urinary tract are reviewed, covering infectious (bacterial, viral, parasitic), degenerative, congenital, metabolic, nutritional, neoplastic, obstructive, and toxic causes. Some clinical presentations and diagnostic procedures are described for ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, rats, chinchillas, hedgehogs, and sugar gliders, as well as therapies.

Technological Advances in Surgical Equipment in Exotic Pet Medicine

Surgery can be challenging in exotic pets owing to their small size and blood volume, and their increased anesthetic risk compared with small animals. Various devices are available to facilitate suturing, cutting, and hemostasis in the human and veterinary fields. These surgical equipment improve the simplicity, rapidity, and effectiveness of surgery. Vessel-sealing devices, radiosurgery, lasers, and ultrasound devices are commonly used because of their ease of use and increase in surgical efficiency. Other surgical devices are available (eg, stapling devices) but are not discussed in this article.

Arterial supply to the rabbit adrenal gland

The adrenal gland regulates stress responses by releasing steroid hormones, whose synthesis and secretion are influenced by adrenal blood flow. Adrenalectomy is commonly performed in rabbits to study the function of the adrenal gland. Although knowledge of the arterial supply to the adrenal gland forms the anatomical basis of the surgery, its description in prior studies is incomplete for the rabbit. Therefore, we observed the adrenal arteries in 27 male and 11 female New Zealand White rabbits using the colored latex injection method. The branching pattern of the adrenal arteries was divided into three major types based on the number of parent arteries that gave rise to the adrenal arteries. Thirty-four percent of right halves exhibited one parent artery and were categorized as type 1. Fifty-five percent of right halves and 76% of left halves had two parent arteries and were categorized as type 2. Eleven percent of right halves and 24% of left halves had three parent arteries and were categorized as type 3. The number of adrenal arteries varied from 3 to 16 on the right, 3 to 18 on the left, and 9 to 30 in total in each individual. These findings demonstrate the remarkable individual variation in arterial supply to the rabbit adrenal gland, suggesting that such variations should always be considered during experimental treatments in the rabbit.