Rabbit behavior.

Rabbit behavior is complex and closely related to wild rabbit behavior. The rabbit as a prey species, the rabbit's environment and natural social structure, and the rabbit as an herbivore all play significant roles in rabbit behavior. Stress, especially the stress related to predation, crowding, heat, and inappropriate caging, may affect the behavior of the pet rabbit and its success as a medical or surgical patient. The veterinarian treating the pet rabbit will have a higher level of success if these stresses and the rabbit's behaviors and physiologic responses related to them are taken into consideration.     

Airway physiology.

The understanding of the mechanisms of dog and cat airway disease is in its infancy, because the clinical tools necessary to measure airway function in patients have not been readily available. The advent of lung function computers that can rapidly analyze flow-volume loops and calculate Cdyn and RL will make it easier to evaluate airway function in disease and to detect the effects of the newer specific receptor blockers. In the not-too-distant future, measurements of lung function will be used to prove the efficacy of new therapeutic agents for canine and feline airway disease and to guide the clinician in the use of these agents.     

Rabbit orthopedic surgery.

Orthopedic surgery in rabbits poses several unique parameters for the veterinary surgeon. It is imperative for the veterinarian to be knowledgeable about the anatomic features of the surgical repair site and to become familiar with a rabbit's pain and discomfort often associated with orthopedic injuries. Handling the perioperative and postoperative pain and potential GI disturbances are crucial for a successful outcome of the surgical case. This article is designed to help the veterinary surgeon prepare for the orthopedic surgical procedure and the peripheral physiologic needs of the rabbit from presentation through recovery.     

Rabbit wound management.

In conclusion, rabbits have a variety of common disease presentations that require wound management. Anatomic and physiologic characteristics should be kept in mind, as they may have influences upon the management of wounds. Many new topical medications and dressings have been designed that are routinely used in mammalian wound management cases and are potentially useful for rabbits. When topical medications are used in rabbits, care must be taken to ensure the medications are not ingested. In addition to topical therapies, surgical options such as flaps and skin grafts have been researched in rabbits. Many of the wound management concepts that are useful for dogs and cats should be considered when addressing rabbit wounds.     

Exercise physiology. An overview

Through the study of equine exercise physiology, one can learn more about what happens to the body of the performance horse during all forms of exercise. Better understanding of skeletal, joint, tendon, and ligament adaptations to loading and stress may allow adjustments to be made in training techniques to reduce the incidence of injury. The information obtained from exercise research may also facilitate the investigation of questions such as the following: What makes one horse perform better than another? How can one bring out the optimal performance in each horse? How can one tell when a horse has arrived at its peak performance capability? What are the factors that actually limit performance?     

Feline gastrointestinal lymphoma.

Gastrointestinal lymphoma is a common cause of anorexia and weight loss in older cats, with or without vomiting or diarrhea. Most cats are feline leukemia virus-negative and feline immunodeficiency virus-negative. Low-grade gastrointestinal lymphoma may be more common than previously thought, and these cats respond better to chemotherapy agents than cats with high-grade lymphoma. The most significant prognostic indicator is initial response to chemotherapy, with cats that survive the initial induction period generally achieving long-term remission. Thus far, investigations into molecular markers and immunophenotyping have failed to identify useful prognostic indicators.     

Airway physiology and clinical function testing.

The advent of pulmonary function testing in small animals has opened the door to new interpretations of old diseases. This article reviews the salient features of airway pathophysiology in dogs and cats that relate to the interpretation of newly developed airway function tests.     

Comparative renal physiology of exotic species.

In this article the osmoregulatory, acid-base homeostasis, and excretory functions of the renal system of invertebrates and vertebrates are reviewed. The mammalian renal system is the most highly evolved in terms of the range of functions performed by the kidneys.Renal physiology in other animals can be very different, and a sound knowledge of these differences is important for understanding health and disease processes that involve the kidneys, as well as ion and water homeostasis. Many animals rely on multiple organs along with the kidneys to maintain osmotic, ionic, and pH balance. Some animals rely heavily on postrenal modification of urine to conserve water and salt balance; this can influence the interpretation of disease signs and treatment modalities.     

Clinically relevant physiology of the neonate.

During the 4- to 6-week neonatal period (birth to weaning), the physiology of canine and feline neonates undergoes dramatic change. Despite the neonate having the appearance of a miniature adult, their unique physiology has a significant impact on physical examination and laboratory test interpretation and may limit diagnostic capabilities and therapeutic options. In this article, the most striking physiologic differences between neonatal and adult body systems are discussed with respect to the resulting clinical implications.     

Management of gastrointestinal pain.

Choice of an analgesic for gastrointestinal pain requires consideration of the cause of the pain, desired duration of pain relief, need for sedation, and potential side effects and toxicity, particularly in light of other drugs being used and effects on the gastrointestinal tract. It is imperative that close monitoring be continued to ensure that surgical lesions or worsening conditions are detected. Recent research in the field may lead to new drugs, drug combinations, and avenues of treatment that minimize the side effects of these drugs while maximizing their efficacy.     

Feline gastrointestinal foreign bodies.

The common presentations of gastrointestinal foreign bodies in cats are discussed in this article. The options for diagnostic imaging modalities and other diagnostic tests are detailed. The management of foreign body obstructions at different levels of the gastrointestinal tract is discussed. Particular attention is paid to the management of linear gastrointestinal foreign bodies, morbidity associated with this condition, and treatment. There is also a brief discussion on the types of gastrointestinal foreign bodies presenting to a veterinary teaching hospital at which both referral and primary cases are seen.