Beyond the Clinic - a podcast by and for vet professionals
23 June 2025
27m 12s
Rabbit Health Matters: Top tips for managing your rabbit patients
00:00
27:12
Beyond the Clinic - a podcast by and for vet professionals
In this podcast episode, exotic specialist Ashton Hallworth shares her expert insights on managing common conditions affecting in rabbits. Ashton emphasizes the importance of comprehensive exams, including pain assessments and temperature checks. She details how to determine when a rabbit needs hospitalisation versus home care, and advocates for the responsible use of opioids and multimodal analgesia to effectively manage their pain and support their recovery.
Our Guest: Ashton Hollwarth BSc BVMS CertAVP (Zoo Med) MANZCVS (Avian Medicine & Surgery) DipECZM (Avian) MRCVS
Ashton graduated from Murdoch University in Western Australia. She moved to the UK and worked in small animal and exotic practice before joining the team at Great Western Exotics in 2018. She holds a CertAVP in Zoological Medicine and is an Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine. She gained membership by examination to the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Surgeons chapter of Avian Medicine and Surgery in 2022 and is a diplomat of the European College of Zoological Medicine as a specialist in avian medicine and surgery.
Our Host: Daniella Dos Santos
Daniella graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2012 having previously obtained a degree in Molecular Genetics from Kings College. She has since worked in first opinion, small animal and exotic pet practices across the Southeast. In 2019, she became the youngest-ever President of the British Veterinary Association, leading the profession through the height of the pandemic. During her time as President, she was instrumental in the association’s Diversity and Inclusion work, as well as the development and launch of the Good Workplaces Policy. Daniella was the recipient of the RCVS Inspiration Award 2021 for her leadership and became an RCVS Fellow in 2021 for Meritorious Contributions to the Profession. She is a trustee of the PetPlan Charitable Trust.
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Please note that the views expressed by hosts and guests in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of IVC Evidensia.
Links:
Great Western Exotics: https://www.gwexotics.com/for-vet-professionals
Rabbit Awareness Action Group: RAW Reminder | Rabbit Awareness Week
Vet Times review of Maropitant use in rabbits: https://www.vettimes.com/clinical/exotics/use-of-maropitant-in-rabbits-a-literature-review-cpdrabbits
Comparison of 0.2 Mg/kg Vs. 1.0 Mg/kg of Oral Meloxicam for Safe and Effective Analgesia in Domestic Rabbits https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/comparison-of-02-mgkg-vs-10-mgkg-of-oral-meloxicam-for-safe-and/
Pharmacokinetics of meloxicam in rabbits after oral administration of single and multiple doses: https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/ajvr/74/4/ajvr.74.4.636.xml
Effects of oral Cisapride administration in chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera) with experimentally induced fecal output reduction: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1557506321000355