Peri-anaesthetic adverse events and their risk factors in 316 pet rabbits undergoing general anaesthesia: a multicentric, retrospective study.

Including α2-adrenoreceptor agonists and opioids in rabbit anaesthetic protocols significantly reduces multiple peri-anaesthetic adverse events.

This multicentric retrospective study evaluated peri-anaesthetic adverse events and their associated risk factors in 316 pet rabbits across three veterinary centres. The study employed univariable and multivariable logistic regression to identify significant predictors of four key adverse outcomes. Hypoxaemia risk was elevated by delayed airway access establishment, hypoventilation requiring intervention, and anaesthetic protocols omitting α2-adrenoreceptor agonists. Surgical nociception necessitating rescue analgesia was more likely when procedures exceeded 30 minutes and when α2-adrenoreceptor agonists were absent from the protocol. Poor recovery quality was associated with omission of opioids or α2-adrenoreceptor agonists, hypothermia, and intraoperative surgical nociception requiring intervention. Peri-operative cardiopulmonary arrest risk was significantly increased in patients with ASA physical status classification above II and in those experiencing hypoventilation requiring intervention. These findings underscore the critical importance of incorporating α2-adrenoreceptor agonists and opioids into rabbit anaesthetic protocols, securing airway access promptly, actively managing ventilation, preventing hypothermia, and carefully stratifying patients by ASA status prior to anaesthesia. The study provides clinicians with evidence-based risk factor data to guide protocol selection and perioperative management decisions, with the ultimate goal of reducing morbidity and mortality associated with rabbit anaesthesia. Limitations include the retrospective design and potential variability across the three contributing institutions.

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