Rabbit case report highlights rare postoperative paralysis risk: full analysis

A newly published rabbit case report is drawing attention to a rare but serious postoperative neurologic complication. Writing in the Journal of Small Animal Practice, Bergeron and colleagues describe a 7-month-old lionhead rabbit that developed acute bilateral hind limb paralysis after ovariohysterectomy, with post-mortem findings showing extensive thoracolumbar haemorrhagic myelopathy associated with a congenital lordosis. The authors characterize it as the first reported non-experimental haemorrhagic myelopathy case in a rabbit. (deepdyve.com)

That matters because acute posterior paralysis in rabbits is usually discussed through the lens of vertebral fracture, luxation, or handling-related trauma. Veterinary references and prior literature consistently describe rabbits as especially susceptible to spinal injury when the hindquarters are not adequately supported or when the animal struggles, and lumbar injury is a well-established cause of sudden paresis or paralysis. In that context, this report stands out by linking postoperative paralysis to spinal cord hemorrhagic injury in the setting of a congenital vertebral deformity rather than a more typical fracture-luxation event. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

The available report indicates that investigations were declined before surgery, and the rabbit later underwent post-mortem imaging and histopathology after becoming paraplegic postoperatively. Those findings revealed extensive thoracolumbar haemorrhagic myelopathy associated with congenital lordosis. A secondary summary of the paper notes that the authors also drew parallels from comparative medicine, citing similar complications reported in children with thoracolumbar vertebral malformations and in horses after general anesthesia in dorsal recumbency. That comparison suggests the mechanism may involve more than routine surgical stress alone, and may instead reflect the interaction of positioning, anesthesia, and a structurally vulnerable spine. (eurekamag.com)

Direct expert commentary on this specific paper appears limited so far, which is not unusual for a newly published exotic animal case report. Still, the broader rabbit neurology literature supports the authors’ caution. Reviews of rabbit neurologic disease and husbandry note that spinal injury is a known hazard in this species, and more recent rabbit spinal case reports emphasize the importance of minimizing anesthesia time, maintaining hemodynamic stability, and tailoring perioperative management when spinal pathology is present or suspected. That doesn’t prove causation in this case, but it reinforces the idea that rabbits with vertebral abnormalities may need a different level of perioperative planning. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Why it matters: For clinicians, the practical takeaway is not that routine ovariohysterectomy in rabbits has suddenly become a neurologic risk event. It’s that congenital spinal deformity may be an underrecognized modifier of perioperative risk. If a rabbit has abnormal posture, suspected spinal curvature, prior mobility concerns, or radiographic evidence of thoracolumbar malformation, this case supports a lower threshold for discussing neurologic risk with the pet parent, considering preoperative imaging when feasible, and paying close attention to positioning and handling throughout anesthesia and recovery. (eurekamag.com)

The case also has value for referral and academic settings because it expands the published differential list for acute postoperative paralysis in rabbits. Until now, the literature has focused much more heavily on traumatic vertebral injury, compressive lesions, or rare disc and cyst-related disease. Adding haemorrhagic myelopathy to that list may help clinicians interpret catastrophic postoperative decline more accurately, especially when gross trauma is not evident. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What to watch: The next step is whether additional case reports emerge that clarify how often congenital vertebral malformations in rabbits are clinically silent until anesthesia or surgery, and whether specialty groups begin to formalize positioning or screening recommendations for these patients. (eurekamag.com)