A paper has recently out on the use of gabapentin in rabbits and I thought the introduction was a great summary of what it means to be a prey species and the importance of appreciating this in the rabbit patient:
“In the wild, rabbits are subject to a high degree of predation and are predisposed to an extremely high flight response. As a result, they are highly sensitive to catecholamines, with any sort of stress resulting in an increase in heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature. In response to this stress, there is a range of sequela that can occur ranging from the previously mentioned increases in physiological parameters, barbering, self-mutilation, and hyperglycemia, to more serious conditions such as anorexia and heat stress.”
Further reading:
Burton M et al. Pharmacokinetics of gabapentin after single, oral administration in domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). J Exot Pet Med. 2023. 45: 1-5.
