# Ultrasounding a rabbit?



## Icarus (Nov 10, 2010)

Has anyone had their rabbit (pregnant or otherwise) ultrasounded? Do you shave the area before hand, or not?

I was pondering my future farm, and realized how awesome it would be to have an ultrasound machine. On E-bay you can find them from $250-$1,000+ (used generally runs $800-$1,000). I was thinking on rabbits, it would be a heckuvalot less invasive and dangerous then palpating, not to mention a lot more accurate. 

I'm not thinking of getting one EXCLUSIVELY for rabbits, but I'd also like to keep and breed goats, sheep, pigs, and have a milk cow or two. An ultrasound would definitely be useful (and way cool) in seeing how the fetuses are developing. 

I certainly could use one now. I got two does who are SUPPOSED to be due since at least a week or two now. Nothing. It's driving me nuts, I palpated and they felt reeeeaaaallly close. 

An ultrasound machine, I must find one :biggrin:


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## OakRidgeRabbits (Nov 10, 2010)

The few times that I've known people to take rabbits into a vet, they vet x-rayed them. I'm not sure if an ultrasound is inaccurate for rabbits or if it would just be too stressful, but I have not heard it recommended.

If done correctly, palpating is not dangerous and can be a pretty effective tool. So if you don't want to wait all 31 days, have an experienced breeder show you how to palpate- lots easier!

Also as a side note, if your does have been due for a week or two, they are not pregnant. The latest a rabbit will kindle live kits is around Day 35 of gestation. So if they are 2 weeks past their due date and no kits, go ahead and rebreed them.


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## Icarus (Nov 10, 2010)

OakRidgeRabbits wrote:


> The few times that I've known people to take rabbits into a vet, they vet x-rayed them. I'm not sure if an ultrasound is inaccurate for rabbits or if it would just be too stressful, but I have not heard it recommended.
> 
> If done correctly, palpating is not dangerous and can be a pretty effective tool. So if you don't want to wait all 31 days, have an experienced breeder show you how to palpate- lots easier!
> 
> Also as a side note, if your does have been due for a week or two, they are not pregnant. The latest a rabbit will kindle live kits is around Day 35 of gestation. So if they are 2 weeks past their due date and no kits, go ahead and rebreed them.



The problem is that the guy I bought them from doesn't know when exactly he bred them. He just kinda guessed "sometime soon" :? I palpated and it felt like they had kits due quite soon but so far, absolutely nothing. I'll check them again today.
I'll give them until the 20th then breed them if theres really no kits what so ever. Their experienced momma's, nice big does, they may just not have took I suppose  
I was planning to sell whatever kits they produced anyways, so if theres no kits at all...no big loss! 

I don't think ultrasounding would be much more stressful then palpating. The rabbit doesn't need to be sedated or anything, as far as I'm aware you just use the node dohickey like you would on a pregnant woman. I found a clip of a rabbit ultrasound and it's really rather cool, you can see the developed kit in the womb doing it's little baby rabbit thing. You can see it on this page (scroll down to 'Ultrasound')

http://php.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php?title=Rabbit_Development

I have to look more into it, but it seems pretty interesting. I'd end up having people bring their pregnant rabbits over just so I can ultrasound them and go "D'AWW! LOOKIT HOW CUTE THE LITTLE RABBIT FETUS IS!" 

-cough- Ahem. :biggrin2: 

I wonder if you'd be able to count the number of fetuses inside the rabbit before actual birth. That would be really interesting.


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## akane (Nov 10, 2010)

Ultrasound should work just fine on a rabbit and you should be able to get close on the number of kits after some practice. Most vets just don't have an ultrasound machine so they rely on xray. The ability to take xrays is needed for many applications and can take the place of most uses for an ultrasound so spending the money on an ultrasound machine just doesn't make sense unless you've got it to spare at your clinic.


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