Asproni Pietro, Codecasa Elisa, Marcet-Rius Miriam, Demellier Juliane, Descout Estelle, Verbaere Marine, Vinck Orane, Pageat Patrick, Cozzi Alessandro
Tissue Biology and Chemical Communication Department, IRSEA, Institute of Research in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology, 84400 Apt, France.
Ethics, Legislation & Animal Welfare Department, IRSEA, Institute of Research in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology, 84400 Apt, France.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Dec 9;14(23):3549. doi: 10.3390/ani14233549.
Rabbits are subjected to challenges that induce stress and require them to continuously adapt. Veterinary procedures represent an important source of stress. In other pets, pheromone use was shown to help patients better cope with these procedures. This study aimed to evaluate whether continuous exposure to the rabbit appeasing pheromone (RAP) could help rabbits cope with the stress induced by routine clinical consultations and vaccinations. Twenty-four 5-week-old rabbits were housed in two identical rooms for 43 days, one in which the rabbits underwent continuous RAP treatment and one with the placebo. The rabbits were vaccinated 8 days afterwards, and their behaviour was evaluated using visual analogic scales (VASs) and videos. The rabbits were also examined seven times, on a weekly basis, using VASs to assess their behaviour. The video analysis showed that the RAP-treated rabbits were less inhibited ( = 0.03) and more in contact with the surgeon ( = 0.039) during vaccinations, while the non-treated rabbits kept their ears in the middle/flattened position ( = 0.003). The RAP-treated rabbits were also less agitated (VAS analysis, = 0.02). During the consultations, a treatment × day effect was observed in favour of the RAP group for the rabbit state and rabbit reactivity VAS analysis ( < 0.0001). These findings seem to suggest that continuous RAP exposure could be a promising tool for helping rabbits cope with veterinary procedures.
兔子会面临引发压力且要求它们不断适应的挑战。兽医诊疗程序是压力的一个重要来源。在其他宠物身上，已表明使用信息素有助于动物更好地应对这些程序。本研究旨在评估持续接触兔安抚信息素（RAP）是否能帮助兔子应对常规临床会诊和疫苗接种所诱发的压力。将24只5周龄的兔子安置在两个相同的房间里43天，其中一个房间里的兔子接受持续RAP处理，另一个房间为安慰剂组。8天后给兔子接种疫苗，并使用视觉模拟评分法（VAS）和视频对其行为进行评估。每周还使用VAS对兔子进行7次检查以评估其行为。视频分析显示，在接种疫苗期间，接受RAP处理的兔子抑制性较低（P = 0.03），与外科医生的接触更多（P = 0.039），而未处理的兔子耳朵处于中间/扁平位置（P = 0.003）。接受RAP处理的兔子也不那么躁动（VAS分析，P = 0.02）。在会诊期间，对于兔子状态和兔子反应性VAS分析，观察到治疗×天数效应有利于RAP组（P < 0.0001）。这些发现似乎表明，持续接触RAP可能是帮助兔子应对兽医诊疗程序的一种有前景的工具。
