CONTENT
Pregnancy Diagnosis in Rabbits: Methods and Palpation Technique
Pregnancy diagnosis in rabbits is important for effective breeding and reproductive management. Early and accurate detection of pregnancy helps determine whether mating has been successful and allows appropriate care of the pregnant doe.
Several methods can be used for pregnancy diagnosis in rabbits, with abdominal palpation being the most reliable and commonly used technique.
The methods adopted to determine the state of pregnancy are:
- Test mating
- Weight gain method
- The palpation technique
The palpation technique is the most reliable method of determining pregnancy. It involves feeling the developing embryos in the uterine horns with the thumb and fingers. It should be done between the 10ᵗʰ and 14ᵗʰ day after mating. After the 14ᵗʰ day, palpation should be avoided because of the risk of abortion.
Experience is essential for any degree of accuracy to be guaranteed, but provided patience and gentleness are exercised, the palpation technique is very successful.
Palpation Method
The doe should preferably, but not necessarily, be removed from her normal surroundings and placed on a table covered with a nonslip material to prevent her from slipping. It is essential for the doe to be completely relaxed before palpation is attempted. Struggling results in the abdominal muscles becoming tense, making it difficult to distinguish between the fetuses and internal organs.
The doe should be restrained by gently holding the fold of skin behind the ears and over the shoulders.
Embryos are located by gently moving the thumb and fingers in a sideways direction. If small, marble-shaped objects can be felt slipping backward between the thumb and fingers, then the presence of embryos is confirmed.
Care must be exercised with this technique, as too much pressure can result in tissue damage, with possible fatal consequences for the doe and embryos. An experienced breeder can determine pregnancy by the eighth to tenth day after mating.
