Specialists from the Bristol Veterinary School (BVS) studied how capable rabbit owners are of identifying signs of pain in their animals and accurately assessing its level.
It turned out that most owners are able to correctly determine when their pet is not in pain or is suffering from acute pain syndrome; however, they often misinterpret intermediate states. Scientists emphasize the need to raise owners' awareness with the help of veterinary specialists.
According to experts, the main difficulty in recognizing pain in rabbits lies in the fact that in the wild, these animals are prey to predators that are significantly larger than they are, and therefore they have learned to hide signs of discomfort and pain. Systems have previously been developed to assess pain sensations in rabbits for veterinary practice. However, it remained unclear how informed rabbit owners are in this area and whether they can apply their knowledge to adequately assess their pets' conditions.
More than 500 rabbit owners participated in the study, completing an online survey consisting of two parts. In the first stage, scientists collected general information about the owners and assessed their knowledge of the specifics of pain sensations in rabbits and their external manifestations. In the second stage, respondents were shown 8 videos taken during veterinary examinations, in which rabbits demonstrated various levels of pain. Participants were asked to rate the animals' pain levels on a scale from 0 to 3, and the responses were compared with the assessments of three experts.
According to the data obtained, most owners are aware of five main signs of pain in rabbits, such as refusal to eat and changes in behavior and movement patterns. However, many did not know that changes in grooming habits, as well as changes in gaze direction or ear position, could also indicate the presence of pain in the animal. Additionally, it was noted that women and rabbit owners who had ever undergone surgical procedures were more accurate in recognizing pain.
Overall, 98.6% of respondents believed that rabbits experience pain at least as strong, and sometimes even stronger, than dogs and cats. At the same time, 88.8% of owners correctly identified animals not in pain, 65.2% with acute pain, 43.2% with moderate pain, and 28.4% with mild pain. It was also found that owners often underestimate the level of suffering of their pets: the average rating from owners was 11.9 points, while the experts' average was 18 points.
The results of the study were published in the journal BMC Veterinary Research.
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