Clinical tolerance of dexamethasone in New Zealand white rabbits

Rabbits have been a popular pet and research species world-wide. In many clinical and research situations, controlling inflammation is necessary for the health of these animals. One of the first drugs commonly employed in veterinary medicine to suppress inflammatory responses is corticosteroids. Unfortunately, steroid use in rabbits is not universally accepted as they are perceived, based on their potent immunosuppressant activity, to negatively impact quality of life. This is may be due, in part, to the lack of well-developed dosing protocols in these animals. This study evaluated the impact of a 5-day IM dexamethasone (Dex, 0.5 mg/kg) protocol on the immunity and clinical health of the New Zealand rabbit. Through two experiments separated by a 10-day washout period, experiment 1 comprised 5-days of dosing with bleedings on day 0, 3, 5 and 7, where experiment 2 consisted of 5-days of dosing with bleedings on day 0, 3 and 5. Animals were monitored twice daily for changes in clinical health. Hematology, T cell subset phenotype, leukocyte cell cycle, histopathology, phagocytosis and oxidative formation were evaluated. Consistent with other species, 5-day dosing with Dex suppressed leukocytes, in particular the T cells (p ≤ 0.003). Interestingly, rabbits failed to show any adverse clinical signs throughout the entire study. This would imply that a 5-day IM Dex (0.5 mg/kg) dosing protocol is well tolerated by New Zealand white rabbits and could be used in rabbits suffering from inflammatory conditions or disease as long as the animal's immune status is closely monitored. •Rabbits are a popular pet and research species that can suffer from inflammatory diseases, which frequently requires therapeutic intervention.•Steroid use in rabbits is presently not well-accepted based on perceived adverse impact on quality of life.•New Zealand White rabbits clinically tolerated a 5-day IM dexamethasone dosing protocol but some immune parameters showed mild suppression•Rabbits suffering from immune-mediated inflammatory disease could be treated with a 5-day IM dexamethasone protocol