British rabbit owners can recognize pain in their pets, research shows

New research in the UK has found that the majority of rabbit owners could name signs of pain and could mainly identify pain-free rabbits and rabbits in severe pain, but many were unaware of the more subtle signs of pain.

The study by a team from the University of Bristol Veterinary School published in BMC Veterinary Research provides the first insight into how rabbit owners identify pain and their overall ability to apply this knowledge to accurately detect pain.

Rabbits are prey animals and have evolved to hide signs of illness and pain. Recent research has developed pain scales for use by veterinarians – including the Bristol Rabbit Pain Scale (BRPS) – but to date no research has examined the ability of rabbit owners to recognize pain in their animals.

The study examined how owners identify pain in their rabbits and how to correctly recognize different levels of pain, and how owners could benefit from education.

Owners were recruited through various routes, including Facebook, and completed a two-part online survey. Part one collected data on demographics, owners’ knowledge of pain signals and beliefs about pain in rabbits. In part two, respondents were asked to compare eight videos, recorded during routine veterinary treatments, of rabbits with different pain levels against the pain scores of three experts.

The researchers used a simplified version of the GOB with a single scale from 0 to 3. The research team examined the number of pain signals each respondent could name, the total score given to the videos, and the difference from the experts’ scores.

A total of 500 people completed part one of the survey and 345 people completed part two. Respondents could usually identify five signs of pain (such as anorexia and changes in posture and movement), but many were less aware that decreases in grooming behavior and changes in eye and ear position can also be signs of pain. Women, people who worked with rabbits and people who had experience with surgery on their rabbit recognized pain more accurately.

Overall, 98.6 percent of respondents correctly thought that rabbits felt as much or more pain than dogs and cats. In part two, respondents were more likely to agree with the experts in identifying rabbits that were in no pain or in severe pain, but there was less agreement in identifying mild and moderate pain. Respondents generally rated pain lower than experts, with an average total pain score of 11.9 compared to 18 given by the expert.

Dr. Nicola Rooney, Senior Lecturer in Wildlife and Conservation at Bristol Veterinary School and corresponding author, said: “Most rabbit owners were able to identify numerous pain signals and were generally able to identify pain-free rabbits and rabbits in severe pain. Owners’ ability to distinguish between mild and moderate pain is more limited and they may benefit from training in the subtler signs of pain. Veterinary professionals should also be aware of areas where owners’ knowledge can be improved.”

“Our research revealed a gap in communication between owners and veterinary professionals,” said lead author Charlotte Forder.

“It is important to talk to owners and advise them when animals are undergoing procedures so that the animal has the best outcome. It is also a great opportunity for the veterinary community to educate owners about signs of pain in rabbits.”