Computed Tomographic Study in 73 Pet Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) : Evaluation of the Correlation Between Dental and Thoracic Pathology
Murciano, Glenda (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Fundació Hospital Clínic Veterinari)
Alonso-Fernández, Iván (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Fundació Hospital Clínic Veterinari)
Novellas Torroja, Rosa (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Derpartament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals)
Fonseca Rodríguez, Osvaldo (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal)
Martorell Montserrat, Jaume (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Derpartament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals)

Date:	2026
Abstract:	Background: Dental and respiratory diseases are common in companion rabbits. While upper respiratory tract disorders have been described in association with dental pathology, the possible correlation between dental disease and pulmonary lesions has not yet been investigated. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on client-owned rabbits presented for suspected dental disease that underwent head and thoracic computed tomography (2012-2025) at a veterinary teaching hospital. Seventy-three rabbits met the inclusion criteria (mean age 4. 96 years). Results: Dental involvement was present in 81% (59/73) of the rabbits and pulmonary lesions in 29% (21/73). Among rabbits with dental disease, frequent osseous findings included osteomyelitis (49%), inflammatory resorption (42%), and maxillary deformities (33%). Pulmonary abnormalities occurred in 32% of rabbits with dental disease compared to 14% of those without. In Poisson models with log link adjusted for age and sex, dental disease was not significantly associated with pulmonary lesions (prevalence ratio [PR] 2. 14; 95% CI 0. 55-8. 38; p = 0. 275). Sensitivity analyses using 1:1 matching with cluster-robust variance (PR 3. 24; 95% CI 0. 65-16. 1; p = 0. 152) and overlap-weighted doubly robust estimation (PR 2. 08; 95% CI 0. 42-10. 4; p = 0. 371) yielded directionally positive but imprecise results. Conclusions: Computed tomography proved valuable for the evaluation of thoracic comorbidities in rabbits with dental disease. Although dental and pulmonary abnormalities were often observed together, a statistically significant association was not established. Larger, prospective studies are warranted to further clarify this relationship.
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Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Oryctolagus cuniculus ; Dental disease ; Odontogenic infection ; Oral-lung axis ; Thoracic pathology ; Computed tomography
Published in:	Animals, Vol. 16, Num. 2 (January 2026) , p. 342, ISSN 2076-2615

DOI: 10.3390/ani16020342

19 p, 2.8 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA-IRTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles