Rabbit Grimace Scale

[DitchDoc]

Found this article interesting, thought some of you might find it so as well. I've sent an email enquiry to see if the poster is still available and if they'll ship it across the pond!

http://www.nc3rs.org.uk/news.asp?id=1833

 

[squidpop]

pretty interesting

 

[Dood]

Was experimentation on theses animals really necessary?

I find it quite sad that a scientific study is requiried to validate what most people would consider common sense and that these animals were tortured in order to get these 'facial grimaces' which will never be widely accepted in the scientific community since interpretation is too arbitrary.



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[TMTex]

Good info, DitchDoc.

And since the research has already been done, I see no problem with using the data. Especially if we can help our own herds with the information.

(Image shrunk to meet Forum limits)




You can download a larger image here...

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Ad ... ne.0044437

 

[DitchDoc]

Human medicine uses a variety of scales that are surprisingly subjective (Glasgow Coma Scale and the Universal Pain Assessment Tool for quick examples) that are widely used and accepted. I don't understand why this one would be any different? My purpose for posting that article here was to help others that may not see the more subtle signs of pain that their rabbits are exhibiting. The main thing I see noted on the forum is grinding teeth. I apologize if the article was offensive, Dood...it was never my intent, nor will it ever be, to offend or anger someone here or anywhere else. As TM Tex mentioned, the study was already done, and not simply for the purpose of obtaining the grimace scale. Why not use it to benefit other rabbit owners and their stock? I simply thought it might be as useful to others as it was to me. I most sincerely offer profound apologies if my post offended you. It certainly was not my intent.

 

[ladysown]

i find the information helpful as it helps me to encourage and help my pet people know what to watch for in their rabbits. Placement of ears and eye expression is difficult to explain verbally, having pictures is an aid in helping people understand what their pets are saying to them.

 

[Miss M]

I think this is a very useful tool.

The pictures may have been obtained, not necessarily from experimentation, but perhaps while doing something else that was necessary, that happened to cause pain. Tattooing an ear, straightening a broken leg, draining an abscess... all painful.

In none of the pictures can you see the whole rabbit. You can't tell what is going on. The information is here now, may as well use it.

I'm not saying that the ends justify the means. Only that we don't know the means.

DitchDoc is right, subjective scales like this are used in human medicine all the time. Here are some such pain scales:

http://pain.about.com/od/testingdiagnos ... -Baker.htm
http://www.painedu.org/Downloads/NIPC/P ... Scales.pdf

And for prescription glasses, the whole lens-switching thing. "Is this one better, or this one... 1... or 2?" At the beginning, it's pretty easy. As it gets finer, it gets more difficult. "Well... if I have to pick... maybe 2 is just slightly better? I think?"

 

[MamaSheepdog]

What a great resource! Thank you, Ditch Doc!

So this doesn't get "lost" in all of the posts in Rabbit Care, I think you should repost this in Rabbit Links- titled something like "Assessing pain levels through facial expression" since "Grimace scale" is a bit technical. :? Or perhaps one of us can move this thread for you.

My purpose for posting that article here was to help others that may not see the more subtle signs of pain that their rabbits are exhibiting. The main thing I see noted on the forum is grinding teeth.

Teeth grinding indicates an advanced state of discomfort. This is a great tool for assessing lower levels of pain and will save a lot of suffering in our herds.

Was experimentation on theses animals really necessary?

I find it quite sad that a scientific study is requiried to validate what most people would consider common sense and that these animals were tortured in order to get these 'facial grimaces' which will never be widely accepted in the scientific community since interpretation is too arbitrary.

The pictures may have been obtained, not necessarily from experimentation, but perhaps while doing something else that was necessary

I think y'all missed something; from the text of the link:

The scale was developed by Dr Matt Leach and colleagues using data from a study commissioned by the Swedish Board of Agriculture on clamp tattooing of the ear - a procedure commonly used to identify farmed rabbits.

Emphasis in bold text is mine.

From TMTex's link:

In a crossover study, eight New Zealand White rabbits each underwent four different treatments of actual or sham ear tattooing, with and without prior application of a topical local anaesthetic (lidocaine/prilocaine). Changes in immediate behaviour, heart rate, arterial blood pressure, serum corticosterone concentrations, facial expression and home pen behaviours were assessed. Changes in facial expression were examined to develop the Rabbit Grimace Scale in order to assess acute pain.

This study was commissioned in Sweden. Zab will tell you that it is against the law for her to tattoo her rabbits in Sweden. It must be done by a Veterinarian, I believe. The thrust of the study is to require topical anaesthetic to be applied prior to tattooing.

I myself have "tortured" a fair number of rabbits with a clamp tattooer, although my current torture implement of choice is the tattoo pen. :twisted: Incidentally, there is a product called "Derma Numb" which is a 4% Lidocaine solution, available from tattoo supply houses. I ordered some when I purchased my Kuro Sumi Black Outlining Ink, which is a human grade ink that I highly recommend for use in rabbits for long lasting tattoos- and consequently less pain for the rabbit in the long term since touching up tattoos is rarely necessary.

Ink:

http://www.amazon.com/KURO-SUMI-Black-O ... B00424NC4G

Derma Numb:

http://www.amazon.com/Derma-Numb-Anesth ... Derma+Numb

 

[TMTex]

I've been using the KBtatts pen with the supplied ink for mine. I soak a cotton ball with Bactine to anesthetize the ear. It takes a minute or so before the Lidocaine kicks in.

Bactine has 2.5% Lidocaine, so it's not as strong as Derma Numb. It's always on hand though. My bunnies don't seem to mind it much, so it must be fairly effective.

 

[Miss M]

I think y'all missed something; from the text of the link:

The scale was developed by Dr Matt Leach and colleagues using data from a study commissioned by the Swedish Board of Agriculture on clamp tattooing of the ear - a procedure commonly used to identify farmed rabbits.

Emphasis in bold text is mine.

I did miss that. Thank you!

 

[DitchDoc]

MSD, I have no idea how to go about moving anything or even where the Rabbit Links are....lol. Would you mind doing it? I'm glad the link was helpful for some, thank everyone for their feedback!

Appreciatively,
DD