Topical effect of a specific spot-on treatment made of natural ingredients in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) with skin problems: A pilot study

Vet World Vol.13 September-2020 Article-4

Research Article

Veterinary World, 13(9): 1760-1763

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2020.1760-1763

Galia Sheinberg Waisburd¹, Alberto Martin Cordero², Camilo Romero Núñez³, Laura Miranda Contreras³, Rafael Heredia Cárdenas³, and Linda G. Bautista Gómez⁴

1. Veterinary Center Mexico, Cincinnati Street #22, Benito Juárez, Ciudad de los Deportes, 03710 Mexico city, Mexico.
2. VETDERM: Specialized Veterinary Dermatology, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
3. Dermavet Veterinary Hospital, José de la Luz Blanco, Mz. 187, Lt. 33, Col. Santa Martha Acatitla, Mexico city, Mexico.
4. UAEM Amecameca University Center, Autonomous Mexico State University, Km. 2.5 Amecameca-Ayapango Highway, 56900 Amecameca de Juárez, Mexico.

Background and Aim: Rabbits often experience skin diseases. The beneficial effects of plant extracts and essential oils are well known in other species, but the properties of these natural ingredients have not been evaluated in rabbits in vivo. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of a topical, commercial solution made of essential oils, plant-extracted polyunsaturated fatty acids, and Vitamin E on rabbits suffering from skin problems.

Materials and Methods: Thirty New Zealand rabbits (no sex distinction) were included in this study, with an average weight of 2–3 kg. The rabbits were divided into two groups: The first group was treated with a topical solution made from natural ingredients, and the second was a control group. The rabbits' hair and skin conditions were evaluated on days 1, 14, 28, and 35 after treatment. Data were analyzed using a Kruskal–Wallis range test.

Results: Significant differences were determined in terms of glossy hair variability on days 28 and 35 (p≤0.0001). On days 14-35, hair loss was determined to have reduced (p=0.001), and flaking and odor improved in the treatment group, showing increased scores and significant differences (p=0.0001). By contrast, the control group showed stable overall skin and hair score and an increase in the dryness score.

Conclusion: The topical application of essential oils and polyunsaturated fatty acids with Vitamin E was able to improve hair shine and skin hydration and reduce flaking, bad odor, and hair loss, improving the general, and cutaneous aspect of rabbits. Keywords: essential oils, polyunsaturated fatty acids, rabbits, skin, Vitamin E.

Keywords: essential oils, polyunsaturated fatty acids, rabbits, skin, Vitamin E.

How to cite this article: Waisburd GS, Cordero AM, Núñez CR, Contreras LM, Cárdenas RH, Gómez LGB (2020) Topical effect of a specific spot-on treatment made of natural ingredients in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) with skin problems: A pilot study, Veterinary World, 13(9): 1760-1763.

Received: 29-03-2020 Accepted: 07-07-2020 Published online: 03-09-2020

Corresponding author: Camilo Romero Núñez E-mail: mvzcamilo@yahoo.com.mx

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2020.1760-1763

Copyright: Waisburd, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.