# Computed Tomographic Study in 73 Pet Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus): Evaluation of the Correlation Between Dental and Thoracic Pathology

## TL;DR

This study used CT scans to examine 73 pet rabbits with dental issues and found that while dental problems often co-occur with lung changes, the link is not statistically significant.

## Contribution

The study is the first to investigate the correlation between dental disease and pulmonary lesions in pet rabbits using computed tomography.

## Key findings

- Dental disease was present in 81% of rabbits, with common findings including osteomyelitis and inflammatory resorption.
- Pulmonary lesions occurred in 29% of rabbits, but the association with dental disease was not statistically significant.
- Computed tomography was found to be a valuable tool for detecting both dental and thoracic abnormalities in rabbits.

## Abstract

Dental and respiratory diseases are common in pet rabbits and may occur together because of the close anatomical relationship between the teeth, sinuses, and airways. This study analyzed computed tomography scans from 73 rabbits examined for dental disease to investigate whether lung changes were also present. Most rabbits with dental disease showed bone and soft-tissue alterations involving the peripheral tissues, confirming that oral pathology can extend to nearby structures. Although pulmonary abnormalities were observed more frequently in rabbits with dental disease than in those without, this difference was not statistically significant. Computed tomography proved to be an extremely valuable tool for identifying changes in both dental and thoracic structures. These findings highlight the importance of comprehensive imaging in rabbits with chronic dental conditions and encourage further studies to clarify possible systemic effects of oral disease.

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.