Exotic companion animal species

This study will use electronic health records, available through the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET), to better understand diseases affecting rabbits, guinea pigs and other small rodent species .

We will carry out a complimentary package of work including modern text mining for example, “regular expressions” (regex) and epidemiological methods on these datasets. This will enable us to identify the main reasons why rabbits, guinea pigs and other small rodent species, such hamsters, rats and chinchillas, are taken to veterinary practices. 

Enhancing understanding of diseases in these species will enable us to develop evidence-based targeted health messages, aimed at both veterinary professionals and the public, to help make the most informed decisions around their care.