{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T11:20:06Z","timestamp":1790680806598,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,14]],"date-time":"2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1715644800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Veterinary Dermatology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Lop\u2010eared rabbits may be predisposed to otitis externa (OE) as a consequence of their ear conformation. Although otoscopy, otic cytological evaluation and culture are valuable tools in dogs and cats, published data on rabbits remain lacking.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Hypothesis\/Objectives<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study aimed to assess the utility of otoscopy and cytological results in evaluating healthy rabbit external ear canals (EECs) and to characterise ear cytological and microbiological findings through culture techniques and metagenomic sequencing.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Animals<\/jats:title><jats:p>Sixty\u2010three otitis\u2010free client\u2010owned rabbits.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Materials and Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>All rabbits underwent otoscopy and ear cytological evaluation. In a subset of 12 rabbits, further bacterial and fungal culture, fungal DNA assessment and metagenomic sequencing were performed.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Otic cytological results revealed yeast in 73%, cocci in 42.9% and rods in 28.6% of healthy rabbit EECs. Compared to upright\u2010eared rabbits, lop\u2010eared rabbits had more discharge and more bacteria per oil immersion field. Culture isolated eight different species yet metagenomic sequencing identified 36, belonging to the Bacillota (Firmicutes), Pseudomonadota and Actinomycetota phyla. <jats:italic>Staphylococcus<\/jats:italic> were the most commonly observed species with both methods. Ten of 12 rabbits were yeast\u2010positive on cytological evaluation with only three yielding fungal growth identified as <jats:italic>Yarrowia<\/jats:italic> (<jats:italic>Candida<\/jats:italic>) <jats:italic>lipolytica<\/jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Eurotium echinulatum<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Cystofilobasidium infirmominiatum<\/jats:italic>.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions and Clinical Relevance<\/jats:title><jats:p>Healthy rabbit EECs lack inflammatory cells yet can host yeast and bacteria, emphasising the need to evaluate cytological results alongside the clinical signs. Lop\u2010ear anatomy may predispose to bacterial overgrowth and OE. Notably, yeasts may be present despite a negative culture.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/vde.13256","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,14]],"date-time":"2024-05-14T09:48:21Z","timestamp":1715680101000},"page":"479-491","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Cytological evaluation, culture and genomics to evaluate the microbiome in healthy rabbit external ear canals"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"35","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2331-1341","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nikoleta","family":"Makri","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute University of Edinburgh  Midlothian UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Natalie","family":"Ring","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute University of Edinburgh  Midlothian UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Darren J.","family":"Shaw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute University of Edinburgh  Midlothian UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Athinodoros","family":"Athinodorou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute University of Edinburgh  Midlothian UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4481-6004","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Victoria","family":"Robinson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute University of Edinburgh  Midlothian UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gavin K.","family":"Paterson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute University of Edinburgh  Midlothian UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jenna","family":"Richardson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute University of Edinburgh  Midlothian UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Debbie","family":"Gow","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute University of Edinburgh  Midlothian UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7412-9398","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tim","family":"Nuttall","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute University of Edinburgh  Midlothian UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_8_2_1","unstructured":"The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report (2023). 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