Celebrating International Rabbit Day with Frances Harcourt-Brown
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In celebration of International Rabbit Day (28 September), we are thrilled to highlight the inspiring journey of Frances Harcourt-Brown (BVSc 1973) who has made an incredible impact in the field of rabbit medicine. Originally envisioning a career in traditional veterinary practice focused on farm animals, Frances could never have predicted becoming a specialist in rabbit health and welfare. Yet, through her dedication, curiosity, and research, she has significantly improved the lives of pet rabbits around the world. Her journey from a vet student in Liverpool to the first and only RCVS Recognised Specialist in Rabbit Medicine and Surgery is a testament to the power of passion and perseverance.
Do you have any memories to share from your student days at Liverpool?
I gained my place at Liverpool to study Veterinary Science in 1968, when I was 17 and lived in a remote part of the Lake District. My intention was to be a ‘proper vet’ i.e. calving cows and dehorning stirks. I would never have envisaged becoming any type of specialist, let alone a rabbit vet.
I enjoyed my time at Liverpool. I was part of a golden generation that did not have to pay tuition fees. There was a grant that we didn’t have to repay, although it did depend on father’s income. My county council paid for my travelling fees and some books. I could also claim expenses for seeing practice (EMS) if I needed to stay away from home.
At that time, there were 6 young women in each year group of 40. It was not an equal opportunity society at that time, so we had to compete with other ladies for those places. I was lucky to get one, especially as my A-level results were not as good as the other students. We spent our final year living together on the campus at Leahurst. As there were only forty of us, we got to know each other well. My husband, Nigel, was in the same year.
Have you been back to visit the vet school since? Was it very different?
I know it is hugely different now! We trained in The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, which is now the School of Veterinary Science.
I have returned to Leahurst twice. The first time was in the late nineties. It was all very strange as I was giving a lecture in the theatre that I had listened to so many lectures in. Someone else was sitting in my seat. The second time I returned was in 2019 for a practical session to teach students about neutering rabbits. Leahurst was almost unrecognisable this time around! It has some marvellous facilities for the students.
Tell us about your career. How did you become a European and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Rabbit Medicine and Surgery?
When I qualified, I found rabbits frustrating creatures to treat. We were taught the bare basics, such as how to pick them and how to determine their sex. Any information about their diseases originated from rabbits kept in intensive conditions, either as laboratory or commercial rabbits. The problems that we were seeing in pet rabbits were not described. My husband commented that many pet rabbits had abnormal teeth, so I started to examine them more carefully and kept records. I took radiographs and prepared skulls whenever the opportunity arose. I couldn’t believe the severity of the dental problems that these poor rabbits were suffering from.
By 1995, I had gathered enough skulls to publish a paper in Veterinary Record for which I was given the William Hunting Award. The publication of this paper gave me the confidence to write more, and I continued keeping records and collecting data. My second paper was on the relationship of muesli mixes with dental disease. This paper triggered a seismic shift in the way pet rabbits are fed. Nowadays, most pet rabbits not fed on muesli mix. Instead, they eat hay and/or fresh greens supplemented with nutritionally balanced nuggets.
My work struck a chord with the veterinary profession, and I delivered lectures and authored articles. Word spread amongst owners and rescue centres about my interest in rabbits. As a result, my rabbit case load increased significantly. At the end of my career, I only saw rabbits. I have learned so much from these patients.
In 1996, I successfully applied for a grant from Petsavers to continue my studies. I also had valuable advice and practical help from the Royal Veterinary College, Idexx and Abbey laboratories. A publisher approached me to author a book about rabbits for the general practitioner. I accepted and then obsessively read as much published information as I could find. The book was like a giant jigsaw. I pieced the information together and ‘The Textbook of Rabbit Medicine’ was the result, published in 2002. I completed my Fellowship thesis on dental disease in rabbits in 2006. In 2009, I followed my husband’s footsteps and became a de facto member in the newly formed European College of Zoological Medicine. He was in the avian speciality, and I was in the small mammal speciality. In 2012, I became the first and only RCVS Recognised Specialist in Rabbit Medicine and Surgery.
Have you got any top tips for alumni working in first opinion practice when it comes to rabbit patients?
It is important to remember that many pet rabbits are an integral part of family They can be as emotionally valuable as a dog or cat. Some live in the house. A few share the sofa or even the bed with their owner. As in any other species, making a diagnosis is the route to successful treatment. Clinical examination is important, and radiography is often a simple, cost-effective way to make a diagnosis although other procedures may be necessary.
My best tip is to perform a post-mortem examination whenever possible. Although many owners might be reluctant at first, the majority will agree to a post-mortem examination once they know that it is going to help other rabbits, and they can have the body back if they want to. I didn’t charge owners, either for the post-mortem examination or cremation fees. It is an educational procedure, akin to finding answers at the end of a book. Pathologic changes can be seen and compared with clinical findings and investigations. The changes are often diagnostic although additional histopathology may be needed. Most importantly, the result of the post-mortem examination often brings closure to the owner once they know why their rabbit was ill. All this relies on an understanding boss who is willing to allow free post-mortem examinations and bear the cost of histopathology or other laboratory investigations. It can be classified as Continual Professional Development (CPD).
Can you tell us a bit more about your website, for example how alumni might be able to use it as a resource to help with rabbit patients?
Let’s say that my website is ‘work in progress’. The present site is incomplete and outdated. However, I am working on a bigger and better one entitled ‘Anatomy, Physiology and Diseases of Pet Rabbits’. I am hoping that, like the Textbook of Rabbit Medicine, it will be a useful resource for vets, students, and owners but, unlike the book, it will be free. There are lots of illustrations and plenty of information but, because it is now 8 years since I retired, it won’t include any detailed descriptions about drugs or newer diagnostic procedures, such as CT or MRI scanning. Hopefully, the website will be online in the not-too-distant future.