09. Chinchillas - don't use

Chinchilla is used in auditory research, the anatomical structure of Semipatulous Eustachian tube and accessibility to ear serves as good model for ______

Otitis Media Model

Haemophilus influenzae strain 1128

DPOAE: Distortion product otoacoustic emissions

Pairs of tones tones enter the outer, middle, and inner ear, recording microphones pick up the small sounds coming back from the inner ear, computer averages and processes the responses

Amplitude is greatly reduced or absent with OHC loss

ABR: auditory brainstem response

The neural activity that is transmitted from the inner ear to the auditory brainstem and used to measure the threshold of hearing to acoustic stimulation

Recorded via electrodes on the scalp.

What cage bottom is recommended? if perforations, what size of the hole?

Solid-bottom preferred

Perforations no larger than ½" x ½"

What is the recommended floor size and cage height?

No published floor space or height requirement

1-2ft2 per animal, 12” high

What kind of bedding should be avoided in housing Chinchilla?

Avoid wood products with aromatic hydrocarbons

Paper-based products; Pets- fleece

Dust bath is required in Chinchilla husbandry. How often should it be offered? what happens if it is overused?

15 min, several times per week, avoid overuse

Overuse 🡪 eye irritation, dry skin

Prevent fur from becoming matted, greasy

Avoid for peripartum females

Mastitis

Uterine infection

What is the housing temperature requirement for Chinchilla?

63-77ºF

Prone to heat stress (can die >90ºF)

Ok at 32ºF or less if cold adapted

40-60% humidity

What is the light cycle requirement?

12:12 or 14:10 LD cycle

What should be taken into caution when restraining Chinchilla?

no scruffing

What vessels can be used to collect blood?

Jugular vein

Saphenous vein

What is the life span of Chinchilla?

9-18 years

Chinchilla has Palatal ostium, Who else has a palatal ostium?

Guinea Pigs

2 multiple choice options

HEART MURMURS is _________in Chinchilla, Usually benign

common

What dietary requirement for Chinchilla?

Herbivorous, monogastric hindgut

16-20% protein

2.5-5.5% fat

15-23% fiber

Pelleted diet + FC grass hay

Long pellets 🡪 sit upright and hold pellets to eat

Supplement with small amounts of well-washed leafy greens

What is the temperament of male versus female Chinchilla?

Females may become aggressive in heat or post-partum

Intact males may fight

What can be used to sex Chinchilla?

Anogenital distance

What are the signs for estrus in Chinchilla? How long is the estrus?

Estrus (12-48h) characterized by opened vaginal membrane, reddening, discharge

Wax-like vaginal plug expressed at onset on estrus

Vaginal cytology can determine stage of estrus with 70% accuracy

What kind of breeders are Chinchilla?

seasonally polyestrus; Spontaneous ovulators

How long is the gestation period?

105-120 days

3 multiple choice options

Do Chinchillas have post-partum estrus? duration?

Post-partum estrus 12 h after (lasts 2 d)

How long until kit's eyes open? wean age?

Open in 24 h (newborns fully furred, walk within 1 hour)

Litter size 2-3

Wean around 6 weeks

breeding life up to 10 years

What toxin does CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS toxins produce?

Gamma, beta, epsilon, iota

What clinical signs are associated with CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS?

Enterotoxemia and necrotizing hemorrhagic enteritis

Pulmonary edema

Diarrhea

Abdominal pain

Lethargy

Rectal prolapse

Sudden death

What clinical signs are associated with PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA?

Problematic for immunodeficient animals

1/3 of animals are subclinical carriers

Anorexia, weight loss

Diarrhea

Pneumonia

Conjunctivitis with corneal ulceration

Inguinal/genital pustules

Otitis with neurological signs

Facial paralysis

If severe- septicemia and sudden death

What methods can be use to control PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA?

Water quality: Acidificaiton, RO, chlorine treatment, autoclaving, filtering

What clinical signs are associated with YERSINIA SPP.? Zoonotic

Large Intestine mucosal hemorrhage and ulceration

Anorexia, weight loss, enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes

Lethargy

Excessive salivation

Diarrhea +/- bloody

Sporadic deaths

What clinical signs are associated with SALMONELLA SPP.? Zoonotic

Gastroenteritis +/- septicemia

Anorexia, weight loss, lethargy

Diarrhea +/- blood

Tremors, local paralysis

Mucopurulent/hemorrhagic vaginal secretions

Abortion

Sudden death

Has not been reported in laboratory chinchillas*

What clinical signs are associated with LISTERIA SPP.? Zoonotic

Septicemia > encephalitic or reproductive forms

Anorexia, weight loss, lethargy

Abdominal distention

Diarrhea or ↓ fecal production

Rectal prolapse

Torticollis, ataxia

Abortion

Sudden death

What pathology lesions are associated with LISTERIA SPP.?

Pinpoint white-yellow foci in liver, spleen, cecum, intestines, mesentery, lymph nodes, kidney, brain, adrenal glands, myocardium

Hemorrhagic enteritis, impaction

Pleuritis, interstitial pneumonia

Mucometra, necrohemorrhagic metritis

Fetus liver with miliary necrotic foci

How is LISTERIA SPP. transmitted?

Found in environment, contaminated hay or feed

Subclinical carriers

What clinical signs are associated with E. COLI?

Enteric infection 🡪 septicemia 🡪 DIC

Lethargy

Tachypnea

Diarrhea

Death

What clinical signs are associated with Herpes simplex virus 1? (Simplexvirus)

Neurotropic, lifelong infections

Progressive neurologic disease

**Rare - only 2 spontaneous cases reported!**

Reverse zoonosis

Ocular infection as route of entry

Disorientation

Seizures

Atonic lateral recumbency

Conjunctivitis, uveitis

Purulent rhinitis

Sudden death

What clinical signs are associated with LCMV? Zoonotic

subclinical

What clinical signs are associated with Giardia duodenalis? zoonotic

Subclinical 🡪 anorexia and diarrhea, poor coat

shed in feces of healthy animals

What clinical signs are associated with Baylisascaris procyonis?

Cerebral nematodiasis

Ataxia, torticollis, paralysis, stumbling

How is Baylisascaris procyonis transmitted?

Hay contaminated with raccoon feces

Which dermatophyte spp. is the most common in Chinchilla? Zoonotic

Trichophyton mentagrophytes

2 multiple choice options

What stain can be used to detect dermatophytes?

Periodic acid Schiff (PAS) or methenamine silver stain

Wood’s light for M. canis

What clinical signs are associated with HISTOPLASMA CAPSULATUM?

anorexia, weight loss, tachypnea, death within 2-4 d

What pathology lesions are associated with HISTOPLASMA CAPSULATUM?

emphysematous lung with focal hemorrhage and bronchopneumonia, white splenic and liver nodules, glomerular nephritis

What are the causes to Bloat in Chinchilla?

Immature hay or hay rich in clover

Sudden food changes (esp. fresh greens and fruits)

GI inflammation

Lactating females that overeat

Decompress stomach with gastric tube or trocar

Constipation is more common than diarrhea in Chinchilla. What are some of the causes?

Reduced roughage/fiber diet

Obesity, intestinal obstruction/compression

Which bone is the common site for fracture?

Usually tibia (cage bars)

What can be used to treat uterine inertia in Chinchilla?

Uterine inertia

0.5-1 IU/kg of oxytocin + 25-50 mg/kg calcium gluconate

Consider caesarian section after 4 h

Which bacterial agent is associated with conjunctivitis in Chinchilla?

Pseudomonas infection

What antibiotics should be avoided in Chinchilla? Antibiotic-associated dysbiosis & gastroenteritis

penicillins, lincomycin, ampicillin, cephalosporins, erythromycin