Diseases of Hamsters and Gerbils (not done)

How is E. coli transmitted?

Fecal-oral or fomite

What are predisposing factors of E. coli infection?

High carb, vitamin imbalance

Stress

2-4weeks old

Acute enteritis

Yellow watery diarrhea

Fluid and gas distended intestine and cecum

How do you diagnose E. coli?

Culture of intestinal contents or lesions and typing of E. coli

How do you control E. coli?

Prevent cage to cage transmission of feces

Strict sanitation practices

Correct stressful conditions to limit duration

Dams can develop antibodies and pass in the litter

What causes proliferative ileitis in hamsters?

Lawsonia intracellularis

How is Lawsonia intracellularis transmitted/

Fecal/oral, fomite, direct contact

Very contagious

What are the predisposing factors to Lawsonia?

Overcrowding, transport, poor sanitation, poor diet, experimental manipulations

What are C/S of Lawsonia intracellularis?

Severe diarrhea, anorexia, unthriftiness, rectal prolapse

What is the age for Lawsonia?

“weaning disease” 3-10 weeks

What is the prognosis of Lawsonia?

20-60% morbidity

90% mortality

What is on histo with lawsonia?

Mucosal hyperplasia

Bacilli on apical aspect of enterocyte

What are the etiologic agents of clostridial typhlitis?

C. dificile

C. perfringes

C. spiriforme

What are the C/S of C. typhilitis?

younger or older

Slow weight loss

Dehydration

Immunocompromised 

Where is hemorrhage with clostridial typhilits?

Serosal surface of colon and small intestine

What causes Tyzzer’s disease?

Clostridium piliforme

How is C. piliforme transmitted?

Fecal-oral

What is unique to Clostridium piliforme (Tyzzers)?

Multiple pale areas in liver

How do you diagnose Clostridium piliforme?

PCR or organisms on histo

What are the paramyxoviruses?

Sendai and PVM

What are the paramyxoviruses important?

Hamsters can be subclinical carriers of them to mice

What is the most susceptible to natural infection of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus?

Hamsters (most often animal to give to humans to)

How is lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus transmitted?

Direct contact of nasal secretions, urine, and saliva

In utero

What cestode is zoonotic?

R. nana

What are the C/S of cestodes?

None

What are the C/S of pinworms?

None, probably got them from mice and rats

How do you diagnose pinworms?

Exam cecal contents and tape test

How is demodex transmitted?

Direct contact

What is the significance of demodex?

Usually subclinical unless stressful, usually breeding females

What are C/S of demodex?

Pruritus, scaley skin, alopecia

how do you diagnose demodex/

Skin scrapings

How do you treat demodex?

ivermectin

What are some non-infectious diseases?

Amyloidosis

Atrial thrombosis

Neoplasia

What is the signalment for amyloidosis?

Older female hamsters with pale kidneys with accentuated lobular pattern of enlarged liver

Where do they get atrial thrombosis in hamsters?

Left atrium and auricle

What are the causes of atrial thrombosis in hamsters?

Protein losing nephropathy (loss of antithrombin III in urine exacerbated by amyloidosis)

Consumptive coagulopathy

Cardiac insufficiency

What is a common cause of death in old female hamsters?

Atrial thrombosis

What are the benign neoplasias in hamsters?

Adrenal cortical tumors

Intestinal polyps

What is the main malignant tumors in hamsters?

Lymphomas

What can fight wounds lead to?

SQ abscesses

What can cause cannibalism?

Environmental stressors post-partum

What is sore nose?

Facial eczema in gerbils

What is the etiology of facial eczema?

Increased porphyrin secretions

Mechanical trauma

Secondary staph infection

What are the C/S of facial eczema?

Dermatitis of perinasal area and periocular

How do you diagnose facial eczema?

History and C/S

What species is very predisposed to C. piliforme?

Gerbils

What are C/S of C. piliforme in gerbils?

Depression, diarrhea, high morbidity and mortality

What is the pathology of C. piliform?

Multifocal white spots on liver

Necrotizing enteritis

Hepatic necrosis and intracytoplasmic bacilli w/ silver stain

What pinworms do gerbils get?

Syphacia obvelata (also in mice)

Dentostomella translucida

What pinworm must be diagnosed with a fecal float?

Dentostomella translucida

What can cause epileptic seizures?

Induced by stress

Inherited

How do you treat epileptic seizures?

Acclimate to handling

What species gets epileptic seizures?

Gerbils

What are the gerbil neoplasias?

Marking gland adenocarcinomas

Ovarian tumors

Adrenal gland adenoma

What are the geriatric diseases?

Cystic ovaries (in 20% of females)

Chronic interstitial glomerulonephritis

Aural cholesteatoma

What does a aural cholesteatoma cause?

Tympanum is misplaced into middle ear causing a head tilt

Can occur in 50% of gerbile >2 years old

What are the misc. diseases of gerbils?

Tail slip

Malocclusion

Neomycin-streptomycin toxicity

Describe neomycin streptomycin toxicity

Acute ascending paralysis

Bloc Ach release

Can be from parenteral, injectable, or oral