VTNE - Lab/Exotic Animals

Tyzzer's Disease

Contagious bacterial disease in rats, gerbils, rabbits, and horses

Caused by Clostridium piliforme (Bacillus piliformis)

Psittacine

Relating to, resembling, or characteristic of parrots

Belonging to the family Psittacidae, which includes parrots, macaws, and parakeets

Passerine

Of or relating to birds of the order Passeriformes

Includes perching birds and songbirds such as the jays, blackbirds, finches, warblers, and sparrows

Recommended psittacine diet

45-50% cereals and grains

45-50% vegetables

~5% fruits

~5% meats / dairy

Mineral supplementation

Organisms inhabiting the caged bird digestive system

Predominantly gram-positive

Gram stains of fecal specimens are used to determine the bacterial flora of the digestive tract

Cloacal swab

Moistened swab is inserted into the cloaca to retrieve cells

Done on psittacine species to determine the bacterial flora of the lower gastrointestinal tract

Cytologic: inflammatory cells (e.g. heterophils)

C&S, detecting Chlamydia psittaci, viral isolation

Crop wash

Saline is flushed into the crop via a tube

Sample is retrieved to examine for protozoans (e.g. Trichomonas) and yeast (Candida albicans), as well as allow for cytologic examination

Heterophil

Granular leukocyte similar to the human neutrophil but found in animals (reptiles, avian species)

Granules have variable sizes and staining characteristics

Body temperature of psittacine species

102-104 degrees F

Recommended venipuncture site for psittacine species

Right jugular vein

Can also use the basilic vein and the medial metatarsal vein

Recommended site for injections of drugs in birds

The large pectoral muscle mass

Wing clipping in birds

Heavier birds: primary flight feathers

Lighter birds: primary and secondary flight feathers

Chlamydophila psittaci

Avian chlamydiosis

Top differential diagnosis for a sick bird that has nonspecific clinical illness (e.g. diarrhea, vomiting, ocular and respiratory signs, malaise)

Zoonotic (psittacosis)

Colonic wash

Fecal sample collection method for reptiles

Reasons toenail clipping is generally discouraged for obtaining a blood sample

Painful (may cause transient lameness)

Low blood yield

Unreliable hematologic results from blood obtained from that site

Venipuncture in reptiles

Varying sites, depending on species

Snakes and lizards: caudal / coccygeal vein of tail, cardiac puncture, ventral abdominal vein

Turtles: jugular vein

Large crocodilians, turtles, and tortoises: occipital sinus, caudal tail vein

Small lizards: peribulbar and retrobulbar plexus

Ideal atmospheric conditions for captive reptiles

Temperature: 75-90 degrees F (convalescing animals should be kept on the warmer end of the scale)

Humidity: 50-70%

Injections in reptilian species

Usually on the cranial half of the body (epaxial muscles, biceps / triceps brachii)

Why do you generally avoid injecting medication into the caudal part of the body for avian and reptilian species?

Easy assimilation into the renal portal system, with potentially nephrotoxic results

Common vitamin deficiency in turtles

Vitamin A

Metabolic bone disease

Reptile disease (most common in lizards and turtles)

Caused by low calcium intake, low vitamin D3 intake, or excess phosphorus intake

Prevented by appropriate diet and adequate exposure to full-spectrum UV light

Preferred venipuncture site for ferrets

Cranial vena cava

Jugular venipuncture can be done but is difficult due to the ferret's thick skin and subcutaneous fat

Estrogen toxicity

Potentially fatal condition of female ferrets

Ferrets are induced ovulators and will not cycle out of estrus unless bred

Can lead to severe anemia and thrombocytopenia due to the toxic effects of estrogen on the bone marrow

Indicator that a ferret has been spayed / neutered and descented

One or two blue dots on the pinna

Common endrocrine disease in ferrets

Adrenal hyperplasia

Human disease that ferrets are susceptible to

Influenza

Canine disease that ferrets are susceptible to

Canine distemper - ferrets should be vaccinated against it

Also, ferrets can get heartworm disease like canines can, so they should also be on heartworm preventative

Ferret vaccinations

Canine distemper and rabies

Diet for ferrets

Ferrets are strict carnivores

Diet should be custom to ferrets or a high-quality cat food can be used

Common preanestetic drug inactivated in rabbits

Rabbits have atropinesterase, which inactivates atropin

Most common IV injection and venipuncture site for rabbits

Marginal ear vein

Bacterial dermatitis in rabbits

Pasteurella multocida

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Staphylococcus aureus

Fusobacterium spp.

Ear mite in rabbits

Psoroptes cuniculi

Fur mite in rabbits

Cheyletiella parasitovorax

Rabbit lice

Haemodipsus ventricosus

Fungal dermatopathies in rabbits

Microsporum gypseum

Trichophyton mentagrophytes

Snuffles

Bacterial disease of rabbits caused by the gram-negative bacteria Pasteurella multocida

Zoonotic

Causes nasal and ocular discharge

Treatment: antibiotics (enrofolaxin) and probiotics

Venipuncture in rodents

Anterior vena cava under general anesthesia

Antibiotic sensitivity in rodents

Many species are sensitive to penicillins, making tetracyclines the antibiotic of choice in many situations

Mammary glands in guinea pigs

Two, although they can nurse a larger litter

Parturition issues in guinea pigs

Dystocas if bred past 7-8 months (trouble separating the pubic symphysis) or due to excessive fat pad

Guinea pigs need supplementation of what vitamin?

Vitamin C

Gestation of guinea pigs

64-68 days

Gestation of hamster

16 days

Wet tail

Diarrhea in hamsters

Gestation of gerbil

25 days w/o lactation, 24-48 days w/ lactation

Bedding for mice

Hardwood shavings or chips

Aromatic softwood chips, such as cedar and pine, are to be avoided because of potential liver damage and epithelial damage

Gestation of rat

22 days

Virus wild prairie dogs carry

Hantavirus

1. The genus and species name for the rabbit is

a. Oryctolagus cuniculus

b. Mesocricetus auratus

c. Meriones unguiculatus

d. Cavia porcellus

a. Oryctolagus cuniculus

2. The genus and species name for the hamster is

a. Oryctolagus cuniculus

b. Mesocricetus auratus

c. Meriones unguiculatus

d. Cavia porcellus

b. Mesocricetus auratus

3. The genus and species name for the gerbil is

a. Oryctolagus cuniculus

b. Mesocricetus auratus

c. Meriones unguiculatus

d. Cavia porcellus

c. Meriones unguiculatus

4. The genus and species name for the guinea pig is

a. Oryctolagus cuniculus

b. Mesocricetus auratus

c. Meriones unguiculatus

d. Cavia porcellus

d. Cavia porcellus

5. The sex of juvenile guinea pigs is determined by

a. Palpation of the pelvic region

b. Behavioral traits

c. Secondary sex characteristics

d. Anogenital distance

a. Palpation of the pelvic region

6. The term for parturition in the guinea pig is

a. Kindling

b. Queening

c. Farrowing

d. Littering

c. Farrowing

7. The term for parturition in the rabbit is

a. Kindling

b. Queening

c. Farrowing

d. Littering

a. Kindling

8. The laboratory animal species most likely to experience dystocia is a

a. Rat

b. Gerbil

c. Hamster

d. Guinea pig

d. Guinea pig

9. The sex of juvenile mice is determined by

a. Palpation of the pelvic region

b. Behavior traits

c. Secondary sex characteristics

d. Anogenital distance

d. Anogenital distance

10. The cage type frequently used for housing nonhuman primates is

a. Rack

b. Squeeze

c. Cabinet

d. Metabolism

b. Squeeze

11. The scientific name of the mouse pinworm is

a. Eimeria

b. Aspiculuris

c. Hymenolepis

d. Oxyuris

b. Aspiculuris

12. Which of the following is the most commonly used species in research?

a. Rabbit

b. Guinea pig

c. Rat

d. Mouse

d. Mouse

13. The species with the shortest gestation period is the

a. Hamster

b. Gerbil

c. Mouse

d. Rabbit

a. Hamster

14. What is the correct term for a female guinea pig?

a. Doe

b. Queen

c. Bitch

d. Sow

d. Sow

15. All of the following are rodents, except the

a. Guinea pig

b. Rabbit

c. Hamster

d. Gerbil

b. Rabbit

16. A common problem that results from incorrect restraint of a gerbil is

a. Prolapsed rectum

b. Fractured back

c. Proptosed eyes

d. Tail slip

d. Tail slip

17. A common disease of juvenile hamsters is

a. Wet tail

b. Seizures

c. Snuffles

d. Leukemia

a. Wet tail

18. Seizures are a common problem in the

a. Rabbit

b. Hamster

c. Mouse

d. Gerbil

d. Gerbil

19. A male rabbit is called a

a. Boar

b. Bull

c. Buck

d. Barrow

c. Buck

20. The Animal Welfare Act is administered and enforced by the

a. United States Department of Agriculture

b. American Humane Society

c. National Institutes of Health

d. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science

a. United States Department of Agriculture

21. The disease of rats and mice caused by low humidity is

a. Sore hocks

b. Wet tail

c. Sore nose

d. Ring tail

d. Ring tail

22. Ferrets are very susceptible to

a. Canine distemper

b. Feline panleukopenia

c. Canine hepatitis

d. Feline rhinotracheitis

a. Canine distemper

23. A type of inbred albino mouse is

a. DBA

b. Swiss

c. C57/BL

d. BALB/C

d. BALB/C

24. Sacculus rotundus, appendix, and cecum are parts of what laboratory animal's gastrointestinal tract?

a. Mouse

b. Rabbit

c. Hamster

d. Guinea pig

b. Rabbit

25. What type of guinea pig has long, silky hair?

a. Abyssinian

b. English

c. Peruvian

d. Duncan-Hartley

c. Peruvian

26. What laboratory animal species has a gestation period similar to that of cats?

Gerbil

Mouse

Rabbit

Guinea pig

Guinea pig

27. Normal body temperature is highest in the

Pigeon

Hamster

Rat

Rabbit

Pigeon

28. Dutch and New Zealand are types of

a. Guinea pigs

b. Rabbits

c. Hamsters

d. Rats

b. Rabbits

29. The major causative agent of chronic respiratory disease in rats is

a. Pseudomonas

b. Mycobacterium

c. Pasteurella

d. Mycoplasma

d. Mycoplasma

30. Caudal paralysis, as a consequence of injury to the spinal cord from a fractured back, occurs commonly in the

a. Gerbil

b. Rabbit

c. Hamster

d. Guinea pig

b. Rabbits have delicate bones and can suffer vertebral fractures and dislocations just by kicking hard if they are improperly restrained.

31. What organization's major focus is voluntary accreditation of laboratory animal facilities?

a. American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care

b. American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners

c. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science

d. American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine

a. American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care

32. What laboratory animal species has cheek pouches and callous pads on its buttocks?

a. Hamster

b. Guinea pig

c. Rabbit

d. Rhesus monkey

d. Rhesus monkey

33. A rabbit with a purulent nasal discharge and conjunctivitis would most likely be affected by

a. Kennel cough

b. Venereal disease

c. Ringworm

d. Snuffles

d. Snuffles

34. A diet rich in vitamin C must be provided to what species because they cannot synthesize their own?

a. Guinea pigs and nonhuman primates

b. Hamsters and rabbits

c. Rabbits and guinea pigs

d. Nonhuman primates and gerbils

a. Nonhuman primates and guinea pigs require supplementation with vitamin C.

35. What species normally has two types of feces, day feces and night feces?

a. Hamster

b. Gerbil

c. Guinea pig

d. Rabbit

d. Rabbits have moist night feces, which are reingested, and dry day feces.

36. What laboratory animal species has ventral sebaceous glands?

a. Gerbil

b. Mouse

c. Hamster

d. Rat

a. Gerbil

37. All of the following are Old World monkeys, except the

a. Rhesus

b. Squirrel

c. Cynomolgus

d. Stump tail

b. Squirrel monkeys are New World, nonhuman primates.

38. Offspring of what laboratory animal species are born fully furred and with open eyes?

a. Guinea pig

b. Mice

c. Hamster

d. Rabbit

a. Guinea pig

39. What caging material with high-impact strength is transparent and can withstand high temperatures?

a. Polystyrene

b. Polypropylene

c. Polydextran

d. Polycarbonate

d. Polycarbonate

40. What group reviews animal research protocols to be sure that the methods of care and use are appropriate and in compliance with federal and institutional guidelines?

a. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science

b. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

c. American Humane Society

d. American Veterinary Medical Association

b. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

41. For a strain to be considered inbred, a minimum of how many generations of brother to sister or parent to offspring must occur?

a. 20

b. 16

c. 10

d. 8

a. 20

42. The laboratory animal species with hip glands is the

a. Gerbil

b. Rat

c. Hamster

d. Mouse

c. Hamster

43. A greasy hair coat of a gerbil indicates that the ambient

a. Humidity is too high

b. Temperature is too low

c. Humidity is too low

d. Temperature is too high

a. Humidity is too high

44. All of the following are outbred stocks of rats, except the

a. Long-Evans

b. Sprague-Dawley

c. Lewis

d. Wistar

c. Lewis

45. Animals that are free of absolutely all microorganisms and parasites are called

a. Specific-pathogen-free

b. Conventional

c. Microbially defined

d. Axenic

d. Axenic

46. To sanitize a large piece of equipment, such as a sheep transport cage, you would use

a. Cabinet cage washer

b. Rack cage washer

c. Bottle washer

d. Tunnel cage washer

b. A rack cage washer is the only one in which a cage of this size would fit.

47. What laboratory animal species is most sensitive to bright light?

a. Syrian hamster

b. Long-Evans rat

c. BALB/C mouse

d. Dutch rabbit

c. BALB/C mouse Retinal damage occurs in albino strains exposed to bright lights.

48. What zoonotic viral disease of primates produces a mild disease with ulcers on the mucous membranes and tongue in its natural host, the Macaca?

a. Rabies

b. Tuberculosis

c. Measles

d. Herpes B

d. Herpes B

49. What animal is covered by the Animal Welfare Act?

a. Rat specifically bred for research

b. Sheep used for wool-production experiments

c. Wild mouse used in research

d. Chicken used in egg-production experiments

c. Birds, mice, or rats bred specifically for research and sheep used for fiber or food are all exempt from the Animal Welfare Act.

50. The best type of caging system for a near-term pregnant rat is

a. Shoebox

b. Suspended

c. Metabolism

d. Squeeze

a. Shoebox caging offers a solid flooring with contact bedding.

51. Four of five mice housed together have large areas of alopecia on their muzzles. The most likely problem is

a. Barbering

b. Lice infestation

c. Mite infestation

d. Fighting

a. Barbering.

The mouse with no alopecia is the dominant animal and is chewing the hair and whiskers from the subordinate animals. This is called barbering.