Chapter 22 Exotics & Quiz

85% of the presenting disease problems of exotic companion animals is related to owners lack of

husbandry and basic nutritional knowledge​

Birds should be transported in

a pet carrier or small transport cage​

When its cold owners should cover the cage with

a towel or blanket to protect bird from drafts​

Owners should provide pictures of

enclosure and droppings (advise owner of this prior to appointment)

History should include

signalment, where the bird was obtained and how long owned, environment, enrichment provided, diet and appetite, feces, other pets in house, sleep patterns, behavior, medical history and chief complaint​

environment birds

cage being kept, where in house, what kind of cage/perches

enrichment provided birds

allowed out of cage? Wings clipped? Toys? Food foraging?

diet and appetite birds

type of food and or treats

behavior birds

overall behavior in home, friendly, aggressive, only likes 1 person, any problems with behavior

sleep patterns birds

covered at night, if so how many hours?

molting cycle birds

last general molt, any abnormalities in the feather coat or feather growth evident

Towels (birds)

best friend for bird restraint​

Birds do not have a ___

diaphragm

2 main ways to administer medications

oral and IM​

zoonotic and can cause severe respiratory signs in humans

Chlamidia Psittaci

do not obstructed, can asphyxiate (kill by deprived of air)

keel

Do not draw

more than 1% of birds body weight when sampling blood​

Oral meds

often surprisingly easy to administer, birds often grab the tip of the syringe to investigate so it is easy to squirt the med into their mouth, can also do during a gavage feed if needed​

IM injections

common and relatively easy to give, always in the large pectoral muscles on either side of keel.

Avoid going too high on chest or too low

there are air sacs there​

SQ fluids

can be administered, in the apteric areas of the inguinal regions or if extremely debilitated prescapular area, but much higher risk of hitting air sacs​

Oxygen and heat support critical for

hospitalized patients as well as being housed away from cats and dogs in exotics only area/room​

Transportation

should be secure and dependent on species​

Dietary requirements

vary tremendously from species to species and improper feeding (along with housing) is a significant cause of many disease processes in reptiles​

Temperature and humidity

important because reptiles are poikilothermic​

poikilothermic

an internal body temp dependent on its enviorment and not regulated by oneself (homeostasis)

Clinical history

signalment, origin, environment, UVA/UVB lights, heat source, cage design, food, drinking water, feces, any cage mates, behavior, ecdysis

environment reptiles

this is critical reptiles in particular are very sensitive to their environment and improper housing can lead to severe disease

food reptiles

whats offered and how often, any supplements

ecdysis

Shedding, how often, when was last, does pet need help

Important thing to remember with reptiles:

the stimulus for them to breathe is related to oxygen saturation and not CO2 concentration​

IM injections reptiles

should always be administered in cranial half of body – epaxial or forelimbs​

IM injections cranial half because:

reptiles have a renal portal system that routes blood from the caudal third of the body through a capillary network into the kidneys before sending to general circulation, especially true for nephrotoxic drugs. ​

IV catheters reptiles

can be challenging but possible in some species

IO reptiles

often the perfered route

Snakes

the only species where you can do an intracardiac blood draw and not cause death!

Reptiles often shed

salmonella in their feces, it’s a normal part of their gut flora

UVB lights

loose potency after about 6 months and need to be replaced even if there is light still being emitted​

to aid in healing in hosp. (reptiles)

important to keep them on warm side of their range for temperature

reptile not dead until

warm and still dead

Blood draw location in reptiles depends on

species, coxcygeal vien often used in many reptiles, can also do jugs in chelonians, or cephalic vien in larger reptiles​

improper or no UVB can cause

metobolic bone disease

ferrets are

strict carnivors

A firm hold on their scruff

preferred method of restraint​

In the US the vast majority of ferrets

spayed/neutered and de-scented before arriving at pet stores​

Ferrets that have been spayed or neutered at breeding facility will have

tattooed dots on a pinna to indicate sterilization

Marshalls

most ferrest in the US come from this facility

SQ injections ferrets

between shoulder blades

IM injections ferrets

given epaxial, gluteal, or thigh muscles

IV catheterization ferrets

can be done, typically in the cephalic or jugular viens but if they are relatively healthy they often need sedation to be able to perform. They have very tough skin so they do sometimes need the skin to be nicked before placing. ​

ferrets are

Notorious for not liking oral medications so using palatable treat to administer can help

Parenteral administration techniques in ferrets are

similar to what is used in cats​

Ferrets are susceptible to

human influenza, canine distemper, and bacterial pneumonia​

Common neoplastic diseases in ferrets:

insulinoma, lymphoma, and fibrosarcoma. They also prone to adrenal disease​

Ferrets love to

explore, cause, mischief, and chew on inappropriate things​

Male ferrets are prone to

urinary obstruction​

Ferrets need to be watched closely for

FB ingestion

forgin body

FB

vomiting in ferrets

is a concern

Ferrets one of few exotic species that are routinely vaccinated for

Canine distemper and rabies

ferrets are

highly susceptible to vaccine reactions and should be monitored for 20 min-1 hour after administration

guinea pig is a

rodent

rabbit is a

lagomorph

both rabbits and guinea pigs have

hypsondontic teeth

without large ammounts of hay rabbits and guinea pig are prone to

malocculsions

Rabbits must ingest their, to maintain GI health​

cecotrophs (night feces)

Avoid feeding lots of sugary foods such as apples, bananas, and carrots

damage their delicate gut flora​

G.pigs lack the enzyme L-gulonolactone oxidase which is necessary to produce

vitamin C​

both rabbits and guinea pigs must

have free access to large amounts of water

Common misconception that rabbits make good caged pets like rodents

very curious and need a lot of exercise and enrichment to lead long happy lives (8-10 years)

Guinea pigs need well ventilated, plastic bottomed cage with soft bedding. Avoid

wood chips because the artificial scents and sharps edges can damage their feet, mouth, and eyes​

Primary food for rabbits and guinea pigs should be

hay (ie. Timothy hay) with some grass-based pellet as a supplement

GI stasis and ileus is often secondary to another problem such as

anorexia (due to malocculsions, dental abcessess) , stress, trichobezoars, but is more dangerous than the primary problem

GI stasis treatment

involve pain medication (buprenex and Metacam), fluids either IV or SQ, simethicone, forced feedings of CCH, +/- antibiotics (baytril or flagyl), Cholestyramine, reglan. Severe stasis may require CRI of lidocaine for pain relief in addition to intermittent opiods​

in rabbits a decreased temperature is a sign

of severe shock

perferd IV sight in rabbits

cephalic vein​

Encephalitozoon cuniculi (E.Cuniculi)

common protozoan parasite​

E.cuniculi causes range of neurologic signs

from mild ataxia to severe torticollis. Can also cause damage to eyes, kidneys, and heart. Very common problem in breeding facilities and rabbits often harbor the parasite in spore form than can erupt and cause symptoms years later. ​

Pasteurella multocida (snuffles)

common and causes nasal discharge, abscesses, conjunctivitis, and resp distress​

Treatment of gi stasis for gpigs

very similar to rabbits, usually a result of dental issues or ingestion of inappropriate antibiotics​

Guinea pig genstastion

64 days which results in precocious young

Bumblefoot

footpad dermatitis results in ulcers on bottom of feet​

Gpigs are unable to whelp naturally after 7-8 months of age

because their pubic symphysis fuses at this point. If a female pig becomes pregnant after this age they need a csection to save the mom and babies

signs of vit c defi

anorexia, poor wound healing, periodontal disease, and eventually temporomandibular joint inflammation​

Gpigs prone to

uroliths, need diets low in calcium​

GDV

Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus

GDV very high mortality

70-100% often presents as sudden death

Have hypsondontic teeth like rabbits and guinea pigs

Chinchilla

Chinchillas

can live up to 20 years very prone to heat stroke

Chinchillas need and are

d access to dust baths weekly, generally shy animals that need to be kept in pairs​

Hedgies are

nocturnal and very shy prefer to be left alone

Hedgies need

teeth cleaning/trimming occasionally, (enjoy) exercise wheel or shallow dish to swim, to be sedated to perform exam

can scruff hampsters but becareful

not to scruff to hard and cause eyes to proptose bilatery (protudes or buldges abnormally from socket)

African hedgehogs

insectivores not rodents

do not grab gerbils by tail causes

tail degloving (fur slip)

Avian droppings have 3 components: feces, which are generally brown to green and formed like normal stool; ____________, which is how avian kidneys convert and excrete ammonia, and looks white and pasty; and urine which is the liquid part

uric acid

Ferrets are prone to several diseases such as insulinoma and adrenal disease that result in

hypoglycemia

Guinea pigs need ____________ supplemented just like humans do

vitamin C

IM injections on a chelonian should be done in the ______________ half of the body, because of the renal portal system

crainal

Rabbits need to ingest their _______________ to maintain their GI health

cecotropes