Exotics Comprehensive Review

Why is it important to add exotics to your practice?

Number of pets and owners are growing

What facilities do you need to add exotics?

Dedicated waiting room

Dedicated hospitalization space with sound proofing and equipment to handle exotic species safely.

What is the key to success after adding exotics to a practice?

Train clients on husbandry

What are the benefits of adding exotics to your practice?

Increases retention of staff

Attracts highly qualified staff

Large revenue

REcruitment of discerning clients looking for specialized care

What causes a musky odor in ferrets?

Sebaceous glands and anal glands

What is commonly removed by ferret breaders?

Anal glands

What ferrets are more likely to have congenital deafness?

White marked (especially if have blaze pattern on head)

What is the dentition of ferrets?

Similar to cats, 34 teeth (I3, C1, P3, M2)

What is the GI transit time of ferrets?

Short

What space should ferrets get?

Large spaces with time supervised outside of cage (need to ferret proof house)

How can you litter box train ferrets?

Multiple boxes with high sides (like to defecate in corners) and pellet litter

What do ferrets eat?

High protein low carb diet (CANNOT DIGEST FIBER)

Where can you collect blood in ferrets?

CrVC

Jug

Lateral saphenous

Cephalic

What are the benefits of a CrVC collection in ferrets?

Good for large volume

CrVC is very long due to caudal heart

What is the landmark for a CrVC stick in ferrets?

Junction of first rib and manubrium with needle toward contralateral knee/hip

Describe a jug collection in ferrets

Very lateral on neck and difficult to visualize

Usually blind but can shave neck to help

Describe a lateral saphenous stick in ferrets

Small vessel, use a 27g needle

Can only get a small volume for PCV or blood glucose

Hemolysis is common

What is the cephalic vein used for in ferrets/

Catheters using a 26g but blood collection is possible

What are ferrets vaccinated for?

Canary-pox vectored recombinant vaccine for DISTEMPER

Rabies

Describe dental disease in ferrets

Due to moist diets usually causing early formation of calculi but dry diets will still do it

What happens to ferret canine teeth?

Discoloration, excessive wear, and blunting

What are the C/S of gastritis or GI ulcers in ferrets?

Vomiting, hypersalivation and pawing at face, melena, malaise, anorexia, weight loss, bruxism

What are your ddx for gastric ulcers in ferrets?

Foreign boxy, toxin, neoplasia, helicobacter mustelae, NSAIDs, uremia

What C/S is shared in GI ulcers and insulinomas in ferrets?

Hypersalivation and pawing at face

How do you diagnose gastritis in ferrets?

Rule out FB: rads, CBC/Chem, US

US to look at bowel walls and mesenteric LNs

GI content evaluation to look for NSAIDs, or toxic plants

Helicobacter is usually a diagnosis of exclusion

How can you do a gastric content evaluation in ferrets?

Gastric lavage is preferred but apomorphine also works

How do you treat gastritis in ferrets?

Ondansetron (anti-emesis)

Antimicrobials (Clarithromycin)

Small frequent feedings

Sucralfate

What is the prognosis for gastritis in ferrets?

Variable, but if bright and hydrated at presentation it is good

What are the concerns of a raw diet in ferrets?

Mycobacterium

Listeria

E. coli

Campylobacter

What is FEC (ferret enteric coronavirus)?

Causes epizootic catarhall enteritis (Green-slime disease) when an adult ferret is exposed to a young asymptomatic carrier

High morbidity but low mortality

Can cause chronic malabsorptive diarrhea

How do you diagnose FEC (ferret enteric coronavirus)?

fecal PCR

How can you treat FEC (ferret enteric coronavirus)?

Prednisone slightly increases recovery

What is FSC (ferret systemic coronavirus)?

Fatal disease in ferrets similar to dry FIP

Seen in young ferrets with chronic weight loss, abdominal lymphadenomegaly, diarrhea, and lethargy

How do you diagnose FSC (ferret systemic coronavirus)?

IHC of tissue biopsy

What is the mean survival time of FSC (ferret systemic coronavirus)?

67 days

Describe renal cysts in ferrets?

Usually benign but can cause compressive destruction

What is the main urolithiasis in ferrets?

Cystine

What ferret commonly gets urolithiasis?

Neutered males with stone lodged in urethra

What are your ddx for urolithiasis in ferrets?

UTI, prostatic disease, urinary neoplasia, urethritis

What is on diagnostics for urolithiasis in ferrets?

Do an US to identify an radiolucent stones that may be missed on rads

How do you treat urolithiasis in ferrets?

Surgical removal and submit stone and bladder wall for culture

Switch to animal based proteins

Pain management and ABs based on culture

What causes prostatomegaly in ferrets?

Hyperadrenocorticism causes prostatic cysts

Diagnose with abdominal US

Treat with percutaneous urethrostomy and adrenalectomy and debulking of prostate

What are the hyperadrenocorticism repro signs inf errets?

Prostatomegaly and hyperestrogenism

What is the etiology of hyperestrogenism in ferrets?

Prolonged and uninterrupted estrus due to failure to breed or artificially stimulated to ovulate

Hyperadrenocorticism

What are the symptoms of hyperestrogenism in ferrets?

Severe pancytopenia

Swollen vulva, exaggerated secondary sex characteristics

How do you treat hyperestrogenism in ferrets?

Treat hyperadrenocorticism

What is the etiology of hyperadrenocorticism in ferrets?

Early spaying/neutering

Neutering at any age

Genetics

Increased light cycle

What hormones are increased with hyperadrenocorticism in ferrets?

Steroids, not cortisol

How do you diagnose hyperadrenocorticism in ferrets?

Elevated sex hormones, estradiol, androstenedione, 17-OH progesterone

histologic diagnosis

How do you treat hyperadrenocorticism in ferrets?

Deslorelin

Adrenalectomy but be careful of CdVC in right adrenal (if bilateral, remove larger and debulk smaller)

What causes insulinomas in ferrets?

Proliferation of pancreatic islet cells (beta) which causes increased insulin and hypoglycemia

How do you diagnose insulinomas?

Presumptive with C/S and blood glucose <60mg/dL

Blood insulin levels are not reliable

US not rewarding as masses are small but can help with concurrent disease

Histologic exam of surgical biopsy is definitive

What are C/S of insulinomas in ferrets?

Episodic weakness, lethargy, depression, hypersalivation, pawing at mouth, ataxia, posterior paresis, difficulty arousing from sleep

Episodes are frequently after exercise or fasting

Seizures are less common

How do you treat insulinomas?

Surgical excision

Medically maange with high protein kibble, avoiding stress, prednisolone, discontinue high sugar treats

Diazoxide is good on prednisolone efficacy decreases

What happens if a ferret with an insulinoma has a rapid increase in blood glucose form simple sugars?

Can cause a rebound release of insulin and a hypoglycemic episode

What is diazoxide?

Insulin antagonist that can be used after pred stops working in ferrets

Describe lymphoma in ferrets

Can be in any organ at any age and is usually multicentric

How do you diagnose lymphoma in ferrets?

CBC: non-regen anemia of chronic dz is common, rarely lymphocytosis

Biochem: random

FNA of peripheral LN or abdominal organs is good

Tissue biopsy and histo is preferred

What is unique about sugar glider anatomy?

Scent glands for chem communication

Lower body temp of 97.3 (rectal) 89.6 (cloacal)

Slow metabolic rate

What type of teeth do sugar gliders have?

Brachydont (permanent)

3/2 1/0 3/3 4/4

Describe male sugar glider repro

Pendulous prepenile scrotum and a bifurcated penis

Describe female sugar glider repro

Seasonally polyestrus

15-17 days of gestation

Pouch for 50-75 days

What is normal behavior for sugar gliders?

Polygamous and gregarious

Scent marking and urine-marking

NEED TO HOUSE WITH OTHERS OR LOTS OF SOCIALIZATION

What do sugar gliders eat?

Omnivorous (usually mistaken for insectivores)

Feed in evening

Can feed fruits, arthropods, blossoms and branches

75% commercial diet and 25% fresh fruits and veggies is good

Supplement with Ca multivitamins

How can you collect blood in sugar gliders?

Jug, femoral, cephalic, medial tibial, lat saphenous

1% of BW is max you can take

What is the most common disease in captive sugar gliders?

Nutritional osteodystrophy

What causes nutritional osteodystrophy in sugar gliders?

Diets low in Ca, D3, or high in phosphorous

What are the C/S of nutritional osteodystrophy in sugar gliders?

Sudden onset of hindlimb paresis or paralysis

How do you diagnose nutritional osteodystrophy in sugar gliders?

Rads with osteoporosis or pathologic fractures

How do you treat nutritional osteodystrophy in sugar gliders?

Parenteral Ca

Correct diet

Ca and D3 supplementation

Cage rest

What causes obesity in sugar gliders?

Diets high in fat or protein

Can cause fat deposits in eye in nursing juveniles

What does obesity lead to in sugar gliders?

Cardiac and hepatic disease

how do you treat obesity in sugar gliders?

Supportive care

Improve diet

Decreased food

Increase exercise

What can cause stress-related diseases in sugar gliders?

Isolation, disregard for nocturnal nature, poor husbandry or nutrition, overcrowding, sexual frustration

What are signs of stress-related disease in sugar gliders?

Alopecia, self-mutilation, coprophagia, fur-pulling, hyperphagia, pacing, cannibalism, stereotypic behavior

how do you treat stress-related diseases in sugar gliders?

Increase nutrition and hygiene

Proper socialization and group sizes

Castration if due to sexual frustration

T/F neoplasia (lymphoid most) is common in sugar gliders?

True

What are some common sources of trauma in sugar gliders?

Bite wounds from other pets

Falls

Household hazards like electrical cords, stepped on etc

Cuts, punctures, and trauma to eye

Where can you give SC meds to sugar gliders?

Over scapula (avoid patagial skin)

Where can you give IM meds to sugar gliders?

Epaxial and quadriceps

What is a common cause of bacterial pneumonia in rats?

Mycoplasma pulmonis

How do you dx bacterial pneumonia in rats?

Rads (bronchoalveolar pattern, pleural effusion, abscesses)

how do you treat mycoplasmosis in rats?

Amoxiclav

Meloxicam, bup

Nebulization

Supportive care

Describe mammary fibroadenomas in rats

Common mammary neoplasia that is benign

Diagnose with FNA, rads, and bloodwork

Tx with surgical removal

How do you diagnose GDV in guinea pigs?

Rads with double bubble

How do you treat GDV in guinea pigs?

Poor prognosis, will die before surgery to fix

What are the safe antibiotics for hystricomorphs and rabbits?

Metronidazole

Enrofloxacin

Doxycycline

Chloramphenicol

Azithromycin

TMS

What are the unsafe antibiotics in hystricomorphs and rabbits?

Penicillins

Lincomycin

Ampicillin

Cephalosporin

Erythromycin

Describe GI hypomotility in guinea pigs and chinchillas

Not a diagnosis, always caused by something else and an emergency

Signs are abdominal distension, anorexia

Bloodwork can have a lot of changes or be normal

Rads are good for diagnosis

How do you treat GI hypomotility in guinea pigs and chinchillas?

Hydration

Analgesia

Nutritional support

Exercise

TREAT UNDERLYING CAUSE

Describe fecal/scent gland impaction in guinea pigs?

Common in older intact boars and can cause inguinal sebaceous gland infection

Prevent with early castration

Maintenance to prevent with increased dietary fiber

how do guinea pigs get bordetella?

From rabbits

How do you treat bordetella in guinea pigs?

TMS and florfenicol or azithromycin

What small animal commonly gets cardiovascular disease?

Chinchillas

What are C/S of cardiac disease in chinchillas?

Dyspnea, lethargy, anorexia

How do you diagnose cardiac disease in chinchillas?

Rads

Echo

ECG

What is the most common cause of cardiac disease in chinchillas?

Mitral valve disease (tricuspid also common)

What is the most common urolith in guinea pigs?

Calcium carbonate

How do you diagnose urolithiasis in guinea pigs?

Rads

US is good for anatomic localization and changes in organs

What is a problem with urolithiasis in guinea pigs?

Recurrence is very common and potassium citrate will not prevent it