5- exotic clinical exam Flashcards
What is the ideal diet for a pet rabbit
85% hay, 10% vegetables, 5% pellets
Why must an owner never feed their rabbits and guinea pigs muesli
Allows for selective eating, this can cause malnutrition. Also lack of fibre means that it can cause gut health issues and it does not grind their teeth down adequately.
What type of hay is NOT recommended for rabbits and Guinea pigs- why
Alfalfa hay- Too high in calories, this leads to obesity. Also too high in calcium.
What medical conditions will a diet too high in calcium cause in rabbits and guinea pigs
Urinary disease
Rabbits and guinea pigs have constantly growing teeth. Diets low in fibre can cause their teeth to over-grow and this can develop into dental disease. Explain why hay wears their teeth down more efficiently than pellets?
When eating pellets rabbits ‘chomp’ in and up and down motion with their jaw, this does not wear teeth down well. When eating fibre like hay, instead they grind their teeth, where their jaws move from side to side in a circular motion - this is very effective at wearing down their teeth.
What vitamin is essential in the diet of a guinea pig because they can not produce it themselves, when other animals, like a rabbit, can?
Vitamin C
What is the ideal dietary Calcium:Phosphorous (Ca:P) ratio for reptiles?
2:1
What three thing do reptiles need in order to metabolise the calcium that they eat
Heat, UVB and vitamin D
Captive bred insects have an ‘inverse’ Ca:P ratio, which means they have more phosphorous than calcium. Therefore captive insectivore reptiles cannot access the ideal Ca:P from diet alone. What should owners do to correct this problem?
They must feed a calcium supplement. The calcium supplement (and other supplements) should ideally be should be fed to the insects, this is called ‘gut loading’ and is the most reliable way of feeding reptiles powered supplements. They can also be sprinkled onto their food , but this is less reliable because it can fall off before consumption.
What clinical problem can arise if a reptile has an incorrect Calcium:Phosphorous ratio or if they do not have access to everything they need to metabolise calcium?
Metabolic bone disease (also known as nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism)
What parameters do you need to monitor regularly in pet reptiles?
Temperature
Humidity
Body weight
Appetite
What problems can incorrect substrate cause in captive reptiles?
Gastrointestinal impaction if accidently ingested (e.g. sand), warm moist breeding grown for parasites and bacteria if not easily disinfected (e.g. sand and wood chips) leading to infection or re-infection.
