9.5.1: Anorexia in small mammals Flashcards
Treatment principles of GI disease
Prokinetics that can be used in rabbits
Analgesia for rabbits with GI disease
Fluid therapy for rabbits
Bloat
Antibiotics for rabbits
Treatment of gastric bloat
Treatment of dysbiosis in rabbits
Treatment of dental absesses in rabbits
Nutritional support for rabbits
What history questions should you ask if a small mammal presents with anorexia?
- What is their diet like?
- Are they inside / outside?
- Faeces - quantity and appearance? Remember caecotrophs are softer, produced in the evening, and some owners never see them
- Any recent changes?
- Any stress?
- Are they in any pain?
- Any new pets?
What aspects of your clinical exam should you focus on in the small mammal presenting with anorexia?
- Examine teeth
- Examine eyes - nasolacrimal duct pass tooth roots
- Observe and palpate the whole head thoroughly: underneath jaw, facial symmetry
- For lop rabbits, check ears -> repeated infections can cause gut stasis
- Check for other sources of pain: arthritis, bladder infections -> if these are not addressed, GI disease will keep reoccuring
- Palpate abdomen
- Auscultate the GIT in hindgut fermenters (rabbits, chinchillas, guinea pigs, degus)
- Check BCS
- Check perineal area
Do not be afraid to advise further exam e.g. of teeth under sedation
If the teeth do not show enough wear, what might this suggest?
- Selective eating
- Not enough fibre in diet (vegetation / hay)
If the teeth are weak, what might this suggest?
- Too many sugary treats and fruit (can cause caries and predispose to dental abscesses)
- Vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs
- Selenium deficiency
- Ca/P imbalance (metabolic bone deficiency)
Which small mammal is prone to Vitamin C deficiency?
Guinea pigs
* They cannot produce their own Vitamin C so must obtain it entirely from diet
* They can have problems if fed a rabbit diet
* Vitamin C degrades in sunlight so can have problems if the food is left open
Signs of Vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs
- Scurvy
- Weak bones
- Weak peridontal ligaments (weaker teeth)
When rabbits get tooth spurs, which teeth grow into the tongue and which grow into the cheek?
- Upper cheek teeth overgrow into the cheek
- Lower cheek teeth overgrow into the tongue
Lower cheek teeth in guinea pigs naturally curve inwards and towards the centre. What problems can this cause if left unchecked?
If these teeth overgrow, they can form a bridge which traps the tongue.
True/false: orange colouring of the teeth indicates pathology in small mammals.
False.
Some species normally have yellow or orange teeth (e.g. Degus) however this colour should be uniform throughout. The image below is very abnormal.
What does the ideal rabbit diet comprise of?
- 85% hay - not alfalfa because this is too high in sugar and calcium
- 10% vegetables
- 5% pellets
No muesli - they will selectively eat this.
Why is feeding alfalfa hay a problem in rabbits?
- Alfalfa hay is too high in sugar and calcium
- This can cause bladder issues e.g. urolithiasis
Which of these rabbits is more likely to suffer dental disease? Why?
- Rabbit on R has been selectively bred and is brachycephalic
- This means it suffers malocclusions and has an inherited predisposition to dental disease
- Lop rabbits are also more likely to get ear infections (poor ventilations, abscesses); ear, teeth, sinuses all connected -> abscesses and dental infections more common if already have infection in sinuses/ ears.
What GI issues could incorrect diet cause for a small mammal?
- Bloat
- Diarrhoea
- Dysbiosis
- GI bacterial infections
- Hepatic lipidosis
- Obesity -> prevents caecotrophs ingestion
Which GI diseases are indoor vs outdoor pets more predisposed to?
- Outdoor pets -> more exposure to wildlife -> viruses, parasites
- Indoor pets -> higher risk of foreign bodies, trauma if allowed to roam loose
How can stress lead to anorexia? What are some causes of stress for small mammals?
Stress -> hypomotility -> anorexia and other problems e.g. gut stasis, gastric ulcers, bloat
Causes of stress
* Predators
* New rabbits
* Sudden change of diet
* Change of housing
* Transport
* Extremes of weather/ temperature
* Loss of companion rabbit
Clinical signs of GI disease
- Anorexia
- Reduce / no faecal output
- Small dry faecal droppings
- Diarrhoea
- Hunched up
- Lethargy
- Faecal staining ± myiasis
- Dribbling / wet front paws
- Caecotroph accumulation in rabbits
- Anal impactions in guinea pigs
Common GIT conditions in hindgut fermenters
- Dental disease
- Gut stasis
- Bloat
- Gastric ulceration
- Impaction or FB
- Neoplasia e.g. lymphoma, adenocarcinoma
- Bacterial dysbiosis, enteritis
- Viral: coronavirus, rotavirus, rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD)
- Parasitic e.g. pinworm, Eimeria
- Liver disease e.g. hepatic lipidosis, liver lobe torsion (rabbit)
- Gastric diltation volvulus (guinea pig)
Common GIT conditions in ferrets
- Endoparasites esp if fed raw
- Protozoa e.g. Eimeria, Giardia
- Bacterial: Helicobacter mustulae
- Viral: ferret enteric coronavirus, rotavirus, canine distemper virus
- Obstruction
- Inflammatory bowel disease
Common GIT conditions in rodents that are not hindgut fermenters (i.e. not guinea pigs)
- Bacterial enteritis: e.g. Salmonella, Clostridium piliforme, Lawsonia intracellularis
- Viral and parasitic enteritis less common in these species
- Antibiotic-associated enterotoxaemia
- Cheek pouch impactions
- Overgrown incisors
What causative agent is behind Tyzzer’s disease?
Clostridium piliforme
What is the causative agent of wet tail?
Lawsonia intracellularis
Liver parameters in small mammals
- Total bilirubin
- ALT, AST, GGT, ALP
What do the differences between these radiographs represent?
What do the differences between these radiographs represent?
Hard faeces phase - during the day
What glucose levels might you expect on blood from the anorexic small mammal?
- Hyperglycaemia - from pain, stress, or advanced liver disease
- Normoglycaemia - starvation + stress
- Hypoglycaemia - starvation / anorexia
Elevated PCV, TP, ± elevated urea and creatinine might suggest what in the anorexic small mammal?
Dehydration
What is gut stasis and what causes it?
Gut stasis: slowing or stopping of the passage of food through the GIT; typically affects hindgut fermenters. This is a clinical finding rather than a diagnosis but it requires specific treatment.
Causes of gut stasis
* Pain
* Stress
* Incorrect diet
* Lack of caecotrophy
* GI bacterial / viral / parasitic infection
Possible causes of gastric bloat
- Physiological obstruction e.g. gastric stasis due to pain, diet
- Physical obstruction e.g. foreign body, neoplasia, GDV
Aggressive stabilisation required in all cases. Very painful!
Gastric bloat and gut stasis
Gastric bloat only (barium contrast not progressing into intestines)
Very severe gastric bloat
Mild case of gastric bloat
Causes and clinical signs of bacterial enteritis / dysbiosis
Dysbiosis: microbial imbalance, usually an overgrowth of Clostridia and/or coliforms; occurs secondary to diet change, stress, or oral antibiotics.
Enteritis: overgrowth by Clostridia or infection with E. coli (esp juvenile rabbits under stress), Salmonella, Pseudomonas, Yersia pseudotuberculosis, Lawsonia intracellularis
Clinical signs of bacterial enteritis
* Anorexia
* Diarrhoea
* Haematochezia
* Dehydration
* Shock
* Death
Clinical signs and treatment of dysautonomia
Dysautonomia: idiopathic malfunction of the autonomic nervous system. No specific treatment.
Clinical signs
* GI stasis
* Dry mm and conjunctiva
* Mydriasis
* Bradycardia
* Urine retention
* Megaoesophagus
* Mucoid enteritis
* Large intestinal impaction
* May be found dead with food impacted in mouth
Caecal impaction in a rabbit
* Seen occasionally in adult rabbits
* Aetiology unclear, maybe due to stress or ingestion of substances e.g. cat litter
* Poor prognosis
Diagnosis and treatment
Anal impaction
* Common in older male guinea pigs
* Gentle manual expression can be done consciously
Which parasite is shown here and what clinical signs would you see?
Staging of dental disease in rabbits
What stage of dental disease is shown here?
Stage 1 - this is normal
Tooth root elongation in rabbits can lead to occlusion of which structure?
Nasolacrimal duct
What pathology is shown here?
Incisor malocclusion
What stage dental disease is shown here?
What stage dental disease is shown here?
What stage(s) of dental disease are shown here?
Which radiographic views will you take to assess rabbit dentition and dental pathology?
