Anorexia in small mammals Flashcards
History Q’s
- diet?
- faeces - quantity? appearance?
- any recent changes?
- inside/outside?
- stress? pain?
- any new pets?
What can incorrect diet cause?
- bloat
- diarrhoea (common if fed sugary diet)
- dysbiosis
- GI bacterial infections (usually from eating spoilt food or scavenging (ferrets))
- hepatic lipidosis (common in obese animals)
- obesity which prevent caecotroph ingestion
Common conditions for indoor and outdoor pets
- outdoor: exposure to wildlife e.g. virus and endoparasites
- indoor: if loose higher chance of FB and trauma
Why can stress cause gut problems in hindgut fermenters?
- it causes hypo motility which can then lead to anorexia and other problems e.g. gut stasis, gastric ulcers and bloat
Causes of stress in rabbits
- predators
- new rabbits
- sudden change of diet
- change of housing
- transport
- extremes of weather/temperature
- loss of a companion
Main differences to CE cf a dog
- auscultate the GIT in hindgut fermenters
- need to use an otoscope for visualisation of cheek teeth
- need to check ear canals and joints (any source of pain/dz can trigger gut stasis/GI issues, hence need to check everywhere)
Hindgut fermenters
- rabbits
- guinea pigs
- degus
- chinchillas
Ferret CE cf cat
- different handling techniques: scrubbing often used as lots of extra skin in the area, therefore shouldn’t be painful or stressful
- splenomegaly is common and often an incidental finding
Clinical examination
- always examine teeth during CE and whenever under GA for anything else
- observe and palpate whole head thoroughly
- retract lips to examine incisors (in rabbits & GPs)
- in species with radicular hyposdont pre–molars and molars, always use an otoscope to examine molars, tongue, cheeks
- don’t forget to check eyes (nasolacrimal ducts pass tooth roots)
- abdo palpation, BCS, checking perineal area all very important
- can advise further exam under sedation
Reduced wear in hindgut fermenters is due to
- not enough fibre (veg/hay)
- selective eating
Weaker teeth in hindgut fermenters is due to
- sugary treats and fruit
- vitamin C deficiency (GP)
- selenium deficiency
- Ca/P imbalance (MBD)
Problem with sugary treats and fruit in hindgut fermenters
- decay and caries can develop
- predisposes to dental abscesses, and deficiencies
What is a tooth overgrowth in rabbits known as?
- a spur
In rabbits which way go the upper and lower cheek teeth other grow towards?
- upper: into the cheek
- lower: into the tongue
Guinea pig cheek teeth
- same as rabbits
- but their lower cheek teeth curve slightly inwards (this is normal)
- when they overgrow they form an arch and can trap the tongue
Ideal rabbit diet
- 85% hay (not alfalfa)
- 10% veg
- 5% pellets (not muesli)
Breeding and dental dz
- inherited predisposition
- malocclusion
- brachycephalic conformation
Signs of GI dz
- anorexia
- reduced/no faecal output
- small dry faecal droppings
- diarrhoea
- hunched up / lethargic
- faecal staining (+/- myiasis)
- dribbling/wet front paws
- caecotrophs accumulation (rabbits)
- anal impactions (GPs)
Diagnostic tests
- oral exam and abdo palpation under sedation
- haematology & biochem
- urinalysis
- faecal flotation & wet smear
- radiography +/- barium
- US
- endoscopy
Haematology & biochem
- often non-specific
- stress leukogram is a common finding
Hyperglycaemia causes
- stress
- pain
- advanced liver dz
Hypoglycaemia causes
- starvation/anorexia
What do elevated TP & HCT +/- urea/creatinine indicate?
- dehydration
Reduced albumin causes
- production
- loss
- ingestion
Liver parameters
- TBIL
- ALT
- AST
- GGT
- ALKP
Common GIT conditions in hindgut fermenters
- dental disease (primary or secondary)
- gut stasis (motility decreases and gas builds up in the intestines)
- bloat (gas accumulation in the stomach)
- gastric ulceration (stress and slowing of the GIT can predispose to them)
- impaction or FB
- neoplasia (e.g. lymphoma, adenocarcinoma)
- bacterial (dysbiosis and enteritis)
- viral (e.g. coronavirus, rotavirus, rabbit hemorrhagic dz (RHD))
- parasitic (e.g. pinworm, eimeria)
- liver lobe torsion (rabbits)
- GDV (GP)
Why can rabbits get liver lobe torsion?
- 1 lobe is quite loose and mobile
- check for this if present with acute sudden pain
Gut stasis
- slowing/stopping of the passage of food through the GIT
- typically affects the hindgut of hindgut fermenters
- clinical sign not diagnosis, but needs to be specifically treated
Causes of gut stasis
- pain
- stress
- incorrect diet
- lack of caecotrophy
- GI bacterial infection, viral , parasites
2 types of causes of gastric bloat
- physiological obstruction e.g. gastric stasis due to pain or diet
- physical obstruction e.g. FB, neoplasia, GDV
- aggressive stabilisation required in all cases
- surgery may be required if a physical obstruction
Onset of gastric bloat
- quite acute
- in a lot of pain
Normal commensals of hindugt fermenters
- Bacteroides
- Enterococcus
- Staphylococcus
- E.coli
Dysbiosis
- microbial imbalance
- usually an overgrowth of clostridia and/or coliform secondary to diet change, stress or oral antibiotics