Approach to the clinical placement Flashcards
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 & it doesn’t grind their teeth down adequately
What type of hay is NOT recommended for rabbits and guinea pigs and why?
Alfalfa hay
Too high in calories –> 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 & guinea pigs have constantly growing teeth. Diets low in fibre can cause their teeth to over-grow & this can develop into dental disease.
Why does hay wear their teeth down more efficiently than pellets?
When eating pellets rabbits ‘chomp’ in up & down motion with their jaw, this doesn’t wear teeth down well
When eating fibre like hay, they grind their teeth, & jaws move from side to side in circular motion - this is very effective at wearing down their teeth
What vit is essential in diet of guinea pigs because they can’t produce it themselves, when other animals (e.g. rabbit) can?
Vitamin C
What is the ideal dietary Calcium:Phosphorous (Ca:P) ratio for reptiles?
2:1
What 3 things do reptiles need in order to metabolise calcium that they eat?
Heat, UVB and vitamin D
Captive bred insects have ‘inverse’ Ca:P ratio, meaning they have more phosphorous than calcium. Thus captive insectivore reptiles can’t access ideal Ca:P from diet alone.
What should owners do to correct this problem?
They must feed calcium supplement which should ideally be fed to insects
Called ‘gut loading’ & is 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 reptile has incorrect Calcium:Phosphorous ratio or if they don’t have access to everything they need to metabolise calcium?
Metabolic bone disease
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 accidentally ingested (e.g. sand)
Warm moist breeding ground for parasites & bacteria if not easily disinfected (e.g. sand & wood chips) leading to infection
