Avian & Exotic

Question 1

A male lizard is presented for evaluation of recent-onset swelling of the ventral tailbase, adjacent and caudal to the cloacal opening. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Answer 1

Normal enlargement of the hemipenes with sexual maturity, or abnormal debris accumulation (seminal plugs)

Question 2

What does measuring the anogenital distance tell you in a juvenile rat?

Answer 2

Gender

Question 3

Which zoonotic pathogen of wild rabbits and rodents may cause cutaneous lesions, respiratory disease or meningitis?

Answer 3

Francisella tularensis (causing ‘‘rabbit fever’’ or tularemia)

Question 4

What is the average lifespan of pet chinchillas?

Answer 4

10 years (Much longer than that of other pet rodents; some chinchillas are reported to have lived 20 years!)

Question 5

Inflammation in avians is characterized by mainly caseous exudate, due to minimal amounts of which enzyme in heterophils?

Answer 5

Myeloperoxidase

Question 6

What are examples of animals that are referred to as chelonians?

Answer 6

Chelonians are the group that includes turtles, terrapins, and tortoises.

Question 7

What is the most common cause of exophthalmos in rabbits?

Answer 7

Abscess - Usually tooth root. Less commonly, neoplasia.

Question 8

This gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog is used in medical treatment of adrenocortical disease in the ferret.

Answer 8

Leuprolide acetate

Question 9

Which one of the following is absent in snakes?

A) 12 pairs of cranial nerves (like mammals)
B) Gastroesophageal sphincter
C) 2 kidneys
D) Pancreas

Answer 9

B) Gastroesophageal sphincter

Question 10

If respiratory signs are present in passerines or budgies, you transilluminate the trachea looking for evidence of what?

Answer 10

Mites

Question 11

What is ‘‘ophthalmia neonatorum’’ of ferrets?

Answer 11

Infection of the unopened eyes of kits

Question 12

A turtle is presented for evaluation of a mass protruding from the cloaca. What are the most common ddx?

Answer 12

Penile prolapse, urinary bladder prolapse, cloacal prolapse, colonic prolapse, or prolapse of the oviduct.

Question 13

In birds, dysfunction of which body system is most likely to cause green urates?

Answer 13

Hepatic.
Green, bile-stained urates may be observed in feces during liver disease. Birds lack biliverdin reductase and form biliverdin instead os bilirubin as the primary breakdown product of heme.

Question 14

Which serum biochemical parameter is the best indicator of renal disease in birds?

Answer 14

Uric acid.
It is the end product of nitrogen catabolism in birds. Other causes of hyperuricemia include ovulation and postprandial.

Question 15

Besides mosquito bites, name 2 other routes of transmission of West Nile virus in birds.

Answer 15

Consumption of infected animals, ingestion of infected mosquitoes, close contact between birds.

Question 16

What is the average litter size for guinea pigs?

Answer 16

2 to 4 (a range of 1-13 young has been reported)

Question 17

What are the usual cause of, and best treatment for, bumblefoot in caged birds?

Answer 17

Pododermatitis (bumblefoot) is usually caused by poor captive environment.
Proper perches, good nutrition, and if necessary, bandaging with or without debridement, are indicated.

Question 18

Which tendon may be cut in order to pinion a bird (prevent it from flying…)?

Answer 18

Extensor carpi radialis tendon

Question 19

In a pet bird with an unknown dietary history, you notice incidentally on radiographs that the long bones have very thin cortices. There are no fractures. Is this more likely to be normal or an early marker for metabolic bone disease?

Answer 19

Usually normal.
Normal healthy bird bones usually have very thin cortices compared to those of mammals, at least partly because of the intramedullary air sacs.

Question 20

What is the most common cause of dyschezia and hematochezia in young ferrets?

Answer 20

Coccidiosis

Question 21

What is the normal pre-surgical fasting interval for a rabbit?

Answer 21

2-4 hours, or not at all.

Question 22

Why may excessive handling of fish lead to heavier external infections with pathogens and possible life threatening ulcerations in the skin?

Answer 22

Excessive handling disrupts the mucous layer of the epidermis which protects it from the environment.

Question 23

This coronaviral disease of chickens produces respiratory signs, often followed by renal disorders (with pale, swollen kidneys) and reproductive dysfunction.

Answer 23

Infectious bronchitis

Question 24

Name one family or species of snake that is naturally herbivorous (exclusively vegetarian).

Answer 24

None. All snakes are either carnivorous or omnivorous.

Question 25

What is the typical lifespan of pet guinea pigs?

Answer 25

5 to 6 years

Question 26

What is the most common cause of diarrhea in chinchillas?

Answer 26

Inappropriate feeding

Question 27

Which normal process in rabbits is an important oral source of protein and vitamins B and K that does not require the rabbit to eat more food?

Answer 27

Coprophagy

Question 28

Which organism causes disease in turkeys classically characterized by vertebral lesions (''Crooked neck'') and shortening, bowing, and torsion of the tarsometatarsus?

Answer 28

Mycoplasma meleagridis

Question 29

What are the differential diagnoses for a soft shell in a pet turtle?

Answer 29

Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism, bacterial infection, fungal infection, trauma, normal (softshell turtles - Apalone spp.)

Question 30

What is the composition of ''red tears'' (chromodacryorrhea) shed by rats when they are stressed?

Answer 30

Porphyrin secretion by the harderian glands

Question 31

How do you distinguish a ferret's ileum from its jejunum on gross examination?

Answer 31

You can't! They have a duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, but no visible distinction between each. They also lack a cecum and ileocolonic valve.

Question 32

Which virus, for which Macaque primates are the natural host, is a well-documented cause of fatal neurotropic infections in humans?

Answer 32

Herpes V virus (simian herpesvirus)

Question 33

Antibiotic-associated enterotoxaemia in guinea pigs is a sequela of intestinal overgrowth of which bacterium?

Answer 33

Clostridium difficile

Question 34

The presence of eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions in respiratory and conjunctival epithelium is pathognomonic for which disease of chickens?

Answer 34

Infectious laryngotracheitis

Question 35

Why is heparin the preferred anticoagulant in birds and reptiles as opposed to EDTA?

Answer 35

The blood from some birds and reptiles hemolyzes when collected in EDTA.

Question 36

What are the veterinary terms for the crop and the gizzard in birds?

Answer 36

Crop: Ingulvies (Jabot) Gizzard: Ventriculus

Question 37

The operculum of fish reared in captivity is often deformed. How would this affect the health of the fish?

Answer 37

Respiration would be impaired, and the gills would be more susceptible to infection, parasitism and physical damage (the operculum is the covering of the gills of a fish).

Question 38

Which gastrointestinal disease of ferrets if classically associated with prolapsed rectum and tenesmus?

Answer 38

Proliferative bowel disease

Question 39

An adult box turtle has a circumscribed, firm subcutaneous swelling in the cranial neck, ventral and caudal to the eye. The diet is not nutritionally balanced. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Answer 39

Aural abscess

Question 40

The dermatophyte most commonly isolated from guinea pigs and chinchillas is:

Answer 40

Trichophyton mentagrophytes

Question 41

The spirochete Treponema paraluiscuniculi is the causative organism of which venereal disease?

Answer 41

Rabbit syphilis or vent disease

Question 42

What is the most common cause of diabetes mellitus in ferrets?

Answer 42

Iatrogenic. Usually secondary to pancreatectomy to treat insulinoma.

Question 43

What is the causative agent of proliferative ileitis of hamsters?

Answer 43

Lawsonia intracellularis

Question 44

Which common tumor of mice has an incidence as high as 70% in some strains?

Answer 44

Mammary tumor

Question 45

At what age are guinea pigs sexually mature?

Answer 45

2 months of age in females, and 3 months of age in males.

Question 46

What is the cause of ''slobbers'' in chinchillas?

Answer 46

Molar malocclusion

Question 47

Which pocket pet is predisposed to the development of pregnancy toxemia?

Answer 47

Guinea pig

Question 48

How is ringtail - a condition characterized by annular constrictions on the tail of rats - prevented?

Answer 48

By ensuring that ambient humidity is always at least 50%

Question 49

Which infectious disease of rabbits can present with sudden death and eyelid edema?

Answer 49

Myxomatosis

Question 50

This oral tumor in prairie dogs may be associated with maloccluded incisors and dyspnea.

Answer 50

Odontoma

Question 51

What does the term ''ectotherm'' mean, and is this a term that applies to reptiles?

Answer 51

It means that the body temperature depends on the environment. Yes, this description applies to reptiles (older, synonymous terms: poikilotherm and cold-blooded)

Question 52

The consistency of rabbit urine is often thick and creamy. Why?

Answer 52

Urine contains precipitates of calcium carbonate, reflective of dietary calcium. (Calciuria is present in horses as well, to a certain extent)

Question 53

If not restrained carefully, rabbits can kick and sustain a spinal fracture. At which vertebra does this typically occur?

Answer 53

Seventh lumbar vertebra

Question 54

What is the normal gestation period for ferrets?

Answer 54

40-42 days

Question 55

Crop, gizzard, proventriculus: in which order do they occur in the avian gastrointestinal tract, and what is the function of each?

Answer 55

From oral to aboral: 1) Crop. Storage and softening of food 2) Proventriculus. Luminal secretion of HCl for digestion 3) Gizzard. Grinding and digesting tough food

Question 56

This murine virus causes acute respiratory infection, the clinical signs of which are chattering and respiratory distress.

Answer 56

Sendai virus

Question 57

Which type of canine distemper virus vaccine should be used in ferrets? A) Chick embryo vaccine B) Canine tissue culture vaccine C) Ferret tissue culture adapted vaccine

Answer 57

A) Chick embryo vaccine B or C can induce disease and thus should never be used!

Question 58

What is the most common cause of hindlimb ataxia in ferrets?

Answer 58

Hypoglycemia caused by insulinoma

Question 59

What is the most commonly diagnosed heart disease of ferrets?

Answer 59

Dilated cardiomyopathy

Question 60

When providing supportive care for ill birds, what is the optimal environmental temperature range in which they should be kept?

Answer 60

29 to 32 degrees Celcius (85 to 90 degrees F)

Question 61

Rabbits fed a diet with inadequate fiber are at risk for which gastrointestinal disorder?

Answer 61

2 possible answers: 1) Trichobezoars 2) Gastric stasis syndrome

Question 62

Your healthy amphibian patient (e.g. frog or toad) consumes its shed skin. What does this likely indicate?

Answer 62

Normal process; failure to do so suggests illness.

Question 63

Bacteria of which genus are most commonly implicated in reptile-to-human zoonoses?

Answer 63

Salmonella spp.

Question 64

Which fungus is found in the droppings of starlings and has been associated with systemic mycotic infection in dogs and humans?

Answer 64

Histoplasma capsulatum

Question 65

Prostatomegaly with secondary urethral obstruction in a middle aged to geriatric castrated male ferret is most likely secondary to what condition?

Answer 65

Adrenocortical disease

Question 66

What is the gestation period for guinea pigs?

Answer 66

59-72 days (average 68 days)

Question 67

How long should a ferret be fasted prior to elective surgery?

Answer 67

6 hours is more than enough to empty the gastrointestinal tract

Question 68

Adult members of a flock of chickens have firm cutaneous nodules or papules, some of which are pustular, coalescing and crusting. Which infection transmitted by biting insects is most likely responsible?

Answer 68

Fowlpox virus infection (Poxvirus)

Question 69

What is the main cause of gout in birds?

Answer 69

Vitamin A deficiency

Question 70

What is the purpose of the ''soak patch'', a thin, highly vascular area of skin on the ventrum of anurans (e.g., toads)?

Answer 70

Water absorption. It should not be mistaken for a defect in the skin or an area of infection or septicemia.

Question 71

Despite showing no clinical signs, rabbits or dogs who harbor this bacterium may transmit it to guinea pigs, causing the guinea pig to develop pneumonia.

Answer 71

Bordetella bronchiseptica

Question 72

Which oncogenic virus causes cutaneous nodules in rabbits?

Answer 72

Shope papillomavirus

Question 73

At age 7-8 months, female guinea pigs undergo a permanent change that predisposes them to dystocia. What is it?

Answer 73

Permanent fusion of the pelvic symphysis

Question 74

Which protozoal parasite is associated with vestibular disease in rabbits?

Answer 74

Encephalitozoon cuniculi

Question 75

Improper restraint of a gerbil by the tail is classically associated with which resultant injury?

Answer 75

Degloving of the tail, also known as tail-slip

Question 76

Restraint of rabbits through elevation by the pinnae (''picking up by the ears'') is indicated for which medical procedure?

Answer 76

None.

Question 77

Describe the gross anatomic structure of the rabbit uterus.

Answer 77

Bicornuate, with 2 cervices.

Question 78

What is the name of the gap between the incisors and cheek teeth of rabbits and rodents (and many other species of animals)?

Answer 78

Diastema

Question 79

What is the role of brown fat tissue in rodents?

Answer 79

Nonshivering thermogenesis during which the fat is metabolized to increase heat production.

Question 80

How many chambers are there in the avian heart?

Answer 80

Four: 2 atria and 2 ventricles (just like mammals, but not like reptiles)

Question 81

The owner of a chameleon was unaware of the importance of regularly exposing the animal to unfiltered sunlight. What is the risk of failing to do so?

Answer 81

Pathogenic fractures due to inadequate vitamin D3

Question 82

What is the most common cause od swollen limbs in reptile patients?

Answer 82

Fibrous osteodystrophy, resulting from metabolic bone disease

Question 83

How many nipples do guinea pigs have?

Answer 83

2 - Both male and female guinea pigs have a single pair of nipples located in the inguinal region.

Question 84

Erythema on the chin of ferrets followed by swelling and crus formation around the lips and chin is characteristic of which viral disease?

Answer 84

Canine distemper

Question 85

Which infectious agent most commonly causes gastritis in ferrets in North America?

Answer 85

Helicobacter mustelae

Question 86

Epithelial hyperplasia is a common cutaneous response to infectious and non infectious agents. Why may this occur more readily in fish compared to mammals?

Answer 86

Fish skin lacks a protective keratin layer on the outside of the epidermis.

Question 87

A rabbit presenting with a solitary, nonpainful, subcutaneous swelling with a ''breathing hole'' is most likely infested with which fly larva?

Answer 87

Cuterebra

Question 88

In a mixed-bird flock, only chickens are showing depression, anorexia, diarrhea and some deaths. On necropsy, there are petechiae in muscle and prominent swelling and inflammation of the bursa of Fabricius. Which ACUTE disease is most likely?

Answer 88

Acute (very virulent) infectious bursal disease (Birnaviridae)

Question 89

Besides the common indicators of dehydration (enophtalmos, tenting skin, dry mucous membranes), what is an avian specific method of evaluating hydration status?

Answer 89

Refill time and turgidity of the basilic (wing) vein

Question 90

What is the most common cause of bilaterally symmetric alopecia in male and female ferrets, beginning at the tail and moving cranially?

Answer 90

Hyperadrenocorticism

Question 91

Which clinical signs might make you suspect that a snake has mites?

Answer 91

Cutaneous (pruritic or nonpruritic dermatitis, dysecdysis) or systemic (anorexia, failure to thrive, dehydration, persistent soaking in water)

Question 92

Cystic rete ovarii characteristically may cause abdominal distension, anorexia, lethargy, hair loss, and decreased fertility in which rodent species?

Answer 92

Guinea pig

Question 93

What is the most common hepatic neoplasm in ferrets?

Answer 93

Lymphoma

Question 94

Are most mammary neoplasms in rats and hamsters benign or malignant?

Answer 94

Benign (in contrast to mice and gerbils, where most are malignant)

Question 95

This viral cause of fever and upper respiratory disease can be transmitted from human to ferret and ferret to human.

Answer 95

Influenza virus (Animal-to-human transmission = ''zoonosis''; Human-to-animal transmission = ''Anthroponosis'')

Question 96

A juvenile guinea pig presents with inappetence, reluctance to move, gingival hemorrhages, and loose teeth. Enlarged costochondral junctions are present on radiographs. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Answer 96

Hypovitaminosis C (''Scurvy'')

Question 97

Other than respiration, name one biological function of the gills of fish.

Answer 97

1) Excretion of Nitrogenous waste 2) Osmotic and Ionic regulation 3) Acid-Base regulation

Question 98

This cause of stranguria in the male chinchilla is more common in stud animals.

Answer 98

Paraphimosis, also known as fur-ring

Question 99

What is the most common species of coccidia found in poultry?

Answer 99

Eimeria spp.

Question 100

You suspect a chicken died of either lymphoid leukosis or Marek's disease. There are no tumors of the bursa, but the spleen has diffuse tumors, whose cytology shows lymphoblasts and lymphocytes of various sizes. Which of the 2 diagnoses is more likely?

Answer 100

Marek's disease. Lymphoid leukosis causes tumors of the bursa of Fabricius in most (more than 95% of) cases, splenic tumors that are mostly focal, and tumor cytology showing lymphoblasts of uniform appearance (clonal origin).