Common problems in pet Rodents Flashcards
What guinea pigs get diarrhoea? Tx?
- Mainly young / immunocompromised patients
- Tx = specific antibiotics / high fibre diet / supportive care
What are common causes of diarrhoea in guinea pigs?
- Diet – inadequate fibre/high simple carbohydrates
- Bacterial infections – Tyzzer’s disease (Clostridium piliforme)
- Dysbiosis/enterotoxaemia =
- after incorrect use of Antibiotics
- Clostridial overgrowth
(Hepatopathies, dental disease)
What are 90% of calculi? What are common secondary complications to urolithiasis?
- Calcium carbonate
- 2ary cystitis + bacterial UTI
CS of urolithiasis?
- Haematuria
- Dysuria
- Pain/vocalizing during urination
- Non-specific: anorexia, lethargy, hunched posture
- Depends on urolith location
How can urolithiasis be diagnosed? + Tx?
- Plain radiography - calcium = easily detected
- Abdominal ultrasound - done conscious
- Tx - very small <5mm = passed unaided = ANALGESIA
- all other cases = Bladder (GA+cystotomy), Urethra (GA+ flush), Ureters (Ga + hydropropulsion then cystotomy), Kidneys (not possible)
What is the difference between serous + follicular ovarian cysts in guinea pigs?
SEROUS CYSTS =
* Non-functional
* Develop spontaneously during oestrus cycle
* Don’t respond to Luteinizing Hormone
* Only cause clinical signs if become too large
FOLLICULAR CYSTS =
* Derive from follicles that fail to ovulate
* Hormonally active
* Respond to LH
* Variable clinical signs
CS of ovarian cysts? Dx? Tx?
- CS = asymptomatic, anorexia, abdominal distension, non-pruritic flank alopecia, mammary gland hyperkeratosis
- Dx = Ultrasonography
- Tx = medical in follicular - hCG SC 2 injections 14 days apart
= Surgery - GA + Spay
= Percutaneous US-guided drainage (refill quickly)
What are other reproductive problems in guinea pigs?
- Neoplasia (uterine leiomyosarcoma)
- Endometritis / pyometra
- Dystocia - poor prognosis (require c-section)
- Pregnancy toxaemia / ketosis - poor prognosis
Lymphoid neoplasia is common in guinea pigs, What are the 3 forms? What are main diagnosis tools?
- Multicentric + high malignancy forms
- Epitheliotrophic T-cell lymphoma
- Leukaemia caused by a retrovirus
- Dx =
- cytology of peripheral lymph glands
- Haematology
- US
What are tx for lymphoma?
- Poor prognosis
- Palliative = prednisolone
- Discuss euthanasia
What are common skin conditions in guinea pigs? + their treatment?
- External parasites – mites/lice = ivermectin
- Ringworm/Dermatophytiasis = terbinafine
- Cervical lymphadenitis = surgical excision, lance, AB
- Sebaceous lumps = surgical removal
- Pododermatitis - AB
- Meloxicam for inflammation
What is the aetiology of cervical lymphadenitis? What can it spread to + cause?
- Streptococcus equi zooepidemicus - abscessation of cervical lymph node after oral abrasions
- Spread + cause = penumonia, otitis externa, septicaemia
What are other conditions see in guinea pigs?
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hyperadrenocorticism
- Insulinoma
- Fibrous osteodystrophy
- Hypovitaminosis C
- Mammary gland neoplasia and mastitis
- Pneumonia
- Heart disease – most common pericardial effusion, DCM
What is seen URT/LRT infection?
Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) =
◦ Sneezing
◦ Nasal discharge
◦ Porphyrin staining around nostrils
◦ “noisy breathing”
Lower Respiratory Tract Infection (LRTI) =
◦ Increased RR and effort
◦ “noisy breathing”
◦ Crackles, muffled heart sounds on auscultation
What can cause respiratory infections?
- Stress / immunosuppression
- Environment - cage ventilation
- Viral - Sendai virus, paramyxovirus
- Fungal - Pneumocystis carinii
- Bacterial - M. pulmonis, Strep pneumonis, Corynebacterium kutscheri
How is respiratory infections diagnosed?
- Clinical exam
- GA + Radiography
- Culture + sensitivity
- Virus PCR
What is Tx of respiratory infections?
- Broad spectrum antibiotics – minimum of 3 weeks =
- Doxycycline, Marbofloxacin, Azithromycin
- NSAIDs – Meloxicam
- Nebulization - Saline or hypertonic saline
- Furosemide – patients that develop 2ary lung oedema
Why are rats prone to mammary gland neoplasia? What are the 2 maintypes?
- Rats have extensive mammary gland tissue
- Mammary fibroadenoma - benign
- Mammary adenocarcinoma - malignant
How would you treat mammary tumours in rats?
- Surgery
- Medical - palliative if no surgery
- Euthanasia
What are zymbal’s gland tumours? Tx?
- Zymbal gland = specialised sebaceous gland on rat’s ear canal
- Locally invasive carcinoma, often ulcerate
- Tx = surgical removal IMPOSSIBLE = Palliative
What is seen with pituitary adenomas? Dx? Tx?
- Neuro signs = Paresis/paralysis on FLs, Loss of vision, ataxia, Progressive
- Dx = Ideally, confirmation with MRI or CT scan
*Tx = Cabergoline 0.6mg/kg PO q3 days, NSAIDs
What are common reasons for consult with hamster skins?
- Alopecia
- Pruritus
- Skin masses
- Skin ulcers + scabs
- Inflamed areas of skin
- GA for exam / sampling
- detailed Hx - stress / immunosuppression = trigger
What are common skin condition in hamsters? Tx?
- Demodicosis - ivermectin SC
- Hyperadrenocorticism - plasma cortisol tx
- Bacterial dermatitis - broad spec AB
- Epitheliotrophic lymphoma - prednisolone tx
- Hypothyroidism
- Skin abscesses - broad spec AB
- Ringworm
- Other external parasites
- Other skin neoplasias - melanomas, fibromas, papillomas
- Meloxicam PO - if pruritus, skin inflamed
What are causes for everted cheeck pouches? General approach?
- Food impaction, inflammation, abscess, neoplasia
- General anaesthesia
◦ Complete clinical exam +/- samples taken from pouches?
◦ Flush/clean tissues
◦ Reposition pouch tissue
◦ Suture pouch transcutaneously to skin
◦ Remove sutures in 7-10 days
What is ‘wet tail’ what are causes? What can severe cases lead to?
- wet tail = enteropathies with darrhoea?
- Causes =
- Lawsonia intracellularis
- Enterotoxaemia (Clostridium difficile) following inappropriate AB use
- Tyzzer’s disease (C. piliforme)
- Diet (sudden changes, higher water content)
- GI parasites (Protozoa, pinworms) – uncommon
- Severe cases can lead to rectal prolapse +/- intussusception
What are heaptic cysts? CS? Dx? Tx?
- Syrian hamsters - developmental defect of bile ducts
- CS = progressive - Abdominal enlargement, Dyspnoea, Diffuse alopecia, Lethargy, weight loss
- Dx = US scan
*Tx = Surgical removal, Cyst aspiration (US guided or intra-surgical), Palliative care if multiple cysts present
What are other conditions seen in hamsters?
- Heart disease = Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Atrial thromboembolism
- Reproductive = Pyometra and endometritis, Uterine neoplasia
- Renal = Bladder uroliths, CKD
