Drugs etc

Question 1

Per os

Answer 1

preferred for clients and home care
liquid preferred but not always option
pill forms may need to be crushed or hidden in foods
can medicate drinking water

Question 2

drawbacks of using drinking water

Answer 2

don’t know how much they are drinking
evarporation
might change taste of water and discourage drinking

Question 3

subcutaneous

Answer 3

easiest parenteral route
minimal stress to animal and caretaker
use inter scapular area in most species
some skin necrotizing drugs can cause skin sloughing

Question 4

IM

Answer 4

small body mass- so sites are limited

lumbar or deep in quadriceps (careful of sciatic nerve)

Question 5

IV

Answer 5

most useful with catheterization

Question 6

Antibiotic considerations

Answer 6

most commonly used medications, dosages are still empirical due to lack of pharmacological studies
consider normal flora, potential toxicities etc

Question 7

Antibiotics in rabbits

Answer 7

herbivorous with gram + and anaerobic intestinal flora
selective drugs for gram + bacteria can cause dysbiosis in the gut, diarrhea, and inappetance
Good Choices: quinolines, sulfonamides, chloramphenicol, metronidazole, azithromycin, penicillin (only injectable)

Question 8

Bad choices for antibiotics in rabbits

Answer 8

PLACE
P:  penicillin (oral)
L:  lincomycine (other macrolydes)
A:  amoxicillin, ampicillin
C:  cephalosporins, clindamycin
E:  erythromycin

Question 9

Gram - and anaerobic spectrum antibiotics

Answer 9

baytril, metronidazole

Question 10

Antibiotic choice considerations

Answer 10

culture and sensitivity
Organ system involved and typical bacterial invasion
nutritional and hydration status
owner compliance
dose and route of administration
adverse affects

Question 11

antibiotics in rodents

Answer 11

clostridial enterotoxemia: gram + spectrum, oral administration
Toxicities: procaine in mice and guinea pigs, high dose chloramphenicol in guinea pigs and chinchillas

Question 12

Analgesia

Answer 12

prey species heal poorly with pain
often quiet/ non-demonstrative
painful if not eating, hiding more, hunched or not moving

Question 13

Use of analgesics

Answer 13

peri-operatively, chronic pain/ arthritis, reduce stress and encourage healing

Question 14

Opiods

Answer 14

buprenorphine, butrophanol, meperidine, morphine, oxymorphone
Buprenorphine and butorphanol are most common and have minimal reps effects and NO CNS depression

Question 15

Which receptor is most important in pain control in small animals

Answer 15

Mu receptor

potent Mu agonists can cause respiratory depression

Question 16

Some adverse reactions to opiodds

Answer 16

ileus, hypertension in rabbits and mice and hypotension in ferrets and rats
severe respiratory depression

Question 17

Butorphanol

Answer 17

mostly kappa and sigma receptors
profound sedation esp in ferrets
acts faster than buprenorphine but shorter duration

Question 18

Buprenorphine

Answer 18

mostly mu receptors
longer duration, 30 x more potent than morphine
very few adverse affects

Question 19

NSAIDS

Answer 19

easier for home tx
usually off label with little information on safety
indications: inflammation, arthritis, dental dz, pneumonia, trauma

Question 20

Adverse affects of NSAIDS

Answer 20

gastric uclers
renal, hepatic failures and death: use as short of duration as possible, monitor chem values
vomiting, anorexia, depression, diarrhea
insure hydration status, don’t use with steroids

Question 21

Corticosteroids

Answer 21

Rabbits are very sensitive, severe immune suppression and liver toxicity, must use gastroprotectants cause can cause GI ulcerations

Question 22

anxiolytic drugs

Answer 22

prey species to reduce stress to benefit healing
sedation is dose dependent
diazepam or midazolam