Exotic Accommodation, Parasites & Diet Flashcards
Main causes of reptile and amphibian diseases
poor husbandry, diet and basic hygiene. Inadequate accommodation and incorrect environment (lighting, ventilation, temperature).
Main problems seen in reptiles and amphibians
Parasites, bacterial diseases, fungal diseases, viral diseases and metabolic disorders
Common external parasite in snakes
snake mites
Snake Mites
black and nocturnal
visible on body
treatment ivermectin for 8 weeks
Preventing internal parasites snakes
Hookworm
controlled by worming twice a year
panacur 10% 1mg/kg bodyweight
Metabolic disease snakes
metabolic bone disease
Caused by incorrect diet and lack of vit D3 from UV light (calcium cannot be utilised)
Symptoms- bones are soft, swollen, deformed or fractures
Bacterial/viral/fungal disease seen in snakes and lizards
Mouth rot (Stomatitis)
Caused by poor husbandry and injury from running against glass front of vivarium
Common Disorders of Reptiles and Chelonians
Dysecdysis, Blister Disease, hypovitaminosis
Dysecdysis
Cause- dehydration, lack of abrasive surface to rub on, ectoparacites
Treatment- Rehydrate, bathe in lukewarm water, towels to rub on, treat parasites
Blister Disease
Commonly seen in semi-aquatic species/exposed to damp substrates
Symptoms- Skin develops blisters of clear fluid. Can become infected and progress to septicaemia
Treatment- Perform sensitivity test
Topical treatment for blisters
Parenteral antibiotics
Hypovitaminosis B1
Cause- Feeding raw fish (contain thiaminase deactivates thiamine=b1)
Symptoms- weakness, head tremours
Treatment- daily injection 25mg/kg
Thiamine supplement 35mg/kg of food given
Metabolic bone disease in reptiles and chelonia
cause- Diet deficient in calcium & lack of UV light (vit D3)
Symptoms- Diet deficient in calcium & lack of UV light (vit D3)
Treatment- Correct diet and UV light
Hypocalcaemic paralysis 100mg/kg of calcium gluconate IM
Good hygiene practice to avoid zoonoses
Don’t risk infecting reptile by feeding raw chicken or raw egg
wash hands thoroughly after handling animals or cleaning out the cage
Reptile & Amphibian cleaning Routine
- Change drinking or bathing water daily
- Food dishes and water dishes should be cleaned every day
- Spot cleaning of the substrate should be done regularly – sloughed skin and uneaten food should be removed
- Faeces and soiled substrate removed (cheaper substrate i.e. newspaper can be removed whenever soiled i.e every 2-3days
- Complete substrate change depends on type. Astroturf once a week
- Not all disenfectants safe to use (phenols toxic to rep/amph) 3% bleach solution safe
- Water used in vivarium should be de-chlorinated
Suitable Disinfectant for reptile vivarium
3% bleach solution
phenols such as Dettol are toxic
How do snakes receive nutrients?
All snakes are carnivores – receive all nutrients as eat prey whole.
Exception is insectivorous snakes – prey must be gut loaded with calcium & vitamin D3
Corn snakes & King snakes. What are they fed and how often?
mice fed possibly every day
Larger snakes such as boas. What are they fed and how often?
Rats/rabbits every 2-3 weeks
Examples of food for snakes
These are sold frozen and in different sizes
Pinkies = day old mice, no hair (1-2grams) Fuzzies = young mice that have grown a coat (4-6grams)
Fish-eating Snake diet
Garter snakes are fed on fish and amphibians.
If fed only raw fish they will develop a vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency.
To prevent this, the fish must be heated (80°c for 5mins) and cooled.
Diet can also be supplemented with thiamine 35mg/kg of food.
Knowing when to feed snakes
Hatchlings will begin to feed after their first shedding of skin (around a week after hatching). They will need to be fed at least once a week.
Feeding routine is based on trial and error as well as watching snakes behaviour
Snake behaviour when wanting food
Up at glass more often
moving around vivarium more than usual
flicking tongue more than usual i.e. looking for food
Method of feeding snakes
Make sure your scent is not on the food by touching it as little as possible.
Use blunt ended forceps to handle and place in vivarium.
Present food head end first
Fish-eating Snakes
Garter snakes are fed on fish and amphibians.
If fed only raw fish they will develop a vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency. To prevent this, the fish must be heated (80°c for 5mins) and cooled.
Diet can also be supplemented with thiamine 35mg/kg of food.
Food for Lizards
Different species may be carnivorous, insectivorous, herbivorous, frugiverous or omnivorous. Some species can change eating habits as they age. Geckos/skinks eat insects/mealworms but these must either be gutloaded or dusted in calcium. Insects which can be provided as food are
- Crickets
- Fruit flies
- Locusts
- Mealworms
Food for Chelonians
Tortoises are Primarily herbivores. They have no teeth but a hard horny beak which is worn down by eating tough fibrous foods. Should reflect natural diet and be fed ad-lib
Plants = Dandelion leaves, Bramble leaves
Leafy Greens Veg = Kale, carrot
Flowers= Dandelions, courgette flowers
Food for Terrapins
Terrapins are omnivores but largely eat fish and aquatic invertebrates.
They will only feed in water.
A suitable diet of fresh fish i.e. prawns, shrimps , tadpole or tinned catfood/dogfood. Suitable plants are dandelions and watercress.
Sexing birds -Budgies
– blue cere and more brightly coloured, female has a beige cere.
Surgical sexing involves using an endoscope through ribs into the abdominal airsac where the gonads can be seen.
DNA sexing can be done through blood or the pulp of the pulp from a freshly plucked body feather.
Breeding birds
Most breed in summer months stimulated by daylight (some stimulated by rainfall and food availability).
It is possible to artificially increase day length to 15 hours per day.
Boost diet before breeding season & use special breeding cage.
Budgies do not line nest, lay eggs in a concave within the nesting box.
Suitable nesting materials
for birds
- Spaghnum moss
- Twigs/branches
- Coconut fibres
- Felt liners
- Soft dry wood
Breeding period for birds
Will normally lay one or more eggs before they start to brood. Brooding usually begins once the second or third egg is laid.
The budgies incubation period is 18 days but first egg may have been laid 2 days previous.
Incubation temp should be 36.9°C – 37.5°C. Relitave humidity should remain constant to prevent eggs drying out.
Budgie incubation period and temperature
The budgies incubation period is 18 days but first egg may have been laid 2 days previous.
Incubation temp should be 36.9°C – 37.5°C.
Budgie Breeding
Age at first breeding - 9 months
eggs laid on alternate days. Can number 3-10 average of 5-6.
Incubation 18 days
Nest Box. Plywood. 9”x6”x5” lay eggs in concave in nesting box base.
Handling birds
- Dim lights
- Use a hood for birds of prey
- Reduce noise levels
- Remove all cage furniture prior to capture
Transportation of Birds
- Secure in well ventilated, darkened container
- Ventilation holes should be low to avoid dazzling
- Disposable cardboard box useful
- A new piece of carpet in base of box for ducks
- Big enough for bird to stand in but not big enough to flap wings
- If using birds own cage, remove all furniture and blanket over the top to darken.
Transportation of Birds
- Secure in well ventilated, darkened container
- Ventilation holes should be low to avoid dazzling
- Disposable cardboard box useful
- A new piece of carpet in base of box for ducks
- Big enough for bird to stand in but not big enough to flap wings
- If using birds own cage, remove all furniture and blanket over the top to darken.
Pain and Stress in birds
Mouth breathing
Anorexia
Ruffled feathers
Euthanasia in birds
IV injection of pentobarbitone via ulnar vein
OR
if difficult to get a vein IM injection of ketamine (40mg/kg) prior to IV injection
Ketamin injection for birds
IM injection of ketamine (40mg/kg) prior to IV injection of pentobarbitone
Common Nutritional Diseases in birds
Hypovitaminosis A
Hypovitaminosis D
Iodine deficiency
Hypovitaminosis A in birds
Commonly seen in parrots due to all seed diet – pick out sunflower seeds which have low vitamin A.
Prevention better than cure. Feed a good variety deep yellow and orange fruit and veg. Sweet potato, carrot, mango, chilli peppers.
Hypovitaminosis D in birds
caused by low calcium/high phos diet. Kept in shaded areas.
Excess results in calcification of soft tissues.
Balanced diet and sunshine to avoid.
Iodine Deficiency in birds
Budgies have a high requirement for iodine in diet. Causes enlarged thyroid which presses on the windpipe causing noisy breathing. Give iodine block.
Viral Avian Disease
Proventricular Dilation Sydrome-
similar to GDV except viral. Affects first part of stomach. Causes damage to crop and proventriculus.
Diagnosis is based on clinical signs; weight loss, passing undigested seeds, vomiting, progressive paralysis,
no vaccination no cure. Diagnosed post mortem.
Proventricular Dilation Sydrome-
Similar to GDV except viral. Affects first part of stomach. Causes damage to crop and proventriculus.
Diagnosis is based on clinical signs; weight loss, passing undigested seeds, vomiting, progressive paralysis,
no vaccination no cure. Diagnosed post mortem.
Bumblefoot
bacterial
Caused by standing on same perch for too long, sandpaper and obesity.
Causes wounds or injuries to feet, pressure sores and infection. Can be catogerised. (1-3)
Prevention better than cure. Use perches various diameters extending bloodflow and pressure. Quality diet. Exercise.
Treatment- Ball bandage. Debride, Treat infection. Antibiotic impregnated beads – put in wound. Prognosis poor type 3.
Chlamydophylia Psittaci
Zoonotic - Airborne disease.
Spread via inhalation of dust off bird faeces, dander and oral & respiratory secretions.
Bird can shed disease if immune system down but can carry for months or years without clinical signs.
Clinical signs- clear nasal discharge, sneezing, conjunctivitis, green diarrhoea, dyspnoea & feather plucking.
Diagnosis – xrays (of lungs and enlarged spleen) and blood test (WBC count)
Treatment- tetracyclines & enroflaxin
Aspergillosis-
fungal
Caused by fungal organism, poor hygiene, stress, vit A deficiency.
Can’t be transmitted bird to bird, caused by poor hygiene in cages, mouldy straw and food.
Can lead to dyspnoea and death. Can produce aflotoxin which can lead to liver failure.
Diagnosis- WBC, xrays, endoscopy
Treatment- Surgical debridement, nebulise with amphotericin and itraconizole (oral)
oral itroconizole – 3-12 months, 5-10mg/kg b.i.d.
IV amphotericin- given over 3-5 days with fluids to prevent renal toxicity 1.5mg/kg
aspergillosis treatment
Treatment- Surgical debridement, nebulise with amphotericin
oral itroconizole – 3-12 months, 5-10mg/kg b.i.d.
IV amphotericin- given over 3-5 days with fluids to prevent renal toxicity 1.5mg/kg
Salmonellain birds
bacterial- Zoonotic
Spread through water. Carried by rodents, insects and wild birds. Clinical signs- sudden death, enteritis, diarrhoea, wasting, toxaemia, septicaemia, hepatitis
Diagnosis- faecal samples.
Treatment- difficult
Avian Parasites
Scaly beak and tassel foot - mite
Red feather mite
Scaly beak and tassel foot
- mite
affects budgies, cockatiels and canaries.
Clinical signs- crusting and enlargement of the cere, beak deformity, thickening of leg skin.
Mite eats cell debris.
Diagnosis- superficial skin scrape from beak or legs
Treatment- invermectin injection
Red Feather Mite
Doesn’t live on bird. Lives in cracks etc in cage and emerges at night and sucks blood.
Causes anaemia, weakness and lethargy. Irritation and restlessness.
Diagnosis- identification of eggs and larvae. Clinical signs.
Bird Injection Sites
Intra osseus- two bones commonly used ulna and tibiotarsus for IVFT. Never use femur or humerus due to airsacs
Subcutaneous- over pectoral muscles, thigh, dorsal base of neck.
Intramuscular – pectoral muscles, or biceps femoris
Intravenous- ulnar vein, tarsal vein, right jugular vein.
Other- intraperitoneal, intratracheal, subconjunctival
S/C injection in bird
Subcutaneous- over pectoral muscles, thigh, dorsal base of neck.
I/M injection in bird
Pectoral muscles
bicep femoris
I/V
injection in bird
ulnar vein
tarsal vein right jugular vein
Intra osseus injection in birds
two bones commonly used ulna and tibiotarsus for IVFT.
Never use femur or humerus due to airsacs
Assisted feeding - Budgie-
0.5-2ml 6 times a day
Care of the hospitalised Bird
- Warm quiet dimly lit environment
- Above human eye level
- Move slowly around birds
- Keep away from other species
- Well ventilated & easy to clean
- Not accessible to public
- Vertcal bars only
- Removable floor trays
- Company of other birds
- Never placed above food
Air temperature – bird
PBT in most 40degC if stressed they struggle to maintain PBT.
Maintain ambient temp at 26degC. Ensure adequate warmth with incubator – high degree of control of temp and humidity and can also use to supplement oxygen or nebulise patient.
Reptile minimum requirements
Ventilated plastic box
- temporary housing/security for hatchlings
- not suitable for permanent housing
UV lighting, thermostat
Ventilation
Clean fresh water (chelonians require bathing water)
Substrate – woodchips, newspaper
Reptile optimum requirements
Glass vivarium with mesh lid – watertight and easy to clean
-only ventilated at top – difficult to manage temperature
Key elements
- heat
- humidity
- light
- water
- hiding places
- floor covering
Hiding places & basking surafces
Substrate - astroturf
Reptile max requirements
Purpose designed made from moulded plastic/fibreglass
-easy to keep clean-expensive
Cool side and hot side(spotlight or heatmat) of vivarium
Humidity (ventilation required)
UVB
Aquarium air pump
Substrate – calcium sand
Duck min requirements
Need water to swim in (can be kept without but not ideal)
Swimming basin
Should have shelter
Duck optimum requirements
Concrete/ heavy plastic constructed pond
One side should be sloped to allow getting in and out easily
Shelter should be weather proof, easily cleaned, secure and sturdy
Duck Max requirements
Natural pond or stream
Budgie min requirements
Big enough to stretch wings freely in all directions
Perch correct diameter for birds foot
Chance to bathe 2-3 times a week
Budgie opt requirements
50 long x30 wide x48 high
Should be able to fly between perches (length and width more important as fly vertically)
Perches of various sizes materials and no sand paper
Toys wooden blocks, bells mirrors, swings and ladder
Budgie max requirements
A large outdoor aviary with access to sunlight, fresh air, temperature variations and rain – mimic natural environment as much as possible
Artificial lighting to encourage feeding
Natural perches i.e. branches
Various toys and human interaction
Mist sprayer filled with warm water to mimic rain
