Exotic Animal Cardiac Dz Flashcards
Difficulties in small mammal cardiology
High stress, fast HRs
Rabbit cardiology as model for human dz
high-fat diet > metabolic syndrome
Coronary arteries have limited collateral circ > myocardial infarctions
Rabbit thoracic radiography
Cardiac silhouette tends to look large
resp dz (pasteurellosis) more common than CHF
Cranial cardiac silhouette often obscured by fat or persistent thymus)
Obese
Rabbit valvular dz
Valvular: degenerative (endocardiosis) AV valve
older rabbits, mitral > tricuspid, slowly progressive
Infectious: endocarditits, systemic infection
Rabbit cardiomyopathies
Dilated, hypertrophic, or restrictive
Alpha-2s may induce myocardial necrosis and fibrosis
Stress induced: catcholamine surge, vasospasm, myocardial ischemia, sudden death
Ferret cardiology
Relatively common
DCM
Arrhythmias: brady
Acquired valvular dz
Heartworm
Normal ferret HR
180-250 bpm
Bradyarrhythmias/2,3 AV blocks common
Common ferret cardiac disease etiologies
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Valve Degeneration
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
AV block
Heartworm Dz
Neoplasia/Systemic dz
What common drug do you avoid in ferret HW treatment
Melarsomine
Ferret HW
Coughing, dyspnea, ADR
Natural host
low worm burden (Ab/ag testing ideal
HW extraction for caval syndrom reported
Prevention = key: macrocyclic lactones
Unique cardiac anatomy of birds
Muscular right AV valve (no chordae)/not a tricuspid
Right and left vena cava
RA> LA normal
High O2 demand during flight = HR incr to 1000 bpm
Need rapid conduction, completely penetrating Purkinje fibers (neg QRS normal)
What does pericardial or coelomic effusion, pulmonary edema indiacte in birds
CHF
Important avian CV dz:
Arteriosclerosis/arthrosclerosis
DCM
nutritional related CV dz
Toxicities
Secondary to systemic dz
