Exotic pets diagnostics & exams Flashcards
identify
Lovebirds
is the common name for the genus Agapornis, a small group of parrots in the Old World parrot family Psittaculidae. Lovebirds are included in the bird species that are commonly kept as pets.
An exotics Anamnesis should always include:
- Housing
- Diet
- Exercise
- Vaccination status
- Last antiparasitic treatments
- Duration of illness
- Presenting clinical signs
- Demeanor
Jaw and oral cavity examination in exotics.
(especially in rabbits and rodents)
- Palpate the mandibula, maxilla and cheeks
- Color of the mucous membranes
- Dental exam: sharp edges on teeth, ulcers
➢with the help of otoscope
When taking the anamnesis, the rabbit should be
let loose in the room to run. (but do not do the same with guineapigs and chinchillas plus smaller rodents!)
Rabbits are curious animals and being able to run around and discover new things helps to reduce stress.
Physiological parameters for rabbits.
HR
RR
Temp
etc.
HR: 150-300 beats/minute
RR: 30-60 (up to300) breaths/minute
Temperature: 38.3-40.0 ⁰C
Rabbit: sites for taking blood samples and IV catheter placement
Main sites:
* Jugular vein (only for blood sample) – restraining is similar to a cat
* Lateral saphenous vein – usually in lateral recumbency
* Cephalic vein – sternal recumbency
* Marginal ear vein – useful in bigger rabbits, sternal recumbency
Different sites for venipuncture require different restraint methods.
Rabbit: procedure for taking blood samples and IV catheter placement.
Procedure:
* Always clip the hair
* Topical local anesthetic can be used (EMLA
cream)
* Clean the area with alcohol
- Choose a suitable size syringe/catheter and needle
Inserting the needle (two possibilities):
* Go directly into the vein
* First go subcutaneusly next to the vein and
then angle the needle towards the vein,
applying the negative pressure immediately
after going through the skin
otoscopy position for rabbits
iv catheter placement in rabbit ear
Must be the vein! NOT the artery in the middle.
You can cause necrosis of the ear tip if you mess with the artery not to mention you also don’t want to administer meds into the artery.
For chinchilla venipuncture and IV cathether placement, how do you restain?
the same fixation methods are used as with rabbits – lateral and sternal recumbency.
Chinchillas are best supported with one hand under the thorax and second hand under the rump.
Never scruff a chinchilla – a fur slip is a common complication.
In healthy rodents, what type of
ocular discharge is normal?
In healthy rodents, porphyrin in ocular discharge is normal.
Porphyrin (a red-brown pigment) is a normal secretion produced by the tear gland around rat eyes. When the animal is not grooming, the pigment builds up around the eyes, nose, and on the fur.
When the discharge is increased or more often noticed by the owner, it can be a sign of stress or underlying disease.
Restraining a small rodent, hamster
Scruffing is mostly used on hamsters and mice when doing a clinical examination.
Mice can also be captured by gently grasping the base of the tail with one hand and scruffing the neck with the other hand.
But rats not scruffed.
Physiological parameters of rodents
Guinea pig & chinchilla: taking blood samples
Usually can be done without a sedation.
Blood sample sites:
* Lateral saphenous and cephalic veins
- 0.3 ml insulin syringe or a small needle (27G/29G) should be used if the vessels are small
- Jugular vein can be hard to access – sometimes possible in guinea pigs under
sedation. - Cranial vena cava is less commonly used.
- Femoral vein
- Gingival vein – under a sedation
- Flushing the syringe and needle, or only the needle, with heparin can be beneficial
when collecting the blood sample.
Guinea pig & chinchilla: catheter placement
Can be intravenous or intraosseous.
Most common veins used are cephalic, lateral saphenous or femoral vein.
Restraining a guinea pig or a chinchilla for catheter placement is the same as with rabbits.
Some guinea pigs have thick skin, so using a needle to cut through the skin before placing a catheter may be necessary.
Small rodents blood sampling sites
Blood sampling sites
- Lateral saphenous and cephalic veins are most easily accessible.
- 0.3 ml insulin syringe or a small needle (27G/29G) should be used
Lateral tail vein can be used in rats, also gerbils and mice.
- Jugular vein is hard to access - rodents have short, thick neck.
- Cranial vena cava is difficult to use
- Femoral vein may be an option in some cases.
Ferrets can be restrained by
holding them caudally toward the shoulders such that the palm of your hands supports either the sternum or thoracic spine, and
the thumb and remaining hand support the caudal aspect of the forelimbs.
- It is possible to wrap the ferret into a towel
A more common method is to restrain the ferret by scruffing it by the neck, allowing the animal to hang without support of the caudal part.
Cranial vena cava blood sampling in ferrets.
Cranial vena cava – can be used without sedation.
The landmarks for initial insertion are the manubrium and first rib on the right side.
The needle is placed in the notch between these sites, with its tip at 30–45° angle from the ventral surface of the ferret and directed toward the opposite hip or contralateral caudal-most rib.
Once the skin has been pierced, generating vacuum in the syringe is necessary.
