Exotics Flashcards
What adaptations does the rabbit eye have?
Lateral position + large ocular surface - prey, wide field of view
(prone to traumatic damage/evaporative loss)
Haderian gland (accessory lacrimal gland) - keep large cornea supplied with tears
Lens = near spherical to focus light from wide cornea (focal distance only 8mm), to compensate for spherical aberration the lens has concentric layers of different refractive index (can make it appear that nuclear sclerosis is occurring even in young rabbits)
Merangiotic retina - horizontal band of blood vessels and myelinated nerve fibres but otherwise no retinal blood vessels.
Describe the retina of the rabbit.
Merangiotic (dogs/cats = holangiotic)
Horizontal blood vessels and myelinated nerve fibres but no retinal blood vessels
Band of retina containing high density of photoreceptors ventral to vascularised strip - allows to see in higher resolution along the horizon as prey species
Retina mostly rod based - night vision (nocturnal/crepuscular animal)
Cone receptors in ventral retina (looking dorsally) most responsive to blue light, dorsal fundus (looking ventrally) most responsive to green light - attuned for detection of predators.
Why is dacryocystitis so common in the rabbit?
Single ventral nasolacrimal punctum
Nasolacrimal duct courses across roots of both molar and incisor teeth
Maxillofacial bone abnormality, molar tooth root abscess or overgrown incisor teeth can lead to nasolacrimal duct pathology and inflammation
How can we diagnose dacryocystitis in the rabbit?
Usually suspect based on clinical signs - copious white discharge from NL punctum, matting of fur/dermatitis around eye, epiphora.
Dacryocystorhinography can be valuable to evaluate degree of nasolacrimal duct dilation or rupture
What type of bacteria are usually isolated from rabbit dacryocystitis cases?
Pastuerella (gram -ve) and Staphylococcus (gram +ve)
Broad spectrum AB cover
Often commensal within rabbit respiratory tract and nasal mucosa
Only when pathology occurs that become pathogenic.
How is dacryocystitis treated in the rabbit?
Topical agents unlikely to treat infection deep in NL duct
Nasolacrimal duct flushing regularly until condition resolved to remove discharge (cannulation with 23G NL cannula) - sterile water/saline
Treat underlying disease - usually associated with dental disease/husbandry.
Another therapeutic regime = systemic enrofloxacin/azithromycin, useful where persistent flushing unsuccessful but does not cure - merely control and relapse common.
What causes are there for conjunctivitis in the rabbit?
Conjunctival inflammation - dusty hay/foreign body
Alongside dacryocystitis
Infectious causes - Pasteurella or other gram -ve organisms, myxomatosis (with fulminant blepharitis)
Which ocular signs are seen in rabbits with myxomatosis?
Conjunctivitis with fulminant blepharitis and copious white discharge
DNA pox virus - hijacks genes from host and mutates them to reduce vital immune functions - allows range of commensals to become pathogenic.
Vaccinated individuals - myxomatous tumour growths (sometimes around eyes/eyelids)
What causes are there of blepharitis in rabbits?
Myxomatosis
Allergic reaction to Staphylococci (lid swelling can then lead to entropion which is rarely seen in the rabbit) - warm compresses can help resolve
Ulcerative blepharitis associated with Treponema canaliculi (rabbit syphilis) - diagnosis skin scrape or histopath
Treatment with 50,000 i.u/kg of depot penicillin by s/c injection for 3-4 weeks
What is conjunctival overgrowth/centripetalisation/epicorneal membrane/pseudopterigium?
Condition only seen in rabbits
Annulus of conjunctiva growing over cornea from the limbus
Not common 1 in 1000
Narrow band of tissue or sizeable ring with only a small aperture centrally.
Resection of tissue only leads to regrowth
Can suture then band of tissue back onto sclera to prevent excessive growth occluding vision.
What is the difference between the orbit of the cat/dog and orbit of the rabbit.
Rabbit orbit = contains large venous sinus - important for performing enucleations.
List the common causes of exophthalmos in the rabbit
Most common = retrobulbar abscess (tooth root) - can be difficult to manage. ?Endoscopic curettage after dental extraction
Neoplasia
Parasitic cysts
Intermittent exophthalmos = thymoma (most often seen when animal handled). Mass wraps itself around jugular veins preventing adequate return of venous flow from head region. Engorges venous sinus in retrobulbar space and causes painless exophthalmos while blood pressure raised.
Cervical mass preventing venous return is difficult to remove in many cases.
What are the orbital glands in the rabbit?
How should prolapse of any of these glands be managed?
Nictitans
Haderian
Accessory
Basal
Treatment of any orbital gland prolapse - replace using Morgan pocket technique
Why is corneal ulceration common in the rabbit? How quickly should a simple erosion heal and how should they be managed?
Large lateral and prominent ocular surface
Prone to traumatic corneal ulceration - hay etc
Superficial corneal ulcers/erosions should heal in under a week
Initial management = lubricant (carbomer based product) + prophylactic AB cover
Describe SCCED/dystophic type ulcers in the rabbit. How are they treated?
Adhesion between basement membrane and epithelial cells can be poor such as in SCCED’s in dogs.
Edge of ulcer = ring of devitalised epithelium around ulcer preventing healthy cells migrating and adhering to ulcer bed
Treated - topical anaesthesia applied, cotton bud debridement
Sometimes will combine with grid keratectomy to breach abnormal basement membrane.
Carbomer based lubricant +/- contact lens
(Third eyelid flaps not really done in rabbits as cannot be readily extended >1/2 way across cornea + retracted by powerful muscular extension of levator palpebrarum superioris muscle - sutures prone to pulling through TEL conjunctiva.
What type of ocular changes can be associated with Encephalitazoan caniculi?
How can it be diagnosed?
Cataracts
E.canaliculi = obligate intracellular microsporidian
Infects rabbits through ingestion of contaminated urine and can also cause renal/neurological symptoms (head tilt)
Involvement with cataract formation = parasite transmitted transplacentally and enter rabbit whilst still in utero.
Migrate to developing lens = lie dormant for many months before moving through lens causing cataract.
Eventually can erupt through anterior lens capsule releasing lens material into anterior chamber - phacoclastic uveitis
Signs of phacoclastic uveitis = miosis, iridial redness and swelling, hypopyon, white/pink mass protruding into anterior chamber.
E.canaliculi titre always helpful in rabbit presenting with signs of uveitis as above.
What is the treatment for E.canaliculi?
Phacoclastic uveitis = topical steroid drop (prednisolone acetate, Pred Forte) or dexamethasone (Maxidex)
+ fenbendazole orally to treat parasite
Other option - consider phacoemulsification of lens and associated parasites with pre-emptive tx of topical steroids
List the common causes of uveitis in the rabbit.
What diagnostic option is there?
What treatment options are there?
E.canaliculi - miosis, hypopyon, pink/white (sometimes some neovascularisation)
Pastuerella/staphylococcal infection - yellow-cream abscess filling large proportion of eye
Diagnosis = could consider aqueocentesis with 25G needle for bacteriology/cytology sample
Treatment = fenbendazole (E.canaliculi), topical antibiosis, atropine, topical steroid drops covers other eventualities.
Which breed of rabbit is genetically predisposed to buphthalmos/glaucoma.
New Zealand White
Increased IOP early on in life leading to buphthalmos
Bu gene also causes prenatal mortality and small litter sizes
Recessive but does appear to affect NZW crosses and giant breeds
List the causes of glaucoma in the rabbit
Genetic - NZW
Secondary to uveitis - hypopyon/purulent material accumulation/phacoclastic uveitis
What is the normal IOP in the rabbit.
How can glaucoma be managed in the rabbit?
Normal IOP 15-20mmHg
Tx - topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitors - dorzolamide TID
Which technique for enucleation should be performed in the rabbit and why?
Transconjunctival approach - allow removal of globe but not exenterate the orbit and its contents.
Conjunctiva incised
EOM transected at their insertions
Optic nerve then transected
TEL often retained and incorporated into closure of orbital fascia prior to skin closure so no risk of penetrating orbital venous sinus.
(Transpalpebral = risk of entering orbital venous sinus and significant haemorrhage)
What type of fundus does the guinea pig have?
Paurangiotic (fundoscopy - fundus appears almost devoid of blood vessels, can be mistaken for retinal atrophy)
What type of vision do guinea pigs have?
Hypermetropic (long sighted) refraction
Albinos - predisposed to myopia (short sightedness)
What congenital conditions of the globe can be present in guinea pigs?
Microphthalmos and anophthalmos
Obvious from birth as precocious and born with eyes open
Often associated with mucopurulent discharge which builds up in orbit
Entropion can occur as globe too small for size of orbit
Association between lens and development of globe means often congenital cataracts associated with microphthalmos
Clinical management (possibly topical antibiotic if discharge within orbit, entropion - Hotz-celsus)
How does entropion present in the guinea pig and how may it be managed?
In turning of eyelid
Blepharospasm, epiphora, corneal ulceration
May occur secondary to microphthalmos or defect with tarsal plate of lid
Can be secondary from irritation of conjunctivitis, KCS, trichiasis
Topical anaesthesia to assess if primary or secondary to another cause
Hotz celsus can be performed (often only around 1mm needs to be removed as thin delicate lid)
What types of guinea pig are prone to trichiasis?
Rex and Texel = thick bristly coats, can get ocular abrasion within 1st hours of life
Secondary corneal ulceration/entropion can ensue and further ocular abrasion
Petroluem jelly at birth to keep hairs away from eyes
Lubrication of eye to relieve discomfort
NSAID - keratolac
How can dermoids be managed in the guinea pig?
Similar to dogs - aberrant development of dermal tissue in abnormal place
Superficial keratectomy = curative
Very little tissue to remove as thin cornea (less than 500um)
Magnification essential
List the causes of conjunctivitis in the guinea pig.
Infectious - Chlamydia + Listeria monocytogenes + Salmonella
Allergic - poor hay quality/dusty hay
Foreign bodies - hay awn
Dietary - Vitamin C deficiency - one of the earliest signs
What stages of work up would you consider in guinea pig with conjunctivitis?
Examine for physical factors/foreign bodies
Diet appropriate
?Infectious - topical AB cover treatment trial, sample for bacteriology/PCR
What type of fluid can guinea pigs normally produce for lubricating eye/cleaning face?
Can normally produce milky white ocular secretion - cell free fluid
Differentiate from dacryocystitis - copious white to purulent discharge
Discuss KCS in the guinea pig
Signs of ocular irritation (partial closure of palpebral aperture)
Lack of clear sharp reflection of light from ocular surface
Potentially mucoid discharge
Normal STT 3-12mm/min reported in literature
Phenol red test (given small size of eye) - 16-21 = average
Unclear if same immune mediated destruction of lacrimal gland as in dogs
Topical ciclosporin effective
Replacement tears - carbomer based gel