Exotics and Pocket Pets Flashcards
Vitamin A deficiency
bird nutritional disease (one of the most common)
- differentiates epithelial cells and immune fxn
- CS: blunted choanal papillae (choanae = slit on roof of mouth), white plaques in oral cavity, poor skin, hyperkeratosis, submandibular abscesses (submandibular keratin cysts) and squamous neoplasia
Ca deficiency
bird nutrition disease (most common mineral difficiency)
- seed diets will be low in Ca
- Conures and African Grays are susceptible
- provide mineral blocks and food like cabbage, kale, watercress, oyster shell or “cuttlebone”
essential amino acid deficiency
- seed diets, grains, fruits and veggies contain protein of low biologic value
- cocaktoo are susceptible
- CS: anemia, decreased muscle mass
what birds are predisposed to excessive dietary fat?
what can it lead to?
macaws, amazons, cockatiels, budgies
- can lead to hepatic lipidosis and development of xanthomas or lipomas
what happens when diets have excessive sugar in birds?
leads to anaerobic intestinal environment that promotes growth of clostridium perfringens and results in life-threatening infection
what is dangerous about teflon vapor
leads to fluid accumulation and inhibits gas exchange in birds - can kill them in minutes
avocado toxicity in birds
- toxic agent
- CS
- what birds are esp. susceptible?
- persin
- CS: heart failure, resp. compromise from myocardial damage
- budgerigars
lead causes what in birds?
acute weakness, anorexia and regurge
zinc causes what in birds?
depression, lameness, regurge, behavior change
what does caffeine cause in birds?
vomiting, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures
what is the only anesthetic FDA approved to be use in fish?
tricaine methanesulfonate
what is a hob
male ferret
what is a jill
female ferret
what is a kit
baby ferret
what is the estrus cycle in ferrets
seasonally polyestrus
what type of ovulation do ferrets undergo?
induced ovulation
what happens if a ferret is not bred during estrus?
CS
Dx
tx
she may undergo estrogen toxicity
CS: pale mm, posterior paresis, inappetance, melena, alopecia, swollen vulva
dx: PCV, CBC, platelet count
tx: induce ovulation with HCG, OVH, breed
what is the gestation period of a ferret?
41 - 42 days
what are some unusual anatomic variants in ferrets?
splenomegaly is common
they have a large pancreast compared to other carnivores
ferret distemper
CS
control
- caused by canine distemper (they CANNOT get canine parvo)
- CS: anorexia, mucopurulent ocular/nasal discharge, hyperkeratotic footbads
- vax w/ purevax ferret distemper - NOT the canine distemper vax!
Aleutian disease virus or aleutian mink disease (ADV)
- virus type
- CS
- parvovirus
- CS: chronic progressive wasting disease*, rear limb paralysis, tremors, urinary incontinence, tarry feces
- no vax available
human influenza virus in ferrets
- virus type
- transmission
- CS
- tx
- orthomyxovirus
- transmission: resp. discharge
- CS: lethargy, fever, anorexia, and oculonasal discharge
- Tx: symptomatic
rabies vax in ferrets
use ones specifically made for ferrets
epizootic catarrhal enteritis in ferrets
- common name
- when is it diagnosed
- CS
= green slime disease!
- dx following new introduction of ferret into a new place
- CS: dark green slimy diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy
what parasites will you see in ferrets? (5)
- fleas
- sarcoptes scabei
- toxacara
- coccidia
- giardia
can ferrets get HW?
yes
what is a possible cause of alopecia in ferrets?
hyperadrenocorticism
what zoonotic diseases should you think about in ferrets?
scabies, rignworm, rabies, bacterial pathogens (like salmonella)
hyperadrenocorticism or hyperestrogenism (adrenal associated tumor) in ferrets
- what should you know about the name?
- secondary to what?
- CS
- most effective tx
- alternative tx
its called ferret hyperadrenocorticism, but it is NOT like canine cushings - it’s due to elevated ESTROGEN levels
- secondary to hyperestrogenism due to adrenal tumor
- CS: anemia, bone marrow suppression, muscle wasting, posterior weakness and lethargy and pruritus! (which can be difficult to rule/out skin stuff)
- most effective tx: adrenalectomy
- alternative tx: lupron, an estrogen reducing GnRH
Insulinoma in ferrets
- what organ derived from what cells
- secrete what hormone resulting in what?
- what are most common CS
- what diagnostic should you use?
- how do you tx it?
- tumor of pancreas derived from beta cells secreting insulin
- secrete tons of insulin resulting in hypoglycemia
- CS: hypoglycemia and neuro signs
- diagnostic: whipple’s triad: 1. low fasting glucose level 2. neuro signs typical of hypoglycemia 3. relief of symptoms with administration of glucose
- tx: prednisone and diazoxide and diet high in protein and low carb
LSA in ferrets - 2 forms what are they?
- juvenile LSA: <2 years old
2. adult LSA: > 4 years old
other than adrenal tumors, insulinomas, and LSAs, what other form of neoplasia do ferrrets get? and what kind are they?
what CS will they be associated with?
they also get MCT
- cutaneous form
- may be associated with pruritus and cause self-excoriation
Avian Chlamydiosis
- agent
- other common names
- how is it transmitted
- whats impt to remember about this dz
Chamydophila psittaci
- avian chlamydiosis or parrot fever or ornithosis or chlamydia psittaci
- its a bacteria shed in feces and respiratory discharges: ingestion and inhalation are primary routes of infection
- latent carriers are hard to id - the dz is ZOONOTIC and REPORTABLE
avian chlamydiosis
- CS
- dx
- gold standard dx
- tx
- CS: nasal/ocular discharge, infraorbital swelling, resp difficulty, diarrhea
- dx: increased WBC and liver values (AST, ALT, LDH), PCR blood, feces, resp. fluids
- gold standard dx: culture!
- tx: doxycycline
Psittacine Beak and Feather disease
- virus type
- M&M
- transmission
circovirus
- high morbidity an dmortality
- transmitted: contact with contaminated feathers most common, but fecal&oral also possible
Psittacine Beak and feather disease
- CS
- dx
- tx
- CS: feather loss, beak defects
- dx: PCR of whole blood, histo (inclusion bodies
- tx: none, remove from flock
Proventircular Diltation disease
- other common names
- virus
- which birds are most susceptible
- transmission
- psittacine wasting disease, macaw wasting disease
- avian borna virus
- macaws, cocaktoos and conures most susceptible
- transmission: fecal/oral
Proventricular diltation disease
- CS
- classic sign
- dx
- tx
- CS: nerve supply to proventriculus, ventriculus and SI destroyed. regurge, vomiting, passage of undigested food, ataxia, seizures
- classic sign: severely dilated thin wall of proventriculus seen on radiograph
- dx: histo: lymphoplasmacytic ganglioneuritis; necropsy: dilated GI tract
- tx: supportive - NSAIDs
Pacheco’s disease
- seen in what type of bird?
- agent
- transmission
- seen in psittacines only
- herpesvirus
- transmission: direct contact with infected feces, ocular/nasal discharge. can have carriers
Pacheco’s disease
- CS
- Dx
- dx: important sign
- Tx
- CS: birds with sudden death are highly suspect, green urates (indicates liver damage), neuro signs, anorexia, diarrhea
- dx: PCR of blood & cloacal swab, histopath - hepatic inclusion bodies
- dx important: consider Pacheco’s dz in any psittacine that dies suddenly with no previous signs of illness
- tx: Acyclovir sometimes effective but causes kidney damage
Polyoma virus
- transmission
- CS
- dx
- transmission: latent carrier state is common, direct contact with infected material, vertically spread via eggs
- CS: high mortality in young psittacine birds, regurge, diarrhea, feather abnormalities, petechiae
- dx: histopath: viral intranuclear inclusion bodies in liver, kidney, spleen, heart and feather follicles
what is important to know about light exposure in iguanas?
they need UV-A and UV-B light.
UV-A = visualization adn behavior
UV-B = Vit D & Ca metabolism
what is the nasal salt gland in an iguana?
- it helps conserve water
- produces white powder on nose which is normal
what is unique about the iguana heart?
it only has 1 ventricle (3-chambered)
where do you collect blood from an iguana?
the tail vein (ventral aspect of tail)
what is important to realize about the iguana diet?
they are obligate herbivores
they must maintain a Ca:P of 2:1
what zoonotic fecal-organisms can iguanas harbor?
salmonella, campylobacter, klebsiella, aeromonas and cryposporidia (protozoal)
what is metabolic bone disease in igunas due to? (imbalance of what nutrients)?
imbalance of Vitamin D, Ca and P
what are some causes of metabolic bone disease?
improper diet
improper lighting
chronic kidney disease (can cause renal metabolic bone disease)
what are CS of metabolic bone disease?
- boney protuberances in long bones
- softening of bones
- muscle weakness, lethargy and reluctance to move
how do you treat metabolic bone disease?
- CA supplementation
- provide proper UV light
ulcerative stomatitis
- also called what?
- often due to what?
- CS?
“mouth rot”
- due to poor husbandry
- chronic trauma/excoriations to rostrum from persistent rubbing on caging materials
- CS: plaque formation, erythema of gingiva, increased salivation
Dysecdysis
- what does it mean?
- CS
- cause
- tx
means abnormal shedding (iguanas normally shed skin in pieces as opposed to snakes which shed in one piece)
- CS: dry, flaky patches of dead skin
- cause: improper humidity
- tx: fix humidity
egg binding (dystocias) in iguanas - when is this seen?
- in first-time breeding females
- females bearing infertile clutches
what are some possible reasons for egg binding in iguanas?
- reproductive tract obstruction
- abnormal egg shape
- malformed pelvic canal
- poor husbandry, malnutrition, improper nesting, absence of opposite sex, lack of exercise, poor physical condition