Exotics: Approaching the Exotic Patient Flashcards
- What order are rabbits in?
- What type of diet do rabbits have?
- What is there life span?
- Lagomorphs
- Strict herbivores- caecotrophy
- 8-10 years
Social- bonded pairs
Hind-gut fermentation
Social- bonded pairs
- What type of diet does a ferret have?
- Ferrets are dimorphism- what does this mean?
- What type of ovulators are ferrets?
- What is their lifespan?
- Carnivore
- Males are larger
- Seasonal induced ovulators
- 6-8 years
- What order are guinea pigs?
- What diet do ginea pigs have?
- What sub-order are guinea pigs and why?
- What is their lifespan?
- Rodents
- Strict herbivores
- Hystricomorphs- dentition and masicatory muscles, all teeth continuously growin
- 5-6 years
Social- should be in groups
- What order and sub-order are chinchillas
- What diet?
- What environment are they adapted to?
- What is their life span?
- Hystricomorph rodents
- Strict herbivores
- Cold, dry environments
- 8-10 years
- What order and sub-order are rats?
- What type of diet do rats have?
- What is their normal environment?
- Life span?
- Myomorph rodents- differences in dentition and masticatory muscles, only incisors grow continuously
- Omnivores
- Relatively dry, well ventilated
- 2-3 years
Social- same-sex groups
- What order and sub-order are rats?
- What type of diet do rats have?
- What is their normal environment?
- Life span?
- Myomorph rodents- differences in dentition and masticatory muscles, only incisors grow continuously
- Omnivores
- Relatively dry, well ventilated
- 2-3 years
Social- same-sex groups
- What order are hamsters?
- What diet do they have?
- What are the three common kept species?
- Lifespan?
- Myomorph rodents
- Omnivores
- Syrian, roborovski, russian
- 1-2 years
Solitary
- What is the common name for Pogona vitticeps?
- What is there normal weight range?
- What type of diet do they have?
- What environment do they require?
- Life span?
- Bearded dragon
- 400-700g
- Omnivores to herbivores as they mature
- Terrestrial/dry
- 8-12 years
- What is a bearded dragons basking temperature?
- What is a bearded dragons low end temperature?
- What light is essential?
- Basking 33-40 degrees
- Low end 27 degrees
- UV-B
- What is the normal weight range for a leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius)?
- Diet?
- What is their required temp range?
- What else is required for environment?
- life span?
- 60-100g
- Insectivores
- 22-33 degrees
- Hiding places with high humidity
- 10-12 years
- What species of tortoises are comonly kept?
- What diet do they have?
- What is their terrestial environment?
- Life span?
- Greek, Hermann’s, Horsfields
- Strict herbivores
- 24-38 degrees
- 80 years
- What are cornsnakes fed?
- What is their terrestrial environment?
- Life span?
- Strict carnivores- rodent prey
- 21- 30 degrees
- 15-20 years
- What is the common name for the Melopsittacus undulatus?
- What are the pets fed?
- What environmental enrichment is recomended?
- What is their lifespan?
- Budgie
- Balanced seed mixes, Pellets, Some greens
- Perches, toys, bathing
- 7-15 years
- What is the common name for Psittacus erithacus?
- What is their normal size?
- What are they fed?
- What is their lifespan?
- African grey
- 350-500g
- Pellets, mix veg/fuit, calcium supp?
- 20-30 years
- What is the common name for Gallus domesticus?
- What is their diet?
- What is their lifespan?
- How should their groups be kept?
ex battery
- Domestic chicken
- Commercial pellets, some grains/vet + insects, gritt
- 5-12 years
- Kept in all female groups ± 1 male
Describe general considerations for reptile/amphibian husbandry?
- Enclosure design and size
- Temperature
- Humidity
- UV-B exposure
- Substrate
- Decoration
What are considerations for exotic mammals husbandry?
- Cage size/SA
- Temperature
- Bedding material
- Hiding places
- Ventilation
- Toys and environment enrichment
- Excercise
- Social interactions
What husbandry needs to be considered for invertebrates?
- Enclosure size
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Substrate
What husbandry should be considered for fish?
- Tank size
- Temperature
- Water pH/hardness
- Water chemistry
- Decoration/hiding places
- Lighting
- Tank population
What husbandry should be considered for birds?
- Cage size and orientation
- Location
- Excercise
- Temperature
- Perches
- Toys and environment
- Drinking/bathing bowls
- Social interaction
- UV-B?
What is POTZ?
What can the different sources be?
Preferred optimal temperature zone
Min- Max temp
Sources- ceramic bulbs, infared, combined, heat mats
Heat stones not recomended
What is POTZ?
What can the different sources be?
Preferred optimal temperature zone
Min- Max temp
Sources- ceramic bulbs, infared, combined, heat mats
Heat stones not recomended
What is UV-A and UV-B important for?
How often do bulbs need replacing?
- UV-A important for behaviour
- UV-B- vitamin D/calcium metabolism
Especially for: reptiles, amphibians, some birds, some mammals
Bulbs need replacing every 12-18 months
What measures humidity?
What photoperiod should be given?
Hygrometer- humidity
Photoperiod depends on species- 12/12 usually
What do herbivores, omnivores and carnivores eat?
What supplements may be required?
- Herbivore- can vary between rich to mostly fruits
- Omnivore- ratio veg: animals (can change throuought life)
- Carnivore- invetebrate vs vertebrate prey
Supplements- Calcium, Vitamins, other nutrients (amino acids, iodine)
What extra history is required for exotic animals?
Detailed information regarding husbandry
What adaptations are needed for an exotic consult room?
- Escape proof
- No cats/dogs
- Possibility to turn off/dim lights
- Avoid extreme temperatures
- Anti-slip floor and table
What specialised equipment may be needed for exotics?
- Digital scales
- Different size plastic boxes
- Variety of towels
- Otoscope
- Doppler probe
- Metallic probes
- Sample collection: swabs, slides, blood tubes, collection pots
What should be done before handling the patient?
Visual inspection
* General demeanour
* Signs of dyspnoea
* Signs of trauma, bleeding
* Obvious external lesions
Some of above require immediate supportive care
Especially important in birds, rabbits and rodents
What should be done before handling the patient?
Visual inspection
* General demeanour
* Signs of dyspnoea
* Signs of trauma, bleeding
* Obvious external lesions
Some of above require immediate supportive care
Especially important in birds, rabbits and rodents
- What concerns are there when holding rabbits?
- What should never be done?
- What can be used for difficult patients?
- Self trauma when kicking, bites/scratches
- Never- hold by ears, hold on back (trancing), let hindlimbs kick
- Towel, sedation
Is there any significance when handling the following species?
1. Guninea pigs
2. Chinchillas
3. Rats
4. Other small rodents
- Freeze- rarely bite
- Can do fur/tail slip if rough
- Usually easy for short period- seldom bite
- Hamsters- bite frequently, gerbils slip tails, restrain with towels
What are the two approaches to handling ferrets?
- Restrain by axillary area
- Restrain by neck area
Can distract with fish oil
What is checked during a clinical exam of exotic mammals?
- Weight
- Rectal temp- only some patients will allow
- Check skin and hair
- Check eyes, nostril and ears
- Oral exam
MM colour and CRT
Ferrets- gingivitis, tartar ± damaged teeth
Rabbits/hysticomorphs- incisors and molars
Myomorph- incisors - Chest auscultation- challening
- Abdominal exam- gut sounds in hystricomorphs, masses, perineum
- BCS- no established scale
- Examine movements and gait
- Specific- opthalamological, neurological
What should be considered for chelonians handling?
Tortoises
* Seldom bite
* Careful of trapping fingers between the shell
* Difficult to examine
* Consider sedation specially for large
Terrapins/aquatic turtles
* Usually more agressive
* Restrain by the caudal part of shell
What is important for handling lizards?
- All species can bite/scratch
- Iguanas can whip with tails
- Restrain most by neck with limbs against body
- Towels for larger species
- Some species can shed tails- inguinid lizard and geckos
- Can shed scales- geckos
- Delicate skin- geckos
What is important for handling snakes?
- All species can bite
- Some species can empty clocal glands
- Restrain by neck area
- 1m of snake = 1 staff
- Prevent from coiling round arms
- Do not handle venemous species
What is assessed for clinical exam of reptiles?
- Weight
- Examine skin
general- retained shed, wounds, lumps
Chelonians- shell strength, discolouration - Oral examination- MMs, teeth, saliva thickness
- HR- doppler
- Coelomic palpation
- Cloacal probing- check for obstruction, eggs, sexing
How should small passerines be handled?
(budgies)
- Restrain by neck region
- Keep wings folded
- Do not compress chest area
How are psittacines handled?
- Care for bites
- Use an appropirate size of towels
- Some individuals may benefit from sedation
How should birds of prey be handled?
- Prioritise control of legs and talons
- With other hand control neck area
- Use towels or gauntlets
- Falconry birds are used to being hanldes
- Use hood or towel to cover head
How are waterfowl/aquatic birds handled?
Small to medium ducks
* Keep wings folded, might accidentaly scratch
Large geese and swans
* Restrain the neck
* Keep wings folded
* Prone to capture myopathy
Aquatic/marine birds
* Usually beak to peck
* Restrain neck
* Careful with ventilation and overheating
What is assessed for a clinical exam of a bird?
- Weight
- Inspect dropping on cage/carrier
- Assess BCS- palpate pectorals
- Check plumage- change in colour, feather quality and moult
- Eyes, nostrils, swellings
- Beak and MMs
- Palpate crop
- Auscultate- HR, caudal abdomial air sacs
- Palpate coelomic cavity- distention, masses
- Check cloaca ± preen gland
