Exotics Neurology Flashcards
What is floppy rabbit?
A clinical presentation -not a neuro condition
What are the differentials for floppy rabbit sydrome?
pain- spine, kidneys, skull
CNS - Toxoplasma, e.cuniculi, meningitis (bacterial - Pasteurellosis, Listeriosis)
stress
toxicity - lead, zinc
What are the differentials for a head tilt?
Encephalitizoon cuniculi
Toxoplasma
Listeria
meningitis
middle ear infection (challenge is virtually every rabbit has middle ear infection apart from laboratory rabbits which are pasteurella free. All wild and pets rabbits are contaminated with pastuerella multocida and have chronic middle ear and rhinitis disease)
brain abscess
Encephalitozoon cuniculi:
A) What is it?
B) What organs are affected?
C) What can it cause?
D) What are the treatment options?
E) How is it transmitted?
A) Protozoal parasite
B) Brain and kidneys
C) Can cause: head tilt, tremors, convulsions, ataxia, paresis. Symptoms can wax and wane.
D) No treatment ( but some have used these drugs that will kill parasite fenbendazole, albendazole? However panacur does not repair damaged brain tissue it only therefore reduces ongoing destruction of brain tissue from parasite)
E) Transmitted via urine
What are the clinical signs of Encephalitozoon cuniculi?
renal disease (not always as they have 2 kidneys and can function on only 10% of them)
paresis, paralysis
emaciation
neurological signs
Overgrown teeth secondary to neurological signs and anorexia
What are differentialds for seizures in rabbits?
E. cuniculi
Toxoplasma (parasite transmitted from contact with cat faeces where it goes to rabbits brain which causes the prey species to become ataxic and easier to be predated by predator species where toxo can complete it’s lifecycle. So toxo rabbits are not a transmission risk to pregnant women unless they eat rabbit brains unlike the transmission risk around cats)
LCM (lymphocytic coreo meningitis virus)(rodent) Many pet rodents and rabbits are contaminated with this virus. Can be zoonotic can catch via rodent urine.
Skull trauma
Idiopathic epilepsy – seen often in gerbils but tend to self recover they typically seizure from over excitement
Heavy metal toxicity - lead, zinc
What parasite can cause a head tilt?
Psoroptes cuniculi
What are the clinica signs of urinary incontinence?
- Urine scald
- Dermatitis (ventral dermatitis common)
- Litter training
How can you test for urinary incontinence?
- Neuro exam (diff because if you startle a rabbit they have a freeze response, try a neuro exam but it may be difficult in exam room)
- Urinalysis
- Radiography
- Blood work
- History for PU/PD
What are the differentials for urinary incontinence?
–spinal trauma
–CNS lesions
–CNS infections
- Encephalitozoonosis cuniculi
- Toxoplasma
–post spay
–urolithiasis
–pu / pd
How can we test for neuro infections?
- Radiography
- Renal biopsy
- Serology
- CSF analysis
What is this?
Intracellular cysts of Encephalitozoon cuniculi in the renal tubular epithelial cells of a rabbit,
What is this?
Brain of a rabbit with intracellular cysts of Encephalitozoon cuniculi
What has caused this? What can be seen?
Urine scalding of the perineum, strong smelling urine, dermatitis and ulceration of the perineal area.
What may cause urinary incontinence?
Spinal fractures, spinal dislocation, following ovariohysterectomy, CNS lesions, CNS infections e.g. Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Toxoplasmosis.
