Ferrets and Rabbits

Question 1

What is the main dietary component recommended for pet rabbits?

A) Alfalfa hay
B) Timothy or orchard grass hay
C) High-calcium leafy greens like kale
D) Commercial rabbit pellets

Answer 1

B) Timothy or orchard grass hay (high fiber diet)

Question 2

Why is it essential to spay all female rabbits?

Answer 2

• Induced ovulators, always in heat, leading to constant reproduction
• Post partum estrus 24 hrs after birth
• High risk of uterine cancer

Question 3

Rabbits practice cecotrophy to obtain which nutrients?

Answer 3

Amino acids and B12 vitamins

Question 4

What is the appropriate litter material for rabbits?

Answer 4

Newspaper-type bedding with a layer of hay

Question 5

What is the primary cause of urine sludge in rabbits?

Answer 5

Diets too high in calcium, such as alfalfa or kale

Question 6

What is the preferred venipuncture site for blood collection in rabbits?

A) Jugular vein
B) Lateral saphenous vein
C) Ear vein
D) Cephalic vein

Answer 6

Lateral saphenous vein

Question 7

What is the consequence of feeding simple carbohydrates and sugars to rabbits?

Answer 7

dysbiosis and potential endotoxemia

Question 8

Which of the following urinary parameters are normal in rabbits?

A) Frequent, small amounts of urine with low pH
B) Cloudy white urine with calcium crystals
C) Clear urine with no sediment
D) Rust-colored urine with signs of blood

Answer 8

B) Cloudy white urine with calcium crystals

(too much is abnormal tho)

Question 9

What can occur in rabbits fed excessive amounts of
alfalfa?

Answer 9

• High in Calcium, causes sludge and/or stones in the bladder
• Tx is placing a U-cath and flushing with saline

Question 10

True or False: In rabbites, calciuria resolves with medical treatment whereas stones require surgery

Answer 10

True

Question 11

What do rabbits and horses have in common?

Answer 11

• Hind gut fermenters, large LI + cecum
• Haustra responsible for fecal balls
• Can’t vomit
• Continuously growing / open rooted teeth
• Cloudy urine from calcium carbonate

Question 12

What are the potential consequences of mishandling a rabbit during restraint?

Answer 12

• Prone to lumbar fractures (L6)

Question 13

Why is it hard to sex baby rabbits?

Answer 13

Urogenital-anal distance is the same in males and females

(male urogenital opening is round, female is linear)

Question 14

What is unique about calcium metabolism in rabbits?

Answer 14

• Absorb unlimited amounts of calcium from GI tract, independent of Vit D

(cloudy urine is normal)

Question 15

What antibiotics to avoid in rabbits?

Answer 15

• Beta lactams
• Cephalosporins
• ORAL penicillins (SQ only)
• Clindamycin, Erythromycin

Question 16

What analgesics can be used in rabbits?

Answer 16

• NSAIDs
• Opioids (Buprenorphine)
• Tramadol
• Gabapentin

Question 17

What is the recommended treatment for a ferret diagnosed with gastric ulcers due to Helicobacter mustelae?

Answer 17

• Amoxicillin and metronidazole

Question 18

What is the recommended treatment for a ferret diagnosed with insulinoma?

Answer 18

Prednisone and diazoxide

Question 19

What is the most appropriate treatment for Proliferative Bowel Disease in ferrets?

Answer 19

Chloramphenicol

(Lawsonia intracellularis is the causative agent)

Question 19

Which therapy is commonly used to treat adrenal disease in ferrets?

Answer 19

Leuprolide acetate (Lupron)

(GnRH agonist)

Question 20

What is a key diagnostic feature of epizootic catarrhal enteritis (ECE) in ferrets?

A) Green slime diarrhea
B) Bloody stools
C) Intermittent vomiting
D) Weight gain

Answer 20

A) Green slime diarrhea

Question 21

Which condition is commonly caused by prolonged estrus in non-breeding female ferrets, leading to bone marrow suppression and anemia?

Answer 21

Estrogen toxicity

Question 22

What is the most likely diagnosis for a ferret with a swollen vulva, pruritus, and bilateral alopecia, given that the ferret has been spayed?

Answer 22

Hyperadrenocorticism

(increased sex hormones NOT cortisol)

Question 23

What is the most common causes of splenic enlargement in ferrets?

Answer 23

• Benign extra-medullary hematopoiesis most common
• Lymphoma is 2nd most common

Question 24

n ferrets, which type of gastrointestinal disease is associated with the formation of cystine stones?

Answer 24

Consumption of grain-free diets with pea protein

Question 25

A client presents with their 3-year-old ferret who has green mucoid stool after recently adopting a 6 week old ferret. Cause?

Answer 25

epizootic catarrhal enteritis (ECE)

(Green slime diarrhea)

Question 26

What can cause beaded tan diarrhea in ferrets?

Answer 26

IBD or Lymphoma

Treat with Prednisone or Azathioprine