Introduction Flashcards
Rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas in clinic
- keep away from possible predators
- may take a bonded companion to massively decrease the stress
Handling rabbits
- gentle and scooping
- one hand on the scruff, the other supporting the rump
- DO NOT just lift by the scruff
- always place backwards in the cage
- do not put on their backs, causes teh fear response hypnotism
Handling guinea pigs
- do not grab around their abdomen
- pick up around chest and around rump
Handling chinchillas
- Do not grab at it (fur slip)
- cup and support
Assisted feeding
- Needs training
- make up syringe nice and thick to stop it dribbling back out
- administer slowly to avoid inhalation
- remember that cavies and chinchillas will need vitamin C supplementation
Blood sampling and IV injection in rabbits
- lateral ear vein (best for injection/catheterisation/small samples)
- make sure not to go in the middle artery
- clip and prepare with AMLA cream (LA)
- don’t use cephalic
- jugular in females can be tricky because of dulap
- lateral saphenous - best for blood sampling in concious rabbits, causes a haematoma fairly often
Blood sampling and IV injection in cavies and chinchillas
- jugular can be difficult concious, and quite difficult to get to
- thoracic (vena cava) - will ideally need sedation with isoflurane to avoid stress, use the smallest needle possible
Small furries
Rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters, degus, duprasi
Generally bite quite a lot
Hospitalisation of small furries
- sometimes they come in their own cage
- may come with cage mates
- replicate some of their environment
- provide shelter, but ensure not too secure so you can still get to it
- can scruff them
- can inject into scruff
Assisted feeding of small furries
- they are all omnivores except Degus
- several support diets available
- otherwise various baby food can be used
Hospitalisation of ferrets
As with cats
Handling of ferrets
- if they’re going to bite, they don’t warn you as a cat usually does
- if they bite they lock
- very sneaky and clever
- if the are getting frustrated, put them on the floor and they should calm down
- if they are nice, cane just scoop or with a thumb under jaw if they aren’t
Assisted feeding of ferrets
as with cats
Blood sampling of ferrets
- cephalic, saphenous, or jugular
- probably need sedation
Hospitalisation of birds
- own cage if possible
- also useful for history/diagnosis
- high up unless aggressive bird
- away from predators like cats
- partially cover cage to provide visual seclusion
- heat lamp if necessary, some light at night to allow feeding and prevent night fright
- isolation to prevent disease transmission
- zoonoses
Birds when hospitalised
- maybe leave radio on
- feed their usual diet
- weight twice a day
- crop feed to maintain or increase weight
Handling small cage birds
- can use a cloth
- remove obstacles in cage
- dim lights
- handle for minimum time
- shut windows and doors
Handling larger birds
- use a towel
- remove obstacles from cage
- grasp gently around body, restraining the wings
- be bold
- gentle cupping
- no diaphragm so if you squeeze them they cant breathe
-restrain around neck rather than thorax
Handling parrots
- don’t grip the head tightly, will cause bruising
- let the parrot chew the towel
Nutritional support for birds
crop feed as soon as the bird is not eating enough to maintain BW
use metal gavage tubes
Blood sampling birds
- jugular (use right as bigger)
- superficial ulnar/basilic vein
- superficial plantar metatarsal/caudal tibial vein
- pressure afterwards to minimise haematoma
- in aquatic species use the tarsal vein - bigger as the feathering is so dense
- can take 1% of BW
Why should you not have rubber in the syringe when taking blood from a bird?
Can interfere with test for heavy metals
Injections and fluid therapy in birds
- 25G or 27G needles
- 0.3 or 0.5ml insulin syringes
- fluids subcut (precrural), IV (brachial vein), or intra-osseus (ulna or tibia tarsus)
- fluids must be warm
Hospitalisation of reptiles
- heat
- security
- UV light
Handling tortoises/terrapins
- never leave unattended on a table
- terrapins WILL bite
- be patient and sneaky when trying to get head out
Handling lizards
- prevent autonomy (tail coming off)
- most lizards will try to bite a predator that lifts them up
Handling snakes
- quite fragile animals (single occipital condyle)
- always support weight of body
- bruising causes autolysis which can lead to death
Assisted feeding of reptiles
- carnivores: use diet designed for obligate carnivores (not dogs)
- herbivores
- omnivores
- rehydrate if necessary before feeding
- use oesophageal tubes and lots of lube
may need metal tubes for some so they don’t bite through it
Blood sampling reptiles
- depends on species
- can use jugular in tortoise, but not iguana
