Neonatal revision Flashcards
What is the importance of colostrum?
Provides vital nutrients and supply all antibodies the mother has to fight disease.
Why is it not easy to foster hamsters?
Known for abandoning & cannibalising there young and fostering can rarely be successful.
Explain how you would introduce young mice/rats/gerbils to its new foster mother?
The mother gets removed from the cage into a separate one. Her litter and fostering litter can be mixed. They can be rubbed with soiled bedding from the foster mothers cage then placed with the original litter. The rest of the young can be placed with the mother once they have settled.
Explain how you would introduce ferrets to its new foster mother?
With ferrets should be done as early as possible and the mother should be removed and the young mixed. Ferrets can visually recognise their own young so although all efforts to mix the young by scent marking are made observation following this method is essential.
How do you know neo natal rabbits are being fed?
No wrinkled skin, warm, round belly and bunched together.
What age should weaning of hamsters be carried out?
3 weeks (21-22 days).
Why might fostering be necessary?
- Mother shows little interest in the neonate.
-To even up litter sizes to ensure all are getting equal time. - If the mother has passed so unable to look after neonates.
What species are easy to foster?
Guinea pig as babies are born self sufficient and mothers will happily feed other baby guinea pigs.
Dogs as there is less of a risk to cannibalism.
What species are hard to foster?
Hamsters are known for cannibalising and abandoning young.
Rats can cannibalise young.
Ferrets visually recognise young so can be difficult.
Rabbits become easily stressed and cannibalise.
Why is it important to wean puppies and kittens from milk onto mushy food rather than straight onto hard feed?
Sudden changes to diet cannot be tolerated by the majority of species and weaning should entail a gradual replacement of mother’s milk with solid food.
Why is it important not to wean kittens before 6 weeks?
-Kittens digestive system needs time to adapt to the new solid food. Weaning will take from 4 – 6 weeks so if done before this the digestive system won’t cope with the solid food.
-also it is important that kittens stay with the queen to develop socialising skills which are essential for later life.
Why is it important to wean young at the correct age?
Early weaning is not advised as it is important for socialising of the neonates and also the digestive system needs time to adapt to the new solid food.
List mothering instincts that should be encouraged in a bitch.
-Allowing young to suckle
-Grooming/licking
-Provide warmth/attention to young
List important environmental considerations for the correct care of neonate ferrets?
-Suitable bedding
-Room for mother to move around
-Warmth
-Good hygiene
-Safe
-Secure
-Quiet away from other animals
How often will the does/bitches suckle there young?
Does, once a day.
Bitches, every 2 house for first 2 weeks then gradually time between feeds increases.
When should the pregnant bitch be introduced to her whelping area?
1-2 weeks prior to whelping.
Explain why it might be useful to foster neo-natal mice, separating them into single sex litters.
-So they can be left together longer
-To avoid inbreeding
