Offspring Related Problems Flashcards
What is congenital abnormalities?
can be defined as structural or functional anomalies that occur during intrauterine life. Also called birth defects, congenital disorders or congenital malformations, these conditions develop prenatally and may be identified before or at birth, or later in life.
What is hereditary defects?
also known as inherited diseases or hereditary diseases, are conditions passed onto the offspring from the parents. The offspring will have a hereditary defect be because both sets of parents share the recessive alleles resulting in the condition being built into the DNA structure of the offspring.
What are orphans?
Orphans are infant or juvenile animals whose parents have abandoned them or died, leaving them with no direct parents. In some species, other members of the group will adopt the offspring and raise it as their own. However, most species don’t have such a close family unit and will often die in the wild.
In captivity, if you cannot get another member of the species to adopt the offspring, it would be the keeper’s responsibility to take over the parental role and rear the offspring.
The term Orphan is only used with species whose parents rear the offspring.
What is hand- rearing?
Hand-rearing is when an animal is raised by hand by humans. This occurs when a parent neglects the offspring or dies whilst the offspring is still young.
This can also be a chosen practice of animal management as hand rearing some animals can make them easier to work with once they become adults as they are more comfortable around humans.
This practice is often used with birds and for conservation purposes for the breeding of birds of prey.
What is fostering?
Fostering links back to orphans and hand rearing as it is when an animal is placed in a temporary home whilst a permanent family is looked for.
Fostering only occurs in captivity and usually with domestic animals. It is common practice for rescues to place puppies and kittens into foster homes as it’s a better environment for them to grow up in before finding a permanent family compared to being placed in kennels.
Older animals can be placed into foster care as well however it is more common for infants and juveniles to be placed in these homes.
What is fading?
Is a condition where the offspring have a failure to thrive during the period between birth and when they wean from their mother or from a bottle for hand-fed. This period lasts 4-5 weeks when they are most vulnerable to sickness.
Treatment includes supportive care while the veterinarian works to identify an underling cause. Supportive care usually includes fluids, dextrose to support blood sugar levels, antimicrobials, nutritional support, oxygen support, and body temperature support.
This condition is most common in puppies and kittens.
What is toxic milk syndrome?
Toxic Milk Syndrome usually affects offspring from birth to two weeks of age. The infants become listless and tend to whine incessantly. In many cases, right after nursing, there is an increase in salivation. In most cases, they develop diarrhoea accompanied by a distended abdomen.
This condition is caused by acute septic mastitis. When mammary gland becomes infected with bacteria, the milk becomes toxic to the infants causing septicaemia and/or sudden death.
This condition is most common in puppies and kittens.
What is a umbilical infection?
After birth, the umbilicus continues to act as a direct path into the body which increases risk of infection as it provides easy access for environmental bacteria.
Once colonized within the navel, the bacterium most commonly travels via the umbilical vein into the liver. After reaching the liver, the infection becomes
systemic which can lead to severe lameness, neurological symptoms and eventual death.
What is swimmers syndrome?
Swimmers Syndrome is an uncommon developmental deformity of new-born dogs and cats whereby the limbs, primarily the hind limbs, are splayed laterally resulting in an inability to stand or walk.
Forward movement with this affliction is only accomplished by lateral pedalling motions. Swimmers syndrome has generally been considered to be untreatable; therefore, animals that present with symptoms of the syndrome have will be euthanized
What is herpes ?
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a common infection that can cause painful blisters or ulcers. It primarily spreads by skin-to-skin contact. It is treatable but not curable.
This disease can also cause development disorders in infants if the mother has been infected during pregnancy.
Herpes will lower the immune system within the animal, making them more susceptible to other diseases.
What is hernias?
Hernias of the abdominal wall are common in all domestic species and include umbilical hernias and inguinal or scrotal hernias.
Congenital hernias tend to be indirect.
Over 90% of hernias found in cats and dogs are due to genetics, although they can also develop as a result of trauma.
What is a cleft palate?
A cleft palate happens if the tissue that makes up the roof of the mouth does not join together completely during pregnancy.
For some infants, both the front and back parts of the palate are open. For other infants, only part of the palate is open
What are still births?
A cleft palate happens if the tissue that makes up the roof of the mouth does not join together completely during pregnancy.
For some infants, both the front and back parts of the palate are open. For other infants, only part of the palate is open
