Other species from pink book

Question 1

Degu dental formula?

Answer 1

20 teeth; I1, C0, P1, M3 in all 4 quadrants

Question 2

degu occlusal plane is

Answer 2

horizontal, like a chinch

Question 3

does the degu colon have haustra?

Answer 3

No. cecum has taeniae & haustrae; colon does not

Question 4

Degu spleen looks weird on necropsy.

Answer 4

Normally looks weird and glandular

Question 5

Degu adrenals look big on necropsy

Answer 5

This is also normal

Question 6

degu incisors: fun facts

Answer 6

Elodontomas common

very hard to extract per pink book

Question 7

Hepatic lipidosis in degus

Answer 7

Like chinch. common if anorexic, can be hard to diagnose, check for ketonuria.

Question 8

Rat and mice dental formula?

Answer 8

16 teeth; I1 & M3 in all 4 quadrants

Question 9

Which rat and mouse teeth are an/elodont?

Answer 9

Elodont: incisors
Anelodont: all cheek teeth

Question 10

Length of maxillary incisors vs mandibular (rats and mice)?

Answer 10

Mandibular should be about 3x length maxillary

Question 11

Do rats & mice have a gall bladder?

Answer 11

no

Question 12

Rats and mice: cecotrophy?

Answer 12

No cecotrophs. Coprophagy - some - absorb b vitamins that way. Cecum and colon are large compared to a carnivore but much simpler than a true herbivore

Question 13

Spironucleus muris

Giardia muris

Answer 13

Affect mice; trophozoites on a wet mount; tx with metronidazole; not the same disease but practically speaking may as well be

Question 14

What types of pinworms affect mice?

Answer 14

Syphacia obvelata; Aspic spp
Syphacia is visible on tape test but Aspic has to have a fecal float
Both are usually subclinical but with heavy loads can cause prolapse, intussusception etc

Question 15

What types of pinworms affect rats?

Answer 15

Syphacia obvelata & Aspic spp (like mice)
Also Syphacia mura

Gerbils are listed as getting “pinworms” but no species given

Question 16

Helicobacter spp in mice:

Answer 16

Triple therapy like a ferret

Often asymptomatic but if has rectal prolapse or diarrhea, worth doing PCR for it

Question 17

What is SDAV?

Answer 17

rat virus - inflammation & edema of cervical LN
rhinitis, ocular lesions
salivary necrosis

Question 18

What is proliferative ileitis?

Answer 18

Disease of ~10wk old hamsters
Lawsonia intracellularis
Similar to ferret dz/tx

Question 19

Clostridium difficile diarrhea hamsters

Answer 19

Any age
secondary to penicillin, lincomycin, cephalosporins, bacitracin
dx via PCR to identify pathogenic strain

Question 20

Clostridium piliforme diarrhea hamsters

Answer 20

Tyzzer’s disease
depressed, dehydrated, diarrhea, dull/dirty coat
opportunistic in stressed animals

Question 21

Clostridium piliforme/bacillus piliforme gerbils

Answer 21

They get it a lot and also die from it a lot

Oral transmission/infected bedding

Question 22

Cestodes and protozoa can cause diarrhea in hamsters and gerbils: t/f?

Answer 22

Cestodes both yes, protozoa not usually found/pathogenic in gerbils

Question 23

What is hymenolepsis nana?

Answer 23

Zoonotic cause of diarrhea in hamsters & gerbils
A dwarf tapeworm
Has other names but this is the most common one

Question 24

What species of hamsters most commonly get cheek pouch eversion?

Answer 24

possibly more common in Djungarian than Syrian

Question 25

Causes of cheek pouch eversion?

Answer 25

Sticky foods; infected/impacted material/ abscesses; neoplasia

Question 26

Taenia crassicolis

Answer 26

tapeworm, listed as an issue in gerbils in pink book, but as a general rule it affects all rodents and lagomorphs. Grows up into taenia taeniformis (cats). Can be zoonotic.

Question 27

Amyloidosis in Hamsters

Answer 27

Extremely common. hepatic and renal. females, stressed, overcrowded all risk factors

Question 28

Hepatic cysts in hamsters

Answer 28

can get huge; usually affects hams >2 yo; can do surgery if single lobe & clinically ill; some sources recc drainage