Rabbits & Rodents Flashcards
when collecting samples, safe volumes are typically ___ of the body weight.
1%
which species has a longer prothrombin time? why is this important?
guinea pigs
takes longer to form a clot, so have to hold down on injection site for longer
what is important to know about handling guinea pig bladders?
slight manipulation of bladder can result in iatrogenic hematuria
what is antibiotic associated enterotoxemia (why does it occur, what causes it, what are the C/S)?
rabbits & rodents have primarily gram + digestive flora, and the gut is highly sensitive to any antibiotic that can reduce/eradicate normal flora
absence of normal flora can result in an overgrowth of Clostridium difficile –> produces fatal enterotoxin
C/S: diarrhea, depression, death
how can you avoid antibiotic associated enterotoxemia in rabbits and rodents?
avoid use of oral penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides, including ampicillin, amoxicillin, erythromycin, lincomycin, or other drugs that affect gram + flora
fluid therapy is especially warranted in cases of:
inappetent for several days
sub-normal body temp
significant blood loss
________ is a common sequela to any process causing a negative caloric state in rabbits and rodents.
hepatic lipidosis
rabbits and rodents cannot _____ due to strong cardiac sphincter musculature.
vomit
when prepping rabbits and rodents for anesthesia & sx, you should limit your blind intubation attempts to ____.
2
rabbits & rodents are ______ nasal breathers.
obligate
what type of dentition do guinea pigs have and what does it mean?
Hypselodont –> all teeth grow continuously
Which rodent requires an extraneous source of Vitamin C?
guinea pigs
guinea pigs are the only rodent that requires an extraneous source of ____.
vitamin c
a lack of vitamin C in guinea pigs results in what?
scurvy
what are the clinical signs of scurvy?
rough hair coat, alopecia, malocclusion, anorexia, swollen joints, bleeding gums, bruxism
which sex of guinea pigs gets mammary adenocarcinomas more?
males
what is important to know about guinea pig castrations?
they have an open inguinal ring that must be closed at castration
tell me about female guinea pig pubises and why their anatomy may result in dystocia
they have a fibrocartilaginous pubic symphysis that separates during the latter half of gestation, but if the first litter occurs after 8-10 months old, the symphysis separates less easily and dystocia can occur
true or false: urinary calculi are not common in guinea pigs
false. they are common in guinea pigs
80% of urinary calculi in guinea pigs are ____ _____.
calcium oxalate
tell me how a UTI in a guinea pig can lead to urolithiasis.
UTI –> stones w/ crystals congregating around a nidus of bac t
what are the common C/S of guinea pigs urolithiasis?
hematuria, dysuria, stranguria, lethargy, inappetence, decreased stool production, vocalization with urination
true or false: guinea pigs who undergo sx for urolithiasis are unlikely to develop stones again.
false. reoccurrence of stones is common
what is the shape of the occlusal surfaces of guinea pig cheek teeth?
what happens when they overgrow?
steeply angulated
they eventually converge, trapping the tongue and food
____ elongation of guinea pig molars forces the mouth to _____ ____, resulting in what?
Coronal, stay open
secondary incisor malocclusion also affecting TMJ
guinea pigs can be infested with ____, _____, and less commonly, ____ & _____.
lice, mites, fleas, Demodex
What is the species of mite that infests guinea pigs?
Trixacarus caviae
true or false: Trixacarus caviae is very very pruritic
true!!
severe cases of Trixacarus caviae can cause ____.
seizures
true or false. Trixacarus caviae is not zoonotic.
false! it is zoonotic (it’s sarcoptic)
what are the typical C/S and locations of Dermatophytosis in guinea pigs?
scaly patchy areas of alopecia, mildly pruritic and erythemic
bridge of nose, dorsum of feet, by ears
what is the common species that causes dermatophytosis in guinea pigs?
Trichophyton mentagrophytes
true or false: Trichophyton mentagrophytes is zoonotic.
TRUE!
tell me the top ddx’s for a guinea pig with an integument mass
abscess
neoplasia
guinea pig abscesses are often associated with what species? what syndrome does it cause?
Streptococcus zooepidemicus
cervical lymphadenopathy
what is the most common neoplasia of guinea pigs? Malignant or benign?
Trichofolliculoma
benign
How do you tell the difference b/t a Syrian/Golden hamster and a Dwarf hamster?
Syrian: permissive hibernators
Dwarf: will not hibernate
Hamsters are _____. (type of food they eat)
Omnivores
Hamsters are weird stomachs. Describe it and tell me the health implication.
grossly distinct 2 section stomach:
proximal: rumen-like, non-glandular
distal: glandular
do not tolerate diet changes well
hamsters have ____-root incisors and ____-root molars.
open, closed
hamster hair coat can be affected by…?
poor nutrition, aging, demodicosis, hormonal changes from hyperadrenocorticism or cystic ovaries, epitheliotrpic lymphoma, dermatophytosis, chronic renal disease
tell me the ddx’s for pruritic alopecia in a hamster
bacterial dermatitis
fungal dermatitis (yeast, dermatophytosis)
parasitic dermatitis (mange, fleas)
tell me the ddx’s for non-pruritic alopecia in a hamster
demodectic mange
neoplasm (epitheliotropic lymphoma, papilloma)
endocrine dz (hyperadrenocorticism, thyroid dz, sex hormone related)
a hamster presents to you for alopecia and hair coat changes. what is a very important part of the hx you need to get?
without knowing the answer to the question you ask above, what are the top 3 most common ddx’s?
pruritic vs non-pruritic
abscesses, demodectic mange, hormone-related
what is the most common neoplasia in hamsters?
lymphoma
what are the 3 types of lymphoma in hamsters and what is the signalment for each?
Hematopoietic – older
Epitheliotropic – adult
Epizootic – young
what is the etiology for Epizootic lymphoma in hamsters? how does it present?
Polyomavirus
abdominal masses
Demodicosis in hamsters is usually secondary to ____?
immunosuppresion
how does Demodicosis in hamsters usually present?
alopecia & pruritis
GI diseases in hamsters usually present because of perceived diarrhea or _____.
Wet tail
what is the most significant intestinal disease of hamsters 3-10 weeks old?
Proliferative ileitis
Proliferative ileitis targets hamsters of what age?
3-10 weeks old
proliferative ileitis has a high _____ rate. (morbidity or mortality)
mortality
what is the causative agent of proliferative ileitis in hamsters? it is often only confirmed on _____.
Lawsonia intracellularis
necropsy
with proliferative ileitis, treatment must be ____ and is often ____.
aggressive, unsuccessful
what are 4 sequelae of proliferative ileitis in hamsters? (the bolded one is the one you need to know fo sho)
intussusception
obstruction
decrease nutritional absorption
rectal prolapse
is discharge from the vulva normal in hamsters?
no, EXCEPT for in Golden hamsters, where they have visible post-ovulatory discharge
rabbits have ___ dentition. what does this mean?
hypselodont
all teeth grow all the time
rabbits are strict ____, _____ fermentors, and ____ selectors
herbivores, hindgut, concentrate
tell me the difference b/t large vs small particles and how they travel through the rabbit GIT. what does this result in?
large: eliminated directly as hard fecal pellets w/I 4h of eating
small: collected in haustra of colon, sent back to cecum via reverse peristalsis for fermentation and production of cecotrophs
results in 2 types of stool: fecal pellet & cecotroph
what are the primary roles of the rabbit cecum?
fermentation of plant material
synthesis of AAs and VFAs –> concentrated into cecotrophs
cecotrophs are made of ____ and ____.
amino acids
volatile fatty acids
diet and dietary ____ play major roles in the health and motility of the digestive tracts of rabbits.
fibre
_____: necessary for growing, pregnant & lactating rabbits, but persistently high numbers of this in the diet leads to obesity, altered digestive tract motility, poor teeth wear, decreased water intake, reduced appetite for cecotrophs, and an observed increased appetite for cardboard, carpet, and furniture.
protein
adult rabbits should be fed _____ fibre in the form of ____.
70-75%
grass hays
a ____ or ___ appetite is one of the most common presentations in rabbits.
reduced or absent
a decrease in appetite is always associated with…?
reduced or absent fecal output
what is GI stasis? what is it the consequence of?
reduced/absent appetite + reduced/absent fecal output
consequence of anorexia
true or false: GI stasis is one of the most common diagnoses in rabbits.
FALSE. GI STASIS IS NOT A DIAGNOSIS!!!!!!!!!!
tell me the pathophys behind GI stasis in rabbits and why it’s really bad
- inappetence
- decreased motility
- change in pH
- disruption of normal bac t flora
- gas and toxin production
- pain and dehydration
7/1. inappetence (it’s a cycle, it starts over)
what is important to know in the hx of anorexic rabbits?
- stressors?
- previous episodes of anorexia?
- diet hx/diet changes?
- meds? recent anesthesia/sx?
true or false: acute abdomen in any age rabbit has a sudden rapid onset and is a true emergency.
true
_____ is extremely useful in acutely anorexic rabbits to help distinguish b/t life and non-life threatening situations.
biochem
you have an acutely anorexic rabbit. what test should come first, imaging or biochem? why?
biochem
stress of imaging may influence blood parameters, results may influence choice of imaging
tell me the correlation b/t blood glucose and GI obstruction in rabbits.
there is a correlation b/t severe GI obstructive dz and markedly elevated blood glucose levels
> 16mmol/L indicates blockage/severe stress [not in red]
when you suspect a liver lobe torsion in a rabbit, what imaging modality should you choose?
ultrasound
what is the general tx for an anorexic rabbit?
fluids, pain control, assist feed
what are the most important Aspects of treatment for an anorexic rabbit?
hydrating GIT and controlling gut pain
you have an acutely anorexic rabbit with a normal PE. what is the tx?
symptomatic/outpatient tx w/ expectation of improvement in 24h and clear instructions to owners
SQ fluids, pain management, syringe feed once hydrated
you have an acutely anorexic rabbit with a slightly abnormal PE. what is the tx?
hospitalize for first 24h to monitor
SQ fluids/IV fluids in older pts, pain meds, syringe feed
PCV/TP and biochem to rule out GI obstruction and liver lobe torsion, & to look for underlying issues
you have a rabbit with an acute abdomen (markedly abnormal PE). what is the tx?
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE - EMERGENCY!!
hospitalize and monitor closely (temp, resp, posture/abdomen)
IV fluids, opiod pain meds, avoid meloxicam as pain med, DO NOT SYRINGE FEED until animal is stable
PCV/TP, biochem, imaging
a rabbit with an acute GI obstruction presents with which C/S?
hypothermia, signs of shock (rapid shallow breathing, poor CRT), enlarged tympanic stomach, no gut sounds, teeth grinding, hunched posture
rabbits with chronic obstruction have the obstruction where in their GIT?
ileoceco-colonic junction
chronic anorexia is characterized by…? what complication can happen?
gradual downslide that self perpetuates, can complicate with hepatic lipidosis
what is necessary to determine cause in order to outline tx/prognosis in a chronic anorexic rabbit?
diagnostics
in a rabbit with a liver lobe torsion, what anomaly would you see on biochem?
elevated ALT
you have a rabbit with an acute abdomen and you do biochem, where you see an elevated ALT. what is your top ddx and how do you confirm?
liver lobe torsion
ultrasound to confirm
in rabbit cases with liver lobe torsion, what part of the liver is often involved and why?
caudate lobe of the R liver
it’s a thick lobe with a thin pedicle as an attachment
true or false: dental dz is uncommon in rabbits.
false. it is common
true or false: during a routine PE of a rabbit, you don’t have to do a complete oral exam; just examining the incisors is fine.
false. you should always do a complete oral exam, view all aspects of all arcades
you have a rabbit with dental disease. what hx and C/S do you expect to hear/see?
weight loss, gradual inappetence, increase in H2O intake, change in eating habits, change in stool prod., ocular discharge, teeth grading, masses along jaw line, foul breath
Pasteurella multocida:
1. gram?
2. polar?
3. motility?
4. shape?
- gram -
- bi-polar
- non-motile
- coccobacillus
what C/S’s/diseases does Pasteurella multocida cause in rabbits? think like generally
rhinitis, sinusitis, conjunctivitis, lacrimal duct infections, otitis, pleuropneumonia, bacteremia, abscesses SQ or internal, bone & joint infections, infertility, abortions
Snuffles in rabbits is caused by…?
Pasteurella multocida
URT dz caused by Pasteurella (snuffles) is usually not life threatening. however, it can be in one circumstance. what is that?
severely blocked nares can result in resp arrest bc they are obligate nasal breathers
what are top 2 ddx for rabbit with head tilt?
Encephalitozoonosis
otitis media/interna caused by P. multocida
otitis media or interna caused by P. multocida typically presents as…?
acute onset head tilt, lateral nystagmus, ataxia, rolling, facial nerve paralysis (weakness in eyelid, ear, contracted lip) w/ chronic otitis
Encephalitozoonosis is caused by what?
Encephalitozoon cuniculi
how do you treat otitis media or interna caused by P. multocida in rabbits?
antibiotics, supportive care (anti-nauseant, NSAIDs, nutritional support, eye lube, cage mods)
why are abscesses caused by P. multocida in rabbits SUPER DUPER FRUSTRATING???
rabbits heterophiles lack myeloperoxidaze enzyme that liquifies purulent material, resulting in a thick, tenacious exudate that defies lancing and flushing
basically have to remove entire abscess surgically for treatment
with P. multocida abscesses in rabbits, two things are common… what are they?
fistulous tracts = phlegmon = unlimited spread along connective tissue and muscle
encapsulation = walled off abscess
