Rodents Flashcards
What are the types of small pocket pets?
Rats,mice,gerbils, and hamsters
What are mice considered to be?
Small busy rodents; long hairless tail
20-63g
Rats are considered what?
Large, intelligent rodents ; long harmless tail
225-500g
What are gerbils considered as?
Desert adapted rodents but need fresh water access: produce concentrated urine, long hairy tail
46-131g
What are hamster?
Stocky small creatures
What is the dental formula for rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils?
2(I 1/1, C 0/0, P 0/0, M 3/3)
Do hamsters have incisors when they are born?
Yes
Are the teeth open rooted or close rooted?
Open rooted and grow continuously
Molars do not
What is problematic when weaning?
Malocclusion, can lead to starvation or death
What are the tail like?
Rats, mice , and gerbils tails posses long tails
Hamsters have really short tails
What can gerbils get with their tails?
Tail slip
Is the mammary tissue extensive?
Yes
Mammary masses can be located well away from teats
What are the Harderian glands?
Located behind each eye
Secrete a substance containing porphyrin
Reddish tinge substance
Red tears
What are the bilateral flank glands?
Hamster
Ventral gland in gerbils
Sebaceous glands are brown colored
Play a part in mating, territorial behavior, and marking of pups
What estrous are rodents?
Seasonally polyestrus
Spontaneous ovulations
Mating= copulatory plus ( white tan collection of secretion)
Do hamsters have big cheek pouches?
Yes they extend back to scapulae, transfer food and bedding from one point to another
True or false do you mess with a mother and her babies while they are in their cage?
False if you mess with their cage or home the mom will eat her babies
Do hamsters have an esophageal pouch?
Yes, pre-gastric fermentation
True or false rodents are monogastric?
True
What is coprophagy?
Assimilate certain nutrients
Vitamin b
True or false rats have a gall bladder?
False
What is the proper housing of rodents?
Escape proof
Chew proof
Easily cleaned
Metal or plastic cage
Adequate ventilation, ammonia build up
What is te proper bedding for rodents?
Ash and pine shavings
Corncob
Paper products are safer
Wood shavings= too rough
Causes lesions/abrasions leading to pododermatits
Produce too much dust
Do not use cedar shavings- aromatic oils are irritation and cause pododermatis
Is corncob okay to go in the cage?
Yes, it s the most absorbent but can lead to impaction so use caution or avoid
Prone to fungal infections as well
Paper bedding is preferred and safest
Do not use old towels for bedding
Animals can get tangled in cotton fibers
Do rodents need extra bedding for nesting?
Nesting material
Lack of nesting material can lead ro death of offspring
Abdominal/ canabalism
True or false you should handle young?
False
Cannibalism
Should rodents have exercise wheels or balls?
Yes avoid sharp edges on wheel
Keep ball away form stairs and other pets
Rodents are nocturnal animals?
Yes
Keep cage in area away from your bedroom to avoid loud noises
What is the correct nutrition of rodents?
Monogastric
Omnivores- eat anything
Offer fresh pellets daily
Preferred over seed mix
Can offer small amount of fresh food
Carrots, apple slices, greens
What bowls should you give them?
Not plastic may chew them
Walter should supplied daily?
Yes
Water bottles are preferred
What are the common disease of rodents?
Acarisis- skin condition
Barbering- female mice
Mechanical abrasions
Mange
Endoparasites
What is the common disease for skin?
Acarisis- mite infestations
Signs: alopecia, dermatitis, rough hair coat
Skin lesions
What is barbering?
Most common in female mice
Can be seen in breeding pairs
Unknown males can fight
What is mechanical abrasions?
Self trauma abrasions on cae, bars, equipment,etc
Husbandry related
Commonly seen on the muzzle
What is mange?
Demodex nanus
Rare in rats and gerbils
What type of Endoparasites do rodents get?
Pinworms
Tapeworms
What is malocclusion?
Neoplasia
Signs; weight loss, drooling, oral trauma
Genetic
Moist dermatitis
What is wet tail?
Hamsters with diarrea
Bacterial infection
Improper diet
Stress
What is Tyzzer’s disease?
Hepatoenteric infectious disease
Hamster and gerbils- fatal
Rats and mice- can overcome it
Stress is a major factor
Exposure to infected bedding
Wha is chronic respiratory disease?
Murine respiratory mycoplasmosis
Mycoplasma pulmonis
Can have carrier state most common health concern in rats
What is the common disease of rodents?
Sialdacryoadenitis
Cause cervical lymph nodes to swell and salivary glands become inflamed
Sensitive to light- causes ophthalmic lesions
What is the behavior of rodents?
They are nocturnal animals
Male rodents should not be housed together- they fight
True or false hamster love to live alone?
True
True or false rats are not that social?
False they are social and enjoy to be housed together
True or false hamsters wont eat their children if you mess with the nest?
False they will and so will mice
How do you restrain a rats?
Take your pointer finger and index finger and place those around the sides of the neck with out hurting them, rest of the fingers go around the thorax
Firm but gentle handling
May bite or jump out of fear
Scoop into hands when removing from cage
Rats and mice only
How do you restrain a mouse?
Lift at te base of the tail, same can be done to rats
What are some other restraints?
Use a towel or a cage lid for rodent to hold onto during exam
Hold under the head firmly without restricting breathing and second hand under rear
How do you restrain a hamster?
Scruff them
Look for a smile to know you scruffed enough skin- they can still bite if loose scruff
How do you know if a rat is a female or a male/
Males have teticles at te rear females do not
Distance from anus to the genitalia papillla is greater in the male than the female
Difficult if no other animal as are presented to compare
Where can you administer medication?
IV injection- tail vein is safest
IM injection- quadriceps
IP injection-
Rats- left quadrant
Rest= right quadrant
Sub q injection- skin tent behind neck
Where can you get blood on a rodent?
All except hamsters- tail vein
Saphenous vein
Micro- hematocrit to the eye- capillary tube
How much can be given per route?
I/m
Volume= 0.05ml/site
No more than 2 injections sites per day
