Small Animal Exotics Nutrition Flashcards
What is important to remember about a physical exam of herbivorous mammals?
Prey species- pay attention to signs of distress
• Start exam by observation from a distance • BCS, bodyweight should be evaluated every time • Care must be given to gentle abdominal palpation • Oral evaluation
What is a rat? What can they be used for?
A good representative of most murine
species
• Used as pet, research animal
What is important about rats in terms of their teeth, gall bladder, lifespan ect?
- Teeth: incisors continuously grow
- Requires gnawing on material to wear teeth • Lacks a gallbladder to store bile
- Adapted to small frequent meals • Omnivorous • Cannot vomit • Short life span: 2-3 years
What kind of food do rats eat? What is Neophobic? How do we know what they need? What can provide them nutritionally what they need
• Rats are highly adaptable in their diet
and can eat a variety of foods
• May be neophobic- will not try new
foods unless exposed to them at a
young age
• Since rats are used as lab animals, their nutritional requirements are well researched and understood
• Commercial pellets can provide a rat
their entire nutrition with no need to
supplement
What are rats prone to? How can this happen? What kind of watering device is ideal?
- Rats are prone to becoming
overweight or obese
• This can be the result of excess treats
or fruit - Water is best provided in sipping bottle as this prevents spilling
Food should be stored in a dry cool place
and consumed within 6 months
what can cause obesity in a rat? What does obesity predispose rats to?
• Rats evolved to eat anything and will
overconsume high fat and high
carbohydrate treats • Seed based diets, table scraps can be
high fat/high calorie
• Rats on high quality formulated pelleted
diets rarely become obese
• Obesity predisposes to osteoarthritis,
pododermatitis, neoplasia, renal
disease
What is important about guinea pig teeth? What do they need in order to do this, What kind of fermenters are guinea pigs?
Guinea pigs have continuously
growing molars, premolars and
incisors • These require roughage to wear down
and prevent malocclusion and dental
disease • They are monogastric hindgut
fermenter herbivores
• Long colon • Large cecum
What kind of stools do guinea pigs have?
- Guinea pigs have two types of stool
- Regular feces/pellets
- Cecotrophs
What are cecotropes?
• Cecotropes are the product of the
cecum, and are partially fermented • Cecotropes are high in B vitamins,
vitamin K, amino acids, and short-
chain fatty acids • Guinea pigs would typically produce cecotropes at night and ingest them right away ( sometimes called night feces)
Is it normal to see cecotropes in the cage? What could be a reason for this?
It is abnormal to see many cecotopes on the bottom
of the cage
• Can indicate a disease/obesity
• Can occur in wire bottom cages
• Obese guinea pigs
• Arthritic guinea pigs
What do guinea pigs lack naturally and what do they need supplemented?
• Lack L‐gulonolactone oxidase
• Cannot convert glucose to vitamin C and
require dietary vitamin C
What is the recommended guinea pig diet?
Feed hay ad-lib
• Hay is important for GI motility, normal
GI microflora, normal occlusion
• Alfalfa/legume hay in juveniles (high in
protein, calcium)
• Grass hay in adults
• Formulated high quality pellets
(additional vitamins and minerals)= 1
Tbsp/g.pig/day
• Vitamin C supplement- minimum 2
mg/g.pig/day
• Vegetables and fruit
(peppers, parsley, kiwi,
cabbage)
What quantity of water is needed for guinea pigs? What is the ideal waterers and feeders for guinea pigs?
10‐40 ml of water per 100 g body
weight • Automatic waterers better than sipper
bottles
• Pre‐masticated food spit into sipper
bottle, causing clogs
• Raised, mounted feeders are preferred
• Prevent overturning
What is guinea pig scurvy? What are the clinical signs? How do you diagnosis it? Are there any lab tests?
- Many subclinical cases
• Clinical sigs: rough hair coat, anorexia,
diarrhea, teeth grinding, swollen and painful
joints, secondary infections, delayed wound
healing, lameness, internal hemorrhage
• Diagnosis based upon dietary history
• Serum ascorbic acid levels validated but rarely used
What should you give to all sick guinea pigs as a supplement?
All sick GP should receive vitamin C
parenterally 100 mg SQ/ per day
What is important about rabbit teeth? What kind of teeth? How do they maintain them?
• Continuously growing incisors,
molars and premolars
• Rabbits have two sets of incisors (peg
teeth) • Require roughage for gnawing and
mastication to wear teeth
What kind of stomachs do they have? What stool do they produce?
Monogastric, hindgut fermenting
herbivores
• Long colon and large cecum • Produce cecotropes
- fermentation creates cecotropes
Why cant rabbits vomit?
- Well developed cardiac sphincter
Is calcium absorption dependent on vitamin D? What is Vitamin D required for? What are their calcium requirements?
- Calcium absorption is independent of
vitamin D in rabbits
• Vitamin D is needed for phosphorus absorption in rabbits
• Rabbits have similar calcium requirements to other species but are very efficient in calcium absorption
• Rabbits normally have high blood calcium
• Much higher than dogs or cats
• More calcium is excreted in the urine
Why do rabbits have high blood calcium?
They are efficient at ingesting calcium
What are the feeding guidelines for rabbits?
- Grass hay – ad libitum in adult rabbits
• Juvenile rabbits may benefit from alfalfa/legume hay
• Formulated pellets – 1/4 c per 3 kg body
weight
• “Treats” – vegetables, limited fruit ( avoid high sugar)
• Water ad libitum via bowl or sipper bottle
• High water consumption of 120 ml/kg
What nutritional diseases can you see in rabbits?
- Rabbits have a very sensitive GI tract
- They rely heavily on the normal GI microbiota to protect that gut and for normal digestion
What is the concern with antibiotics and rabbits?
• Use of certain antimicrobials such as beta-lactams can be fatal in rabbits (and guinea pigs and chinchillas too) (especially orally, given injectable will be safer, but still can cause issues)
• Especially if given enterally (per-os)
• Causes GI dysbiosis
• Can lead to bacterial translocation
Severe overgrowth of unhealthy bacteria.
In rabbits: What is GI stasis? What causes it? What are consequences of it? How can you tell if the animal has gi stasis?
• GI stasis or ileus can occur for a
variety of reasons:
• Illness
• Pain
• Heat/temperature
• Dental disease
• Diet (inadequate fiber)
• It can progress to severe dysbiosis,
impaction and can be ultimately fatal
( listen with stethoscope for gut sounds/ motility sounds)
In rabbits: What is the common presentation of gI stasis in terms of diet? What are the clinical signs?
• Common presentation- rabbit fed an all
pelleted diet without hay, or ‘party mix diet’,
or due to diet change
• Inadequate fiber intake contributes to poor
motility
• Clinical signs:
• Hyporexia/anorexia , Low fecal production- feces hard, small , Diminished GI sounds- borborygmi, Lethargy
How can pain cause GI stasis in rabbits?
Pain activates sympathetic, which will inhibit parasympathetic which is responsible for GI motility.
What is the treatment of GI stasis in rabbits?
• Treatment:
- Usually these cases do not require
surgery, even if there is an impaction
- Fluids (try not to use ear vein, not ideal even though its easier, not ideal for large volumes)
- Assisted (syringe) feeding
- Pain control (avoid narcotics that slow
GI motility)
- Correct underlying disease
• Correct diet
• Dental disease
• Pain etc
What commercial diets are good for rabbits to prevent GI stasis?
- There are several commercial diets that can be used to provide assisted nutrition to herbivores
- These consists of blends of chopped hay that can be mixed with water and provided through a catheter-tip syringe
- Choose a diet that provides the longest fiber possible with consideration to the animal’s size and route of feeding
- very fine powdered fiber is less likely to stimulate gastrointestinal motility
- Fine fiber particles may enter the cecum and undergo fermentation instead of reaching the colon, where longer fiber promotes motility
Brands: Oxbow Critical Care, Oxbow Animal Health, Murdock, NE, USA; Emeraid Herbivore, Lafeber’s, Cornell, IL, USA
In Rabbits: Why is GI surgery ( laparotomy) not ideal for impaction?
Rabbits GI is so sensitive, if you go in for laparotomy it is 50/50% if they will survive and high risk of damaging enteric nervous system) Pain with surgery can also make surgical intervention worse.
Dont do surgery if you can help it.
What are the energy requirements of rabbits? How do you syringe feed a rabbit? When should you abort trying to provide assisted feeding?
• Energy requirements: RER= 70 X Bodyweight (in kg)0.75 • Feeding with a syringe should be done slowly, allowing the patient to chew and swallow
• Do not feed a patient that is reluctant or when struggling, make sure they are also fully awake and able to masticate or they risk aspiration.
(though they tolerate it well normally)
What urinary disease occurs in rabbits and guinea pigs?
• Urolithiasis is a common presentation
in rabbits and guinea pigs
• The etiology is not completely
understood, but likely involves diet
and body condition
• The vast majority of uroliths in
rabbits and guinea pigs are calcium
carbonate in composition
What clinical signs can you see in a rabbit or guinea pig with urolithiasis? How can it be diagnosed? What will you feel on physical exam/ palpation?
- Presentation: depression, anorexia, lethargy, hematuria, stranguria, and teeth grinding.
- The urinary bladder may be palpably enlarged and firm (particularly in rabbits)
- Imaging with abdominal ultrasound or radiographs would confirm the diagnosis.
What treatments occur for rabbit urinary disease? How may you prevent reoccurrence? What are high calcium items? What food source may help reduce urinary calcium excretion?
- Surgical treatment may be necessary according to location. Cystotomy may be needed with large cystic calculi.
• Diet change may help prevent
recurrence
• Review the diet for any high calcium
food items
• Alfalfa hay
• High calcium leafy greens - Grass hay may also reduce urinary calcium excretion compared with legume hay and increased water intake.
What is the concern with dental malocclusions in rabbits? What can contribute to it? How severe can it become, and what complications can occur?
• Dental malocclusion in rabbits and
rodents is much more prevalent in
animals fed a low roughage diet
• Party mixes, grains, excess fruit can all
contribute
• Vicious cycle- dental disease may make it
- In guinea pigs- hypovitaminosis C may be a
contributing factor
harder to chew fiber
• Malocclusion may be quite severe and
may develop to secondary abscessation
which may have a significant negative
impact on quality of life
What are important considerations about dental malocclusions? What treatments are available for dental malocclusions?
- Important to consider the molars and
premolars- not only the incisors - Use drill when trying to trim teeth, clippers can cause splinters/ fractures of teeth.
- Treatment: often repeated procedures are
required to evenly reduce crown height with a high-speed burr
• Diet change- once malocclusion is resolved increase fiber intake to encourage proper teeth wear
Are ferrets normally intact when sold? What family do they belong to?
• In the US, ferrets are typically sold after
being spayed or neutered and descended by the breeding facility before they are 6
weeks of age
• Few private breeders exist (limited genetic
pool)
• Ferrets belong to the Mustelidae family that
also includes mink, weasels, badgers, etc
What is important about the feeding biology of ferrets? What GI organs do they lack>
• Strict carnivores • Dentition designed for grasping and tearing
• Strong bite capable of crushing the skull of small prey
• Simple carnivore GI tract, with stomach,
duodenum, jejunum, and colon • Lack ileum and cecum, and colon is non sacculated
What are ferrets amino acid requirements? What are their diets generally high in? Low in? Are there commercial diets available? What other diets are there?
• Ferrets have a requirement for
10 essential amino acids
• Diet generally high in fat
• Low glucokinase activity (like cats), diet typically low in carbohydrate
• Ferrets have a commercial diets available
• Relatively few brands
• Many grain-free diets
• Some people feed raw (or previously frozen-thawed) whole prey
How should you offer water to ferrets? What percentage of their diet is treats? What are acceptable treats, human food, ect?
- Water should be always available in spill-proof bowls or sipping bottles
- Treat should be limited to 10% of the diet
- Commercial high protein treats, human foods (meat, egg) are acceptable
What does it mean to be neophobic (ferrets)? How can you account for that/ work around that?
- Ferrets are neophobic and may not accept a new diet easily
- Recommend to expose them to a variety of foods and diets at a young age
What is the concern with ferret obesity? What are the causes? Are males or females normally larger with more adipose tissue?
Ferret obesity is increasingly recognized as an important nutritional disease
• Some weight gain is seasonal
• Males are typically larger and have more
adipose tissue compared with females
• Many ferret owners feed ad-libitum and mix
commercial pelleted diet with canned cat
food, and other treat items
• Excessive administration of high fat
supplements, such as Ferretone (8-in-1,
Spectrum Brands, Inc. Islandia, NY)
How can you manage ferret obesity?
- Meal feeding is preferred to ad-lib
feeding and allows for intake restriction
and adjustment (will go into more
depth in dogs/cats)
• Eliminating/reducing high fat treats
could be sufficient in some cases
• Encouraging play and activity may be
helpful too
• Area should be ‘ferret-proofed’
What is ferret pancreatic beta islet cell neoplasia? What are the signs of hypoglycemia?
Also known as insulinomas
• The most diagnosed neoplasm in ferrets with a reported incidence of 22-25%
• This disease often remains undiagnosed for prolonged periods of time, due in part to free- choice feeding strategies for ferret
- Signs of hypoglycemia: Signs of hypoglycemia in ferrets include
lethargy, ptylism, and weakness
• seizures are uncommon
What is the treatment of ferret insulinomas?
In an emergency- glucose or corn syrup on the gums can stabilize blood sugar
• This is not a good option long term- high blood glucose stimulate of additional insulin secretion
• Long term treatment
• High protein high fat food (‘duck’ or ‘dook’
soup recipes) can be used temporarily • Food should be available at all times • Ferrets should be encouraged to eat every 2-4
hours/ food available 24 hours/day
• Surgical treatment/glucocorticoids
What is IBD in ferrets? Is it common? What is the most common presentation? How can it be managed?
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is relatively common in ferrets
• Similar to other species, the etiology of this condition is unknown
• On histology, most common presentation is
lymphoplasamcytic infiltrates
• Some ferrets respond well to diet change, and some ‘limited ingredient’ commercial diets are commercially
available
• Some ferrets would benefit from added fiber
• This appears to be very idiosyncratic
• Best to try a small amount of fiber and evaluate the response
What can occur with ferrets that are overweight, that become anorexic? What animal is it similar to? How can you intervene/ prevent?
• Like cats, overweight ferrets that are
anorexic may develop complications
associated with a catabolic state,
including hepatic lipidosis
• Therefore, nutritional intervention is
important to prevent this
• There are formulated powdered, high
fat and high protein diets that ferrets
regularly accept
What is ferret urolithiasis? What diet can cause this? What occurs with the metabolism of plant proteins?
• Ferret fed diets high in plant-based proteins, such as yellow corn, are at risk to develop struvite urolithiasis (magnesium ammonium phosphate)
• For example, low quality dog or cat
food
• Metabolism of plant proteins produces
more alkaline urine than the typical acidic
urine of ferrets
• Struvite uroliths develop in alkaline pH
• Usually, these struvite uroliths are sterile
and not due to an infection (unlike in
dogs, like cats)
What is cystine uroliths? What causes them? What is the causes in dogs? Ferrets? Why does cystine form uroliths but other non essential amino acids do not ?
• Cystine uroliths are cysteine dimers
• Cystine is a non-essential amino acid that comes from the diet or metabolized from methionine
• In dogs, a hereditary trait can cause urinary
leakage of multiple amino acids to the urine,
including cysteine
• Etiology in ferrets is unknown ( Some authors have reported an anecdotal relationship between feeding a high legume
protein diet, rich in protein and sulfur amino acids, and cystine urolithiasis • For example, some grain free ferret diets)
• Other amino acids do not dimerize whereas
cysteine dimerizes into a water insoluble compound
• This builds over time and forms crystals and uroliths
What are potential treatments of ferret urolithiasis? Prevention of reoccurrence?
• Treatment: there are no dissolution diets for ferrets for either struvite or cystine
• Surgical removal is needed when the urolith causes clinical signs
Prevention of recurrence:
• Cystine forms more easily in acidic urine,
therefore urine alkalization with potassium citrate or other supplements may be helpful • Struvite forms more easily in alkaline urine, therefore supplement that acidify the urine
such as methionine supplements may help (but may increase risk of cystine???)
• Urine dilution is always recommended for
prevention
• This may be achieved by feeding a high moisture
diet, diluting the food with additional water if needed
What can be given to acidify urine in ferrets? Alkalize?
Acidify: Methionine
Alkalize: Potassium citrate
What are sugar gliders? Where are they found? What kind of food do they like? What kind of digestive system do they have? What is important about their large intestines?
• Sugar gliders are small, omnivorous,
nocturnal gliding possums
• Found throughout the northern and
eastern parts of mainland Australia,
Tasmania, New Guinea
• Able to glide in the air
• Attracted to high sugar foods
• Hindgut fermenters
• Well-developed cecum that utilizes
bacterial fermentation to break down
complex polysaccharides
What do sugar gliders feed on in nature?
• In nature sugar gliders feed on
• Sap and gum of the eucalyptus and
acacia tree
• Pollen
• Nectar
• Manna (a sugar deposit from the sap
oozing from wounds on tree branches
or trunks)
• Honeydew (sugar secreted by sap-
sucking insects)
• Variety of insects and spiders
What are the components of a sugar gliders diet in captivity?
• Commercial formulated diet should account for about 50% of the diet
• Calcium-loaded insects (crickets, mealworms, waxworms, cockroaches, moths) • Fruits, nuts, and vegetables should be offered only in moderation
• Nectar/sap substitute (eg, fructose /sucrose/glucose or honey diluted to 10% with water)
• Nectar should account for up to less than 50%
of the diet
• Several nectar substitutes are commercially
available
• Acacia gum powder • Nectar diets meant for lory birds
• Eggs, lean meat, newborn mice can be
provided occasionally
When should food be offered to sugar gliders? How?
Food should be offered in the evening,
when sugar gliders are active
• Preferred on an elevated platform,
because gliders feel more secure
eating up high, as they would in trees in
the wild
What are sugar gliders prone to in terms of nutritional related diseases? What would you see with this condition? What can be a cause?
- Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism is not uncommon in sugar gliders fed a high
sugar/fruit diet
• Calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus deficiency or skewed Ca:P ratio
• Should rule out kidney disease although less common
• These animals usually have poor skeletal
mineralization
• Multiple fractures- can include spinal fractures too
• Seizures due to hypocalcemia may occur
What is the treatment of nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism in sugar gliders?
• Treatment:
• If fractures are present- adjust the caging to provide less climbing and gliding
opportunities
• The cage should have smooth sides so that the glider cannot climb
• A plastic container may work or a large aquarium
• Place food and water in shallow dishes on the bottom of its cage
• Do not provide any climbing structures
• Some sugar gliders may not be able to groom, and may need the owner to help
clean them regularly
• Calcium globionate given for several
months until bone quality improves
• Calcitonin may be provided
• Consider analgesia such as meloxicam.
- Seizures can be controlled with calcium lactate.
What diagnostics can you use for secondary hyperparathyroidism?
Recheck within 1-2 weeks of starting on treatment
- Radiograph after 6 weeks to check the mineralization
of its bones. • A lengthy treatment as many gliders take 3 to 6
months to recover • Recovery may not be complete in some cases due to
bone remodeling
What other nutritional diseases can sugar gliders have?
• Sugar gliders are also at risk of
becoming obese due to excess caloric
intake and lack of exercise
• They are also prone to hepatitis
associated with iron storage disease if
fed too much high iron foods such as
meat and some leafy vegetables
what are hedgehogs? What do they prefer in terms of climate? What variations are there? What kind of stomach do they have and can they vomit?
• Most common species of domesticated
hedgehog is the African Pygmy hedgehog
• Hybrid of the White-bellied or Four-toed
Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) and the Algerian Hedgehog (A. algirus)
• Smaller than the European hedgehog
• Domesticated species prefer a warm climate (above 70 °F) and do not naturally hibernate
• Several color mutations exist (albino, pinto) • They are omnivores with a simple stomach • Vomiting reflex present
What is the hedgehog diet?
• Commercially prepared hedgehog diets are
preferred
• Lower fat cat food can also be used
• Additional acceptable food items such as
cooked meat, eggs, mealworms, crickets, earthworms, waxworms and fruits and vegetables can be provided in small amounts
• Food intake should be adjusted as
hedgehogs are prone to obesity
What shouldn’t you feed to hedgehogs?
- Dairy
- Hard nuts/seeds
- Raisins
- Garlic/onion
- Avocado
- Raw meat
- Wild caught slugs, insects
What nutritional related disease a9s common in hedgehogs? How is it managed? What causes it? What is the prognosis?
- Dilated cardiomyopathy is common in hedgehogs
- Etiology is unclear-genetic? Nutritional?
- Possible benefit to providing taurine and carnitine supplementation
- Medical management with pimobendin, furosemide
- Prognosis is poor
What other nutritional related diseases can you see in hedgehogs ? Are they common? How are they managed? What causes them How can you detect them
• Diarrhea may be the result of infectious disease, but also can be associated
with some commercial diets or inappropriate foods such as milk
• Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant
• Hepatic lipidosis is relatively common especially in sick overweight
hedgehogs
• Diagnosis is supported by testing for hepatic enzymes, plasma bilirubin, and bile
acids
