Small Animals

Question 1

What is essential for rabbit enrichment?

Answer 1

Toys, food puzzles, foraging for physical and physiological wellbeing

Question 2

Why can’t rabbits intake excessive calcium?

Answer 2

They metabolise it differently

Question 3

Why is fiber essential in a rabbits and guinea pig diet?

Answer 3

Hind gut fermenters and continuously growing teeth so fibre ensures good gut and dental health

Question 4

Are rabbits omnivores or herbivores?

Answer 4

Herbivores

Question 5

What does the ideal rabbit diet consist of?

Answer 5

85% hay (their body/lots)
10% veg (their head/tablespoon or egg cup)
5% pellets (their ears/handful)

Question 6

What does the ideal guinnea pig diet consist of?

Answer 6

85% hay/grass/forage
12% veg
3% pellets

Question 7

Why is vitamin C important for guinnea pigs?

Answer 7

Cannot synthesise their own

Question 8

Why must alfalfa be avoided when feeding rabbits and guinnea pigs?

Answer 8

High in calories

Question 9

Why must certain veg be avoided when feeding rabbits and guinnea pigs?

Answer 9

Can be very high in calcium and sugar

Question 10

What is bruxism (rabbits)?

Answer 10

Teeth grinding and is an indicator of pain

Question 11

What does a rabbit thumping indicate?

Answer 11

Alarm call

Question 12

Are guinea pigs and rabbits:
Nocturnal
Crepuscular
…

Answer 12

Crepuscular

Question 13

What are common health issues in rabbis related to poor breeding?

Answer 13

Dental malocclusions ie.dental disease
Narrow ear canals - chronic ear infections
Brachycephalic - over-heating
(most common in lops)

Question 14

Rabbit Physical Parameters

Answer 14

Temp : 38.5-40 degrees
Heart Rate : 130-325 bpm
Gestation : 29-35 days
Respiratory rates : 30-60bpm

Question 15

What health issues can incorrect diets cause?

Answer 15

Dental disease - gut stasis
Obesity - arthritis/spondylosis - bladder disease
Excessive dietary calcium - bladder disease
Hypovitaminosis C - swollen joints - pain

Question 16

What health issues can small enclosures cause?

Answer 16

Lack of movement - arthritis - bladder disease
Poor ventilation - respiratory infections
Poor hygiene - pododermatitis and myiasis/fly strike

Question 17

What is wildlife rehabilitation?

Answer 17

treatment and temporary care of injured, diseased, and displaced indigenous animals, and the subsequent release of healthy animals to appropriate habitats in the wild

Question 18

What is the aim of triage?

Answer 18

To differentiate between wildlife that have a good chance of survival and eventual release and those requiring immediate euthanasia.
(both vets and nurses can do this)

Question 19

What 3 questions should you ask yourself with wildlife triage?

Answer 19

Good chance of success?
How long will recovery take?
Do we have appropriate facilities/resources/money?

Question 20

What is capture myopathy (capture shock)?

Answer 20

Natural mechanism that hastens death and reduces pain in prey species that have been caught in predators (kicks in after a lot of chasing or being manually restrained)

Question 21

What happens if a non-native species comes into practice from the wild?

Answer 21

They must be euthanised and must not be rereleased (schedule 9)

Question 22

What are hedgehogs natural parameters?

Answer 22

Temp : 31.5 degrees +/-1
Heart Rate : 200-280 bpm
Respiratory rate : 25-50 bpm
Gestation : 35 days

Question 23

What are rodents natural parameters?

Answer 23

Temp : 36-38 degrees
Heart Rate : 300-800 bpm
Respiratory rate : 70-220 bpm
Gestation : 19-21 days

Question 24

What are squirrels natural parameters?

Answer 24

Temp : 37.4-38.5 degrees
Heart Rate : 110-420 bpm
Respiratory rate : 30-125 bpm
Gestation : 33-42 days

Question 25

How many rodent species are there?

Answer 25

2000 species, making up 40% of all mammals

Question 26

Reasons for keeping rodents

Answer 26

Pets
-breeding
Lab
Wildlife and conservation