Small Mammal GI Disease Flashcards
Rabbits
1
Q
Small Herbivores
(characteristics)
A
- much faster GI transit than a horse for example
- round 1: get all their nutrition out of the food
- round 2: get the rest of the nutrition from caecotroph
- vomiting is one problem that rabbits don’t give us
- look on exotics section on learn!
2
Q
Small Herbivores and Antibiotics
A
- can be scary to know what ot give small animals
- rabbits are very dependent on hidgut microflora
- antibiotic use (certain ones) will reduce some intestinal bacteria which allows for overgrowth of Clostridium
3
Q
PLACE Rule
A
- Antibiotics that you cannot give rabbits by mouth!
- Penicillin
- Lincosamides
- Aminoglycosides
- Cyclosporins
- Erythromyocin
- Can give injectable penicillins in some cases though
4
Q
Medications for Treating Small Mammals
(
A
- Metronidazole
- Fluoroquinolones
- Tetracyclines
- Sulfonamides
- Macrolides (some you can use, some you cannot)
5
Q
Approach to “Gut Stasis”
A
- Often the rabbit is just not feeling right and this is a good sign
6
Q
Common Causes of Gus Stasis
(7)
A
- If the rabbit just feels stressed, off, abnormal even
- Insufficient Fiber in the diet can lead to stasis
- Primary GI disease: obstructions are not uncommon in rabbits
7
Q
Logical Approach to gut stasis
A
- not too different to cats and dogs
- is the GI the main system
- is the stomach affected or the hindgut?
- Rabbits often come in, not eating or pooing and it can be remedied as a stress related problem, but it isnt very definitive
8
Q
History: define the problem
A
- what is it eating and what it is actually passing
9
Q
Clinical Examination
A
- Important to get practice of the systems
- Need to feel abdomen (big an distended? pain) or is the pain elsewhere and causing secondary slowdown of GI?
10
Q
Defining the system:
Primary GI v. Secondary GI
A
11
Q
Stabilising a Rabbit with gut stasis
(5 +)
A
- 5 points of stabilising an animal (even any animal!)
- most likely won’t need oxygen, but should be on your radar!
- Might want to put them in areas where they can hide to avoid stress (as they think you are predator) and possibly a companion animal for low stress/company
- wuestion whether they need prokinetics or not
12
Q
Providing Warmth
A
- Important to take temperature on outlet and keep them at the right temperature
- hypothermia is a solid indicator of a possible crashing patient
- rabbit temps are a bit higher normally than other species
- Don’t overheat though!
13
Q
Fluid Therapy for Patient
A
- many of these patients are often dehydrated, with gut stasis, havent been eating–> rabbits get a good amount of fluid from food
- Will be considering fluid as a starting point for a lot of patients
- They have a faster metabolic rate so a high amount of fluid is normal!
- Use marginal ear vein for rabbits, apply cream and local anaestetic so they actually stay still
- Don’t do in the middle! - IT IS AN ARTERY. DONT PUT IV CATHETER IN ARTERY
- the veins are on the peripheral edges of the ear
- really small dwarf rabbits may need to do sub Q fluids as the vein is too small for the cathether- but isnt the best method.
- If you warm the fluids and use hyaluronidase (which causes quick distribution of the fluid!) - echo
14
Q
Nutrition
A
- Is great to tempt them to eat in practice, but normally difficult
- best to do 5 feeding if they are anorexic, less if they have been willing to eat a bit
15
Q
Analgesia
A
- hard to assess pain in these small animals
- ex: this obstructed rabbit has a grimace face and his ears are back
- still have same pain relief options as other animals
16
Q
Gut Stasis and the Constant Risk
A
- drugs can slow gut motility depending on which you use
- but pain sill slow it more than anything
- you need to give adequate analgesia to get anything done or else you will be stuck in this cycle
17
Q
Metoclopramide
A
Most common, but one of the least effective!
no effect on hindgut which isnt very effective for the rabbit
18
Q
Ranitidine
A
- has some effect on the hindgut as well
19
Q
Cisapride
A
- same as ranitidine in the foregut
- echo
*
20
Q
A
- Need to Define the Location
- this is a normal rabbit radiograph
- most of body is GI tract
- have respiratory problems often due to small lung field
- should see some patches of gas
21
Q
Initially Conscious X-Rays
A
- can normally keep them calm if they are in a dark room and quiet
22
Q
Rabbit presented in gut stasis, painful, abdomen felt tens
A
- would you go to surgery right away?
- there is a definite obstruction concern
- stomach is so round
23
Q
Would you go to surgery?
A
- This is a completely obstructed rabbit- YES
- see black line between stomach wall and ingesta
- gas build up between stomach and food
- stomach was FULL of hair –> companion was long haired and it had been grooming him
24
Q
Would you go to surgery?
A
- no
- he was in pain, tons of gas, bacterial imbalance
- but there is gas through the WHOLE GI Tract
- so it is not an obstructed abdomen
25
Q
When is Surgery Required?
A
- if you are unsure, you can take serial radiographs to see if the gas is moving
- can be so painful, so dont underestimate the analgesia you may need
26
Q
Blood Test in these patients
A
- Not totally diagnostic
- need to check the teeth - may need anaesthesia or analgesia
27
Q
Define the Lesion
A
- approach you find in other animals may not work in rabbits
- if you biopsy multiple places on the rabbit can compromise the gut (echo)
28
Q
Approach to Diarrhea
A
- Same approach as dogs and cats
- make sure it isnt just an accumulation of caecotrophs on the hind end - very important to clarify!
- Not producing caecotrophs is different to diarrhea
29
Q
Common Causes of Diarrhea
(6)
A
- Hopefully these can help you define without any of the tests
30
Q
Diagnosis of Diarrhea
A
- Majority of diarrhea cases, you will be able to get diagnosis from history
31
Q
Stablising a Rabbit with Diarrhea
(5)
A
- generally oxygen isnt required
- coccidia is a main infection in YOUNG rabbits
- antibiotics- avoid use as much as possible, but metranidazole is indicated for bacterial enteritis
- There are a lot of products on the market for rabbits in terms of probiotics, but research shows they arent super beneficial
- fecal transfers can be an option in some cases - even though owners dont love it
*
32
Q
More Specific Treatment for Diarrhea
A
