Surgery in Small Mammals Flashcards
What is the protocol for sedating and managing a rabbit under anesthesia for a spay/neuter?
- Pre med with Buprenorphine + Midazolam + Alfaxalone
- Induction and maintenance using ISO face mask
- Lidocaine CRI if IV access
- Meloxicam post op
How is an incision site for surgery properly prepped in exotic companion animals?
- Careful clipping (skin tearing is common)
- Scrub with warm saline
- DONT use alcohol!! (makes them cold)
What post op protocol is necessary for managing small mammals?
- Monitor body temp q 20mins
- Watch overheating with blankets in guinea pigs
- Monitor fecal output / post op ileus
- Put a neck brace/sweater/etc on to avoid self mutilation and chewing at incision site!!!
- Monitor PICA in rats given buprenorphine
- Monitor bed sores / pododermatitis in guinea pigs
What is the surgical approach to spaying a rabbit?
- Traditional OVH with ventral midline incision made at the level of the ovaries
- Use blunt tip when cutting through linea alba to AVOID massive cecum underneath
landmarks: caudal to umbilicus at the last 2 sets of nipples
How does the reproductive anatomy in a rabbit differ from a dog/cat when performing a spay?
- Double cervices
- Bicornate uterus
- No uterine body
List reasons to spay a guinea pig
- Cystic ovarian disease
- Uterine disease
What is the surgical approach to spaying a guinea pig?
- Dorsolateral flank spay for ovariectomy OR Ventral abdominal approach for OVH
Pros to flank spay: avoids massive LI tract, heals faster
Cons to flank spay: can’t remove uterus, poor visibility of organs
Pros to ventral ABD approach: can remove uterus and ovaries in cases of older guinea pigs with uterine dz
young guinea pig.. do flank spay
List reasons to spay a rat
- Mammary gland tumors
- Pituitary gland tumors
What is the surgical approach to spaying a rat?
- Dorsolateral flank spay for ovariectomy
- Don’t do traditional ventral midline OVH approach in rats!
(Rats and guinea pigs = flank spay ovariectomy)
List reasons to neuter a guinea pig
- Males > female guinea pigs at risk for mammary adenocarcinoma
What reproductive tumor is most commonly seen in male rabbits?
- Benign testicular tumors
What is the surgical approach to neutering a rabbit?
- Traditional CLOSED castration through scrotal incision
- CLOSED castration or open to closed castration because of open inguinal rings
(can herniate if tunics left open)
What is the surgical approach to neutering a rodents (rats, chins, guinea pigs)?
- Abdominal neutering with ventral midline approach
(scrotal approach has high risk of abscessation in rodents + more dirty sx)
What are the pros and cons of abdominal neutering in male rodents?
- Cleaner surgery (avoids disgusting boar sac in male guinea pigs)
- Less abscessations
- More invasive
- Potential of dehiscence
- Longer recovery and surgical time
(still the #1 approach to neutering rats, chins, guinea pigs… not rabbits!)
A guinea pig is presenting with severe malocclusion of the incisors, what is the best next step?
A. Trim the incisors with a low speed drill under mild sedation and advise the owner to come back in 6 weeks
B. Examine the cheek teeth for further dental pathology
C. Perform a total incisor extraction
D. Euthanize
B. Examine the cheek teeth for further dental pathology
guinea pigs and chinchillas have primary pathology to cheek teeth causing secondary incisor issues (opposite in rabbits)
