Exotics – Husbandry and Medical Care

March, 2013

Exotics

• Overview of common species Natural habitat/diet Anatomy/physiology

• Husbandry and nursing care Captive housing Diet requirements Handling Medical procedures (catheters, blood draws)

• Common medical conditions

Species we see at BVH

Yes

• Rabbits

• Ferrets

• Rodents

• Hedgehogs

• Chinchillas

• Reptiles

No

• Wildlife (other than for euth)

• Species illegal in MA

• Birds

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/living/keeping_wildlife.htm

Predator vs. prey

Predator (carnivore)

• Teeth designed for puncture and shearing

• GI adapted for meat

• Eyes relatively forward-facing (best depth perception)

• Bursts of high speed locomotion

• Defense/attack: teeth, claws (biting, scratching)

Prey (herbivore)

• Teeth designed for grinding

• GI adapted for vegetation

• Eyes relatively side-facing (greatest peripheral vision)

• Quick acceleration and endurance

• Defense: running, kicking

• Much sicker when presented

For all species…

• In-house lab equipment can be used

• No more than 1% of body weight (kg) should be collected 2 lb animal = 9ml 100 g hamster = 1.0 ml

• Chemical restraint may be required for diagnostics

Ferrets

Ferrets

• Single breed kept in captivity

• Color variations

• “Stinky Thief”

• Large number of sebaceous glands in skin emit musky odor

• Domesticated >2000 years ago

• Originally rabbit hunting and rodent control

Ferret breeding

• Single large breeding facility in U.S.

• Marshall Farms

• Performs EARLY spay/neuter

• Performs “descenting” (anal sacculectomy)

• Ferret breeders exist

Ferrets

• Females = Jills

• Males = Hobs

• Offspring = Kits

• Group of ferrets = Business

• Puberty onset 6 months

Ferrets – how do we live?

• Lifespan – 5-8 years

• Play 25% of day

• Sleep 75% of day

• Most active dawn and dusk

• Territorial

• Burrow

• Prefer to sleep in an enclosed area

Ferrets – life in captivity

• Cage – Multi-story, used for safety

• Caging is similar to crate-training puppies

• Require large amounts of time out of cage 3-4 hours per day of playtime Best with other ferrets

• Can be litterbox-trained

Implications for hospitalization: provide litterboxes, environmental enrichment

Ferrets – what do we eat?

• Obligate carnivores (more than cats)

• Very short GI tract

• Rapid GI transit time (3-4 hours) Easy to digest Highly nutritious (high protein and fat) Constantly available

Hospitalization: Feed Oxbow “Carnivore care”, chicken baby food or watered down a/d

Ferret treats

No• Dried fruits and vegetables

• Sugary cereals

• Dairy products

• Candy

• Cookies

• Pedialyte

• Ensure

• Honey

• Coffe/tea

• Alcohol

• Seeds/nuts

• Salty foods

Yes• Unseasoned lean meats

• Eggs (cooked)

• Jerky (homemade)

• Insects

• Prey animals (rats, mice, chicks

• Chicken/turkey baby food

• Ferrettone

• Dental care treats

• Cheerios (rarely)

• Banana (rarely)

• Nutri-Cal (rarely)

• Fresh fruit (berries, melons)

Ferret Grooming

• Nail trimming

• Ear cleaning

• Toothbrushing

• Bathing (not more than monthly)

Ferret illnesses

• Gastrointestinal disease Diarrhea Vomiting (infectious, foreign body)

• Endocrine disease Insulinoma Hyperadrenocorticism (sex hormones) Urethral obstruction (secondary to HAC)

• Cancer Insulinoma Lymphoma Adrenal

And also…

• Getting into trouble!

Ferret Restraint

• Work with them rather than against

• Nipping usually out of curiosity

• Ferretone or Furotone to lick

• Scruff and suspend over exam table

Ferret routine care

• Vaccines High risk of vaccine reactions Rabies Distemper

• Heartworm preventative

• Flea/tick preventative

Ferret venipuncture

• Cephalic or lateral saphenous 25 g needle, 1ml syringe, <1ml required

• Jugular vein

• Anterior vena cava

Ferret radiology

Hospitalization concerns

• IV catheters – 25 g catheter Cephalic Medial saphenous

• Escape-proof cages

• Provide a litterbox

• Continuously available food +/- force feeding

Ferret zoonoses

• Influenza (human)

• Rabies

• Ringworm (dermatophytosis)

• Scabies

• Giardia

• Cryptosporidium

• (Salmonella, listeriosis, tuberculosis, leptospirosis, campylobacteriosis)

Ferrets – a livestyle choice

Rabbits

Rabbits

• 47 - 60 distinct breeds, >500 varieties

• Lagomorphs (not rodents)

• Domestic rabbits originate from Europe

• Distinct from wild rabbits or hares

• No feral rabbit population

• Originally bred for fur or meat

Rabbits

• Females = Does

• Males = Bucks

• Neonates = Kits

• Puberty onset 4.5 months of age

Rabbits – how do we live?

• Burrowing animals

• Prey

• Varied habitats – fields, farms, woodlands, deserts, swamps, and forests

• Lifespan – in captivity 9-10 years, rarely up to 18 years; in the wild 7.6 years

Rabbits – living in captivity

• Active livestyle

• Large indoor cage

• Smooth bottom (no wires)

• Daily exercise is essential

Implications for hospitalization: Largest cage possible, provide regular exercise out of the cage (in exam room or other closed space)

Rabbits – what do we eat?

• Foraging species

• Similar to horses

• Grasses, leaves, flowers

Rabbits – eating in captivity

• Free choice grass hay (timothy)

• Free choice green leafy vegetables

• Minimal pellets (1/8 – ¼ cup daily max)

• Minimal “treat” foods (carrots, fruit, yogurt snacks)

Implications for hospitalization: Owners need to bring green leafies or we need to send someone out for them.

Rabbits - senses

• 190 degree field of view

• “Blind spot” below their nose

• Good night vision

• Some color vision

Implications for hospitalization: quiet area, minimize exposure to predators, don’t grab them in their blind spot

Rabbits - illnesses

• Gastrointestinal disease (not eating, abdominal pain, dehydration)

• Dental disease

• Vestibular disease

• Parasitic skin disease

Often treated as outpatients, sometimes require hospitalization.

Rabbit restraint

• Gentle

• Clean surfaces and hands (no predator scents)

• Don’t reach under chin without warning

• Quiet

• Don’t scruff (at risk of breaking backs)

• Always support hind end

• Don’t grab by ears

• Bunny burrito

Rabbit venipuncture

• Maximum blood draw: 1% of body weight 2 pound rabbit = 9 ml

• Lateral Saphenous

• Jugular

• Auricular (ear) not preferred site, but an option for very large-eared rabbits

• Cephalic (try to reserve for IV catheters)

Rabbit radiographs

• As for a cat “Whole rabbit” Thorax Abdomen Skull

• May require sedation or anesthesia Reduce stress Skull

Hospitalization concerns

• Keep ‘em warm

• Frequent force feeding (every 4-6 hours, Oxbow Critical Care)

• Exercise them

• Minimize stress wherever possible

Rabbits – Injection sites

• Lumbar muscles

• Proximal hindlimb (quads)

Intraosseous catheters

• Trochanteric fossa of the femur

• Proximal tibia

Rabbits – anesthetic concerns• No fasting is necessary (can’t vomit)

• Endotracheal intubation is blind

• Intubation is preferred over mask

• Should be monitored the same as any other species

Rabbits - tips

• Try not to clip fur from the base of the feet or hocks

• Avoid touching rabbit “blind spot” (rostral muzzle)

• Venipuncture of ears ONLY in large-eared rabbits

• Support hind end during restraint

Rabbit zoonoses

• Not commonly associated with rabbits

• Rabies

• External parasites/fungal disease (Cheyletiella, ringworm)

• Pasteurella

• Salmonella

• Yersinia enterocolitica

• Plague (Yersinia pestis)

• Tularemia

• Bacterial infections from bite wounds

• Encephalitozooan cuniculi

• Mycoplasma

• Allergies

Rabbit zoonoses

• Wash any wounds thoroughly

• Do not ingest rabbit feces

• Wash hands after handling

• Wear gloves when handling rabbits with skin disease

• Resist eating rabbit feces

Rodents

Rodent species

• Guinea pigs

• Chinchillas

• Hamsters

• Gerbils

• Rats

• Mice

Guinea pigs

• Herbivores

• Docile

• Native to South America

• Domesticated for food

Guinea pigs - diet

• High quality grass hay (free choice)

• Fresh vegetables

• Formulated pelleted food (Oxbow)

• Vitamin C – Red pepper Parsley Kale Water supplementation not ideal

Guinea pigs - hospitalization• Fluids most often administered

subcutaneously

• Oxbow critical care feeding management

• Stress management

Guinea pigs - tips

• Easily restrained

• Anesthesia Blood collection – cranial vena cava Appropriate oral examination

Chinchillas

• Bred for fur

• Long-lived (up to 20 years)

• Herbivores

• Not tolerant of temperatures greater than 80 degrees Fahrenheit

• Naturally nocturnal

• Dust baths necessary for coat health 2-3x/week

Chinchillas - diet

• High quality grass hay

• Chinchilla pellets (guinea pig or rabbit pellets not ideal)

• Dark leafy vegetables

• Fruits, grains <5% of animal’s diet

Chinchillas - hospitalization

• Similar concerns as for guinea pigs

• IV Cath slightly easier ? (26g cephalic)

• Intraosseous catheters

• Minimize stress

• Appropriate diet

Hamsters

• Golden (Syrian)

• Djungarian (Siberian)

• Narrow gene pool

• Variably aggressive

• Nocturnal

• Solitary (except for Siberian)

Gerbils

• Mongolian

• Hot-desert-dwelling

• Social

Mice and rats

• Many mouse owners also own snakes • Mice – small, can be aggressive

• Rats – good as pets, likely most intelligent of small exotic mammals

Cage

• Soft bedding (no cedar)

• Exercise wheels (run up to 10k/night)

• Escape artists

• Produce large amounts of odiferous urine

Diet

• Pelleted (not seed mix) formulated for the species

• Occasional high protein, low fat treats

Restraint

Blood collection and radiographs• Requires anesthesia

• Jugular, cranial vena cava, saphenous, cephalic, or tail vein (1% of body weight)

• Retroorbital venous plexus

• Intravenous access not practical

• Intraosseous catheter

Hedgehogs (African Pygmy)

• Originate in central Africa

• Nocturnal

• Insectivores

• Poor vision

• “Anointing” behavior

• Solitary in nature

Hedgehogs – husbandry

• Large cage size (2’ x 2’)

• Wheel

• Exercise necessary

• Can sometimes be litterbox-trained

• Pelleted hedgehog food recommended, with supplemental insects and fruits

Hedgehogs – restraint/handling• Circular muscle (orbicularis) pulls together

like a drawstring

• When upset: vibrates and hisses

• Tips for unrolling: Dangle over a table Stroke the spines against the grain Scruff before rolled (good luck!) Subdued light, quiet

Hedgehogs - Diagnostics

• All diagnostics will require anesthesia

• Cranial vena cava