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Exotics & Lab Animal Medicine > Exotic Mammals: Rats & Hamsters > Flashcards

Exotic Mammals: Rats & Hamsters Flashcards

1
Q

What zoonotic diseases can rats spread?

A
  • Leptospirosis
  • Chlamydiosis
  • Yersinia
  • Campylobacter

MISCONCEPTION —> rare in domestic rats, more common in wild ones

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2
Q

How are rats classified?

A

more color varieties, no official breeds

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3
Q

What social environment works best for rats? How should rats be introduced?

A

groups of 3-4

slowly, can be aggressive if not raised together from a young age —> wrestling is common and can look like aggression

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4
Q

What grooming do rats require?

A
  • toe nail clipping - human nail clipper
  • some bathing
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5
Q

What is the ideal caging used for rats? What is avoided?

A
  • multistory
  • wire wall for ventilation
  • solid flooring and soft bedding/hammock
  • 2x2x2 for a single rat, larger for groups
  • change food and water bowls daily

scented bedding

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6
Q

What nutrition is recommended for rats? What can be added? What 3 things should be avoided?

A

commercial balances foods

small amounts of fruit, nuts, greens, and table scraps

  1. seed mix
  2. high sugar treats
  3. dried fruit/vegetables
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7
Q

When do rats reach sexual maturity? How long is their gestation?

A

4-5 weeks

21-23 days

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8
Q

What 2 parts of the physical exam is especially important for rats?

A
  1. incisors - continuously grow —> malocclusions rare in premolars and molars that do not continuously grow
  2. respiratory system - a bit or porphyrin d/c is normal, resp disease is common!
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9
Q

How should rats be restrained?

A

cradle in one hand and examined in the other

  • can wrap in a towel
  • less is more
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10
Q

What is the most common tumor in both male and female rats? What predisposes?

A

mammary adenomas - can happen anywhere on the body, not just mammary tissue

intact and obese individuals —> hormones from adipose tissue may activate tumors

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11
Q

How are mammary adenomas in rats treated?

A

surgical removal is often curative - benign, can be massive and well vascularized

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12
Q

In what 4 ways do mammary adenocarcinomas compare to adenomas in rats? What treatment is recommended?

A
  1. less common than adenomas
  2. more aggressive, usually firm and rapidly spreading
  3. NOT resolved with surgery
  4. size is NOT a sign of malignancy

if confirmed by biopsy - Tamoxifen is palliative; blocks estrogen response and slows progression

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13
Q

What signs are seen with pituitary adenomas in rats? What can help reduce prevalence?

A
  • variable depending on what hormones it secretes (can cause Cushing’s like syndrome)
  • CNS signs due to mechanical disturbances

caloric restriction and early spaying/neutering

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14
Q

What is the most common cause of respiratory disease in rats? Why is it so difficult to treat?

A

Mycoplasma pulmonis (+ mixed with bacterial, viral, and fungal organisms)

lacks a cell wall

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15
Q

What causes clinical signs and severity of respiratory disease to differ in rats? What is the aim to treatment?

A

strain, age, immune status, and location of disease (lower > upper)

minimize signs, improve husbandry, ventilate —> very chronic, often non-curable

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16
Q

What is the treatment protocol for early and end-stage respiratory disease in rats? What is added if patients are not responding?

A

Enrofloxacin + Doxycycline 10-30 days

antibiotics + corticosteroids

nebulization of antibiotics and steroids —> 8 mL saline + 0.5 mL Gentamycin + 0.5 mL Albuterol for 15 mins, 3 times a day for 14 days

17
Q

What types of lice are more common in rats? How do they affect rats?

A

sucking > biting —> Simpliplex spinulosa, Anopllura spp > Mallophaga spp (species specific)

can cause anemia and spread disease (hemobartonella)

18
Q

What mites commonly infect rats?

A
  • Liponsyssus bacoti
  • Orthoonyssus bacoti
  • Sarcomptes scabiei
  • Demodex
19
Q

How are ectoparasites of rats treated? When is treatment less successful?

A
  • oral Selamectin (safer than oral Ivermectin)
  • treat the environment - clean cage, bedding, furniture
  • treat other animals in the household

immunosuppression or poor owner compliance

20
Q

What monitoring is especially necessary in rats undergoing anesthesia? What other monitoring is performed?

A

small patient —> body temp (use thermal support!)

ECG, capnograph, etc. —> similar to other species

21
Q

What are some options for venipuncture in rats? What is usually used for lab rats?

A
  • cephalic
  • jugular
  • medial or lateral saphenous
  • cranial vena cava (approach from thoracic inlet)
  • tail (warm first!)
  • use a small syringe or just the needle to avoid collapsing the vein

retrobulbar and sublingual —> increased trauma

22
Q

What are the most common surgical procedures performed in rats?

A
  • mass removals
  • neuter
  • spay

(do as quick as possible, hypothermia is bound to happen)

23
Q

How is the GIT of hamsters unique? What unique structure of the integument is also seen in hamsters?

A

have a distinct forestomach with a high pH

hip scent gland —> prominent in males

24
Q

How are hamsters sexed?

A
  • females tend to be larger, have their anus close to their vulva, and lack noticeable testicles
  • males are smaller, have a larger space between their anus and their urethra, and have noticeable testicles
25
Q

What is important to remember with hamsters at low temperatures?

A

hibernate at <5 C —> not dead!

26
Q

What is the average lifespan and adult weight of hamsters?

A

18-36 months

  • MALE = 87-130g
  • FEMALE = 95-130g
27
Q

What is the average HR, RR, and temperature of hamsters?

A

310-471 bpm

38-110 bpm

  • RECTAL = 99.7 F
  • AMBIENT = 70-75 F
28
Q

What caging is preferred for hamsters? What is especially important to set up?

A
  • can be single or multistory
  • tunnels and wheels with solid bottoms are important enrichment
  • wire cages with small enough bars to keep dwarf breeding inside
  • nesting area with paper/cloth (not cotton or synthetic fiber
  • bedding made of recycled paper or non-aromatic shavings

separate areas for food, toilet, and exercise

29
Q

How can blood be collected for hamsters? What is their dentition like?

A

LIMITED - nail clip, hind limb skin stab, nick tail tip for just enough blood for a smear or PCV

similar to rats, but their lower incisors are longer and have a normal orange color

30
Q

What is a common aging change to the skin of hamsters? What disease should also be considered?

A

rough hair coat

Cushing’s —> hair loss, susceptibility to external parasites (mites, demodex)

31
Q

What are 2 common GI diseases of hamsters?

A
  1. diarrhea - wet tail
  2. proliferative ileitis - common in 3-10 week hamsters caused by Lawsonia intracellularis
32
Q

What treatment is necessary for proliferative ileitis in hamsters? What complications are associated?

A

aggressive!

  • fluids (SQ)
  • feeding + oral glucose
  • antibiotics - Enrofloxacin, TMS for 5-7 days

intussusception, obstruction

33
Q

What causes enterotoxemia in hamsters? Tyzzer’s?

A

antibiotic use —> Lincosamide, Penicillin (Baytril is preferred!)

Clostridium piliforme —> causes diarrhea

34
Q

What respiratory is most common in hamsters? What causes it? How is it treated?

A

purulent rhinitis and pneumonia

Streptococcus spp (G+ diplococci)

Chloramphenicol

35
Q

What clinical signs are associated with Cushing’s in hamsters? What causes it?

A
  • PU/PD
  • polyphagia
  • alopecia
  • hyperpigmentation
  • high cortisol and ALP

adrenocortical tumor or excess adrenocortical secretions —> pituitary tumors less common

36
Q

What are the most common causes of exophthalmia in hamsters? How is it treated?

A
  • trauma
  • sialo dacryoadenitis - tear duct inflammation caused by cytomegalovirus
  • excessive restraint

cleanse area and eye with ophthalmic wash, lubricate, retract eyelids, and replace the eye —> local antibiotic ointment, tarsorrhaphy (good prognosis if treated quickly!)

37
Q

What neoplasia is most common in hamsters? What are the 3 variations?

A

lymphoma

  1. hematopoietic - older hamsters; LN, spleen, liver
  2. cutaneous
  3. viral - polyomavirus; skin tumors or abdominal masses

Exotics & Lab Animal Medicine (20 decks)

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