Pocket Pets 🐁 Flashcards by Lauren R.

What is the scientific name for mice?

Mus musculus

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What is the scientific name for rats?

Ratus norvegicus

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What is the scientific name for gerbils?

Meriones unguiculatus

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What are the 3 types & scientific names of hamsters seen in clinic?

Golden / Syrian = Mesocricetus auratus
European = Cricetus cricetus
Russian dwarf = Phodopus spp.

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What is the general description of mice?

Small, busy rodents with long, hairless tails. Weigh 20-63g.

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What is the general description of rats?

Large, intelligent rodents with long, hairless tails. Weigh 225-500g.

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What is the general description of gerbils?

Desert-adapted rodents with long, hairy tails. Weigh 46-131g.

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What is important to know about a gerbil’s adaptations?

They are desert-dwellers who have concentrated urine, but still need access to fresh water.

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What is the general description of hamsters?

Stocky, loose-skinned animals with cheek pouches & short tails. Weigh 87-130g.

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What is the dental formula for small pocket pets?

2 x (I 1/1, C 0/0, P 0/0, M 3/3)

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What is important to know about a small pocket pet’s incisors vs. their molars?

The incisors are open-rooted and grow continuously; Molars are NOT.

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______ is problematic in weanlings, and can lead to starvation/death.

Malocclusion, inability for teeth to be worn down.

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T/F? All small pocket pets can experience tail slip if handled by the tail incorrectly.

False! Only gerbils can experience tail slip.

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_____ is extensive on both male & female pocket pets, running along the ventral, lateral, and dorsal body wall from the shoulders to the tail.

Mammary tissue

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What is important to know about the mammary tissue of pocket pets?

Mammary tumors can develop virtually anywhere on a pocket pet’s body.

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_____ are located behind each eye in a pocket pet, and will secrete “red tears.”

Harderian glands

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What is responsible for the red tinge in a pocket pet’s “red tears?”

Porphyrin

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T/F? “Red tears” are considered normal in pocket pets.

True! Some secretion is normal, but excessive secretion can be a sign of stress or illness.

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What is the function of a hamster’s bilateral flank glands and a gerbil’s ventral gland?

They play a part in mating, territorial behavior, and the marking of pups.

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What kind of estrus cycle do pocket pets experience, and when do they ovulate?

They are seasonally polyestrous, and are spontaneous ovulators.

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In pocket pets, a ______ forms after mating when the male’s ejaculate coagulates within the female’s reproductive tract.

Copulatory plug

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What is the function of a hamster’s large cheek pouches?

They use them to transfer food + bedding from one place to another.

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Why is it important to never disturb a mother hamster & her pups?

She may want to move her pups to another location, which risks her suffocating her pups within her cheek pouches OR even cannibalism.

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T/F? Hamsters are considered ruminants.

False! They are technically pseudo ruminants because they do not have a 4-compartment stomach.

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Hamsters have an esophageal pouch, or forestomach, which is responsible for _____.

Pre-gastric fermentation

Rodents are monogastric, which means what?

They have one "true" stomach.

What is "coprophagy" and why is it important to pocket pets?

Eating their poop, to recover essential nutrients like vitamin B.

T/F? Rats do not have a gallbladder.

True, they do not have a gallbladder.

What are important qualities to look for when searching for new housing for your pocket pet?

It should be escape-proof, chew-proof, easy to clean (like metal or plastic), have solid flooring, and adequate ventilation.

Why is it important to have adequate ventilation in a pocket pet's housing?

To prevent the build-up of ammonia from their excrement.

Which types of bedding are appropriate AND inappropriate for pocket pets? Why?

Good = ash and pine shavings, paper products, and corn cob = safe, absorbant. Bad = general wood shavings, cedar shavings = causes lesions/abrasion, too dusty, too aromatic.

Pros & cons of using corncob as bedding for rodents?

Pros = most absorbant, fine if ingested in small quantities. Cons = prone to fungal growth.

What is important to consider when providing bedding for breeding pocket pets?

They require extra bedding that is soft for the pups. If they do not have adequate bedding, they may abandon or eat their young.

What is important to consider when letting your pocket pet use an exercise wheel/ball?

Keep them away from the stairs and other pets. Also, check for any sharp edges on equipment.

T/F? Hamsters are diurnal.

False! Hamsters are nocturnal animals.

What is the best diet for pocket pets?

Feeding fresh pellets from a lab diet daily, and a small amount (<1% body weight) of fresh fruits/veggies (carrots, apple slices, greens.)

T/F? Pocket pets are strict herbivores.

False! They are omnivores and will eat ANYTHING.

Why should you feed pocket pets food out of a crock instead of a plastic bowl?

They have a tendency to chew on plastic.

When providing fresh water to your pocket pet, why might a water bottle mechanism become faulty?

It may become leaky if cracked, due to an imbalance in the negative pressure within.

What is acarisis, and what may be the signs on a pocket pet?

Mite infestation; presents with alopecia, dermatitis, rough hair coat, and skin lesions.

What is barbering, and when is it commonly seen in pocket pets?

Chewing each other's hair off; commonly seen in female mice grouped together (one asserting dominance over others), breeding pairs, and amongst unknown males who are fighting.

How do mechanical abrasions occur in pocket pets?

Self trauma on cage bars, equipment, etc. Commonly seen on muzzles, with bruising, missing hair, etc.

What is Demodex nanus?

Mange

Which two endoparasites are sometimes (but rarely) found in pocket pets?

Pinworms + tapeworms.

What is neoplasia, and why is it difficult to treat?

Tumors; difficult to treat because it is likely to return in another place if the tumor is removed.

What are the signs of malocclusion in pocket pets?

Weight loss, drooling, oral trauma.

____ and ____ can sometimes be found in a hamster's cheek pouches due to cuts.

Tumors + infection

______ commonly occurs in pocket pets who are kept in or exposed to wet environments.

Moist dermatitis

Why do gerbils experience "sore nose?"

From build-up of "red tears" on the animal's face.

What is "wet tail" and why may it occur in hamsters?

Bacterial infection causing diarrhea, due to an improper diet and/or stress.

______ is a hepatoenteric infectious disease that is caused by exposure to Clostridium piliforme in bedding. It can kill hamsters & gerbils. However, rats & mice may be able to overcome it with antibiotics and proper husbandry.

Tyzzer's disease

Murine respiratory mycoplasmosis, or chronic respiratory disease in rats, is caused by ______.

Mycoplasma pulmonis

What are the signs of CRD (chronic respiratory disease) in rats?

General respiratory issues, red tears stains around eyes/nose/mouth, rhinitis, and otitis (head tilt)

What happens to rats who have Sialodacryoadenitis?

Cervical lymph nodes swell + inflammation of salivary glands + sensitivity to light due to ophthalmic lesions.

Why should you never house male rodents together?

They will fight.

What is important to know before considering adopting multiple hamsters?

They prefer to live alone, so you will need to acquire more than one cage.

Which pocket pets are prone to cannibalism of their young?

Hamsters + mice

What is important to know before handling rodents?

They may bite or jump out of fear, so it is best to scoop them into your hands and use a tray/empty litter box as base floor in case they are dropped.

T/F? You should never scruff a hamster.

False! You can lightly scruff a hamster due to its loose skin, but it is not preferred.

How can you determine the sex of a pocket pet?

Comparing anogenital distance = distance is greater in males than females.

Where on a pocket pet can you give the following injections? IV, IM, IP, SubQ

IV = tail vein IM = cranial aspect of quadriceps IP = left quadrant in rats (due to cecum in right) & right quadrants in other pocket pets SubQ = skin tent behind neck

Where can you collect blood from in a pocket pet?

Venous sinus (eyes), saphenous vein, and tail vein (except for hamsters)

Pocket Pets 🐁 Flashcards

(62 cards)