respiratory

• The common clinical signs for small mammals are…

  • Lethargy
  • Poor coat
  • Anorexia
  • Audible clicking
  • Sneezing
  • Ocular discharge (e.g. porphyrin)
  • Dyspnoea/abdominal heaving
  • Head tilt if middle ear involved
  • Nasal discharge
• The common clinical signs for reptiles are…

  • Lethargy
  • Anorexia
  • Weight loss
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Open mouth breathing
  • Wheezes or crackles
  • Ocular and/or nasal discharge (this can be due to URT or LRT disease
  • Stomatitis
• the common clinical signs for birds are...

  • Lethargy
  • Anorexia
  • ‘Fluffed up’
  • Crusting around nares
  • Periorbital swelling
  • Dyspnoea or ‘tail bobbing’
  • Voice change
  • Tachypnoea 
• open mouthed breathing is bad in rodents and rabbits as this means their nasal passage is completely blocked.
• what is the best sampling method to use in birds?

  nasal flush and / or BAL / tracheal lavage
• Is URT or LRT bacterial infection more common in rabbits?

  both
• Is URT or LRT bacterial infection more common in reptiles?

  URT
• Is URT or LRT bacterial infection more common in birds?

  LRT
• what are the most common causes of respiratory disease in birds?

  husbandry, space-occupying lesions, fungi and bacteria
• what are the most common causes of respiratory disease in reptiles?

  husbandry issues, space-occupying lesions, bacteria and viruses
• what are the most common causes of respiratory disease in rabbits?

  dental disease, husbandry issues and bacterial infections
• what is the best method for sampling in a reptile?

  lesion / oral swabs and BAL / tracheal lavages
• what is the best way to sample small mammals?

  Bal / tracheal lavage
• what is the best method to sample rabbits?

  deep nasal swab and a nasolacrimal duct flush
• Once the exam is done, consider the location (URT or LRT) and if any other organs are involved, think if it is infectious, the likely prognosis and what the specific diagnosis could be. Diagnostic options are…

  • Imaging
  • Radiography - can diagnose some conditions such as abscesses, neoplasia, congestion / consolidation
  • Endoscopy - can be used to take biopsies and find FBs
  • Ultrasound - useful for heart scans, seeing if there is any free fluid or to help take an FNA sample
  • Bacteriology (culture and sensitivity)
  • Cytology
  • PCR testing e.g. mycoplasma and herpes
  • Blood testing
• • Blood work can be used to detect underlying problems such as an inflammatory process/infection or organ damage e.g. liver or kidney.
  • These values can be between normal ranges despite pathology of the respiratory tract but its helps determine severity and help with stabilisation (blood gases/acid-base)
• a deep nasal swab (rabbits) needs to be deep to be sure that it is not contaminated, these can be painful so sedation is heavily recommended. Respiratory patients are not the best anaesthetic candidates so weigh out the pros and cons of this test.
• First stabilise (provide heat, oxygen and fluids but also very nervous/stressed animals may need sedation) then move on to supportive and symptomatic treatment

  Treatment is supportive and symptomatic treatment and includes….

  • Oxygen
  • Fluids and supportive nutrition (syringe or tube feedings)
  • Hindgut fermenters may need a pro-kinetic agent too
  • Nebulisation (+/- medications or F10)
  • Be sure it can make the drops small enough for the respiratory tract in these species
  • Bronchodilator
  • Mucolytic
  • Anti-inflammatory