AVS 101 1st Edition Lecture 21  Companion Animal Care & Management Rules of Pet Ownership YOU are responsible Before buying, do research Observe what is “normal” Use common sense Nutrition is key to well being  Nonbreeding animals should be spay or neutered Chinchilla Male – buck Female – doe Live 10-15 yrs. Not a good pet for children  Nocturnal Other pets will drive them crazy Stress -> heart attacks Chinchilla Bite when afraid Need large cage for exercise Limit Carbs à liver damage Chinchilla Keep water bottle clean à algae is poisonous Feed at night No baths, except daily dust bath  Ferret – “Little Thief” Female – jill, male – hob or dog, young – kit Live 7 years Natural hunters– careful with other small pets around– used in biomedical research Ferret Ferrets are outlawed in some states– California & Hawaii Need to be vaccinated for rabies Neuter and remove scent glands– Females in season must mate or die– induced ovulators à mate to stop ovulating, estrogen levels -> stop eating Ferret Require high protein and fat diet Can use a premium dry cat food Canned food promotes tooth and gum problemsThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute. Dog food not good– too much plant food, increases pH of urine Ferret Obesity à stroke and heart attack Susceptible to heat stroke Zinc toxicity from licking galvanized cages Limit treats high in sugar and salt Lactose intolerant  Gerbil Nocturnal Live 3-5 yrs. Females are in heat every 4-10 days Male/female form bonds at puberty (unlike hamsters) Gerbil Same diet as mice, rats, guinea pig No lettuce Hard foods to control tooth growth Control tooth growth– symptom à not eating, drooling Hamster Live 2 yrs. Gestation 10-14 days Sexually active 6-8 weeks of age Avoid handling newborn for 7 days mother can become cannibalistic Separate males and females– females are larger and can be aggressive Hamster Will eat live food– ants, hornets, bugs, cockroaches Do not feed citrus fruit– acidity can harm stomach Raw meat encourages cannibalism– Myth or truth? Don’t like garlic & onions Guinea Pig Male – boar, Female – sow Live 6-10 yrs. Females need to be bred by 6-7 months– If not à pelvic bones become fused and birth only by C-Section Guinea Pig Very nervous and high strung Like companions- loners-shorter life span  Practice coprophagy– recover B vitamins Vitamin C supplement 10mg/day is essential Rabbit Make excellent pets Can be housebroken Live 8-12 yrs. Female (doe), male (buck), young (kit) Rabbit Temps. above 85°F can cause heat stroke Shed à not good for allergies Hairballs are problem, rabbits can’t vomit – Pineapple juice contains enzyme papain Rabbit Kindling = birth– Babies are hairless and blindeyes open at 10 days Doe uses chest fur to make nest Coprophagy  Hedgehog Not a cuddling type of pet Need leather gloves to handle Very timid Live to 10 yrs. Nocturnal, sleep 18 hrs./day Hedgehog Insectivore– some cat/dog food OK– à obesity Cover themselves with foamy saliva àanting– thought to produce toxin for their spines Fairly strong characteristic odor Hedgehog Mature 9-11 months Gestation 30-49 days 2 litters per year, 5-7 per litter Don’t handle newborns for 7 days Born helpless for 3 weeks Within 60 hrs. of birth, hard, permanent spines replace soft ones Reptile Herpetology = study of reptiles (snakes, lizards, turtles) Frogs, salamanders, toads are amphibians Environment Hot and dry or hot and humid 85 degrees needed to digest food Hot rocks, mats or lamps Lighting 10-12 hrs. daylight, 12-14 hrs. darkness Vitamin D3 cannot be synthesized through glass or plastic tanks Exposure to bulbs– Careful of burning skin Humidity Varies with species Mist tank 2-3 times/day Cleanliness High humidity and heat à bacteria Clean with 1 part bleach to 10 parts water, dry in the sun Human Health Concern Many reptiles (except crocodilians) carry Salmonella organism in gut Wash hands and area with antibacterial soap Snakes No legs, external ear opening or movable eyelids Common pet species – Boa, python, & milk snake Boa are usually docile– Handled from infancy Snakes Pythons are unpredictable– Ball pythons rarely strike A novice should never have a venomous snake– Vipers, cobras Snakes Skin shed, become dull in color, eyes cloud over– May refuse food, become irritable– Need moisture to shed Susceptible to ticks & cage mites Snakes No need to feed daily Small snake– Every 1-2 weeks Large snake– Every 3-6 weeks Provide water dish Lizards Iguana most common in captivity Grow to 6 feet Live 10-15 yrs. Require temp 75 – 100°F and 50-75% humidity Most Common Health Problem Metabolic bone disease– Too little calcium, too much phosphorus, lack of Vitamin D– Symptoms à lack of movement, swollen legs, loss of appetite, scoliosis Most Common Cause of Death Hypervitaminosis– excess Vitamin D and Calcium à brittle bones Diet Young diet– 80% plant, 20% animal– Adult (2-3 yrs.) diet– gradually eliminate animal product Crickets, mealworms, cheese, cooked eggs Limit dog food– too much Vitamin D No cat food Can be housebroken Males become very irritable during mating