1. ANS II – Diseases and Parasites Pictures courtesy of Google Images

2. WEEK 1
9/8 – 9/11

3. Rabies Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Virus
Description:
Zoonotic viral disease that attacks the nervous system
How it’s contracted:
Through bites and scratches of infected animals (specifically through their saliva) which carries the virus
Symptoms:
Can occur 2 weeks – 3 months after the bite
CNS abnormalities, such as loss of coordination
Extreme behavior changes, such as aggression
Prevention and Treatment:
Vaccination

4. Rabies
Other info:
“Furious” rabies – animal may act strange and then wander off, attack and bit anything in it’s path, commonly seen frothing at the mouth
“Dumb” rabies – no wandering, but paralysis of lower jaw followed by paralysis of body and death

5. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Cause:
Bacteria
Description:
Zoonotic bacterial disease
How it’s contracted:
Through the bite of an infected tick
Symptoms:
Fever, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting, muscle pain
Rash may also develop, but often absent in the first few days
Prevention and Treatment:
Tick preventative
Avoid woody areas during tick season

6. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

7. Lyme Disease Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Bacteria
Description:
Zoonotic bacterial infection
How it’s contracted:
Through the bite of an infected tick
Symptoms:
Lameness, swollen joints, fever
Rash, distinctive skin lesions
Hives, flu-like symptoms
Prevention and Treatment:
Tick preventative
Lyme vaccination
Avoid woody areas during tick season

8. Roundworms (Ascarids)
Cause:
Internal parasite
Description:
Zoonotic, internal parasites that affect dogs and cats intestinal systems; may grow up to 8” long when mature
How it’s contracted:
Contact with parasite in unclean environment or by female dogs to puppies
Symptoms:
Fever, headache, cough, poor appetite, pot-bellied appearance in puppies and kittens if severe
Prevention and Treatment:
Deworming pets
Good sanitation

9. Roundworms

10. Tapeworm Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Internal parasite
Description:
Flat, segmented internal worm that lives in the small intestines and can range from several inches to several feet
How it’s contracted:
Ingesting fleas or infected feces, animals or meat
Symptoms:
White segments of worm moving on anus/rectal area of animal or in their feces
Anal itching
May cause AHD (Alveolar Hydatid Disease) – can be fatal or produce parasitic tumors/cysts in the liver
Prevention and Treatment:
Flea prevention
Avoid feeding uncooked meat, raw game or dead animals

11. Tapeworm

12. Hookworm Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Internal parasite
Description:
Small, thin, blood-sucking intestinal worms that attach to an animal’s small intestines
How it’s contracted:
Migration through the placenta in utero
Ingesting infected mother’s milk
Ingesting larvae in the soil
Direct penetration of the skin through pads of feet
Ingesting an intermediate host
Symptoms:
Severe blood loss, malnutrition, bloody wine-dark or tar-dark diarrhea, anemia
Prevention and Treatment:
Deworm pets
Good sanitation

13. Hookworm

14. Week 2
9/14 – 9/18

15. Salmonellosis Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Salmonella bacteria
Description:
Zoonotic bacterial disease
How it’s contracted:
Through contact with salmonella bacteria which is on the skin of reptiles and amphibians as well as dirty environments
Symptoms:
Gastroenteritis (stomach upset), fever, diarrhea, vomiting
Miscarriage/spontaneous abortion in dogs
Prevention and Treatment:
Wash hands after contact with reptiles
Clean environment

16. Ringworm Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Fungus
Description:
Zoonotic fungal skin disease
How it’s contracted:
Spread through contact with infected animal or materials exposed to infected animal
Symptoms:
Round, scaly encrusted lesions with hair loss
Prevention and Treatment:
Clean environment and supplies

17. Ringworm

18. Ticks Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
External parasite
Description:
External parasite that feeds on the blood of host animals
How it’s contracted:
Dogs and other animals pick up ticks in tall brush and grass
Symptoms:
Blood loss, anemia, tick paralysis, skin irritation and infection
Prevention and Treatment:
Tick preventative, Lyme vaccine, avoid woody areas during tick season

19. Canine Distemper Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Virus
Description:
Contagious, viral illness caused by the Morbillivirus
How it’s contracted:
Spread through air and direct and indirect contact with infected animals and materials
Symptoms:
High fever, reddened eyes, watery discharge from nose and eyes, lethargy, anorexia, persistent coughing/vomiting/diarrhea
Later stages can include seizures, paralysis and hysteria
Prevention and Treatment:
Distemper vaccine

20. Canine Distemper

21. Canine Parvovirus Infection
Cause:
Virus
Description:
Highly contagious, viral disease, which most severely affects the intestinal tract
Attacks the white blood cells, and can damage the heart muscle and cause lifelong cardiac problems
How it’s contracted:
Spread through contact with infected animal feces
Symptoms:
Lethargy, severe vomiting, loss of appetite and bloody, foul-smelling diarrhea that can lead to life-threatening dehydration
Prevention and Treatment:
Parvovirus vaccine
Clean environment

22. Canine Parvovirus

23. Kennel Cough (Tracheobronchitis)
Cause:
Bordetella bronchiseptica (parainfluenza virus) and mycoplasma bacteria
Description:
Very highly contagious respiratory disease among dogs
How it’s contracted:
Contact with infected animal, typically in congested/highly populated areas (kennel, clinics, pet stores, dog parks, ect.)
Symptoms:
Dry, hacking cough leading to vomiting/retching
Watery nasal discharge
Prevention and Treatment:
Bordetella vaccine
Limit boarding/kennel-like environment

24. Kennel Cough

25. Week 3
9/21 – 9/25

26. Canine Brucellosis Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Brucella canis bacteria
Description:
Zoonotic, bacterial infection which affects the reproductive organs of both male and female dogs
How it’s contracted:
Spread by body fluids (both sexual fluids and urine)
Airborne transmission is very rare, but has been reported
Spread quickly among dogs that are kept in closely confined areas especially during breeding times and when abortions occur
Symptoms:
Abortion in 3rd trimester of pregnancy, conception failures, inflammation of reproductive organs and lymph nodes
Prevention and Treatment:
Avoid contact w/ infected animals, test before breeding, routine disinfecting of facilities

27. Canine Brucellosis

28. Heart Disease Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Old age, injury, infection or genetics
Description:
Chronic, congestive heart failure
How it’s contracted:
Non-contagious
Can be caused by diet and exercise factors, old age, injury or infection
Symptoms:
Coughing, difficulty breathing, lack of energy, pacing/hard time settling down, later symptoms include swollen belly, fainting, pale to bluish gray gums and tongue, weight loss
Prevention and Treatment:
Provide proper diet and exercise

29. Heart Disease

30. Cataracts Cause: Description: Symptoms: Prevention and Treatment:
Can develop from disease, old age and trauma to the eye, but inherited conditions are the most common cause, especially with diabetes
Description:
Opacity in the lens of a dog’s eye, causing blurry vision and, if left untreated, blindness
Symptoms:
Dog’s eyes look cloudy or bluish-gray
Disorientation/signs vision difficulty
Prevention and Treatment:
Examine dog’s eyes regularly for cloudiness
Do not breed dogs with a history of cataracts

31. Cataracts

32. Arthritis Cause: Description: Symptoms: Prevention and Treatment:
Degeneration of the joints and synovial fluid in joints due to age or previous injury
Description:
Inflammation of the joints
Symptoms:
Dog “slows down”
Trouble w/ normal activities
Limping/stiffness
Prevention and Treatment:
Joint supplements (fish oil, glucosamine/chondroitin) – begin as early at 5 years old

33. Blastomycosis Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Blastomyces dermatitidis fungus
Description:
Systematic yeast-like fungal infection commonly found in decaying wood and soil (fungus thrives in wet conditions)
How it’s contracted:
Dog inhales airborne fungal spores after contaminated soil has been disturbed from digging/following scent trail
Spores can also enter through skin
Direct exposure to pus leaking from wound
Symptoms:
Fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, eye discharge & inflammation, difficulty breathing, skin lesions filled with pus
Prevention and Treatment:
avoid areas where exposure is high risk (wood, swamps, lakes)
Avoid animals with open wounds

34. Blastomycosis

35. Whipworms Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Internal parasite
Description:
2” to 3” long, threadlike worm that fastens to the wall of last part of the small intestine and the first part of the large intestine
Thicker on one end, giving them a “whip-like” appearance
Eggs can live in environment for 5 years
How it’s contracted:
Ingesting infected matter
Exposure to infected animal or materials
Symptoms:
Dog has sense of “urgency” to go to bathroom and may strain to defecate, diarrhea (can be bloody and covered in mucous), heavy infestations can lead to anemia, weight loss and lethargy
Prevention and Treatment:
Deworm pets, good sanitation, remove stool from yard

36. Whipworm

37. 9/28-10/2
Week 4

38. Heartworms Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
internal parasite
Description:
Large worms develop from larvae in the heart and major blood vessels; can reach up to 12” in length; live for 5-7 years; can migrate to lungs
Dogs can have as many as 250 worms in their heart at a time
How it’s contracted:
Through bite of mosquito, infected with microfilaria (larvae)
Symptoms:
Incubation period: do not appear until 6 months after bite from mosquito (larvae mature)
Cough, animal becomes easily winded, loss of consciousness/passes out, death
Prevention and Treatment:
Annual heartworm test
Heartworm preventative medication

39. Heartworms

40. Fleas Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
External parasite
Description:
Brown, blood-sucking insect that move rapidly over the skin
May develop from eggs to adult in as little as 16 days
How it’s contracted:
Contact with parasite or from another animal
Cat fleas and dog fleas may first be detected in the groin and rump area of the animal
Symptoms:
Causes irritation and extreme itching
Prevention and Treatment:
Flea preventative medication
Controlled with powders, dips, shampoos, collars, oral insecticides, foggers and sprays

41. Feline Panleukopenia (Feline Distemper)
Cause:
Parvovirus or DNA virus
Description:
Infectious disease that primarily affects young cats younger than 16 weeks of age and has a 75% death rate
How it’s contracted:
Spread by direct contact, but also from infected food and water dishes, bedding, and litter boxes
Symptoms:
Depression, loss of appetite, high fever, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration
Prevention and Treatment:
FVRCP vaccine
Clean environment

42. Feline Panleukopenia

43. Feline Herpesvirus (FHV)
Cause:
DNA virus
Description:
Infectious respiratory infection shed in the discharges from the nose, eyes and throat
Cats can become carriers
How it’s contracted:
Direct contact with virus
Symptoms:
Depression, sneezing and coughing, severe eye and nasal discharges with an increase in temperature, and mouth ulcers
Prevention and Treatment:
Vaccine

44. Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)
Cause:
Coronavirus
Description:
Infectious disease that leads to organ failure
More common in domestic cats, but few actually show signs of the disease
How it’s contracted:
Cat-to-cat contact and exposure to feces
Most common transmission – infected female cat passes along the virus to their kittens
Symptoms:
fever, refusal to eat, depression and weight loss
Prevention and Treatment:
Litter boxes should be kept clean and located away from food and water dishes
Prevent overcrowding; proper nutrition
Keep cats current on vaccinations, FIP vaccine is not very effective and not recommended

45. Feline Enteric Coronavirus
Cause:
virus
Description:
Infectious disease in kittens between 4-12 weeks of age
How it’s contracted:
Ingestion of contaminated feces
Symptoms:
Low grade fever, vomiting, soft or watery diarrhea, blood in the feces, dehydration
Prevention and Treatment:
Prevent overcrowding, daily litter box cleaning, weekly litter box disinfection, clipping/cleaning fur from the hind end of long haired cats

46. Week 5
10/5 – 10/9

47. Feline Urologic Syndrome (FUS)
Cause/How it’s contracted:
Improper diet (where cats are fed high levels of magnesium and phosphorous)
Low water intake that causes concentrations of various salts in the urine or possibly a virus
Description:
Non-infectious feline urinary tract disease also referred to as Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)
Very common in male cats
Symptoms:
Urinating outside of litter box, difficulty urinating, painful urination
May range from mild inflammation to blockage or the urethra, uremic poisoning, and death
Prevention and Treatment:
Control stress in cat’s life
Increase water consumption
Use of urinary diet food

48. Feline Urologic Syndrome (FUS)

49. Feline Viral Respiratory Disease (Upper Respiratory Infections – URIs)
Cause:
Virus
Description:
Highly contagious infection that affects the respiratory systems of cats
How it’s contracted:
Direct contact with infected discharge from the eyes, nose, mouth of cat
By contaminated litter boxes, water bowls, and human hands
Rarely by airborne droplets
Symptoms:
Begins with severe bouts of sneezing  conjunctivitis and watery discharge from the eyes and nose  fever, apathy, loss of appetite
Cat will breathe with their mouths
Prevention and Treatment:
FVRCP Vaccination

50. Feline Viral Respiratory Disease (Upper Respiratory Infections – URIs)

51. Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)
Cause/Description:
A retrovirus that affects the white blood cells, leading to immune deficiency
How it’s contracted:
Infected mother to kitten through milk
Contact with infected saliva and nasal secretions, but also in urine, feces, and milk from infected cats
Symptoms:
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Poor coat condition
Enlarged lymph nodes
Prevention and Treatment:
Keep cat indoors
FeLV vaccination

52. Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)

53. Feline Gingivitis Cause: Description: Symptoms:
Plaque accumulation due to lack of dental care, old age, crowded teeth, soft food, diabetes, ect.
Description:
Considered the earliest stage of periodontal disease
Inflammation of the gingiva (gums)
Symptoms:
Red or swollen gums, especially on the side of the gum facing the inner cheeks
Halitosis/bad breath
Variable amounts of plaque and calculus on the tooth surface
Prevention and Treatment:
Proper dental care and diet

54. Feline Gingivitis

55. Wet Eye Cause/Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Excessive tear production or blockage of drainage canals that drain tears to the nasal cavity causing the tears to overflow at the inner corner of the eyes
How it’s contracted:
Genetics
Nasolacrimal occlusion (the result of scarring from eyelid injuries from cat fights)
Chronic infection in the duct system and plugging of the ducts by thick secretions, dirt, or grass seeds
Symptoms:
Watery or mucus-like discharge to overflow the eyelids and run down the sides of the face, staining the hair
Prevention and Treatment:
Keep cat indoors/away from other cats that can fight

56. Wet Eye

57. Toxoplasmosis Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Infection of Toxoplasma gondii protozoan
Description:
Zoonotic disease
How it’s contracted:
Spread through contaminated litter or from eating raw meat or contaminated cat feces
Symptoms:
Fever, jaundice, and difficulty moving may result
Particular concern for pregnant women, as it can cause miscarriage, premature delivery and blindness
Prevention and Treatment:
Wear rubber gloves to clean litter boxes, thoroughly wash hands afterwards
No vaccination

58. Toxoplasmosis

59. 10/12 – 10/16
Week 6

60. Cat-scratch Fever Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Bacteria
Description:
Zoonotic bacterial disease
How it’s contracted:
Through scratches/bites of infected cat or through exposure of open wounds to bacteria
Symptoms:
Redness and swelling at site of bite/scratch
Fatigue/headaches/fever
Prevention and Treatment:
Avoid contact with infected cats
Wash hands after contact with cats
Use flea/tick prevention

61. Cat-scratch Fever

62. Cheyletiella Cause/Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Contagious, non-burrowing mite that lives on the skin and feeds on the keratin layer of the epidermis
Also known as “hair-clasping mite”
How it’s contracted:
Direct contact with mite or vector of mite (fleas, lice, flies)
Symptoms:
“walking dandruff”
Severe scaling on the back may occur, but itching is not as severe as with other mite infestations
Prevention and Treatment:
Topical moxidectin, selamectin, or fipronil (flea preventative) on a monthly basis

63. Cheyletiella

64. Lice Cause/Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Wingless insect
2 types: Chewing and Sucking
May bite or suck blood from host
How it’s contracted:
Pick up from environment or direct contact with infected animal
Symptoms:
Severe hair loss, scratching and rubbing
Prevention and Treatment:
Dips, dusts, or spray
Clean environment

65. Demodectic Mites Cause/Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Small biting insect that only causes problems when overpopulated/accumulated
How it’s contracted:
Naturally on skin, but can become overpopulated due to unclean environment/lack of grooming
Symptoms:
Hair loss, reddening of the skin, crusty spots on the skin/entire body of animal
Known as “Demodectic Mange”
Prevention and Treatment:
Proper grooming and bathing

66. Demodectic Mites

67. Sarcoptic Mite Cause/Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Mites that burrow within the outer layer of skin
Highly contagious
Result in mange or scabies which cause the animal intense irritation
How it’s contracted:
Direct contact with mite
Symptoms:
Intense irritation and itching
Dog scratches and injures itself by chewing and rubbing the skin
Prevention and Treatment:
Flea preventative (fipronil/moxidectin/selamectin)

68. Sarcoptic Mite

69. Ear Mites Cause/Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Highly contagious mite found in the outer ear canal and other areas of dogs, cats, and rabbits
How it’s contracted:
Direct contact with mite
Symptoms:
Animal shakes their head and scratches at ears
Reddish-brown “dirt” or wax build-up in ears
Prevention and Treatment:
Proper ear cleaning
Flea preventative with ear mite protection/preventative

70. Week 7
10/19 – 10/23

71. Chiggers Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Trombicula mites
Description:
Orange-red larvae stages of these mites; remain on the skin for a short time and usually do not require treatment other than something to stop the itching
How it’s contracted:
Picked up from underbrush
Symptoms:
Itchy, red rash on belly, face, feet and legs
Prevention and Treatment:
Avoid woody area and underbrush
Anti-itch medicine

72. Enteritis Cause/Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Intestinal tract inflammation
Most common cause of death in rabbits
How it’s contracted:
Stress
Unsanitary conditions
High energy feed
Symptoms:
Diarrhea stained with blood
Loss of appetite
Increase in water consumption
Will grind teeth
Death
Prevention and Treatment:
Reduce stress, clean environment and proper diet (high in fiber, low in energy)

73. Snuffles Cause/Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Contagious respiratory disease in rabbits
How it’s contracted:
Stressful conditions
Poor sanitation, poor ventilation
Changing temperatures
Shipping/transporting to shows
Symptoms:
Persistent sneezing or “snuffing” sound
White colored nasal discharge
Prevention and Treatment:
Reduce stress
Clean environment
Isolate sick animals

74. Mastitis Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Bacteria
Description:
Inflammation of mammary tissue in rabbits
How it’s contracted:
Bacterial infection
Symptoms:
Swelling and redness of mammary tissue
Nursing problems/refusal to nurse
Prevention and Treatment:
Clean and disinfect nesting boxes
Proper diet

75. Wry Neck Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Pasteurella multocida
Description:
Inflammation of the inner ear in rabbits
How it’s contracted:
Direct contact with bacteria
Often found with snuffles infection
Symptoms:
Distinctive head tilt
Prevention and Treatment
Clean environment
Prevent exposure to snuffles infection

76. Fur Chewing Cause/Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Condition in which rabbit bites/removes fur from itself
How it’s contracted:
Boredom
Nutrient deficiency
Low fiber diet
Symptoms:
Patches of missing fur
Prevention and Treatment:
Attention/stimulation to prevent boredom
Adding fiber (hay) to diet
Adding magnesium oxide to diet

77. Fur Chewing

78. 11/2 – 11/6
Week 8

79. Hutch Burn Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Chapped or “burned” external genitalia of doe
How it’s contracted:
Sitting in wet, dirty, urine-soaked bedding
Symptoms:
Red, inflamed skin of genital area
Matted fur around rear end
Intense ammonia/urine smell
Prevention and Treatment:
Providing constant supply of clean, dry bedding

80. Sore Hocks Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Ulcerated area on the bottom of
food pads, most often affected large
How it’s contracted:
Rough, wire cage flooring that puts
stress on foot pads of rabbit
Symptoms:
Bleeding sores on bottoms of feet
Prevention and Treatment:
Avoid wire cages, instead use cage with a solid floor

81. Enteritis/Wet Tail Cause/Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Most important disease of hamsters
Wetness around tail/rear of animal caused by
runny diarrhea
How it’s contracted:
Poor sanitation
Bacteria
Viruses
Diet concerns
Symptoms:
Runny diarrhea
Wetness around tail/rear
High death rate (within 2 days of symptom
appearance)
Prevention and Treatment:
Cleanliness
Proper diet

82. Common Diarrhea Cause: Description: Symptoms:
Improper diet of hamsters with too many green, leafy vegetables, materials or fruits
Description:
Loose stool
Symptoms:
Soft stools
Dehydration
lethargy
Prevention and Treatment:
Proper diet
Feed dry grains & seeds
Remove leafy vegetables

83. Common Cold Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Most common gerbil ailment (gerbils rarely get sick)
Respiratory sickness
How it’s contracted:
Change in temperature
Drafts
Damp conditions
Overcrowding
Symptoms:
Loss of appetite
Sneezing
Runny eyes and nose
Prevention and Treatment:
Clean, stable environment
Avoid overcrowding

84. Red Nose Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Staphylococcus bacteria
Description:
Common respiratory condition for gerbils
How it’s contracted:
Direct exposure to bacteria
Symptoms:
Hair loss
Red, swollen areas of skin around the nose and muzzle
Prevention and Treatment:
Clean environment
Animal typically recovers without medication

85. Week 8
11/9 – 11/13

86. Respiratory Disease Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Microplasma pulmonis bacteria
Description:
Bacterial respiratory infection in mice, rats, and guinea pigs
How it’s contracted:
Direct exposure to bacteria
Symptoms:
Nasal discharge, snuffling, rattled breathing, rubbing eyes and nose, tilted head, lack of coordination, circling
Prevention and Treatment:
Proper ventilation and sanitation
Remove contaminated food, provide clean bedding
Maintain draft free, constant temperature with low humidity

87. Cancer Cause: Description: Symptoms: Prevention and Treatment:
Genetics/hereditary
Description:
Malignant or benign tumors that develop
on/in a rodent’s body
Tumors of the pituitary gland can be
related to high calorie diet
Symptoms:
Tumors/growths
Later stages include: weight loss, lack of coordination, organ shutdown
Prevention and Treatment:
Proper diet

88. Toxemia Cause: Description: Symptoms: Prevention and Treatment:
Improper diet
Description:
Build up of toxins in blood that develops in late pregnancy in guinea pigs
Symptoms:
Lethargic
Lack of appetite
Difficulty breathing
Prevention and Treatment:
High quality gestation diet
Add sugar (~1/2 tsp) to water

89. Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Cause:
Organism
Description:
Organism that causes infection in wounds and pneumonia in chinchillas
How it’s contracted:
Exposure to organism
Symptoms:
Inflammation of eyes and ears
Pneumonia
Intestinal inflammation
Uterine inflammation
Poisoning of the circulatory system
Prevention and Treatment:
Proper sanitation

90. Conjunctivitis (Eye Inflammation)
Cause:
Bacteria
Description:
Inflammation of conjunctiva
of the eye in chinchillas
How it’s contracted:
Exposure to bacteria
Symptoms:
Redness/swelling of eye
Sensitivity to light
Watering/teary eyes
Pus discharge or crusting on eye
Prevention and Treatment:
Clean and disinfect environment

91. Otitis (Inner Ear Infection)
Cause:
Bacteria
Description:
Inflammation of the inner ear tissue
in chinchillas
How it’s contracted:
Secondary infection caused by
bacteria
Symptoms:
Twisting/lowering of head
Holding head to one side
Circling
Prevention and Treatment:
Avoid drafty, cool environments
Proper ear cleaning

92. 11/16 – 11/20
Week 9

93. Pneumonia Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Bacteria
Description:
Infectious respiratory disease affecting chinchillas
How it’s contracted:
Bacterial infection from poor living conditions
Symptoms:
Eye infections
Fever
Weight loss
Swollen abdomen
Treatment and Prevention:
Proper sanitation

94. Impaction Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Chinchilla’s lower digestive tract becomes blocked with food materials or hardened feces
How it’s contracted:
Poor quality feed
Stress
Improper nutrition
Symptoms:
Lack of bowel movement, followed by watery diarrhea
“Humped” look with chin resting between feet
Treatment and Prevention:
Adding mineral oil or grapefruit juice to diet

95. Canine Distemper Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Virus
Description:
Highly contagious, viral disease that most likely ends in death of ferrets
How it’s contracted:
Exposure to virus
Symptoms:
Discharge from eyes and nose
Breathing problems
Diarrhea
Treatment and Prevention:
Vaccination

96. Hemorrhagic Enteritis
Description:
Bloody diarrhea in ferrets
Also known as “gastrointestinal disease”
How it’s contracted:
Clostridium perfringens infection
Nutritional issues
Symptoms:
Bloody diarrhea
Lack of appetite
Weight loss
Dehydration
Death possible
Treatment and Prevention:
Sulfur in diet
Clean environment

97. Botulism Cause: Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Botulinum Toxin
Description:
Disease caused by the Botulinum Toxin, produced from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum
How it’s contracted:
Contaminated food
Swallowing stagnant water
Symptoms:
Breathing difficulty
Paralysis
Death (can be asymptomatic)
Treatment and Prevention:
Fresh food and water supply

98. Psittacosis (Parrot Fever)
Description:
Zoonotic respiratory disease
How it’s contracted:
Contracted by caged birds with contaminated feces
Symptoms:
Flu/Pneumonia-like symptoms
Treatment and Prevention:
Wear dust mask when cleaning bird cages
Eliminate mites/lice from environment by spraying cage and bird with disinfectant

99. 11/30 – 12/4
Week 10

100. Red Mites Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Mite that crawls around feathers at night
Mostly affects the head and vent areas
After feeding, mites will crawl from bird to cracks in cage, perches and nest areas
How it’s contracted:
Climb up cages
From humans/other pets
Symptoms:
Restless and itchy
Anemia
Excessive preening
Prevention and Treatment:
Cleanliness
Dust ends of perches/nest boxes when cleaning
Sprinkle a preventative “Red Mite Powder” around cage and directly on bird

101. Feather Mites Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Small, gray mites that collect in
small groupings on the feathers
of birds during the day and night
How it’s contracted:
Picked up from environment (usually outdoors)
Symptoms:
Restlessness, excessive preening, ruffling of feathers, skin irritation, feather damage, anemia
Prevention and Treatment:
Regular sanitizing of equipment with nicotine sulfate, Malathion or coumaphos
Allow birds to bathe daily and spray with mite spray

102. Scaly Leg Mites Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Mites that tunnel under the scales on
the legs (and face) of budgerigars,
lovebirds, and canaries
How it’s contracted:
Infested equipment, housing or other birds
Symptoms:
White, scaly, thickened deposits on the legs that become enlarged and encrusted
Prevention and Treatment:
Cleanliness
Apply Vaseline to bird’s legs and equipment to prevent mite’s from climbing, to suffocate any living mites and loosen deposits

103. Parrot Fever Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Also known as “chlamydiosis” or “psittacosis”
Zoonotic bacterial disease that affects the liver and spleen
How it’s contracted:
Contact with contaminated feces, food or water
Symptoms:
Nasal discharge, listlessness, appetite loss, weight loss, green-colored diarrhea, labored breathing
Prevention and Treatment:
Cleanliness
Treat bird with chlortetracycline-impregnated seed for at least 21 days if infection is suspected

104. Bumblefoot Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
A painful ailment associated with staphylococcal infections
How it’s contracted:
Staphylococcal bacteria
Symptoms:
Feet and joints become hot and swollen with thick, grayish white fluid
Not walking or clasping onto perch
Prevention and Treatment:
Suitable perches and sanitation

105. Psittacine Beak & Feather Disease (French Molt)
Description:
Also known as “French Molt”
Viral disease that attacks the immune system
How it’s contracted:
Direct contact with virus
Symptoms:
Become evident at the first molt
New feathers do not emerge or are deformed and break off
Beak and nails may be soft, overgrown, and lose their pigment
Prevention and Treatment:
No cure
Vitamins, minerals, and control of secondary diseases through sanitation

106. Newcastle Disease Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Viral disease that has high mortality rates and spreads rapidly
How it’s contracted:
Contact with imported birds
Symptoms:
Respiratory difficulty (wheezing) is one of the first symptoms, followed by tremors, wing droop, and twisted neck
Prevention and Treatment:
Vaccine

107. Goiter Description: How it’s contracted: Symptoms:
Swelling of the thyroid glands in the neck, leading to interference with breathing
Especially prevalent in budgerigars
How it’s contracted:
Iodine-deficient seed diet
Symptoms:
Wheezing, difficulty swallowing, regurgitation, weight loss, lack of appetite, change in song or voice, seizures and sudden death
Prevention and Treatment:
Adding iodine to water