POCKET PETS AND EXOTICS ANIMALS

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Oryctolagus Cuniculus
RABBITS
Sexting and Reproduction:
Both Rabbits have nipples. The testicles of a rabbit will descend at about
12 weeks of age. Males have the ability to retract the testicles when they
are scared making rabbits hard to sex. Male rabbits will have a rounded
urethral opening whereas the female will have a slit-like opening to the
urethral. Another way to tell is by applying pressure to the area. Male’s
penises will protrude whereas in females the mucosal membrane will
show. The protrude tissue will appear higher and closer to the anus in
female then males.
Housing and Social Needs:
Male rabbits are cannibalistic and so they must be housed separately. All
rabbit cages must include a shelter or hide box. The cage should be at
least ‘3 hop lengths’ in all directions to make room for exercise. The
temperature of the cage should remain at about 45-75*F. Temperatures
at 40* can cause hypothermia and temperature above 80* can cause heat
stroke. The bottom of the cage should be a solid surface and water
should be provided to help them cool off on hot days along with shade
provided.
Nutritional Needs:
Water bottles should be given for water. Domestic rabbits are fed a diet
that consist of pellets and grass. They diet must contain high sources of
fiber for gut mobility. The best option for grassy food is timothy hay.
They can also be given vegetables and green as treats to help them get
the necessary vitamins and are good treat options. Rabbits are also
coprophagic and consume their cecotrophs or night feces to get essential
vitamins and minerals.
Common Surgeries and Anesthesia Protocol:
Rabbits are a very unique species in the fact that they have to sets of
incisors. This trait make them a Lagomorphs. Because of this trait
they are separated from all other rodents. Males are caller bucks and
females are called does.
FACTS ABOUT
RABBITS:
Lifespan: 5-7 years
Sexual Maturity: 5-7 months
Gestation Period: 31-32 days
Weaning Age: 5-6 weeks
Reproduction: live births
Mating Season: induced
ovulation
Litter Size: 4-10 kits
Weight: 2-6 kgs/4-13lbs
Dental: 28 teeth
Normal Values & Lab:
Temperature: 101-104*F
Pulse: 200-300 bmp
Respiration: 30-60 bmp
Blood Draw Locations:
 Cephalic
 Saphenous
 Auricular or Ear

Common surgeries include spays and neuters. Other common surgeries include tumor removals. Rabbits are
able to hold their breaths so it is easier to mask them down and wait. Common anesthetics include
Sevoflurane and Isoflurane.
Common Illnesses:
Trichobezoars: Excessive grooming causes hair to accumulate in the gut leading to a buildup of hair. Signs
include anorexia, weight loss, discomfort & depression. The hair balls must be surgically removed from the
stomach.
Pasteruella: Most common bacterial infection in rabbits caused by Pasteurella Multocida. Signs include
sneezing, conjunctivitis, pyometra, orthitis, mucopurulent discharge, bronchopneumonia and wry neck or
torticullius. It is most commonly passed through direct contact and the can be easily treated with penicillin,
chloramphenicol or enrofloxacin.
Neoplasia: Cancer is very common is rabbits; the most common being adenocarcinoma. It is found in intact
females. Signs include palpable uterine nodules, decreased fertility, dystocia, and can also be linked to
metastasis. Treatment will vary on the size and location of the tumors. The only prevention is to spay the
female rabbits.
Malocculsion: Over growth of the incisors teeth causing them the curl back or grow up and out.
Ways to prevent this from happening include clipping of the teeth and feeding foods to help wear

down the teeth.
Ectopararsites: Rabbits are prone to ear mites, flys and fleas. They should
be monitor daily for parasites for best results.
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Cavia Porcellus
Guinea Pigs
Male and female guinea pigs can be determined in a fairly easy. Females
will have a y-shaped depression in the tissue near the genital areas. The
scrotum pouches and testicles are very obvious in males but if the male is
not yet sexually mature, the sex can be checked by applying pressure to
the genital to make the penis protrude from the prepuce. Females show
be breed before 6 months because their hips will fuse together if a litter
is not delivered by the ages of 7-10 months.
Guinea Pigs are not normally aggressive and they can be housed
together. The cage should have a solid bottom made of either stainless
steel or plastic. The bottom should be thoroughly covered with bedding.
Good beddings include pine or aspen wood shavings, shredded paper, or
carefresh bedding. Cedar should NEVER be used. The cage should have
good ventilation and doesn’t need a lid because guinea pigs can’t pig but
the side must be at least 10 inches high.
Nutritional Needs:
Water bottles should be offered but should be checked for water levels
and to make sure there is no food caught in the tip. Guinea Pigs should
be feed Guinea Pig Pellets because they contain essential nutritional
vitamins, minerals and dietary elements. They also contain Vitamin C
because they can’t make it for themselves. Instead, they must consume it
in their diet. Vitamin C can be offered within the pellets and through
Guinea Pigs are from the Western Mountains in South America. One
unique characteristic of guinea pigs is that the 4 digits are present
on the forelimbs whereas there are only 3 digits on the hind limbs.
They are the most related to chinchillas and porcupines. Males are
called boars and females are sows.
GUINEA PIG FACTS:
Lifespan: 5-7 years
Sexual Maturity: 4-10 weeks
Gestation Period: 63 days
Weaning Age: 3 weeks
Mating Season: varies
Litter Size: 2-5 pups
Weight: 700-1200 grams
Dental: 20 teeth
Pulse: 230-280 bmp
 Auricular Vein
 Saphenous Vein
 Jugular Vein

vegetable and fruits. Guinea Pigs do not like citrus! Timothy hay should be offered. Coprophagia is an
important part of their diet and without it they will not get all the nutrients and loss weight.
Common surgery for a guinea pig would a caesarian. Because guinea pigs’ pelvis fuses at the age of 7-10
months, the mother will have to have the young surgically removed because they will not pass through the
birth canal. Other common surgeries include the standard spay and neuters.
Common Illnesses:
Scurvy: caused by lack or nonsufficient source of Vitamin C. Signs include no appetite, swollen and painful
joints and ribs, reluctant to move, poor bone and teeth development and spontaneous bleeding from the gums.
Treatment is through aggressive vitamin c supplement.
Pododermatitis: “Bumblefoot”, commonly found in guinea pigs whose cage are not regularly clean. Can also
be caused by the bottom being wired. It is characterized by the bacterial growth on the footpad with
hyperkeratosis. Signs include swelling of the foot pad, lameness, no appetite, and reluctant movement.
Treatment is through cleaning the wounds and topical antibiotics. In severe cases, bandaging may be needed.
Gastrointestinal Disorders: prone to several GI disorders. Signs include diarrhea, anorexia and decreased water
consumption. To treat the disorders, antibiotic and SQ fluid can be used in most cases.

Malocculsion: Over growth of the incisors teeth causing them the curl back
or grow up and out.
Ways to prevent this from happening include clipping of the teeth and
feeding foods to help wear
down the teeth.
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Chinchilla Laniger
Chinchillas
Male chinchillas have no true scrotum and the testes are retained in the
inguinal canal. However the penis is visible below the anus. In females,
they have a large urinary papilla which can be often confused for a penis.
The best way to determine the sex of a chinchilla is looking at the
urogenital distance. The males will be much farther apart than a females.
Breeding chinchillas can be housed together for several months before
they mate. The female will not nest so very little indications will be given
if they are pregnant. Chinchillas are born precoccial and will begin to eat
within hours of being born.
Chinchilla are very active and need a large cage for them to exercise.
Platforms should be provided for jumping and large wheels can also be
used. A hide box should be provided. The cage should be kept in a cool
dry area without direct sunlight; the temperature should remain around
60-75*F. Temperatures above 80*F will cause heatstroke. Bedding should
be made of newspaper or aspen shavings. Chinchillas need a separate
area that is ‘private’ to go to the bathroom. Chinchilla require dust baths
3-4 times a week outside of the cage.
Nutritional Needs:
Chinchillas are herbivores and will pick up and eat with their hands. They
should be feed a high quality high fiber diet paired with timothy hay.
They should be fed chinchilla pellets. Raisins and unsweetened cereal are
Chinchillas
CHINCHILLAFACTS:
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Gestation: 110-138 days
Weaning Age: 6 weeks
Mating Season: seasonally
polyestrous
Weight: 0.8-3.2 pounds
Dental: 20 teeth
Pulse: 200-350 bmp
 Jugulars

good treat options. If food changes must be made, they should be done very gradually.
All handling should be done at the bare minimum. All procedures
should be done when the animal in anesthetized by masking them
with gas because they are easily stressed. Common surgeries are
spays and neuters.
Common Illnesses:
Fur Ring: A ring of fur around the penis that eventually stops the penis from retracting into the prepuce. Signs
include excessive grooming, straining to urinate, passing only small amount of urine and engorged penis. The
ring of fur will need to be cut or rolled with lubrication off the penis. The penial area should be checked on a
weekly basis.
Heat Strokes: When the body becomes too warm, chinchillas show signs of recumbent (laying on their side),
panting and the temperature will be at a feverish level. They show be treated immediately with cool water
bathes and/or IV fluids.
Malocculsion: Over growth of the incisors teeth causing them the curl back or grow up and out.

One ways to prevent this from happening include clipping of the teeth and
feeding foods to help wear down the teeth.
Respiratory Disease: Common disease in chinchillas which can lead to
pneumonia if gone untreated. Signs will include lethargy, nasal discharge,
and difficulty breathing and swollen lymph nodes. Conditions that can
cause the onset of the disease can include overcrowding, poor ventilation in
the cage and high humidity.
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Petaurus Breviceps
Sugar Gliders
When trying to determine the sex of a sugar gliders, it is a simple
processes. Males with have a scrotum visible hanging near the penis and
will have a large scent gland on the top of the head. Females will have an
abdominal pouch that opens towards the front. Females will mature from
32-48 weeks whereas males won’t mature until 48-56 weeks. When the
young are born in the embryonic state, they are born directly into the
pouch, where they will spend their first 2 months.
Sugar Gliders are marsupials and are related to kangaroos, possums
and wombats. Marsupials carry their young in a pouch during the first
stages of life. They have petagium, membrane that extends from front
limbs to rear limbs used to ‘glide’ through the air from limb to limb.
They are also nocturnal and sleep during the day. They are native to
Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia.
SUGAR GLIDER FACTS:
Lifespan: 9-12 years
Gestation Period: 16 days
Weaning Age: +/- 2 months
Reproduction: birth into pouch
Mating Season: varies
Litter Size: 1-2 joeys
Weight: 2-5 ounces
Dental: 46-48 teeth
Temperature: 89.6-92*C
Pulse: 239-300 bmp
 Jugular
 Lateral Tail Vein
 Cranial Vena Cava
 Medial Tibia Artery

Sugar gliders should always be housed in pairs or groups because they are very social animals. If they are
alone, the owner will have to do lots of handling with them for attention. All cages should be placed into a
quiet room. The cage must be large with plenty of room to move and climb; there should be platforms or
large tree branches within the cage. Hide boxes or pouches should be to hide in. Beddings that should not
be used include cedar, pine or newspaper. Red filtered light should be given to them to see because other
lights are too bright from their eyes.
Nutritional Needs:
Sugar gliders are omnivores. They should be feed insects, arachnids, plant material and small vertebrates.
Research is still being done to better understand their diets.
Common anesthetics include Sevoflurane and Isoflurane and should be given to with a tracheal tube or gas
mask. When under anesthesia warm water fluid bags or gloves should be placed near the animals to keep
their temperature up. Intermuscular anesthesia should be given in the quadriceps or bicep/triceps.

Common Illnesses:
Nutritional Osteodystrophy: One of the most common disease in captive sugar gliders. It is caused by feeding
an inadequate lox diet of calcium and vitamin D3 but too high in phosphorus. Signs will include weak hind
limbs or paralysis. Treatments include cage rest, parenteral calcium and diet corrections.
Dental Disease: Signs of dental disease in the sugar gliders include tartar build up and it often associated with
high carbohydrate diets. Treatment is a dental done by a CVT or Vet.
Obesity: a very common disease in captive sugar gliders. This happens when the animal is fed an inadequate
diet that is high in fat and proteins without the proper exercise. Large cages with stimulation and proper diet
should be provide to help prevent obesity.
Neoplasia: Lymphoid neoplasia is most common. There is no medical link yet as to what can be done for
prevention.
Stress Induced: Signs of stress include alopecia, self-mutation, coprophagia, polyuria, pacing and cannibalism.
All stressor should be removed if possible.
Malnutrition: Very common in captive sugar gliders from inadequate diet. Signs include weakness,

dehydration, lethargy, pale mucus membranes. If not treated, it can lead to
hypocalcemia, hypoproteinemia, and anemia.
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Atelerix Albiventris
Hedgehog
Hedgehogs are very easy to tell the difference of genders. The male will
have the prepuce and penis showing clearly on the underside of the body
on the belly region. Female’s genital is near the anus and not underneath
the body. Hedgehogs are able to breed at any time of year and are
sexually mature by the age of about 8 weeks. When the hoglets are born
they are covered in a membrane layer and completely hairless. Within 6
hours, the spines begin to poke through the membrane. Males are
referred to as boars whereas females are called sows.
Hedgehogs are relatively low maintenance. They should be kept in a 20
gallon Aquarium with smooth walls is ideal. Bedding should be made
newspaper or pelleted absorbablebedding. Exercise wheels, hide boxes,
and shallow pan of water for them to swim. Temperatures of the cage
should remain 70-85*F. Excessive temperatures can make them go into a
state of inactivity; temperatures too cold can kill certain types of
hedgehogs. A heat sources under the tank to properly keep the cage
heated is best.
Nutritional Needs:
Water bottles should be given for water. Hedgehogs are insectivores but
also eat a variety of other foods. They require high protein and low fat
diets. Hedgehogs will eat frogs, toads, crickets, nesting of birds on the
ground, earth worms, snails, meal and wax worms and egg. However they
will not eat seeds, nuts or plants.
Hedgehogs are a very unique small quilled animals. They are a very
popular pet around the United States. However many states prohibit the
breeding, sale and keeping of hedgehogs as pets. States that prohibit
owning hedgehogs include AZ, CA, GA, HI, PA, MA and NJ. The
importation of African hedgehogs is also illegal in the United States.
HEDGEHOG FACTS:
Lifespan: 4-6 years
Mating Season: year round
Litter Size: 3-4 hoglets
Weight: 300-600 grams
Dental: 3133/2123
Temperature: 95.9-99*F
Pulse: 180-280 bmp
 Jugular

Common surgeries include spays and neuters. Anesthetics that can be used are Sevoflurane and Isoflurane.
Hypothermia is common during the use of anesthetics.
Common Illnesses:
Salmonella: A bacterial infection that can cause enteritis, anorexia, mucoid diarrhea, dehydration or
weightless. It can be easily diagnosed by a culture and sensitivity tests. It can be treated with supportive
therapy, antibiotics and fluids. Salmonella can be passed to humans so extra caution should be used.
Obesity: A very common disease in hedgehogs. This happens when the animal is fed an inadequate diet that is
high in fat and proteins and overfed. It can be prevented by making sure that hedgehogs are properly fed the
correct and adequate diet.
Neoplasia: Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cancer found in hedgehogs. Signs will vary
depending on the location of the tumor. Radiation, chemotherapy and anti-viral drugs to suppress the immune
system can be used to help treat to condition. Prognosis is very poor.
Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome: A degenerative neurological disease that will cause ataxia and weakness. The
hind limbs will be the first affected which will eventually cause paralysis. Eventually the paralysis will progress

into the front limbs. The exact cause is unknown and there is no treatment.
Humane Euthanasia is often considered as the quality of life deteriorates.
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Mustela Putorius
Ferrets
Ferrets are only sold after they are neutered or spayed and de-scented.
Male ferrets will are large and prominent testicles. The ferrets will always
be breed at a ferret farms and after they are neutered and spay the farms
will send the young out to be adopted and homed as pets. Male ferrets
are called hobs while females are calledjills. After the jills are spayed,
they are then called sprites. The young produced are called kits.
Nutritional Needs:
Ferret means smelly mouse-eating thief. They are from the same family
as skunks, weasels, minks and badgers. All of which have very smelly
scent glands.
FACTS ABOUT
FERRETS:
Lifespan: 5-8 years
Mating Season: year round
Weight: 1-2 kilograms
Dental: 20 teeth
Temperature: 100.4-104*F
Pulse: 180-250 bmp
 Right Jugular Vein
 Cephalic Vein
 Lateral Saphenous
 Anterior Vena Cava

Common Illnesses:
Salmonella: A bacterial infection that can cause enteritis, anorexia, mucoid diarrhea, dehydration or
weightless. It can be easily diagnosed by a culture and sensitivity tests. It can be treated with supportive
therapy, antibiotics and fluids. Salmonella can be passed to humans so extra caution should be used.
Obesity: A very common disease in hedgehogs. This happens when the animal is fed an inadequate diet that is
high in fat and proteins and overfed. It can be prevented by making sure that hedgehogs are properly fed the
correct and adequate diet.
Neoplasia: Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cancer found in hedgehogs. Signs will vary
depending on the location of the tumor. Radiation, chemotherapy and anti-viral drugs to suppress the immune
system can be used to help treat to condition. Prognosis is very poor.
Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome: A degenerative neurological disease that will cause ataxia and weakness. The
hind limbs will be the first affected which will eventually cause paralysis. Eventually the paralysis will progress
into the front limbs. The exact cause is unknown and there is no treatment. Humane Euthanasia is often
considered as the quality of life deteriorates.

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