Clinical

Angiostrongylus vasorum: an update

Foxes act as a natural reservoir of A. vasorum with dogs becoming infected from contaminated, slugs, snails and frogs within their environment. This wildlife reservoir tends to lead towards high...

The importance of fibre in rabbit health

Rabbits are crepuscular animals, being more active during dawn and dusk and they feed primarily during these hours. Rabbits are well adapted to living in environmrnts with sparse nutritional resources...

Oral rehydration therapy — simple administration of basic nutrients

The principles of ORT are based on supplying simple nutrients that can be absorbed directly by the cells lining the small intestine, known as enterocytes (Figure 2). Enterocytes are not capable of...

Dental radiography in veterinary practice

The tooth is a complicated structure comprising mineralized tissues which vary in structure and density. Both the composition of the tooth and the peridontium help to protect it from oral pathology...

Flea allergy dermatitis: the continued challenge

When feeding, fleas inject their saliva, which contains a variety of histamine-like compounds, enzymes, polypeptides, and various amino acids. These immunogenic (allergenic) molecules exhibit unusual...

Poultry husbandry: key management points

All breeds of chickens need to be able to display their unique behavioural traits easily and freely; if they cannot do this, soon they become depressed and develop health and disease problems....

Gastrointestinal stasis and obstructive Ileus in the rabbit

Wild rabbits eat a high fibre, low energy diet of grasses and other plants. Fibre is composed of cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin, which cannot be digested by mammalian enzymes. Fermentation by...

Guinea pig nutrition

An understanding of the guinea pig digestive system is useful when advising on the correct diet for them, and also for problem solving any conditions that may be diet related..

Unintentional hypothermia: implications and management of the post-operative patient

Losses occur via convection, conduction, evaporation and radiation (Figure 1)..

Extended care report after graft surgery for a descemetocoele

The patient was presented to the surgery with a 3-day history of a corneal ulcer in his left eye. His owners reported him to be inappetant, depressed and lethargic..

Nursing approach: clinical nutrition of the canine with cardiac disease

Heart disease can occur at any age. Common congenital defects in dogs include patent ductus arteriosus, aortic stenosis and pulmonic stenosis. The most common acquired canine heart diseases are...

Hay for a healthy rabbit: the importance of appropriate feed

While selective breeding has changed external features, such as the domestic rabbit's coat colour, fur length, ear shape and size, its underlying physiology is, or should be, similar to that of the...