Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Selected Veterinary Concerns of Geriatric Rats, Mice, Hamsters, and Gerbils.
- Journal:
- The veterinary clinics of North America. Exotic animal practice
- Year:
- 2020
- Authors:
- Dutton, Michael
- Affiliation:
- Exotic and Bird Clinic of New England · United States
- Species:
- rodent
Plain-English summary
As pets like rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils are living longer due to better care and understanding, veterinarians are learning more about the health issues that affect older versions of these animals. Much of what we know comes from studies done in labs and experiences shared by veterinarians. Because these pets are small, it can be tricky to take blood for testing, but new testing methods are making it easier to diagnose health problems using smaller samples. Imaging techniques like X-rays and ultrasounds are also helpful for figuring out what's going on inside these tiny pets. Overall, advancements in veterinary medicine are improving how we care for aging small pets.
Abstract
Improved husbandry and better knowledge of exotic pets have led to a gradual increase in the life span of pets, such as rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils. Much of the information on these senior patients is derived from the laboratory animal studies and anecdotal practitioner information. Although the small size of some of the patients makes blood collection problematic for hematology and organ function testing, the advent of polymerase chain reaction testing and other molecular diagnostics is allowing practitioners to test for specific etiologies with the small biologic samples available. Radiology and ultrasonography also are valuable diagnostic modalities.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32409159/