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bumblefoot

diabetes

cataracts

liver disease

malocclusion
parasites, but be cautious using anticoccidial medications as some may be toxic to degus

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Hay! Prone to diabetes. Have a commercial food. Like a variety of forage, such as plants or fresh or dried flowers. Oil seeds are an important supplement for commercial feed for calcium and vegetables are a good treat.

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INDUCED OVULATORS, seasonal breeders
born precocial
same group will often nest communally and nurse one another's young.

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Large, sturdy cage should provide several layers to divide the territory in different parts

bedding can be paper-based, aspen shavings, straw, or hay (no cedar or pine shavings)

branches, clay pipes or flowerpots, cork, bamboo and stones may be offered

SAND BATH must be provided as for gerbil and chinchilla

sturdy EXERCISE WHEEL

blocks of WOOD or CALCIUM

NO plastic items, TOXIC

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degus are able to discriminate ultraviolet light from the wavelengths visible to humans

use their urine to scent mark

stomach fur and urine are highly UV reflective

ultraviolet sensitivity probably has a social function

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- NEVER pick up by the tail!!!
- Open rooted teeth!
- Practice Coprophagy.

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Iso induce
Face mask maintain
recover in soft dark pouch

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- closely related to the guinea pig and chinchilla.
- highly social, kept in same sex pairs.
- DIURNAL
- Easily sexed by anogenital distance.

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“LUMPY JAW” is often caused by Actinomyces spp.
Nutritional Osteodystrophy
Obesity, malnutrition, dental disease,

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Octodon degus

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any fruit without pit or seed removed

avocado and onion

candy or chocolate

coffee, tea, and soda

canned fruit

raw meat or eggs

large amounts of cat food or nuts and seeds

insects gathered from outdoors

NOT an all-inclusive list

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- Can safely collect 1% of body weight.
- Use jugular or cranial vena cava.
- Heparinized needle and hematocrit tubes. MEDIAL TIBIAL ARTERY or CEPHALIC, SAPHENOUS, FEMORAL, VENTRAL COCCYGEAL, AND LATERAL TAIL VEINS.

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commercial diets

artificial nectar mix

pure fruit juice with no sugar added

mealworms and crickets

carrots, corn, and sweet potatoes

cooked turkey or chicken and boiled eggs

apples, apricots, bananas, grapes, papaya, and berries

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If fractious:

◦place hand inside cloth bag

◦grasp animal with hand covered by cloth bag

◦turn bag inside out over animal

◦gently expose head

◦keep seam of cloth bag away from animal’s delicate claws and toes to avoid injury
If tame:

◦place body in palm of hand

◦hold head between thumb and middle finger

◦place index finger on top of the head
SUBDUED LIGHTING
Can Scruff for a short time

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- Form a strong bond to the owner so need at least 2 hours of interactive contact daily.

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- Poor Nutrition
- Obesity
- Dental Disease
- Actinomycosis (lumpy jaw)

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2 uteri and male forked penis Large cecum
5 digits on each paw
Many scent glands

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- Have commercial pellets.
- Insectivores.
- Arboreal animals, so offer food and water at an elevated location each night.
- Provide nectar.

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Social
Nocturnal
Arboreal
insectivorous

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MARSUPIAL –female raises young in a pouch

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- Require elevated nest box and branches for climbing.
- Need LOTS of room.
- Enjoy toys.
- Several different food and water bowls should be placed around the enclosure so they don't fight.
- Paper bedding.

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PO – liquid medication in cheek pouch

IM – thigh musculature or biceps

SQ – fluids or medication in the intrascapular or lateral flank regions

IV – cephalic,

jugular, or

saphenous vein

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induce anesthesia with isoflurane and an induction chamber- maintain with face mask.

ELEVATE CRANIAL END

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- Jugular vein
- Cephalic vein
- Saphenous vein.

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Tame: support rump
Difficult: Towel burrito or leather golves

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- Odontoma (dental tumor)
- Pseudotuberculosis (ZOONOTIC)
- Sylvatic Plaque (ZOONOTIC)
- Baylisascaris spp. (ZOONOTIC)
- Dermatophytiosis = ringworm (ZOONOTIC)
- Orthopox virus  (ZOONOTIC)

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Sugar Glider & Lemur on Pinterest | Sugar Gliders, Lemurs and ...

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http://albertarodents.com/?p=140

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Commerical pellets for squirrel, rabbit, rodents.
Timothy or grass or hay
alfalfa cubes
small amount of fruit

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Skin folds that allows for flight. Extends from fifth finger of forelimb to first toe of the hind foot.

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- Large enclosure with solid floor.
- Deep bedding for digging.
But NO cedar shavings!!!
- Tunnels or boxes for playing in.
- Chinchilla dust to bathe in.

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grasses
cactus
scrubs
occasional insects

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Petaurus breviceps
mainly insectivorous
}average length is 16-21cm with a tail almost as long as the body

}adult weight is 95 to 160 grams

}lifespan is typically 9-12 years

}rectal temperature 96.5-97.9 F

}heart rate is 200-300 bpm

}gestation 15-17 days, then young develop in pouch for 70 days  0��YJhx�

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for marking emits a strong, musky odor.

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"rut period" it is normal for them to show aggressive during the mating season. or when pregnant.

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with a strict pecking order

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}stout bodies grow to between 12 and 16 inches long with a short tail

}average weight is 0.5 to 2.2 kg, males slightly larger than females

}average lifespan is 6-10 years

}heart rate is usually 83-318 bpm

}body temperature is normally 95.7 to 102.3 F

}gestation is roughly 30 days

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Out and about during the new!

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This is a video on what it is like to have and raise pet prairie dogs. I covered the basics but if you have any questions, need further explanation, or would like a video on something specific just let me know. I have done a lot of research and this is how I have come to raise them.

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Hind gut fermenters. Can be easily sexed by among anogenital distance.  Open rooted teeth ( must gnaw to prevent malocclusion.

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Illegal to capture wild prairie dogs!!!!!!!

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Illegal to capture wild prairie dogs!!!!!!!

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Bc of Monkeypox. Zoonotic

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Latin Name for Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs:

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Latin Name for Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs:

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Cyonomys ludovicianus

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All of the animals are voided urine, manual expression and cystocentesis.

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Preform routine fecal floats and direct smear.
Susceptible to round worm tapeworm, lungworm, coccidia, and other protazoa.
Some external and internal are zoonotic.

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IM injection is in thigh or bicep.
SQ- intrascapular or lateral flank area.
Oral= Cheek pouch. Add treats or food.

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Sprayed by a skunk? Try this!

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Basic veins can be used. Restraint similar to felines.

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May be anesthisized with Isoflurane using an induction chamber.
Sedation or anesthesia for like everything. (IV, radiology, urine collection, dealing with them.)
Ketamine mixed with medetomidine.

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}average life span 10-12 years

}body temperature 102 F

}heart rate 140 – 190 bpm

}average weight 4.5 kg

gestation 63 days, altricial young

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Should be vaccinated for Canine Distemper, Feline Panleukopenia, and Rabies. 

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Should be vaccinated for Canine Distemper, Feline Panleukopenia, and Rabies. 

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Kibble is not good! No cat food. Can lead to dental problems.
They are omnivores.
Dairy problems may cause gastrointestinal upset.
No sold diet.
Professional beggars.
Fruits and vegetables.
POTATO CHIPS AND CORN CHIPS ARE POISONOUS TO SKUNKS! (ALONG WITH CHOCOLATE)
A well rounded diet includes enough calcium, taurine, vitamins, minerals, and protein.

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Mephitis mephitis

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Tom Brakefield/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Skunks are a type of mammal found in most parts of the United States. Skunks live in habitats such as grasslands, farmlands, forests and urban settings. The most common species of skunk is the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis). These critters possess several unique behaviors.

Burrowing Behaviors

Skunks commonly take up residence in abandoned burrows made by other animals like foxes, especially in the wintertime when they are caring for their offspring, or kits. To keep warm, they stuff the tunnels and nesting areas with dried leaves, which provide the mammals with insulation. Although they don't actually hibernate, skunks that live in colder habitats do experience a dormancy period, where they live off their fat reserves while hiding in their warm burrows. During the summer, skunks live in hollowed-out logs, beneath barns and sheds, and in wood piles.

Mother Knows Best

Skunks are solitary mammals, typically only coming together with the opposite sex in early spring to mate. They may also socialize with other skunks to share burrows in the winter to keep warm. When ready to mate, males travel long distances to search for mature females. A male will mate with several females, who then carry their young for up to 77 days. A litter of two to ten kits is born in the summer. A male provides no care to his offspring, and if he tries to approach a female and her offspring, he will be faced with a very aggressive mother. By the following spring, the kits will be sexually mature and able to produce offspring of their own. Females reproduce only once per year.

On the Menu

Skunks are twilight or nocturnal feeders. They are opportunistic omnivores, feeding on both animal and plant matter. Their diets change as prey availability fluctuates with each season. During warmer months, skunks feed on insects such as crickets, bees, grasshoppers and grubs. They also feed on worms and crayfish. In the winter, skunks feed on berries, bird eggs and rodents such as voles. To search for their prey, skunks depend on their excellent senses of hearing, smell and vision.

Offensive Defenses

Both male and female skunks are notorious for the stench, or musk, they emit when frightened. This scent is a fluid spray released by the skunk's anal glands. When approached by a potential predator or taken by surprise, a skunk raises its tail and stomps its feet as a warning for the predator to back off. What comes next is a series of five or six putrid sprays, capable of traveling distances up to 20 feet. If sprayed at a close enough distance, the musk can be irritating to the eyes and cause nausea. Although they may not be the first choice meal for most predators, owls and eagles are known to tolerate the musk and hunt for skunks.

Author

Amanda Williams has been writing since 2009 on various writing websites and blogging since 2003. She enjoys writing about health, medicine, education and home and garden topics. Williams earned a Bachelor of Science in biology at East Stroudsburg University in May 2013. Williams is also a certified emergency medical technician.

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Skunks are a type of mammal found in most parts of the United States. Skunks live in habitats such as grasslands, farmlands, forests and urban settings. The most common species of skunk is the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis). These critters possess several unique behaviors.

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Wildlife rehabilitator assists with the rescue & rehabilitation of orphan and troubled skunks. Educates public on true nature of skunks, battling common myths, misconceptions, and poor opinion of the species.