Small rodents

Abstract

Although rodent pets constitute only a small percentage of pets seen in practice, owners of rodents are as dedicated to those pets as are other owners to the more common dogs and cats. Rodents make excellent pets, with low space, feeding, and economic requirements. Medical care for rodents is based primarily on gross clinical signs, because most standard diagnostic tests done in larger animals cannot be done in small rodents. Even with that disadvantage, however, specific diagnosis of most rodent diseases is possible, and several of those diseases can be treated successfully. Among the common diseases of small rodents are ascariasis, pyoderma, incisor malocclusion and overgrowth, neoplasia and abcessation, nephrosis and amyloidosis, respiratory infection, enteritis, and neurologic disorders. Most drugs used in rodents, including anesthetics, are the same as those used in other species, with the exception of several drugs contraindicated in hamsters.