Mycoplasmosis is the most common respiratory disease in rats. Also known as murine respiratory mycoplasmosis (MRM), this disease is caused by a bacterium that is very common in pet rats and is chronic and progressive.
The pathogen that causes mycoplasmosis is a very small bacterium called Mycoplasma pulmonis. Most of our pet rats carry this pathogen without developing any symptoms. The pathogen is usually transmitted in the womb during gestation, but infection is also possible through direct contact, droplet infection, or a non-specific infection in humans.
However, the disease usually does not break out until much later. Triggering factors for this can be unsuitable housing conditions, other underlying diseases, feeding errors, or stress. All of these factors lead to a weakening of the natural immune system, allowing the mycoplasma to multiply excessively.
Outside the organism, the pathogen is rather unstable and remains infectious for only a very short time, especially in dry conditions.
The pathogens colonize the organism primarily in the nasopharyngeal region and middle ear, where they cause damage to the cell walls of the mucous membranes through metabolic waste products. The initial symptoms are therefore limited to the upper respiratory tract and are rather nonspecific. Affected rats sniff and sneeze conspicuously and have watery nasal discharge.
As the disease progresses, the lower respiratory tract is also affected, leading to rattling breathing sounds, shortness of breath, and a significant disturbance of the general condition. The animals' natural grooming instinct is impaired, their fur begins to look dull and shaggy, and the orange-reddish secretion of the Harder's gland (an additional gland in the rat's nictitating membrane) can accumulate and stick in the inner corner of the eye. The animals begin to eat less and lose weight.
If the ear is colonized, middle ear inflammation can occur, resulting in head tilt and coordination disorders. A genital form of mycoplasmosis can also occur. Infection of the female reproductive organs leads to severe inflammation and subsequent abortions.
It is not always easy for veterinarians to conclusively diagnose mycoplasmosis in rats, as the pathogen is difficult to cultivate in the laboratory and is also found in the nasopharyngeal cavity of most healthy animals. There is therefore no reliable method of detection. The attending veterinarian must therefore make the diagnosis primarily on the basis of a thorough clinical examination and a detailed preliminary report from the owner. If lung problems are present, the diagnosis can be confirmed with the aid of X-rays. In mycoplasmosis, only individual lobes of the lung are often compacted.
Since the pathogen cannot be precisely identified, the veterinarian must begin treatment with a recommended antibiotic. If the medication is ineffective, another active ingredient must be used. However, even if treatment is successful, the antibiotic will not eliminate all mycoplasma and the animal will remain a carrier. Medications that stimulate the immune system, inhalation, and special vitamin supplements may also be used to support the healing process.
IMPORTANT: Please do not administer vitamin supplements yourself, as these can cause more harm than good to your rat if given in the wrong dosage!
Along with antibiotic treatment, the animal's care and diet must always be optimized. Triggering factors in this area must be eliminated, as otherwise relapses can easily occur.
The prognosis depends on the time of diagnosis and the extent of the disease. If the bronchi are already severely damaged and the lungs are affected with severe respiratory distress, the prognosis is poor. Even in mild forms of the disease, only a cautious prognosis can be made. Despite successful treatment, the animals remain carriers of the pathogen and may suffer relapses.
Due to the widespread occurrence of the pathogen, the disease cannot be completely prevented. However, the risk of infection can be significantly reduced with the help of simple measures. These measures include optimized and species-appropriate housing and feeding, cleanliness and hygiene, and the avoidance of stress. Keeping large numbers of animals in confined spaces, transport, and temperature fluctuations should therefore be avoided as much as possible.
Lens dislocation, medically known as luxatio lentis, is an eye condition in which the lens becomes detached and displaced from its natural position. By obstructing the flow of aqueous humor, this condition can quickly lead to a dangerous increase in intraocular pressure. If not treated in time, it can result in blindness.
The weather is beautiful this weekend and you are going for a long ride on your horse. But right at the start of the first gallop, the horse suddenly becomes very stiff and starts sweating unusually heavily. It hardly wants to move and is pressing its back down. However, these signs seem too severe for simple muscle soreness, especially since you haven't done anything with the horse in the last few days. Avoid any further movement of the horse and always contact a veterinarian immediately in such cases, as the symptoms described above are very painful and may be the first signs of a cross-ties. As this muscle disease occurs frequently after horses have not been worked for one or more days with the same feed ration, it is also known as "holiday sickness" or "Monday morning disease." However, horses that are worked regularly can also fall ill. Young horses of heavy breeds are particularly at risk. This disease was greatly feared in the days when carriage and work horses were heavily used. Today, it only occurs sporadically, mostly in easy-to-feed horses with good nutritional status.
This condition, which has been known since the Middle Ages, is a movement disorder that exclusively affects the hind legs of horses. When the horse is being presented, one or both hind legs are bent excessively and jerkily so that the fetlock almost touches the belly and is then brought down again just as abruptly. The staccato gait is reminiscent of a rooster strutting, which is where the name comes from.
Just like us humans, our pets may also require surgical or diagnostic procedures that cannot be performed on an awake animal. Most operations and some diagnostic procedures, such as endoscopies or dental treatment, require anesthesia (a medically induced state of sleep), which carries certain risks even in healthy animals and during routine procedures. We will explain what you need to bear in mind before and after such a procedure in order to minimize these risks and what complications can arise during anesthesia.
Tumors of the urinary bladder or urethra are relatively rare in dogs, but are often malignant. In most cases, they are transitional cell carcinomas. Older female dogs are primarily affected. A higher incidence has been observed in Scottish Terriers, Airedale Terriers, West Highland White Terriers, and Beagles.
This tumor, which originates in the spleen, is one of the most malignant cancers in dogs. The spleen tumor grows very quickly and spreads metastases to all other organs, often before the actual primary tumor is discovered. Older dogs between the ages of eight and ten are most commonly affected.
Skin fungal infections are also common in chinchillas. The most common are ringworm and bald patch, which cause changes to the fur and skin of chinchillas. Skin fungal infections are not life-threatening, but can lead to persistent problems due to their contagious nature. Skin fungi can also be transmitted to or from humans to animals, which is referred to as a zoonosis.
Like many other pets, our dogs can also suffer from skin fungus. Skin fungal infections occur mainly in young animals, those with weakened immune systems, or those that have been affected by parasites or other diseases. However, the disease is not only a danger to your dog, as many skin fungi are also transmissible to humans and are therefore zoonoses. Elderly and weakened people are particularly at risk of developing a dangerous fungal infection.
It's wonderful that you're thinking about adopting a dog from abroad, because you want to save a life, and that's great! But please be prepared that your new dog may not immediately show you love and gratitude. You should also ask yourself whether you might want to give one of the many dogs in a US animal shelter a chance. Rescuing a dog from abroad also involves risks and problems.
Surgery describes the treatment of diseases and injuries through mechanical intervention on the body. This usually takes place under various forms of anesthesia (numbing). During the procedure, bodily functions and the depth of anesthesia are monitored using modern equipment.
Gynecology and andrology are separate fields of medicine. Gynecology deals with the female reproductive organs, while andrology deals with the male reproductive organs. Both fields cover diseases of the reproductive organs and reproductive medicine. Obstetrics is a branch of gynecology.
With increasing mobility, open borders, and a wide range of travel options, this insidious infectious disease has also become more prevalent in our part of the world. Many dog owners want to have their four-legged friends with them on vacation and therefore travel south with their dogs. More and more rescue dogs are also being brought to Germany from southern Europe and rehomed here, with the result that diseases can also be imported.
