Exotic Small Mammal Care and Husbandry is a practical reference for assessing, handling, and treating small exotic animals in the veterinary clinic. Covering common species such as mice, hamsters, rabbits, and ferrets, the book focuses on nursing care, giving veterinary staff the information they need to work with these less-common patients. With information on basic anatomy, preventative care, and common diseases, Exotic Small Mammal Care and Husbandry provides a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of caring for small exotic mammals and communicating with owners.

. Introduction to Small Mammals.

Comparison between larger species; peculiarities of these species.

II. General Husbandry Recommendations.

For each species and even sex or age of the species, there are preferred housing and care recommendations. For example, male rats are highly social; male mice are often adversarial toward other mice; hamsters are monogamous and prefer lots of wall space [thigmotactic] as opposed to open floor space.

III. Occupational Health and Small Mammals: Keeping the Pet Owner Healthy!.

This section will focus on pet selection and the potential for human injury or disease. For example, having a rodent as a pet is a very bad idea for asthmatics due to the high antigen load of rats and mice and the effect upon human allergies. Another example is the effect of allowing animal bedding or cage litter to become damp in a bedroom which can foster mold / ammonia build-up/ etc and exacerbate existing human health conditions. A third example is use of products that may harm animals or humans [e.g. cedar bedding has ‘cedrols,’ which are organic hydrocarbons that absorb through the skin or mucus membranes of the mouth and nose and can elevate liver enzyme function – not a good thing for animals or humans.].

IV. Species.

Each chapter below will include: basic anatomy; unique features of importance; feed / water / caging needs; special care requirements; common diseases (bacteria, virus, traumatic, etc) and potential preventions or treatments; and well being issues for each species.

a. Mice.

b. Rats.

c. Hamsters.

d. Gerbils.

e. Chinchillas.

f. Degus.

g. Ferrets.

h. Hedge hogs.

i. Guinea pigs.

j. Rabbits.

k. Sugar Gliders.

l. Opossums.

V. Psychological enrichment (Environmental Enrichment).

VI. Human-animal bond.

VII. Additional Reference Resource List.

VIII. Normal Profile Values by species