The Makings of Small Animals

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Transcript The Makings of Small Animals

Chase High School
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Cheek: The fleshy side of the face below the
eye and above and to the side of the mouth.
CHEEK
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Dewlap: The loose fold of skin under the chin
of an animal, most prominent in female
rabbits.
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Elbow: The upper joint of the front leg just
below the shoulder.
Flank: The fleshy part of the side between
the ribs and the rump (croup)
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Foot Pad: The part of the foot that the
animals walk on.
Forearm: The part of the front limb just
below the elbow.
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Guard Hairs: The longer, coarse hairs above
the shorter under-fur of an animal that
protects the animal and under-fur from rain
and cold.
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Hock: the tarsal joint or large joint halfway
up the hind limb.
Loin: The fleshy part of the sides of an
animal just below the spinal column
(sometimes used interchangeably with flank).
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Muzzle: The projecting jaw that contains the
nose and mouth in some animals.
Nose Pad: The tip of the nose that may be
sensitive and useful for investigating food,
water, or unfamiliar objects. (called nose
leather in cats).
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Rump: The upper rounded part of the
hindquarter (also called the group).
Shoulder: The part of an animal’s body just
above the elbow of the foreleg.
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Stifle: The joint next above the hock in the
hind leg of a four footed animal.
Thigh: The hind limb extending from the
rump to the hock.
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Whiskers: The long projecting hairs or
bristles growing near the mouth of an animal.
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Crown: The topmost part of the head
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Ear covert: the feathers covering the ears.
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Mandible: The upper or lower segment of a
bill of a bird.
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Nape: The back of the neck
Orbital Ring: A ring encircling the eye of
many birds.
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Brille: The transparent layer permanently
covering the eye that serves as the eyelid for
snakes.
Fins: The web of skin supported with bone or
cartilage rods that enable a fish to move
through the water.
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Gills: The major organ of the respiratory
system of fish that allows them to breathe
without lungs.
Scales: Extensions of the epidermal layer of
skin that have been modified to provide
protection. (fish and reptiles may have some
type of scales).
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Scutes: Epidermal scales found on turtles.
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Vertebral column, ribs, sternum and skull
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Front limbs including shoulders, legs and
feet. Bones are scapula(shoulder blade),
humerus(arm), radius and ulna (forearm),
carpals, metacarpals and phalanges (toes).
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Rear legs and pelvic bones including hooks,
pin bones, femur(upper leg bone), tibia and
fibula (lower leg bones), tarsals (hocks),
metatarsals (feet) and phalanges (toes).
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To protect vital body organs and give form or
shape to body
◦ Skull protects brain, ribs protect lungs and internal
organs
◦ Spinal column or backbone protects the spinal cord
and provides shape to the animal.
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Structure consist of bones, cartilage, and
joints.
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Most birds have a skull bone that elongates
toward the front of the head.
Some birds have a skull with an upper beak
fused to it while other birds have hinged on
both upper and lower (mandibles) giving it
more flexibility.
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The major organ in the circulatory system
◦ Made up of three muscle layers:
 Myocardium: second layer muscle that makes up the
thickness of the heart
 Endocardium: thin layer inside myocardium
 Epicardium: thin cover over the myocardium, or main
heart muscle
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Other parts to the circulatory systems are the:
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Arteries
Capillaries
Veins
blood
They all move nutrient, metabolic waste, and
oxygen around.
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Another important role circulatory system
plays is protection against microbes and
injury.
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Kidneys and bladder: Part of the excretory
system that rids the body of waste.
In addition, the kidneys maintain chemical
composition, volume of blood, and tissue
fluid.
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Stomach and intestines: major part of
digestive system, which breaks the food
down into smaller pieces to be used by the
body.
Nutrients are gleaned from these food
materials.
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Lungs: Part of the respiratory system where
the oxygen is taken in by the nose, passed on
to the lungs and then goes into the blood.
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Brains, spinal cord, and nerves make up the
nervous system.
This is the coordinator of all body activities,
regulates other systems, and controls
memory and learning.
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Ovaries (female) and testes (male) make up
the reproductive system to produce new
individuals of the same species.
Ovaries produce eggs and testes produce
sperm.
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Muscles make up the muscular system that
gives the body its movement, posture,
support, and produces heat.
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Single group of foods of the same general
chemical composition that supports animal
life.
There are 6 basic nutrients
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THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT NUTRIENT!!!
Animals can go without food for several days,
but they need water because it is vital for
proper body functions and makes up 55-65%
of an animal’s body.
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Dissolves and transports other nutrients, aids
in digestion, and carries waste from the body.
Regulates body temperature and supports
breathing (respiration)
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Complex nutrients composed of carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
◦ Helps develop and repair body organs and tissues
such as muscles, nerves, skin, hair, hooves etc.
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Important in the reproduction process of the
developing fetus, transmitting DNA, and
development of young.
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Important in converting of food into energy.
Carbohydrates are made up of chemical
elements: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Supports body functions, breathing,
digestion, stores fat and produces heat.
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Types include:
◦ sugars
◦ Starches
◦ fiber
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Contains the same chemical elements of
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen as carbs, but
in different combinations.
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Provides energy: contain 2.25x more energy
than equal amounts of carbs and protein.
Aid in adsorbing fat-soluble vitamins and
provide essential fatty acids needed in an
animals’ diet.
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Organic substances designated by the letters
A, B, C, D, E, and K. needed for specific
biochemical reactions.
A. Vitamins are needed in very small amounts
B. Vitamins are needed for regulating the
digestive system, adsorption, and
metabolism.
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Minerals supply the material for building
bones, teeth, the skeleton, and producing
body regulators such as enzymes and
hormones.
Divided into 2 groups
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Macro Minerals-seven major minerals needed
in largest quantity and most likely lacking in
the ration.
Micro Minerals-nine trace minerals that are
only needed in small amounts.
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Nutrition: Process by which animals receive a
proper and balanced food and water ration so
it can grow, maintain its body, reproduce,
and perform.
Nutrient: substance or part of feedstuff that
is necessary for an organism to live and grow.
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What is a deficiency?
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A lack or loss of something.
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Slow growth is a common symptom of almost
all nutrient deficiency.
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The body becomes overheated, and a
slowdown in normal body functions occurs.
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Normal growth development and repairing of
body organs and tissues ie.; muscles, nerves,
skin, hair, hooves, and feathers suffer.
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Protein deficiency may result in: anorexia,
anemia, edema; slow growth rate, low birth
weight of young, lower milk production and
decreased feed efficiency.
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Lack of energy, normal body functions, loss
of body heat.
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Providing energy, aiding in absorption of fatsoluble vitamins.
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Various body functions will suffer when
vitamins are lacking
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May cause low rates of gains, feed
inefficiency, decreased reproduction,
decrease in milk production, and production
of meat, milk, eggs, and wool.
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Ruminants are considered as ‘forage
consuming’, able to eat large amounts of
vegetable material in a fresh, dried, or ensiled
state.
Ruminants have one stomach with multiple
compartments.
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Food material in the ruminant system is acted
on by millions of bacteria and
microorganisms.
The bacteria and microorganisms transform
low-quality protein and nitrogen compounds
into essential amino acids.
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largest compartment contains bacteria and
microorganisms that aids in the digestive
process.
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Second compartment that works with the
rumen to aide in the formation of cud for
regurgitation. Also known as the hardware
stomach because it collects nails, pieces of
wire, and other swallowed objects.
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The third compartment of the ruminant that
removes water from food as it moves from
the rumen to the fourth compartment.
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referred to as the “true stomach”
its function is to break down food material by
muscular movement and to secrete digestive
juices.
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The abomasum is most like the stomach in
non-ruminants or single stomached animals.
The material then passes into the small
intestine.
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Non-ruminants are referred to as singlestomached or monogastric animals.
The digestive system of rabbits and birds
are classified as non-ruminants even
though their system is slightly different.
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Rabbits have a digestive system similar to a
horse in that they have a large cecum with
bacteria present.
◦ Therefore, rabbits can eat more high-quality
roughage material than other small animals.
◦ Rabbits must maintain levels of bacteria in the
cecum for digestive process and health.
◦ Rabbits eat undigested feces(coprophagy) to help
bacteria action.
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Birds have a unique system for breaking
down the seed and food they eat.
◦ Birds don’t have teeth. Saliva is added to assist
with swallowing, but very little breakdown of food
occurs in the mouth.
◦ The largest digestive organ for birds is the gizzard.
The gizzard grinds and crushes food before passing
it into the small intestine.
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Food is broken down in the mouth(except
birds), stomach (gizzards in birds), and then
passed into the small intestine, the primary
sight for the digestion and absorption of
carbs, fats, and proteins.
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Undigested food passes from the small
intestine into the large intestine where the
main activity is the absorption of water from
the undigested food and addition of
lubricating mucus to aid in passage of waste.
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Digestive systems vary somewhat
Type of feed fish eat is largely determined by
the type of teeth they have.
Some fish swallow prey whole while others
chew up their food.
How to Feed Your Pet
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Rations high in carbohydrates and fats
designed to keep animal constant with no
gain or loss of weight
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Rations high in energy and protein so as to
increase the animal’s body size
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A ration that contains the largest amounts of
protein, minerals, and vitamins of any ration.
Repro rations improve conception rates and
offspring that have a good birth weight
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Rations for lactating females encourages
large milk production and are high in protein,
calcium, and phosphorus.
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Rations need increased amounts of fats and
carbohydrates to supply the extra energy
needed to perform.
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Diet: feed and water that an animal receives
◦ Amount and type feedstuff is based on what the
animals needs at times, and the kinds and amt. of
nutrients contained in feed.
◦ A good diet must be palatable-the diet must be
digestible and appeals to the animal
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Ration: a feed that contains the right amount
and proportion of nutrients.
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Roughages: made up of leaves and the plants
tender stems.
Concentrates: recommended for small
animals as a regular part of their diet because
it is high in energy or protein.
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High energy diets include: corn, wheat,
sorghum, barley, rye, and oats.
High protein diets include: soybean oil meal,
cottonseed oil meal, and sunflower meals.
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Feed material that contains a specific nutrient
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Puppies need diets higher in protein than
adult dogs and food intake is regulated by
activity.
Cats need twice as much protein as dogs and
10% of their diet should be fat.
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It is best to use a pellet type of commercial
feed and avoid feeding too much leafy green
veggies.
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Best to use pellet type of foods and keep diet
consistent. If mixing a ration; you should
have a wide range of food.
Various diets include: gerbils need a little
green food in diet, rats can have dog food,
ferrets eat cat food, mice won’t overeat, and
guinea pigs need solid food to dull the teeth.
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Depending on their size, amphibians and
reptiles prefer to eat animals (snakes eat
mice, turtles eat meat, amphibians eat
earthworms, insects).
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Tadpoles will eat pellets of rabbit, dog, or cat
food.
Turtles: pieces of liver will do, but
strawberries and other fruits can also be fed.
Snakes in captivity can learn to eat canned
dog/cat food.
Most of the lizards eat insects.
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Most birds prefer a diet of seeds.
◦ Two basic types of seed included in a bird’s diet are
cereal seeds and oil seeds.
◦ Fruit and nectar birds eat oranges, grapes, and
apple slices.
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Diet is affected by water temp. Fish generally
eat more when the temp. is higher.
◦ Should be given a variety of foods so they don’t get
bored
◦ Shrimp, krill, and plankton can be fed to larger fish.
◦ Flakes are good for smaller fish
◦ Amt. fish eats is related to water temp.
◦ Fish should be able to eat the food in a few
minutes.
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The union of egg and sperm to produce a
new animal.
2 parents required: male furnishes
sperm(spermatozoa or male animal sex cell)
and female supplies egg or ovum.
Natural insemination is the process of male
depositing semen into female reproductive
tract.
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Conception: creation of new life by the
fertilization of an egg.
Estrus: the heat period when female is
receptive to male and will stand for mating.
Fertilization: the union of the egg and sperm
Ovulation: releasing an egg for fertilization
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Gestation: period of pregnancy-begins with
conception and ends with parturition
Parturition: process of giving birth to young
pregnant: stage of baby development in
reproductive tract.
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Ovary: primary reproductive organ that
produces the egg (female gamete)
Gamete: sex cell that unites with other sex
cells
Embryo: (developing young) goes to the
uterus in mammals after 3-5 days
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Uterus: the place of embryo growth and
development.
Cervix: the part of the uterus that contains
rings and cervical mucus to seal the uterus to
keep out contaminants during pregnancy.
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Vagina: the reproduction passageway and
place of urine excretion.
Vulva: external opening to the reproductive
tract.
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Testicle: primary reproductive organ and
produces the male gametes sperm
Two testicles are held externally in the
scrotum and helps control the temp. so that
testicles remain cooler than the body.
Sheath: a fold of skin that is a protective
covering for the penis.
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Usually identified by an increase in female’s
breast and abdominal size, weight, and
appetite at various stages of the period.
Restlessness is a usual sign that the gestation
period is coming to an end and parturition
(birthing) is about to take place.
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A nesting box of straw, shavings, paper, etc.
may be provided for pocket pets and rabbits.
Care should be taken not to excite animals at
birthing.
Dogs and cats should be given a birthing box
in a quiet location one to three weeks prior to
parturition so that they may get comfortable
with the setting.
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Cats: 51-65 days
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Dogs: 56-70 days
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Rabbits: 28-32 days
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Hamsters: 30-32 days
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Gerbils: 16 Days
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Rats: 21-24 days
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Mice: 21-24 days
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Guinea Pigs: 56-74 days
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Ferrets: 42 days