title: Common procedures in hedgehogs, prairie dogs, exotic rodents, and companion marsupials.
abstract: Nondomesticated species are commonly being kept as companion animals. These include the African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albi-ventris), the North American black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys lu-dovicianus), and exotic rodents such as the degu (Octodon degus)and duprasi or fat-tailed gerbil (Pachyuromys duprasi). Common companion marsupials include the sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps),Bennett's or Tammar (Dama) wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus rufo-griseus and Macropus eugenii, respectively), the Brazilian or South American gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica), and the North American Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana). Although many of these animals are now bred domestically and are fairly docile when human-raised, they are essentially wild animals and hence have strong instincts to hide illness and pain.
authors.affiliation: Eastside Avian and Exotic Animal Medical Center, 13603 100th NE, Kirkland, WA 98034-5212, USA. cajddvm@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Cathy A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Johnson-Delaney
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D005260:Female; D006364:Hedgehogs; D008297:Male; D008394:Marsupialia; D012377:Rodentia; D012589:Sciuridae; D013045:Species Specificity; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards