++天竺鼠的樂園++(知識庫)

【譯者Cecilia，整理MiKi】

If Your Guinea Pig is Anorexic, See a Vet Immediately!

如果你的天竺鼠有厭食症狀，立即去看獸醫!

Anorexia (not eating or eating very little) is extremely serious and requires veterinary diagnosis and treatment. A cavy you have just brought home that is not eating may have a respiratory or other bacterial infection.
厭食(不吃東西或是吃非常少)是非常嚴重的並且需要獸醫師的診斷和治療。如果你剛帶回家的天竺鼠不吃東西，牠可能受到呼吸道的或者是病毒的感染。

If no feces or urine are being passed and your guinea pig is not eating, you must seek veterinary care immediately!
如果天竺鼠不大便或是不尿尿，而且牠不吃東西的話，你一定要馬上尋求獸醫的幫助!

In addition, a pet that is losing weight (or if young, failing to gain) is also at great risk. Guinea pigs are especially vulnerable because of their need for vitamin C and tendency to develop ketosis.
除此之外，當寵物體重變輕(或者是當牠很年輕卻一直長不胖)時，牠的健康也正遭受風險。因為天竺鼠需要維他命C而且容易引發酮病，牠們是很容易生病的。
       

 "Irreversible ketosis may develop rapidly in guinea pigs despite a resumption of eating." -- Harkness and Wagner
“無法挽救的酮病可能會進展的非常迅速，即使天竺鼠恢復了進食。“-- Harkness and Wagner表示。

Harkness and Wagner suggest a variety of causes for anorexia:
Harkness and Wagner提出了多種造成厭食症的原因:

    Changes in diet    飲食的改變

    Wide temperature swings    天氣劇烈變化

    Poisoning    中毒

    Water deprivation    沒有水喝

    Loss of a cage mate     失去了籠子裡的夥伴

    An aggressive cage mate preventing another's eating   
     籠子裡的伙伴很兇，不讓其他天天吃東西

    Mechanical problems with feeders or sipper tubes   餵食器或者是水瓶出了問題

    Food changes (too hard or unpalatable food or a poorly designed diet)

    食物的改變(太硬、或者是難吃的食物，或者是沒有營養的食物)

    Dental malocclusion   牙齒咬合的問題

    Pain   疼痛

    Loss of smell   食物失去氣味

    Obesity    過胖

    Oral lacerations   口腔有撕裂傷口

    Infectious diseases (such as pneumonia)    感染性疾病(例如肺炎)

    Metabolic disorders such as Vitamin C deficiency or renal failure  

    新陳代謝不佳，例如缺乏維他命C或是腎臟衰竭

    Analgesic use can cause anorexia

    服用止痛劑也可能造成厭食症

Some guinea pigs prescribed antibiotics, especially baytril, will stop eating. If this happens, the vet should be notified and consideration given to switching to a different drug. (See Antibiotic Intolerance)
有些天竺鼠服用抗生素，特別是baytril, 會停止吃東西。如果發生這種狀況，你應該告訴你的獸醫，並且考慮換成別的抗生素藥物(參考 抗生素不適網頁)

The most common causes pet owners encounter for anorexia are illness (such as a bacterial respiratory infection), malocclusion, antibiotic intolerance, pain, and sometimes the loss of a cage mate.
天竺鼠飼主遇到的厭食症，最常見的是因為生病（特別像是病毒感染呼吸道）、牙齒咬合不正、抗生素不適、疼痛、有時候是因為失去了籠子裡的夥伴而引起的。

DIAGNOSIS
診斷

The animal may seem hungry and would like to eat or may be "truly anorexic". Diagnosis will be based on information about diet, environment, recent changes, character of urine and feces; and on a physical examination of the respiratory and digestive tracts, head and mouth; and on the results of blood, fecal, and microbial tests. A urinalysis may be helpful. A full blood panel is best done before any medications are prescribed.
天天可能會看起來很餓，並且有吃東西的意願，或者是”真的厭食症”。診斷會依據以下這些資料：飲食、環境、最近有何改變、尿液和大便的形狀；並且檢查身體的呼吸道和消化道、頭部和嘴巴；並且依據血液、糞便和新陳代謝的檢測。

DENTAL EXAMINATIONS
牙齒檢查
        "A dental examination is mandatory in cases of anorexia." -- Harkness and Wagner.
“在厭食症的狀況，牙齒檢查是絕對必須的。“-- Harkness and Wagner表示。

It is vitally important to conduct a dental examination in all cases of anorexia. Foreign bodies, fractures, root abscesses, and most importantly dental malocclusion may be the cause. Excess saliva (also called "slobbers") and oral ulcers will indicate the need to check the premolar and molar teeth.
在所有情況的厭食症，做牙齒的檢查是極其的重要。牙齒的外觀、斷裂、根部發膿，特別重要的是牙齒咬合，都可能是造成厭食的原因。過度流口水和口部的潰爛都顯示需要檢查前臼齒和臼齒。

Skull radiographs are useful in determining the nature of a dental problem. A guinea pig with malocclusion may try to eat but be unsuccessful or extremely slow.
Read more about the signs and treatment of malocclusion.
頭骨的X光片對於要找出牙齒問題的起因非常地有用。當天竺鼠有咬合不正的問題，牠會嘗試去吃東西，但可能沒辦法吃，或者是吃的非常非常的慢。

閱讀有關 咬合不正的網頁 了解更多徵狀和治療方法。

TREATMENT
治療

Depending on the cause, treatment may be as simple as feeding palatable foods (calf manna, fresh greens, and vegetables), giving B vitamins (B vitamin complex at .20 ml/kg), or changing the environment to enable incompatible individuals to eat in peace. Infectious diseases and dental problems will need immediate veterinary treatment. Subcutaneous fluids will help restore hydration.
視情況而定，有時治療只要餵食美味的食物(新鮮的綠草和蔬菜)、給予維他命B(綜合維他命B ，每公斤20ml), 或者是改變環境讓天天避開喜歡搶食物的天天，而能安靜的進食。在感染病症和牙齒問題的情況下，就會需要馬上給讓獸醫治療。皮下注射會讓天天保持水份不脫水。
If the vet determines there is no bloat or blockage of the intestinal tract, hand feeding can keep your cavy alive. Be sure to read the hand feeding tips on this site.
如果獸醫確認沒有脹氣或是腸阻塞的狀況，灌食可以讓你的天天保持活下去。但要確認你已經讀過了有關 餵食網頁 的一些技巧。

Diazepam (given intravenously, intramuscularly, or by mouth according to Harkness and Wagner) is one of several drugs that can be used to stimulate the appetite. Diazepam (also known as Valium) can encourage eating within a few minutes and will last up to a half hour but also causes sedation and ataxia [loss of coordination of the muscles, especially of the extremities].
Diazepam(藥名，一種鎮定劑)(依據Harkness and Wagner的說法，可從靜脈注射、肌肉注射或口服的方式給予)是多種可以刺激食慾的藥物之ㄧ。Diazepam(另名Valium)可以在幾分鐘內促進食慾，並持續長達半個小時之久，但同時會造成鎮靜作用和運動失調(肌肉不協調，特別是四肢)。

Cyproheptadine (Peri-Actin 4mg - 1/8 pill, twice a day) has been used as an appetite booster by some vets.
Cyproheptadine (藥名，撲敏錠，http://www.vhcy.gov.tw/PHA/drug/web/Cyproheptadine.htm)( Peri-Actin 4mg - 1/8 pill, 一天兩次)已經被一些獸醫師拿來作為幫助促進食慾。

LINKS:

連結網頁:
An article on anorexia by Mette the Vette.
Mette the Vette所寫的一篇有關厭食症的文章。