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Short Beaked Echidna Final SAVEM The Short-beaked ECHIDNA Bac-yard Echidna All photos: Echidna diggings in Mallee In5ured Bea- Rachel ,estcott Species The Short-bea-ed Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is a usually solitary living monotreme found in all climatic conditions in the Australian bioregion. Echidnas can swim and climb, with home ranges up to or above 250 hectares (3 . Complete AVA SA Wildlife Admission Form. Place in SAME NA3CRA9 1IS3ARDE.. Admission and smooth plastic tub at least 50 cm in height & add handling shredded paper or straw. Restrain using (1 towels/ Echidna numbers cannot be esti- gloves to lift whole animal (2 lift gently beneath mated by numbers of diggings. ventrum without gloves (3 suspend by hind feet & Echidnas can enter torpor at any limbs'this is more stressful for the animal. time of year. Echidna —trains are Examination A conscious echidna wraps into a ball when part of courtship behaviour. touched, so complete e)amination requires chemical Breeding season is between $une restraint (see below (Schultz, pers. comm. 2012 . and September. ,eigh, assess body condition, wounds, fractures, condition of spines and bea-. Cloacal temp is 2.-320 C, 1R 2110 bpm, RR 2 10/min. Se) by everting penis. Spurs on hind limbs are not confined to males. 1ealthy animals should be released as soon as possible to the location of collection. Blood Sample from cephalic, 5ugular (near thoracic inlet), femoral or brachycephalic veins. Some clinicians Collection sample from the bea- sinus, but with great care. Anesthesia & 6asting is not required, but avoid anesthesia 6at storage in Panniculus adiposus beneath immediately after eating. Inhalation is method of the SC Panniculus carnosus. Sedation choice, most commonly Isoflurane. Induction chamber or mas- at 58, maintain at 1-28 & 19 o)ygen. Intubation is not possible. For non surgical procedures -etamine/xylazine, -etamine/medetomidine or tiletamine/zolazepam can be used IM. Midazolam (less painful IM or The FMil- PatchG to suc-le puggles instead diazepam are useful sedatives. of a nipple. Housing and Diet in Hospital ADELAIDE ZOO‘s ECHIDNA DIET ( ) Bran 2.0 kg Smooth plastic tubs up to 2m diameter depending on length of admission, with walls at least 500 mm high. Straw or shredded paper provide security and shelter; soil or leaf Wheatgerm 0. kg litter should be added for longer admissions. Smooth base must be -ept dry. Echidnas are very strong and can burrow underneath rubber flooring. 1ouse at 20-300. Multiple Meat ) bone meal .0 kg echidnas require 5m< each of space, with sufficient food & foraging to avoid Blood meal 2.6 kg competition. Echidnas eat invertebrates, including grubs, worms, nematodes, soft bodied insects, tic-s, beetles, invertebrate eggs, insect larvae, ants and termites. Calcium carbonate 0., kg Captive diets should be modelled on natural food'add termites preferably. Adelaide Zoo>s recipe is at Right, which replicates energy/protein ratio found in termites. Echidna Safflo.er Oil 20 ml mil- replacer is available from ,ombaroo 6ood Products. Lean Beef Mince 2.0 kg Diseases & Presentations 1ealthy 3uggles may be presented by well-meaning members of the public who find them while the mother is away feeding. If well, these animals should be returned to the location where found as soon as possible. 6roth and bubbling from e)ternal nares is normal in Echidnas, and should not be mista-en for respiratory pathology. Trauma occurs from motor vehicle accidents, animal attac-s, low electric fences, bushfire, entrapment and scavenging from open tin cans. Radiographic e)am is indicated in all trauma cases. 6ractures to other than the bea- result from a large force and significant soft tissue in5uries should be e)pected. Beak in5uries are common and serious. The bea- is equipped with tiny electroI and mechanoreceptors. Damage to nostrils, feeding problems, bacterial and fungal infections, rhinitis and glossitis all impact on prognosis. Treatment of bea- trauma is fully described by Middleton in Vogelnest, Medicine of Australian Mammals CSIRA 2010, p97. Coccidiosis presents a spectrum of clinical disease which may be fatal. Intact nasal bones following bea- Sic- echidnas presenting with fecal oocysts should be treated as an trauma (above . This Echidna made a full recovery. emergency. Poor hygiene, stress and other concurrent disease are factors which predispose particularly the captive population. Salmonellosis is relatively common in captive echidnas: treat with antibiotics, antidiarrheals and supportive fluids. Environmental hygiene and stress minimization may reduce the incidence of HIT infections. 3arasites such as the Echidna tic-, Aponomma concolor, which often attaches to the e)ternal ear canal, can cause anemia and dermatitis. Treat with ivermectin, fipronil (at domestic animal rates or selamectin. Echidnas Echidna tic-,Aponomma concolor, with Dermatophytosis can present with scaly s-in and bro-en spines. near e)ternal ear canal. Photos above: Rachel ,estcott DRUGS% Dose (mg7kg) Route Penicillin 9A 1 ml per 10 -g IM, SC, sid When is euthanasia indicated? This is a clinical (udgement, but could Amo)/Clavulanic acid 12 SC, bid include: Tetracyclines 20 IM, eod * Serious in5uries to the tip of the bea-, Trimeth/sulphur 10/50 IM, SC sid and to the tongue. Melo)icam 0.5 IV, SC, sid M Displaced fractures to limbs or pelvis M Deep s-in burns and bea- damage from De)amethasone 0.2 IM, SC, sid bushfires Ivermectin 0.2 IM, SC, q7d, repeat ) 2 6ipronil/S-Methoprene 10 TAP, once Toltrazuril 25 PA RE8ERENCES Itraconazole 5 PA, sid (1 Middleton, D. in Vogelnest & ,oods Butorphanol 0.1 IV, IM, bid (Eds Medicine of Australian Mammals, Buprenorphine 1.0 IV, IM, sid CSIRA 2010 (2 Blyde, D. Wildlife Time On ,ine, Netamine/Oylazine 5/1 IM Centre for Veterinary Education, Syd- Netamine/medetomidine 5/0.3-0.5 Smooth short recovery ney 2009 (3 Rismiller, P. & McNelvey, M. Atipamezole )5 Medetomidine dose IM Material from field research, 19..-2011 Pelican 9agoon Research & ,ildlife Tiletamine/Zolazepam 3-10 (5 IM Centre, Penneshaw Diazepam, Midazolam 1-5 IM 6Doses are e)trapolated from clinical e)perience &/or use in domestic animals, and not from pharmaco-inetic studies in Echidnas. Ackno.ledgements/ With special thanks to Drs Da0id Schult12 Ian Hough ) 3eggy Rismiller for their assistance in preparation of this Treatment Sheet, (6irst Edition May 2012 which has been compiled by the SA Veterinary ,ildlife Hroup and is published by SAVEM Inc. It is intended to assist veterinarians in the assessment and treatment of in5ured and ill Echidnas. .
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