Bordatella

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tunes

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Hi guys - this one is going to be hard because no one really knows the answers at this time and the jury is still out on whether Bordatella bronchiseptica is a primary pathogen causing disease in chins or whether it is secondary to something else going on.
Absolutely NO research has been done in chinchillas that I could find. I can tell you what I know about it in other species and we can go from there.

Regarding bordatella:

1) Is a chin a carrier no matter what, once exposed?
- In rabbits, it is a normal bacteria for the respiratory tract, so they always carry Bordatella. It only causes disease in rabbits when there is another pathogen like Pasteurella on board.
- In guinea pigs, it causes severe upper respiratory infections that can lead to pneumonia and death and can be very resistant to many antibiotics - they most likely carry it for their lifetimes once they show symptoms because they usually have chronic upper respiratory disease.
- In dogs and cats, they can be contagious for several weeks or even months, but will usually eventually clear it unless there is an immune compromise.
- In chins, we usually diagnose it on necropsy, so we treat others that have symptoms and they seem to get better, but I have no idea if they can pass it along later or how long they can shed it.

2) Can a chin carry the disease for awhile and then show symptoms?
- Again, because the research has not been done, no one knows how long the incubation period is in chins. As stated before, rabbits always carry it and only show disease when something else is wrong. Dogs usually have a 7-10 incubation period before showing symptoms.

3) The disease is air-born...so chins in ONE room (closed door) cats out in the house...can chins still contract the disease?
- Cats very rarely get Bordatella - only in extreme situations of a compromised immune system or in catteries where there is poor husbandry and overcrowding. However, Bordatella has been shown to remain in heating and cooling ducts in shelters, causing reinfection even after removal of all previously sick animals.

4) Is there any way to test for it and/or cure it completely?
- Culture is the only way to test, but because it usually affects lung tissue in chins, there is no way to test without euthanasia or death. Because we have no way of knowing how long these animals carry it, I can't say if it can be completely cured.

5) Can it be transferred on non-living items such as feed, dust, cloth, etc.?
- Absolutely, that is why husbandry is the most important part of chinchilla health. Cleaning vigorously, getting duct work cleaned routinely, keeping animals in areas with good ventilation and proper temperature and humidity, and washing your hands/changing your clothes/etc. are keys to healthy chins.

I wish I could be more specific, but this is a rather nebulous disease in general - even with more common pets like dogs and cats. I think the most important thing to remember is that we are not sure if just being exposed to Bordatella alone can cause disease or whether chins need another "stress factor" to cause symptoms. Keeping stress levels low is very important in the chinchilla commmunity.

Angie Keffer, VMD

If you have a followup question, please refer it to me, Tunes, and I will pass it on to out veterinary expert.
 
I was reading the thread on bordetella & I'd be really interested to know if chinchillas can contract & carry the disease.

I work with dogs everyday who can possibly have it, as well as rabbits and although I change my clothes and wash my hands before handling my chinchillas after work, I wonder if it would still be possible for them to get it.

Also, what about the vaccine? We use a modified live virus intranasal vaccine and there are so many times when dogs squirt it out their nose into my hair and what not. Is it possible, with chinchillas being so small and fragile, that they can contract the disease from a vaccine?

As far as the follow-up question - I have no answer. There has been absolutely no research done of any kind in chinchillas on this, so I can't say yes or no to any of those questions. All I can say is be smart and wash your hands and change your clothes as soon as you get home from work. Maybe someday we will find out, but right now chinchillas are not popular enough as pets or research animals for any company to fund testing on this subject. Sorry!!

Angie

If you have a followup question, please refer it to me, Tunes, and I will pass it on to out veterinary expert.
 
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