Prevention and Treatment Methods for Gastroenteritis in Farmed Masked Palm Civets

Gastroenteritis is a severe inflammatory process affecting the superficial mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines as well as their deeper tissues. Because the anatomical structure and physiological functions of the stomach and intestines are closely related, organic damage and functional disorders of the stomach and intestines often affect each other, causing inflammation of the stomach and intestines to occur simultaneously or sequentially. In particular, cub civets are prone to gastroenteritis during the period from 30—40 days after birth, namely the weaning period. Clinically, gastroenteritis can be primary or secondary. Causes of gastroenteritis: Primary gastroenteritis is caused by improper feeding and management. For example, poor feed quality, moldy and spoiled feed, accidental ingestion of toxic plants or chemicals. Damp cage floors with standing water, the masked palm civet's body being contaminated by dirty water, urine and feces, and licking contaminated matter. After weaning, cub civets have weak digestive capacity, disordered gastrointestinal secretory function, reduced body resistance, and imbalance of normal intestinal flora, making the occurrence of this disease more likely. Secondary gastroenteritis is due to various viral and bacterial infectious diseases, such as parvovirus disease, civet distemper, colibacillosis, etc., all of which have symptoms of gastroenteritis; parasitic diseases, internal diseases, and obstetric diseases can all secondarily cause gastroenteritis. (Clinical symptoms) At the beginning of gastroenteritis, the manifestation is indigestion; with continued development, it becomes hemorrhagic or ulcerative gastroenteritis. Affected civets are depressed, with reduced or absent appetite; the conjunctiva first becomes congested and then icteric; the mouth is dry and foul-smelling; vomiting and diarrhea are one of the important symptoms of gastroenteritis. Defecation is frequent, and the feces contain blood, mucus, and mucosal tissue, and may even be mixed with pus; the hair around the anus and on the tail is contaminated with feces. As the condition worsens, systemic symptoms appear, with body temperature rising above 4l°C, dry nose mirror, sunken eyeballs, pale mucous membranes, severe dehydration, concentrated blood, and reduced urine output. If not treated in time, death may occur due to dehydration and autointoxication. The onset in civets often follows an acute course, often suddenly affecting animals in groups; if treated improperly, it turns into a chronic disease. (Pathological changes) On necropsy, the intestinal contents are mixed with blood and have a foul odor; there are erosive foci and ulcerative patches of varying sizes on the mucous membrane, with submucosal edema and leukocyte infiltration. In hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, there are punctate and striated hemorrhages on the gastrointestinal mucosa, and coal-tar-like feces in the rectum. In chronic gastroenteritis, the body is poorly developed, emaciated, and the visible mucous membranes are pale. (Diagnosis 1) A diagnosis can be made based on systemic symptoms, such as elevated body temperature, disordered appetite, and the presence of pathological products in the feces. Epidemiological investigation and routine blood and fecal examinations can be used for differential diagnosis of simple gastroenteritis, infectious diseases, parasitic diseases, and gastroenteritis secondary to toxicosis. When poisoning is suspected, feed and other suspicious substances should be examined. Prevention and treatment: For affected civets, the cause should be identified, the cause removed, and comprehensive treatment carried out.

① To clear the intestines and expel toxins, stop feeding affected civets with diarrhea, vomiting, and refusal to eat for 1—2 days, and administer castor oil orally once at 5—10 milliliters. ② To stop the progression of inflammation, if it is bacterial gastroenteritis, oral sulfaguanidine, sulfadimidine, or tannalbin, etc., can be given, then intramuscular injection of amikacin sulfate (amikacin sulfate) 1—2 milliliters, twice a day for 3—5 consecutive days, or intramuscular injection of chloramphenicol 30 mg/kg body weight, vitamin B1, 0.025 mg/kg body weight, twice daily. If it is viral gastroenteritis, intramuscular injection of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid 0.25 mg/kg body weight, or moroxydine, vitamin B1 25 mg/kg body weight, twice daily. ③ When there is bloody stool, 5% glucose solution 50 milliliters can be injected intravenously; to prevent dehydration and autointoxication, physiological saline and 5% glucose solution 50—100 milliliters should be injected intravenously or subcutaneously in a timely manner, twice daily. With such treatment for 3—4 days, improvement or cure can be achieved. ④ When indigestion appears at the beginning of the disease, use dilute hydrochloric acid 2 milliliters, pepsin 6 milligrams, clean water 100 milliliters, mix and administer orally, 3—4 times daily, 1 milliliter each time. ⑤ The following prescription can also be used: phenyl salicylate (salol) and bismuth subnitrate in equal parts, mixed as a powder, administered at 0.05—0.1 grams each time. Norfloxacin, chlortetracycline, and chloramphenicol mixed in equal amounts, 50 milligrams each time for 30-day-old cub civets, 100 milligrams each time for cub civets over 60 days old, 2—3 times daily. For the prevention of gastroenteritis, the following points should be done well: ① Keep feed fresh; do not feed moldy or spoiled feed. ② Strengthen feeding and management, do a good job of environmental sanitation, and provide supplemental feeding to cub civets at the appropriate time. ③ Adding chlortetracycline or oxytetracycline to the feed has a preventive effect on this disease.