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1 March 2007 RECURRENT TONGUE TIP CONSTRICTION IN A CAPTIVE GIANT ANTEATER (MYRMECOPHAGA TRIDACTYLA)
Hanspeter W. Steinmetz, Marcus Clauss, Karsten Feige, Tanja Thio, Ewald Isenbügel, Jean-Michel Hatt
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Abstract

A male giant anteater (Myrmecophage tridactyla) was treated twice for tongue tip constrictions. Clinical signs were partial anorexia, soft stool, bleeding from the mouth, and intermittent lingual discomfort. In the first presentation, wood fibers constricting the distal part of the tongue were detected by endoscopy and were removed. In the second presentation, bands of collagenous fibers were identified and resected. Dietary elements were responsible for both cases: elongated wood fibers were present in peat, which was included as a supplement to improve stool consistency, and collagenous fibers originated from fascias of lean meat, which served as a protein source in this diet. Preventive measures included sieving of the peat to eliminate long fibers and grinding of the meat, respectively, prior to diet presentation. A homogenous diet, utilizing cellulose rather than peat and dry cat food rather than meat, will avoid tongue tip constriction as described in these cases.

Hanspeter W. Steinmetz, Marcus Clauss, Karsten Feige, Tanja Thio, Ewald Isenbügel, and Jean-Michel Hatt "RECURRENT TONGUE TIP CONSTRICTION IN A CAPTIVE GIANT ANTEATER (MYRMECOPHAGA TRIDACTYLA)," Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 38(1), 146-149, (1 March 2007). https://doi.org/10.1638/05-115.1
Received: 21 November 2005; Published: 1 March 2007
KEYWORDS
Constriction
diet
giant anteater
Myrmecophaga tridactyla
tongue
tourniquet syndrome
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