Edentata 5 - Anteater, Sloth & Armadillo Specialist Group

time, as well as a scarcity of data concerningthe health issues of specific individuals at thetime of weighing.From the survey of medical problems we produceda series of three graphs (Figures 5a, -b, and -c),representing 45 males, 51 females, and 11 unsexedindividuals. ey are based entirely on the medicalrecords and necropsy reports provided by the19 responding institutions. e population ofgiant anteaters represented in these graphs consistsof a total of 107 living and dead individuals.Forty medical problems are presented, along withtheir corresponding frequencies of occurrence.e section “Medical Problems Interpreted”provides additional information regarding eachmedical problem, including the number of individualsaffected, the percentage of the surveyedpopulation (107 individuals) affected, age trends,causes, symptoms, and treatment strategies. enumber in parentheses next to the medical problemin the graph corresponds to its number in thelist. It is important to remember that this informationis based strictly on the data provided by the19 responding institutions. In several instancesthe medical records and necropsy reports wereincomplete or unclear. We have tried to be asaccurate as possible with the data provided.Medical Problems InterpretedSurveyed Population: 107 individuals1. Vitamin K DeficiencyNumber of individuals reported: 9.10 (18%of population). e average age of these vitaminK-deficient anteaters was five and a halfyears. Six individuals were over the age of 10years when this deficiency was noted. eremaining 13 individuals were under fouryears old when diagnosed.Causes: Most commonly a result of a lackof vitamin K in the diet. is results indecreased ability for blood to clot.Symptoms: Spontaneous bleeding is observedeither from the nose, genitalia, or rectum.Blood may also be found in the urineand/or stool. Typically, only one or twoof these symptoms is observed in any oneindividual.Treatment Strategies: a) Supplement vitaminK in the diet in either powder (K-SOL) orliquid form on a daily basis. b) Add YunnanFIGURE 5A. Medical Problems: 45 males / 51 females / 11 unknown.9