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MEDICAL ISSUES AND ANATOMY


The purpose of these pages is to show misc pictures of opossum anatomy
as well as some their medical issues.



The penis of the male opossum is "bifurcated" or split on the end.
This trait is true of all marsupials. It is interesting to note that on opossums,
the testicles are located "in front of" the penis, rather then behind it.




Anatomy of a female.
Note how the vaginal regions split off to both the left and the
right thus the need for the males penis to be split on the end.




Coronal section through middle of brain .





Whole brain Photographs.





Opossum Skull.




.......
Here is an example of an obese female opossum. Note the size of her tail
(especially at the base) and the fat deposits in the outside corner of her eyes.
In the case of this female, the caretaker reported never over feeding her and
followed the NOS diet guidelines. She also had free run of a very large home.
Might it be possible for some opossums to be pre-disposed to
obesity like some humans are?
***Pictures by Barb Miller***




You can purchase special carts for opossums
who need assistance walking, from most manufactures who make
these carts for dogs and cats. You can find
numerous links to these carts on the last page of this website.
***Picture by Barb Miller***<




This poor baby came to us with a condition known as a
"prolapsed rectum", where the lower intestines actually bulge out of the body.
We had her humanely euthanised as the prognosis
for her would have been extremely poor.



.........
In this first photo you can see where Kizzie's bladder bulged from his body. As he grew older, his spinal deformity advanced, causing his bladder to protrude. The 2nd photo shows you just how injured his spinal column was, as well as his tail, which was broken at the base. This picture was taken when Kizzie was 3 years old. Taking these photos during his bath made his condition much more visible.







MEDICAL: DSN
(Dermal Septic Necrosis)