GIT reptiles

Question 1

What are the main differences of a reptile to a dog that we need to take into account when undertaking a clinical exam?

Answer 1

• Thin abdominal muscles so you can palpate organs easily. Transillumination sometimes possible (geckos).
• Head and mouth examination very important.
• Faecal analysis is routine.
• Look for metabolic bone disease.

Question 2

What is regurgitation in reptiles often associated with?

Answer 2

husbandry related

Question 3

What are common GIT conditions in reptiles?

Answer 3

• Husbandry causes
• Bacterial e.g. mycoplasma
• Viral e.g. herpes, Inclusion Body Disease, adenovirus.
• Endoparasites e.g. oxyurids, ascarids and strongyles
• Protozoa e.g. cryptosporidium, coccidia, trichomonas
• Neoplasia
• Impactions/obstruction e.g. dehydration, foreign bodies
• Prolapses

Question 4

What are husbandry causes of GIT conditions in reptiles?

Answer 4

• Inappropriate temperature (usually too cold/incorrect bulb type)
• Dehydration
• Inappropriate or excessive quantities of food
• Excessive handling after a meal (snakes)
• Ingestion of substrate and foreign material
• Overcrowding/mixing of species
• Poor hygiene

Question 5

What parasite is this?

Answer 5

ascarid worm and egg

Question 6

What parasite is this?

Answer 6

oxyurid worm and egg

Question 7

What parasite is this an example of?

Answer 7

coccidia - isospora amphiboluri

Question 8

How do the clinical signs differ with the location of cryptosporidium infection in reptiles??

Answer 8

• Protozoa affecting the stomach and small intestinal.
• When the stomach is infected it causes vomiting, weight loss, and hypertrophic gastritis.
• When the small intestine is infected it causes diarrhoea, passing undigested food and weight loss.
• Very infectious and progressive in snakes and lizards, and is difficult to treat.
• No effective treatment.

Question 9

What GIT viruses affect reptiles? What clinical signs are associated?

Answer 9

Herpes virus:
* Virus often involve multiple body systems – (revise the case example from Y4 ‘Respiratory Disease in Small Mammals and Exotics Species)
* Clinical signs include necrotising stomatitis and enteritis.

Inclusion body disease:
* Arenavirus effecting snakes. Spread by ectoparasites (mites).
* Boas = Regurgitation, slow wasting and neurological signs
* Pythons = more rapid and acute death

Adenovirus:
Affects bearded dragons (usually juveniles). Causes anorexia, diarrhoea and wasting and neurological signs.

Question 10

What is pathological hepatic lipidosis often secondary to in reptiles?

Answer 10

◦ Poor husbandry and diet
◦ Improper or lack of hibernation
◦ Bacterial infection
◦ Parasitism
◦ nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (NSHP)
◦ pre-ovulatory ovarian stasis (POOS)