Herps Flashcards
Many reptile and amphibian emergencies are the end result of improper _____ and/or _____.
husbandry, nutrition
What are the general signs of a sick reptile?
- decrease appetite
- lethargy
- change in colour (paler or darker)
- constipation
- diarrhea
- regurgitation
- oral or nasal discharge
- difficulty breathing (audible sounds)
- lameness
- change in body or limb shape
- swellings, nodules on head, trunk or limbs
- swollen coelom
- neuro signs (weakness, ataxia, paresis, paralysis)
What are the general signs of a sick amphibian?
- decrease appetite
- tacky skin = dehydration
- terrestrial amphibians hanging in or near water’s edge
- splayed legs, head down, eyes closed, reduced righting reflexes
- anurans: eyes wide open with dilated pupils that don’t respond well to PLR
- skin changes (colour, mucous production)
- bloating, esp in aquatic spp.
- swollen limbs + eyes
What is the first rule of a herp PE?
safety first!
what is one of the most common clinical findings in reptiles and amphibians on PE?
obesity
When should you collect diagnostic specimens from a herp?
while doing PE
When metabolic bone disease (MBD) is suspected in a herp, what do you need to be especially careful of during PE?
manipulating the jaw
care should be taken when manipulating the jaw in normal herps too!
reptiles and amphibians have ____ control over their pupils.
voluntary
when compared to mammals, herp oral cavities and mucus membranes are ______.
paler
____ temperatures are useful, especially in larger reptile species which can maintain their body temperature for up to ____ ____.
cloacal, 24 hours
How can you determine heart rate in a herp other than using a stethoscope?
- direct visualization of the apical heartbeat via transillumination at the xiphoid
- Doppler or B-mode ultrasound
what is extremely important to know when handling amphibians?
keep them wet!!!
amphibian POTZ’s are ____ than reptiles
lower
when dealing with amphibians, beware of ____ shock, especially from ____ and _____.
thermal
transport, handling
When handling amphibians, like during the PE, what should you do with your hands?
put on gloves (powder free nitrile or vinyl) and keep hands/gloves moist
why should you wear gloves when examining amphibians?
- decreases epithelial damage
- decreases danger of transdermal absorption of lotions/creams
- protects against toxic or noxious excretions
_____ movements can be used for resp rate monitoring in amphibians.
gular (throat)
Before administering drugs to herps, what is really important to do?
warm herp slowly to POTZ
tell me the prognosis for herps with the following mentations/processes:
1. semi-comatose to comatose
2. normal to dull reactions to environment and stimuli
3. acute processes
4. chronic processes
- guarded to grave
- better prognosis
- better prognosis
- poorer prognosis
What are the C/S of shock in a herp?
- weakness/depressed mentation
- tachycardia
- pale/discolored mm
- vasoconstriction of intramural vessels & ventral abdominal vein
- prolonged CRT
- dilated pupils
How do you asses a herp’s hydration status?
- mm moisture
- skin gliding over underlying tissue
- ocular globe position
- PCV/TP if values known
how do you correct a fluid deficit in a herp?
slowly!
acute losses: 12-36 h
chronic losses/dehydration: 48-96 h
when deciding which fluid to choose for a reptile, what should you look at?
plasma osmolality
what is the maintenance dosage of fluids for reptiles? what sort of fluids are appropriate for most lizards and snakes? what fluids are appropriate for chelonians?
10-15 mL/kg/day
balanced electrolyte solutions (plasmalyet, normosol, LRS) - lizards/snakes
BES, LRS, 50:50 LRS & 0.45% saline - chelonians
how do you calculate plasma osmolality?
2x [Na+] + glucose + urea
what is the most important organ in amphibians?
skin
what type of rehydration is very effective in amphibians?
transdermal
what is Dougie’s fav way to rehydrate amphibians?
plasmalyte A-7.4 (dilute 1:1 w/ sterile water, undiluted for hydrocoelom)
20-60mins (longer if needed)
dextrose can be added at 2.5%
in a reptile in resp arrest, what should you do?
intubation and IPPV
4-6 breaths/min
< 8cm H2O (<6 mmHg) inspiratory pressure
when administering O2 to amphibians, what do you have to be wary of?
be careful not to dry amphibian out
In a herp triage/emergency situation, where should you maintain their thermal support?
upper third of POTZ
True or false: reptiles do not posses a well developed endogenous opioid system
False!! they do possess a well developed endogenous opioid system
amphibians have a _____ dependent analgesic response to ____ and _______ such as ______.
dose
opioids
alpha-2 agonists
(dex) medetomidine
Amphibians have a ___ response to local anesthetics, but it’s important to watch for ____.
good, toxicity
antimicrobial therapy is targeted against what type of bacteria?
gram -
severe anasarca leads to what?
marked decrease in cardiac contractility (cardiac tamponade effect)
who gets bacterial pneumonia and what predisposes them to getting it?
pythons, boas, chelonians
simple resp system & no diaphragm
what type of bacteria cause bacterial pneumonia in herps? tell me 4 examples
gram -
P. aeruginosa, Aeromonas sp., Klebsiella sp., Proteus sp.
How do herps get bacterial pneumonia?
potential immunosuppression from an underlying viral infection or husbandry induced
what are the C/S of a herp with bacterial pneumonia?
- resp distress
- open mouth breathing
- nasal bubbling
- wheezing
- swimming difficulties in aquatic turtles
How do you diagnose bacterial pneumonia in herps?
radiographs, culture, necropsy
How do you treat bacterial pneumonia in herps?
antibiotics, improve husbandry, nutrition, supportive therapy
What is acute dermatosepticemia also called? Who does it affect?
Red Leg Disease
amphibians
What causes acute dermatosepticemia in herps? like etiology
name 4 examples
opportunistic pathogens
Aeromonas hydrophily, Pseudomonas Spp., Citrobacter spp., Salmonella sp., Acinetobacter spp., Proteus spp., Flavobacterium indologenes, F. meningosepticum, F. oderans
What is a potential risk factor for a herp getting acute dermatosepticemia?
underlying viral or fungal infection that allows opportunistic bacteria to get up in there
What are the C/S of a herp with acute dermatosepticemia?
- lethargy, anorexia
- sudden death
- anasarca
- bloating
- panophthalmitis
- abnormal posturing, head tilt, loss of righting reflex
- dermal petechiation, ventral erythema (esp. legs)
- multi-systemic hemorrhages
How do you diagnose acute dermatosepticemia?
culture, R/O viral or fungal involvement
how do you treat acute dermatosepticemia?
supportive, antibiotics
you get a herp with acute dermatosepticemia for necropsy. what do you expect to see?
- congestions and organomegaly
- necrosis and fibrin
- inflammatory infiltrate in liver, spleen, lung, heart, serosal surfaces
periodontal dz has a high prevalence in who?
agamids (bearded dragons) and chameleons
Why are agamids and chameleons predisposed to periodontal disease?
acrodont dentition
exposed bone
captive diets
What are the C/s of periodontal disease in herps?
inappetence, lethargy, osteomyelitis
tell me the difference b/t acrodont, pleurodont, and thecodont dentition
Acrodont: teeth ankylosed to jaw bone, no sockets or grooves
Pleurodont: teeth ankylosed to jaw, set into dental groove
Thecodont: teeth set in sockets, no ankylosis
How do you dx periodontal dz?
rads, culture
caused by bacteria
how do you tx periodontal dz?
debride, flush, topical disinfectants, systemic antibiotics
you are doing a necropsy on a bearded dragon with periodontal disease. what do you expect to see?
necrosis, chronic osteomyelitis
what is the most common inflammatory lesion in captive reptiles?
Abscesses
What does an abscess look like in reptiles?
very hard, usually dry caseous material
reptile abscesses can be associated with ______ ______.
Vitamin A deficiency
What are the C/S of abscesses in reptiles?
lameness, swelling of joints, oral cavity, tympanum, skin or limbs
how do you dx abscesses in reptiles?
rads, lancing, culture and sensitivity
how do you tx abscesses in reptiles?
debridement, topical and/or systemic antibiotics
You get a reptile with an abscess for necropsy. what do you expect to find?
wide variety of bac t on culture
laminar rings of amorphous debris
usually well encapsulated
Herpesviruses are most common in which herps?
tortoises & freshwater turtles
what type of herpes virus infects herps?
alphaherpesvirus
what are the C/S of herpesvirus infection in a tortoise?
cachexia
anorexia
nasal and ocular discharge
cervical swelling
severe stomatitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis, glossitis
how do you dx herpesviruses in tortoises?
PCR, EM, virus isolation, histo
how do you tx herpesvirus infection in tortoises?
antiviral therapy
supportive care ± ABc
you get a tortoise with a herpesvirus infection. what do you expect to see on necropsy AND histo?
necropsy: rhinitis, stomatitis, pharyngitis, tracheitis, glossitis, esophagitis, meningoencephalitis
histo: intranuclear inclusions
what type of adenovirus do reptiles get?
Atadenovirus
what species are known to get adenoviruses? (bold=need to know)
bearded dragons
geckos, blue-tongued skink, Gila monster, boas, milksnakes, king snakes, corn snakes, pine snakes, Mojave rattlesnake, nile crocs
what are the C/S of adenovirus infection in a reptile?
anorexia, lethargy, neuro signs, hepatomegaly, death
how do you dx adenovirus infection in reptiles?
PCR! (cloacal, feces)
EM, histo
how do you tx adenovirus infection?
no treatment, just supportive care
you get a bearded dragon on necropsy with adenovirus. what do you expect to see? (gross + histo)
necrotizing hepatitis
intranuclear inclusions
inclusion body disease is common in what signalment?
boids
palm vipers, king snake
what are the C/S of inclusion body disease?
CNS signs, wasting, regurgitation, stomatitis, pneumonia, lymphoproliferative disorders, round cell tumors, death
how do you dx inclusion body disease?
blood smear, PCR, histo, EM
how do you tx inclusion body disease?
supportive therapy, tx secondary infections
what is the possible vector of inclusion body disease?
Snake mite
Ophionyssus natricis
you get a snake with inclusion body disease in for necropsy. what do you expect to see? on histo
eosinophilic to amphiphilic globular intracytoplasmic inclusions in a wide variety of epithelial cells, pancreas, liver, and neurons on CNS
Serpentoviruses are also known as ____.
Nidoviruses
Serpentoviruses are prevalent in what signalment?
ball pythons, green tree pythons
other pythons, boas, colubrids, snapping turts, chameleons
what are the C/S of serpentovirus/nidovirus?
severe resp distress, anorexia, wasting, copious oronasal mucous, rhinitis, stomatitis
how do you tx serpentovirus? what’s the mortality?
no tx, supportive therapy incl antibiotics for secondary infections
75% mortality
how do you dx serpentovirus?
PCR (swabs of oropharynx, esophagus, china, blood, tissue)
pathology
what gross lesions do you expect to see on a snake with serpentovirus infection?
mucinous rhinitis, sinusitis, tracheitis, pneumonitis, esophagitis
Ranaviruses are in the family ____.
Iridoviridae
What makes ranaviruses so bad?
highly infectious
highly resistant to desiccation, long-term water storage, freezing
pathogenicity of ranaviruses is related to _____ and ______.
host and environmental factors.
who can get ranaviruses? which one is the most important to know?
fish, reptiles, amphibians
_____ in amphibians is a notifiable disease to the OIE. (viral)
Ranavirus
what are the clinical signs of ranavirus infection in anurans?
decreased activity, abnormal swimming, fibrinous ascites, anasarca, focal erythema, skin ulceration, multisystemic hemorrhages, death
what are the C/S of ranavirus infection in caudates?
white multifocal epidermal polyps, hemorrhages, ulceration, decreased activity, float in water, hemorrhagic faces, emesis, death
how do you dx ranavirus infection in amphibians?
histo, virus isolation, capture ELISA, PCR
how do you tx ranavirus infection in amphibians?
no tx
supportive care, tx secondary infections
what is the histo lesion that you can use to ID ranavirus infection?
large basophilic to amphophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions
what is the important fungal dz in herps? name of dz and species name(s) plz and thx
Chytridiomycosis
Batracochytrium dendrobatis (Bd)
Batracochytrium salmandrivorans (Bs)
what type of chytridiomycosis is reportable to the OIE?
Batrachochytrium dendrobatis (Bd)
what species might be carriers for Bs chytridiomycosis?
bullfrogs & African clawed frogs
who can get chytridiomycosis?
amphibians (anurans and caudates)
Bd experimentally lethal to most salamandridae – N.Am ban on exotic salamanders
Tell me about how temperature impacts Bd chytridiomycosis
growth: 4-25 C
greatest virulence/pathogenicity: 12-23 C
decrease pathogenicity: >27 C
dies: 32 C
tell me about how temperature impacts Bs chytridiomycosis?
growth: 5-20 C
highest growth: 15 C
no motile zoospores: > 22 C
what are the C/S of chytridiomycosis?
abnormal posturing, abnormal behaviour, lethargy, loss of righting reflex, sudden death
what are the gross lesions of chytridiomycosis?
hyperkeratosis w/ sloughing
epidermal ulcers, epidermal discoloration
hyperemia of digital and ventral skin
hemorrhages in skin, muscle, eyes, w/ visceral congestion
how does chytridiomycosis manifest in tadpoles?
may show lesions at mouth parts
usually non-lethal
how does chytridiomyocosis cause mortality?
impairment of osmoregulation w/ resultant electrolyte imbalances leading to cardiac arrest
interference w/ cutaneous resp
how do you dx chytridiomycosis?
histo, EM, IHC, RT-Taqman PCR
PCR is sensitive & specific, but only indicates presence of Bd, not infection
how do you tx chytridiomycosis?
0.01% itraconazole baths
fluconazole
voriconazole
terbinafine
thermal treatments
chloramphenicol/florfenicol
what etiology causes cryptosporidiosis in reptiles?
Cryptosporidium serpentis
what is the typical signalment for cryptosporidiosis in reptiles?
snakes, geckos
what are the important C/S for cryptosporidiosis in reptiles?
regurgitation and gastric enlargement in snakes
anorexia, wasting
how do you dx cryptosporidiosis in reptiles?
presence of oocytes in regurgitated matter, gastric washes, feces (modified acid-fast staining)
PCR, IFA, ELISA, histo
necropsy/histo of a reptile w/ cryptosporidiosis would reveal….? for histo, what do you do?
hypertrophic, hyperplastic gastritis & enteritis w/ parietal cell atrophy
use special staining for histo
what genus of ectoparasite do we have to know and what kind of ectoparasite is it?
Ophionyssus spp.
Mite
Ophionyssys spp. can mechanically transmit ____ and possibly _____ in herps.
Aeromonas sp, IBD
why are mites difficult to eliminate from large pops of snakes?
because mites become resistant to tx
why do mites predispose snakes to other skin diseases?
because scales become loose (they live under scales)
how do you dx mites in snakes?
find mites under scales or in water bowl
cause anemia bc of blood loss
conjunctivitis, local inflammation
how do you tx mites in snakes?
topical pyrethroids, dichlorvos pest strips, avermectins
Rhabdiasis:
1. affects who?
2. what is it?
3. C/S?
- amphibians: anurans & caudates
- lungworm
- verminous eosinophilic pneumonia
what is important to know about trauma in reptiles?
they have long healing times
gout in reptiles is related to…. ?
- diet w/ excess protein or organ meat (purine-rich foods)
- water deprivation causing incomplete clearance of uric acid
- renal tubule damage w/ uric acid accumulation
what are the 2 forms of gout in reptiles?
visceral & (peri)articular
reptiles with gout display what C/S?
swollen joints, slow movements, pain
