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Exotic Animal Medicine > Intro to Snakes > Flashcards

Intro to Snakes Flashcards

1
Q

What coelomic cavities do snakes have

A
  • Single pleuroperitoneal cavity
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2
Q

What is the dental anatomy of snakes

A
  • 6 rows of teeth
    • 4 rows on top, 2 on bottom
  • Venomous snakes have venom delivering teeth (voluntary control)
    • can deliver a dry bite when striking instead of with intent to kill
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3
Q

Describe GI system of snakes

A
  • Short GI tract
    • very distensible stomach
  • Venomous glands - in venomous species
    • Viperides, elapids: located in temporal region
    • Colubrids: Devernoy’s gland
  • Forked tonge
  • Metabolism when in the process of digesting may increase by 7-10x
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4
Q

Describe respiratory system of snakes

A
  • Unicameral lungs
  • cranial part of lungs - respiratory
  • Caudal part - avascular, air-sac like
  • Only have a RIGHT lung
    • except in pythonidae and biodae
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5
Q

Describe cardiovascular system of snakes

A
  • 2 atria + 1 ventricle
    • ventricle divided into 3 subchambers
  • Location: ⅓ - ¼ of the length caudal to the head
  • Very mobile
  • Hear rate increases after a meal
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6
Q

Describe the renal system of snakes

A
  • Loopless “reptilian” nephrons
    • Do NOT concentrate water
    • Post-renal handling of urine
  • Male snakes have a “sexual segment” of the kidneys
    • enlarges the renal organ during heightened reproductive activity
    • Produces a secretion rich in proteins and lipids ⇢ copulatory plug
  • Do NOT have a urinary bladder
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7
Q

What special senses do snakes have

A
  • Fused eyelids - shed during ecdysis
  • Jacobson organ (vomeronasal organ)
  • Infrared receptors
  • No external ears
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8
Q

Describe the repro system of snakes

A
  • Intracoelomic gonades
  • Hemipenes in males
    • housed in openings caudal to the cloaca
    • used for sexing
  • Most lay eggs
    • viviparous - boids, viperids
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9
Q

How are snakes sexed?

A
  • Use well-lubricated, clean metal probe or rubber feeding tube
    • insert into lateral portion of cloaca (left or right) directed caudally
    • stop once resistance is met
  • Male: enters area of inverted hemipenis - reaches 6-8 subcaudal scale lengths
  • Females - enters blind ended scent sacs - reaches 2-4 subcaudal scale lengths
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10
Q

Where can venipuncture be done on snakes

A
  • ventral coccygeal vein
  • Cardiac vein
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11
Q

What unique cells are on the CBC of a snake

A
  • Heterophil
  • Azurophil - behaves like a heterophil
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12
Q

What imaging can be done on snakes

A
  • Radiographs
    • dorsoventral
    • lateral - horizontal beam
  • Ultrasound
    • need to get gel and alcohol between scles
  • CT-scan
  • MRI
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13
Q

where are IM injections given in snakes

A
  • Epaxial muscles
    • insert needle between scales
    • draw back and inject as normal
  • CRANIAL half of the body
    • renal/portal changes
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14
Q

How are SQ injections given in snakes

A
  • Small subcutaneous space with imited vascularity - absorption of medications and fluids variable
    • May need to use multiple locations
  • No need to tent skin
  • Location - lateral body wall
    • insert needle parallel to body wall in between scales
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15
Q

What other routes for medication administration exist for snakes

A
  • Intracoelomic - not recommended
  • Oral
  • Intravenous - challenging - jugular
  • Intraosseous - not possible
  • Cloacal route
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16
Q

What non-infectious diseases are common in snakes

A
  • Hypovitaminosis D
  • Rodent Trauma
  • Thermal burns
  • Fecal Impaction
  • Retained shed
17
Q

What infectious diseses are common in snakes

A
  • Respiratory disease
    • Bacterial
    • Viral
    • Fungal
    • Parasitic
  • Inclusion body disease
  • Fungal disease
  • Gastric cryptosporidiosis
  • Amaebiasis
  • Snake mites
  • Infectious stomatitis
18
Q

What contributes to respiratory disease in snakes

A
  • Problems wiht humidity
  • problems with ventilation
  • Inappropriate temperature (too low
19
Q

What are the clnical signs of respiratory disease in snakes

A
  • Open mouth breathing
  • dyspnea, tachypnea
  • Extended/elevated head or neck
  • Forced exhalation
  • swollen or distended neck
  • stomatits
  • discharge from choana and glottis with bubbles
  • increased respiratory sounds
  • anorexia
  • Lethargy
20
Q

What are the different causes of Respiraotyr disease in snakes

A
  • All have similar presentation
  • Bacterial:
    • Aeromonas, E. coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, Psuedomonas, Slamonella
    • Atypical: Chlamydia spp, Mycobacterium spp. Mycoplasma spp
    • Anaerobes
  • Viral:
    • Ferlavirus (paramyxovirus)
    • Nidovirus
  • Fungal
  • Parasitic
    • Pentastomes
    • lungworms (Rhabdias spp.
21
Q

How is repiratory disease diagnosed in snakes

A
  • Clin Path:
    • CBC - Leukocytosis (heterophilia + azurophilia)
    • Biochemistry
  • Imaging
    • CT mor sensitive and precise for pulmonary lesions versus radiographs
    • Endoscopy - tracheoscopy, pulmonoscopy
  • Cytology, culture
    • swab
    • trach wash
    • endocopically
22
Q

Treatment for respiratory disease in snakes

A
  • Fluid therapy
  • Agressive antimicrobial therapy
    • min 4-6wks
    • Cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ceftiofur
  • Treat underlying conditions
  • Nebulization
  • Husbanry corrections
23
Q

What is Ferlavirus? transmission? Clin signs? Dx? Tx?

A
  • Ophidian paramyxovirus
  • Neurologic and respiratory signs
  • Transmission: repiratory secretions
  • Very pathogenic in viperdae and elapidae
  • Clinical signs:
    • nasal discharge
    • open mouth breathing, labored breathing
    • pus in oral cavity
    • tremors
    • opithotonos
  • Dx:
    • histopath
    • EM
    • virus isolation
    • PCR and sequencing
    • serology with paired titers (hemagglutination inhibition)
  • Tx;
    • supportive care
    • husbandry corrections
    • antibiotics for secondary bacterial infections
24
Q

What is Nidovirus?

A
  • Recently discovered (Coronoaviridae)
  • Causes pneumonia and stomatits in pythons and boas
  • Clin signs:
    • increased clear mucus in oral cavity
    • open mouth breathin
    • wheezing
    • anorexia
    • lethergy
  • Dx:
    • PCR on trach swab or tissue samples
25
Q

What is Inclusion body disease

A
  • Caused by Arenavirus - Reptarenavirus
  • Transmission: breeding, bite wounds, fecal/oral, snake mites
  • Neuro Signs
    • Head tremors
    • Anisocoria
    • Muscle spasms with neck arching (stargazing)
    • Impaired righting reflex
    • decreased muscle tone
    • abnormal tongue flicking
    • seizures
  • Dx:
    • PCR on blood or tissue
    • Inclusion bodies in the WBC (examin buffy coat smear with HE stain)
  • Often develop secondary infections/disease due to immune suppression
    • Bacterial (salmonellosis)
    • Fungal (aspergillosis)
    • Protozoal (amoebiasis)
    • Neoplasia of the blood/bone marrow (lymphoma)
  • Tx - NONE
26
Q

WHat is Snake fungal disease

A
  • Etiologic agent: Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola
    • most common in wild/zoo snakes
  • Potential to cause population decline of many important snake species
  • Can become systemic
  • Clinical signs: dermatologic infections
    • Localized thickening and crusting of skin
    • skin ulceration
    • nodules
    • abnormal molting
    • cloudy eyes
    • facial disfiguration (can lead to emaciation and death
  • Dx: skin biopsy with culture, PCR and sequencing
  • Tx: difficult
    • Terbinafine (Nebulization, SC injection)
    • Other antifungals
      • Toxicities reported with voriconazole
      • Challenges with achieving therapeutic plasma concentrations
27
Q

What is Gastric Cryptosproidiosis

A
  • Cryptosporidium serpentis
    • Type A - snakes
    • Type B - lizards
  • C. varanii - primarily in lizards but has been revocered from snakes with proliferative enteritis
  • COntributing factors
    • Stress
    • Concurrent infection
28
Q

Life cycle of Cryptosporidium

A
  • Asexual and sexual reproduction
  • Oocysts release sporozoites (S) ⇢ Invade brush border of gastric epithelial cells ⇢ trophozoites (T) and type I meronts (M1) containing type I merozoites (Mz1)
    • Merozoites ⇢ trophozoites ⇢ reinfect host
    • Merozoites ⇢ macrogamonts (Ma) or Microgamonts (Mi)
      • Mi ⇢ microgametes (g) ⇢ fertilize macrogamonts
    • 2 mitotic divisions ⇢ Zygote (S)
      • zygote ⇢ thick-walled oocyst ⇢ environment
      • Zygote ⇢ thin-walled oocyst ⇢ autoinfection
29
Q

Clinical signs of Gastric cryptosporidiosis

A
  • Some asymptomatic
    • clear infection
    • carriers
    • pre–clinical
  • Mid-body swelling
  • chronic regurgitation
  • weight loss
  • anorexia
30
Q

How is Gastric cryptosporidiosis diagnosed

A
  • Fecal testing or cloacal swab
    • shedding intermittent
    • larger sample better
  • Serum antibody testing - interpretation difficult, high false negatives
  • Gastric lavage
    • best if 3 days after feeding
  • Gastric swab - PCR or cytology
  • Gastric biopsy - Most sensitive
  • Sample analysis:
    • easiest - cytology
      • Direct smear or wet mount in saline or Wright-Giemsa
        • false negatives if asymptomatic are common
      • Sheather’s sugar solution floatation
      • Acid fast staining
    • Once ID, need further testing to determine species
    • Cryptosporidium IFA
    • PCR - most sensitive
31
Q

Treatment for Gastric cryptosporidiosis

A
  • None completely effective
  • Paromomycin
    • improved C/s and decreased oocyst shedding, but recrudescence common
  • Confirm all suspected positives
    • isolate, treat, and monitor
    • if clinical, euthanasia most humane
32
Q

What is Amaebiasis?

A
  • Entamoeba invadens
  • Snakes most commonly affected
    • Contact with freshwater turtles
      • chelonians and crocodilians have commensal relationship
  • Risk Factors:
    • Mixed collections (snakes, carnivorous lizards, aquatic reptiles)
    • Poor quarantine and hygiene
    • Transfer of infectious cysts form food items such as insects
    • Environmental temperatures play role
  • Dx: fecal wet mount
  • Tx: metronidazole
33
Q

Clinical signs/Histologic lesions of Amaebiasis

A
  • Clinical Signs:
    • anorexia
    • dehydration
    • regurgitation
    • diarrhea
    • hematochezia
    • weight loss
    • sudden death
    • seizures
  • Histologic lesions:
    • necrotic and hemorrhagic enteritits and colitis
    • hepatitis with hepatic necrosis and abscessation
    • Can cause amoebic encephalitis - seizures, neurologic disease
34
Q

What are snake mites

A
  • Ophionyssys natricis
    • Very common
    • vector for many viruses and bacteria
  • Tx:
    • ivermectin spray of snake and enclosure
    • Pyrethrins/permethrin spray of snake and enclosure
    • Clean enclosure and discard all substrate and encloseure furniture
    • decrease humidity and increase temperature
    • predatory mites
    • bravecto

Exotic Animal Medicine (28 decks)

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