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Exotic Animal Medicine > Lizard Diseases > Flashcards

Lizard Diseases Flashcards

1
Q

What coelomic cavities do lizards have?

A
  • Single pleuroperitoneal cavity
    • Monitors - post-pulmonary septum
    • Tegus - post-hepatic septum
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2
Q

GI system of lizards

A
  • Depends on diet
    • long with 1 cecum and large colon in herbivores
    • Short in carnivorous species
  • Venom glands
    • Helodermatid lizards (Gila monster, bearded lizards) - along the lower jaw
      • lack musculature to inject venom immediately - must chew venom into flesh of victim (only used in defense)
  • Tongue
    • pojective and prehensive in Chameleon
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3
Q

Describe the respiratory system of lizards

A
  • Trachea - incomplete tracheal rings
  • Larynx - similar to birds
  • Lungs:
    • Cranial part - respiratory
    • Caudal part - avascular, airsac like
    • unicameral - geckos, skinss
    • Paucicameral - iguanas, chameleons, agamids
    • Multicameral - monitor lizards
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4
Q

Describe the renal system of lizards?

A
  • A ureotelic organism generally excretes excess nitrogen as urea
    • Urea is less toxic and needs less water for excretion
  • Uricotelic organism excretes either uric acid or its salts
    • Uric acid is the least toxic and require less water in comparison to urea and ammonia
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5
Q

How are lizards sexed?

A
  • Most males have prominent bilateral bulges at the ventral tail base where the hemipenes are located
  • Some are sexually dimoorphic
    • male iguanas - large dewlap, taller dorsal spines, larger opercular scales, large and well-developed femoral pores
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6
Q

What are the risks of handling lizards

A
  • Bite
  • scratch with toenails
  • Whip tail
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7
Q

Where can venipuncture be done on lizards

A
  • Ventral coccygeal
  • jugular
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8
Q

Unique cells on CBC?

A
  • Heterophils
  • Azurophil - behaves like monocyte
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9
Q

How can lizards be imaged?

A
  • Radiographs
    • small patients - use dental radiographs
    • At least 2 views - orthogonal
      • horizontal beam!
  • Ultrasound
    • need a lot of gel and alcohol between scales to get a good image
  • CT-scan
    • extremely useful in reptiles
  • MRI
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10
Q

Where can IM injections be given in lizards

A
  • Avoid tail and rear limbs because of First pass effect
  • Forelimb (Triceps or Biceps)
    • insert needle between scales
    • draw back and inject as you normally would
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11
Q

Where can SQ injections be given in lizards

A
  • Absorption of fluids and medications variable
  • No need to tent skin
  • Location - Lateral body wall or inguinal space
    • insert needle parallel to body wall in between scales
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12
Q

What other routes for medication administration are there for lizards

A
  • Intracoelomic - NOT recommended
  • Oral
  • IV - ventral coccygeal
  • Intraosseous - distal femur, proximal tibia
  • Cloacal route
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13
Q

What are common non-infectious diseases of lizards

A
  • Hypovitaminosis D
  • Ca Deficiency
  • MBD
  • Low Humidity
  • Dysecdysis
  • Urolithiasis
  • Sand impaction
  • Cloacal Prolapse
  • Egg binding/Dystocia
  • Stomatitis
  • Tail necrosis
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14
Q

What is Hypvitaminosis D in lizards

A
  • Vit D required through dietary intake or synthesis in skin via UV
  • Necessary for intestinal absorption of Ca
  • Hypovit D ⇢ Ca deficiency = Metabolic bone disease
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15
Q

What are the clinical syndromes with Ca deficiency

A
  • Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (dietary and husbandry induced MBD)
  • Renal secondary hyperparathyroidism (dietary and husbandry induced MBD)
  • Osteoporosis
  • Osteomalacia (adults)
  • Rickets (young) - or fibrous osteodystrophy (excessive bone resorption and secondary fibrosis
  • Hypocalcemia
  • Systemic calcium deficiency
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16
Q

What are the clinical signs/PE findings of MBD

A
  • Clinical Signs:
    • Lethargy, reluctance to move
    • poor appetite or anorexia
    • weight loss or poor weight gain
    • poor truncal lift
    • ileus - GI impactions
  • PE:
    • Pliable mandible or maxilla
      • swollen bones (fibrous osteodystrophy)
    • Pathologic fractures
    • Muscle twitching, tremors
    • Less common:
      • kyphosis, lordosis, scoliosis ⇢ occasionally rear limb paralysis
17
Q

How is MBD diagnosed?

A
  • History: poor diet, no UVB exposure
  • Clinical signs
  • PE
  • Radiographs/CT
    • Decreased bone density, cortical thinning, fibrous osteodystrophy, fractures, widened ends of long bones, swelling at costochondral junctions
  • Plasma Ca and P levels
    • common for tCa to be normal
    • iCa - often low, but lack reference ranges
18
Q

How is MBD treated

A
  • Improve husbandry and environmental conditions
    • optimize temperature, humidity, and UVB
    • Provide high quality diet (calcium content)
    • Force feeding (type depends on natural diet)
    • Calcium supplementation
19
Q

What are the clinical consequences of inappropriate humidity

A
  • Respiratory problems
  • Dehydration - kidney disease in iguanas and chameleons
  • Decreased reproduction
  • lower life expectancy
20
Q

What is Dysecdysis?

A
  • Abnormal shedding of the outer layer of skin
  • Typically a sign of an underlying problem
  • Common:
    • digital constriction and loss of toes/toenails
    • Tail constriction
21
Q

What is ecydsis?

A
  • Normal process:
    • Renewal phase - lymphatic fluid collects between old and new skin
      • skin appears dull, marking become less distinct, spectacles appear opaque or milky blue
    • Skin take on shiny appearance and reptile begins to shed
      • particularly susceptible to trauma, infection, and toxin exposure
  • Length of shedding is affected by age and nutritional status
  • Lizards often shed piecemeal
    • geckos often ingest patches of shed skin, so it may not be observed in the environment
22
Q

Why does urolithiasis occur in lizards

A

most often a consequence of low humidity and chronic dehyrdration

23
Q

What is sand impaction in lizards

A
  • Common in captive bearded dragons and geckos
  • Contributing factor: ileus from low Ca/humidity
  • Dx - radiographs, CT
  • Tx:
    • remove source
    • correct calcium and hydration
    • soaking and/or enemas
24
Q

What is Cloacal prolapse in reptiles

A
  • What can prolapse
    • Cloaca
    • hemipenes
    • bladder
    • oviduct
    • colon
  • Secondary to an underlying problem
    • Endoparasitism, tumors, Ca deficiency, urolithiasis, fecal impaction, egg binding, pre follicular stasis
  • Try to identify the involved anatomical structure
  • Lubricate and replace
  • Amputate necrotic tissue - Know what it is!
25
Q

What reproductive tract diseases affect female reptiles?

A
  • Egg binding / dystocia
  • Follicular stasis
  • Etiology: poor diet, low humidity, poor cage design (light, shelter, substrate)
  • Dx - radiographs/CT/ultrasound
  • Tx - correct husbandry, surgery
26
Q

What is stomatitis in lizards

A
  • Scabbing and necross of gingiva
  • Often secondary to systemic disease
  • Dx:
    • bloodwork
    • radiographs/CT
    • cytology and culture and sensitivity
  • Tx:
    • systemic antibiotics/antifungals
    • topical meds
    • analgesia
    • surgical debridement as indicated
27
Q

What is tail necrosis in lizards

A
  • necrosis of distal limb appendages ins common
  • Causes:
    • low humidity
    • low temperature
    • avascular necrosis
    • sepsis
  • Allow tissue to declare themselves!
  • Treat any systemic disease that is present
28
Q

What infectious diseases are common in lizards

A
  • Agamid adenovirus 1
  • Encephalitozoon pogonae
  • GI Parasites
    • Oxyurid nematodes
    • Isospora amphiboluri
    • Cryptosporidium varanii
    • Flagellates
  • Fungal diseases:
    • Nannizziopsis guarroi
    • metarhizium spp.
    • Purpureocillium lilacinus
    • Candida albicans
    • Fusarium spp
29
Q

What is Agamid Adenovirus 1

A
  • Atadenovirus genera
  • Affects bearded dragons most commonly
  • Often afflicted with comorbidities
  • Juveniles > adults
  • Clinical signs:
    • range from mild ill thrift to severe enterohepatic and neurologic signs
      • enterohepatic - diarrhea, weakness, anorexia
      • Neurologic - head tilt, circling, opisthotonos
    • Death
  • Dx:
    • Choanal-cloacal swab PCR
    • Serology - low sensitivity
    • Post mortem - karyomegalic, basophilic, intranuclear adenoviral inclusions and necrosis (especially in liver)
      • Inclusion locations: hepatocytes, enterocytes, esophageal epithelium, myocardium, endocardium, lung, renal tubular epithelium, brain glial and epithelial cells, pancreas
    • Other: EM, in situ hybridization, next gen sequencing
30
Q

What is Encephalitozoon pogonae

A
  • Microsporidial parasite
  • Develops primarily in macrophages within foci of granulomatous inflammation of different organs
    • liver, heart, adrenal glands, ovaries, joints
  • Transmission: horizontal, transovarial
  • Dx: liver biopsy
  • Still very little known about the disease
31
Q

What are the common GI parsites of lizards

A
  • Oxyurid nematodes (pinworms)
    • very common
    • pathogenicity uncertain - suspected commensals
      • left untreated unless clinical
      • Fenbendazole most commonly prescribed
  • Isospora amphiboluri (coccidian parasite)
    • Very common
    • variable pathogenicity
      • most commonly a problem in juveniles - poor doers, mortality
      • Challenging to treat - toltrazuril, ponazuril
    • Dx: modified sheather’s sugar floatation
  • Cryptosporidium varanii
    • most common in leopard geckos
    • Anorexia, progressive weight loss, coelomic swelling
    • High morbidity and mortality
    • Tx: paromomycin
  • Flagellates
    • common
    • low pahtogenicity
31
Q

What are the common GI parsites of lizards

A
  • Oxyurid nematodes (pinworms)
    • very common
    • pathogenicity uncertain - suspected commensals
      • left untreated unless clinical
      • Fenbendazole most commonly prescribed
  • Isospora amphiboluri (coccidian parasite)
    • Very common
    • variable pathogenicity
      • most commonly a problem in juveniles - poor doers, mortality
      • Challenging to treat - toltrazuril, ponazuril
    • Dx: modified sheather’s sugar floatation
  • Cryptosporidium varanii
    • most common in leopard geckos
    • Anorexia, progressive weight loss, coelomic swelling
    • High morbidity and mortality
    • Tx: paromomycin
  • Flagellates
    • common
    • low pahtogenicity
32
Q

What fungal disease affect lizards

A
  • Nannizziopsis guarroi
    • Fungal dermatitis
    • “Chryosporium anamorph of Nannizziopsis vriesii (CANV)”
    • “yellow skin disease” “yellow fungal disease”
    • Highly contagious
    • Potential for systemic disease
    • Diagnosis:
      • skin biopsy
      • PCR and sequencing
    • Tx - challenging
      • Voriconazole
  • Metarhizium spp
    • M. granulomatis, M viride
    • common in chameleons
    • Clinical signs; tongue necrosis, dermatitis
  • Purpureocillium lilacinus
    • causes pneumonia in a variety of lizard species
  • Candida albicans
  • Fusarium spp

Exotic Animal Medicine (28 decks)

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