Reptile medicine - general conditions Flashcards
What are general conditions seen in reptiles?
- Nutritional problems
- Retained Shed
- Dystocia
- Parasites
- Prolapses
What are nutritional problems with reptiles?
- Calcium disorders - metabolic bone disease (MBD), hypocalcaemia
- Hypovitaminosis A
- Obesity
What are causes of metabolic bone disease? Who are patient at risk?
Causes =
◦ Inadequate UV-B exposure (290-320 nm)
◦ Diets lacking Calcium +/- Vitamin D3
◦ Incorrect Calcium: Phosphorus ratio in diet
◦ Other conditions (e.g. CKD) can also affect Calcium metabolism
Patients at risk =
◦ Young growing individuals
◦ Herbivore species
◦ Chameleons, geckos
◦ Females in reproductive condition
◦ Individuals with CKD
What are clinical signs of MBD?
- Fibrous osteodystrophy
- Abnormal shell shape
How is MBD diagnosed?
- Clinical history
- Clinical exam
- Radiographs - bone density, bone deformities, osteodystrophy lesions
How would you treat MBD?
- Vitamin D3
- Calcium gluconate
- Calcitonin
What is hypovitaminosis A? Who are patients at risk?
- Squamous metaplasia of different epitheliums
Patients at risk =
◦ Terrapins and aquatic turtles
◦ Individuals with unbalanced diets
Common clinical signs =
◦ Blepharitis + keratoconjunctivitis
◦ Overgrown nails and beak (chelonians)
◦ Stomatitis
◦ Rhinitis
◦ Aural abscesses
◦ Retained shed
How would you treat Hypovitaminosis A? Dx?
- Dx = history + typical lesions
- Vitamin A
- Surgical removal of conjunctival debris + aural abscesses
*Ab eyedrops if eye lesions
What reptiles are more prone to obesity?
- Tegus
- Monitor lizards
- inadequate diet + lack of exercise
What are main causes of retained shed (dysecdysis)
◦ Low humidity
◦ Low temperature
◦ Poor water quality (aquatic species)
◦ Poor nutrition
◦ Dermatitis (including. Mites) and previous skin lesions
◦ Iatrogenic trauma
How can you treat retained shed?
- Correct husbandry (humidity + temp) + diet
- Look for other causes (mites)
- Increase humidity/rehydrate
- Apply vaseline on affected areas
- Surgial if = retained spectacles in snakes, retained shed around eyelid, extreme amputation
What are 2 main types of dystocia?
Obstructive =
◦ Reduced pelvic canal size
◦ Abnormal size or shape of eggs/fetus
◦ Non- reproductive masses (e.g. neoplasia, abscess, bladder stones)
◦ Complications during egg laying: fractured egg, adhesions to oviduct, etc
Non-obstructive =
◦ Inadequate husbandry and diet – e.g. temperature, humidity, lack of suitable egg laying sites
◦ Oviduct infections
◦ Poor physical condition of female – e.g. reduced muscle development
◦ Other health problems
What is pre/post ovulatory dystocia?
- Pre-ovulatory Dystocia – Failure to ovulate and/or resorb follicles. (usually non-specific complain - not eating/more lethargic)
- Post-ovulatory Dystocia – Failure to lay eggs or give birth to fetus (repro related complaints - recent egg laying, more active, digging around substrate)
How is s pre-ovulatory dystocia Dx? Tx?
- Dx = clinical exam (distended coelomic cavity), Radiographs (soft tissue masses), US - diagnostic
- Tx = medical (improve husbandry + correct health), Surgical - GA + Spay
How is post-ovulatory dystocia diagnosed? Tx?
- Dx = clinical exam (distended coelom, eggs appear as lumps + palpable)
- Radiographs + US = fully diagnostic
- Tx = medical (induce egg laying), Surgical (ovariectomy +/- spay)
