reptile stuff Flashcards
Infectious Stomatitis
infection and inflammation of the tissue lining the mouth
Coccidial Organisms
A type of parasite. Several coccidial organisms have been reported to cause disease in reptiles
Roundworms
parasite, cause stomach ulcers in severe infestations.
hookworm
lives in the upper gastrointestinal tract and causes wounds at sites of attachment. Large swellings caused by the inflammatory response to this hookworm can cause intestinal obstruction.
ascarids
Snakes infected with ascarids may regurgitate partially digested food or adult worms and may have no appetite. Infection may cause inflammatory swellings in the gastrointestinal tract. These swellings may abscess and perforate the intestine.
Protozoal Diseases
Protozoa are single-celled organisms; some cause disease in animals.
Entamoeba invadens
the most serious disease-causing protozoan of reptiles. Signs of infection are loss of appetite and weight, vomiting, mucus-containing or bloody diarrhea, and death. The disease may spread quickly in large snake collections.
Cryptosporidiosis
infection caused by protozoa of various Cryptosporidium species. It can cause regurgitation, marked weight loss, and longterm weakness. In snakes, the organism affects the lining of the digestive tract, causing thickening of the stomach lining and loss of normal digestive motion of the stomach.
diagnosed with tests of the feces or regurgitated food or by biopsy of the stomach. Several treatments have been suggested, but most do not work consistently.
diabetes mellitus
a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism) has been reported in turtles and tortoises. Signs of diabetes in these reptiles include glucose (a type of sugar) in the urine and abnormally high levels of glucose in the blood.
spectacle
a snakes eyecap
Abnormal beak growth
This condition, which interferes with feeding, is often associated with poor nutrition
Calcium or vitamin D3 deficiency may cause the skull to become distorted as it develops.
Secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism
type of MBD, the most common bone disease seen in pet reptiles. It is caused by a poor diet with the wrong ratio of calcium to phosphorus and a lack of vitamin D3 or poor husbandry (lack of ultraviolet B light, inadequate temperature control in the cage).
Secondary renal hyperparathyroidism
A type of MBD, a kidney disorder that occur in adult reptiles. It is associated with high levels of phosphate and low levels of calcium in the blood, calcification (hardening) of soft tissues, and loss of calcium from bones.
Stargazing
a sign of some nervous system disorders in snakes and other reptiles. Stargazing describes a twisting of the neck that makes the animal appear to look upward (toward the stars). Other signs of nervous system disorders include mental dullness, abnormal posture, seizures, and inability to move normally. One of the most common causes of stargazing in boa constrictors and pythons is inclusion body disease, which is caused by a viral infection.
Visceral gout
affects the organs
Articular gout
effects joints
respritory infections
caused by parasites of the respiratory system or the whole body, unfavorable environmental temperatures, unsanitary conditions, other diseases, malnutrition, and vitamin A deficiency. Open-mouth breathing, discharge from the nose, and difficulty breathing are frequent signs.
Paramyxovirus
more common in vipers than other snakes but have also been reported in nonvenomous snakes. This highly contagious virus most often causes respiratory system problems. Secondary bacterial infections are common, and affected animals may have discharge from the nose, open-mouth breathing, dried pus in the mouth, and labored breathing.
Dystocia
egg retention
Vent Prolapse
Several organs, including the cloaca, colon, oviduct, hemipenes/phallus, and (if present) bladder may prolapse through the vent of reptiles. Common causes include dystocia, breeding trauma, inflammation of the cloaca, infections, metabolic disease, bladder stones, kidney disease, cancer, or any space-occupying mass within the abdomen that causes straining to defecate.
Abscesses
pus-filled sores, often accompanied by inflammation, that are usually caused by bacterial infection. They are seen in all orders of reptiles. Abscesses are often caused by bite wounds, other injuries, or poor environmental conditions. Abscesses under the skin appear as small lumps or swellings. Other conditions that may look like abscesses are parasitic infections, tumors, and hematomas (swellings filled with blood).
Dermatophytosis
fungal infection of the skin or nails, has been described in all reptiles. In most cases, an injury to the skin provides a point of entry for the fungus.
Dysecdysis
incomplete or abnormal shedding of the skin. Low humidity, skin parasites, nutritional deficiencies, infectious diseases, lack of suitable abrasive surfaces, and decreased thyroid function may contribute to an abnormal shed.
ulcerative or necrotic dermatitis
Scale rot, Humidity and unclean environments appear to be the main factors that cause this condition. Moist, contaminated bedding allows bacteria and fungi to multiply. Treatment with antibiotics and excellent hygiene
Septicemic cutaneous ulcerative disease (SCUD)
a bacterial infection of aquatic turtles. The disease causes pitting of scutes on the shell.
Crustacean Bacteremia
caused by Beneckea chitinovora, a bacterium commonly found in crustaceans. Reddening, pitting, and ulcers of the shell are seen.
Flagellates
(a type of protozoal microorganism), especially Hexamita species, can cause urinary tract disease in turtles and tortoises and intestinal disease in snakes.
Inclusion Body Disease
Boa constrictors and several species of pythons are most commonly affected by inclusion body disease, which is caused by a retrovirus or arenavirus.
Infectious Cloacitis
Infection of the cloaca (the passage for both urine and feces in reptiles) can be caused by kidney stones or other hard accumulations in the lower intestine, urinary tract, or reproductive passages.
trematodes
Disease-causing flatworms
Tapeworms
are found in all orders of reptiles but are rare in crocodilians.
spirurid worm (Dracunculus species)
cause skin sores
pentastomes
tongue worms, may ir may not cause disease
oviduct
the tube that connects the ovary to the cloaca, the chamber where eggs exit the body
caudal autonomy
when a lizard can drop its tail
