Reptiles 2: Clinical Techniques and Therapeutics Flashcards
Safety and Precautions for reptile handling
- Always get back up for large and potentially dangerous reptiles
- Wear gloves for large aggressive reptiles
- Wear gloves or wash hands thoroughly after handling! ZOONOTIC risk with Salmonella
Non-Venomous Snakes
- how to handle
- constrictors
- snake defecation
- speed
- large snakes
- Grasp firmly but gently behind the head
- Support and control the body with your second hand
- Do NOT place constrictor species around your head or neck
- Some snakes will defecate or produce foul-smelling secretions from scent glands when handled
- Some species can strike VERY fast, often with no warning
- 1 person/meter for large snakes
venomous snakes - should we handle?
- tools?
- Do NOT handle
- Special training is required
> Snake hooks
> Snake tubes
lizard handling
- how to hold
- tail?
- eyelids
- dangers
- tools
- Grasp firmly but gently at the neck/thoracic girdle
- With the second hand, hold the hind legs into the body at the pelvis/base of the tail to prevent the legs and tail from thrashing
- Do NOT pick up by tail may accidentally come off or be shed in an escape mechanism (tail autotomy) in some species (e.g., iguana, skink, and gecko species)
- Gentle pressure over the eyelids causes a vaso-vagal response and can help with handling for radiographs
- Can bite, scratch with toenails, and whip tail
- Can use a towel
large lizard dangers when handling
- Monitor lizards, iguanas, and tegus need to be approached with caution
- Have a VERY powerful bite, strong and sharp claws, and can whip their tail
Chelonians
- how to hold
- dangers
- examination problem
- Hold across the middle of the shell or the edge of the carapace and plastron with both hands
- Can bite and scratch with their beak and toenails (turtles > tortoises)
- Will retract head and limbs making examination difficult
reptile history taking
- acute vs chronic problems?
- what issues usually involved in issues?
- Remember that most reptile problems are not acute problems
<><> - Husbandry issues are almost always involved (See Reptile 1 lecture)
- Enclosure
- Temperature gradient
- Humidity
- UVB lighting
- Diet (supplements)
History Taking
- signalment > what to know
Signalment
* Species, subspecies
> Also gives idea of biotope of origin
* Age
* Sex (if known)
* Duration in owner’s care/captivity
* Origin (captive bred, wild caught, importation date)
History Taking
- what to know about husbandry?
Enclosure
* Size, type, hiding spots
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Temperature:
* Gradient: maximum, minimum, basking area
* Night temperature
* Temperature control and monitoring
* Heating equipment
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Humidity
* % humidity, humidity gradient, humidity boxes
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UVB lighting
* Type and position, when last changed?
* Presence of a screen between the source and animal
* Any time outdoors in summer
History Taking
- what to ask about diet?
- What is the diet?
- When and how often is it fed?
- How is food prepared?
- Amount or size offered?
- How much is actually eaten?
- Treats/supplements used?
> Especially calcium and vitamins - How is water provided?
History Taking
- other important questions aside from signalment, hisbandry, diet
- Breeding details, if any
- Other animals in the enclosure?
- Disease history
- Quarantine protocol
History Taking
- what to ask about current problem
- Reason for presentation
- Clinical signs
- Duration of illness
Physical Examination
- how to start
- Start by an overall visual assessment prior to restraint
> Attitude, mentation - Always obtain weight (gram scale needed for most of these patients)
Physical Examination should be thorough and routinw, and progress from
head to toe
Physical Examination
- head
> what to look at, tools
- Eyes, ears (not for snakes and chameleons)
- Open mouth with credit card or soft spatula
> Look at choana, glottis, teeth, gum, Jacobson’s organ
Physical Examination
* Coelomic cavity palpation
> what can we feel? in diff animals?
* what else to palapte?
* examine what structures?
Coelomic cavity palpation
* Snakes – can usually palpate the heart, sometimes
gallbladder, look for masses or impacted GI tract
* Lizards – kidneys can be palpated via rectal exam if large (sit in the pelvic girdle), look for masses and impacted GI tract, bilateral fat pads caudoventrally
* Chelonians – one or two fingers placed in the inguinal area between the hindlimbs and shell – cystic calculi, foreign bodies, neoplasia, potential eggs
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* Palpation of the extremities and tail
* Examine cloaca
* Examine the shell of chelonians
Physical Examination
- heart rate > auscultate?
> how to take?
> where to find for snakes, chelonians, lizards
Cannot auscultate most of the time > use Doppler
> Where to place the Doppler?
* Snakes – approximately the end of the last third of the body
* Chelonians – on the neck over the carotid artery or in the
thoracic inlet
* Lizards – between forelimbs or axillary region; a monitor lizards’ heart is more caudal
consideration for taking retile resp rate?
Remember: reptiles can hold their breath for long periods of time
TPR for reptiles - can we do it?
- normal values?
- TPR: no temperature and no palpable pulses
- Normal physiologic values > Extremely variable – depends on ambient temperature, age, species, health status
reptile BCS - scale? how to take?
Body condition scoring
* Range 1 (emaciated) to 5 (grossly obese)
> Look at: the palpability of ribs, pectoral/pelvic girdles, the girth of the tail, the muscle mass of forelimbs and hind limbs
Physical Examination
- what about animals about to shed? how to tell?
> why should we care?
Avoid handling animals about to shed if possible – appear dull, blue-tinged, or opaque in color
* May be more aggressive
* Underlying skin is not fully developed
> handling may cause damage to newly developed skin
Physical Examination
* Assessing dehydration
- MM
- skin
- CRT
- eyes
- Mucous membranes – should
be pink and moist
> Common sign of dehydration in reptiles – dry or tacky mucous membranes with saliva strands
<> - Skin – may lack normal elasticity and appear wrinkled
> Can tent skin in many species
<> - Capillary refill time – should be about 1-2 seconds
<> - Eyes – dehydrated reptiles appear to have sunken eyes
Physical Examination
- sexing
> in snakes, how to
Snakes – use a well-lubricated, clean metal probe or rubber feeding tube > insert into the lateral portion of the cloaca (left or right), directed caudally > stop once resistance is met
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- can probe far deeper in male cloaca
Physical Examination
- sexing lizards, how to for various types
- Hemipenis bulges caudal to cloaca
- Enlarged femoral pores in most male lizards
- Precloacal pores in geckos (more prominent in male)
- Sexual dimorphism
> Male iguanas – large dewlap, taller dorsal spines, larger opercular scales, large and well-developed femoral pores
