Reptiles & Amphibians Flashcards
why are reptiles predisposed to bacterial pneumonias?
they lack a diaphragm and have a very simple respiratory system
a client brings you their snake named Sprinkle who has been open mouth breathing for a few days. When you take a look, Sprinkle does have his mouth open, and he also has some nasal bubbling. He has also been lethargic according to O. What is your number one differential?
bacterial pneumonia (gram neg bacteria), with possible underlying viral infection
you’re working at the calgary zoo and one of your frogs aint’ doing right. He is lethargic, not eating, has anasarca, seems rather bloated, and looks dyspneic. On closer inspection, he also has some dermal petechiation. Differential? What diagnostics would you like to do? How will you treat this?
Acute Dermatosepticemia or “Red Leg Disease” caused by an acute septicmeia from an opportunistic pathogen
diagnostics: culture, rule out other viral or fungal involvement
treatment: antibiotics, supportive care
a bearded dragon named Pickles comes to see you at your clinic because he’s lethargic and not eating. This owner has never had a beardy before and don’t know much about them. When you look in his mouth, there is significant periodontal disease. The owner asks why beardies get this. What do you tell her?
beardies are predisposed to periodontal disease for 3 reasons:
- acrodont dentition
- exposed bone
- captive diets
periodontal disease has a high prevalence in what 2 groups?
agamids (beardies), and chameleons
what is the most common inflammatory lesion in captive reptiles? How is this lesion different in reptiles compared to mammals?
abscesses! in reptiles they are very hard, dry, and caseous. this is because reptiles have heterophils instead of neutrophils
abscesses can be associated with what deficinecy in reptiles?
vitamin A
Tony the turtle comes to see you because his bullae are very swollen and hard. He is also lame. What do you think he might have?
an abscess!
alphaherpesviruses are common in…
tortises and freshwater turtles
you are examining a tortise on 4th year rotation. The tortise is not eating, is cachexic, has some nasal and ocular discharge. When you open his mouth, you see severe stomatitis, pharyngitis, and glossitis. Differential? How are you going to diagnose and treat this tortise?
alphaherpes virus
diagnosis: PCR
treatment: antivirals and supportive care
What do you expect to see under the microscope when expecting to diagnose alphaherpesvirus in a tortise/freshwater turtle?
intranuclear inclusions
your client brings Wilson the beardie to the clinic because he is lethargic, not eating, and today started to look up to the sky and paddle his legs. differential? how would you diagnose and treat this?
atadenovirus (DNA virus)
diagnosis: PCR
treatment: supportive care (no treatment available)
what would you see on histo with atadenovirus?
necrotizing hepatitis, intranuclear inclusions in many tissues
a ball python is having CNS signs, is regurgitating, has stomatitis, and is showing signs of pneumonia. Differential? Diagnosis, treatment?
Inclusion Body Disease (Arenavirus)
diagnosis: PCR, histo
supportive therapy, treat sec infections
there is a possible vector for inclusion body disease, what is it?
snake mites: ophinoyssys natricis
what do you see on histo for inclusion body disease?
intracytoplasmic inclusions in epithelial tissue
an albino ball python named noodle comes to you because she is in severe respiratory distress, is not eating, looks skinny, has lots of oronasal discahrge, and has stomatitis. WHat viral disease is on your differential list? How will you diagnose and treat this disease?
Serpentovirus (nidovirus)
diagnosis: PCR from swab or pathology PM
treatment: none available, and prognosis is poor. can treat secondary infections and offer supportive care
Which viral disease is highly infectious AND highly resistant in the environment, and tends to infect amphibians?
ranaviruses (notifiaible disease OIE)
what virus infecting amphibians can cause massive extinction and is a notifiable disease thru OIE?
ranaviruses
what are some clinical signs of ranavirus in frogs & salamanders?
frogs: anasarca, focal erythema, multisystemic hemorrhages
salamanders: epidermal polyps, ulceration and hemorrhages, hemorrhagic feces
what do you see on histo with ranaviruses in amphibians?
large basophilic to ampophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions
what is the name of the fungal disease that infects amphibians and is notifiable to the OIE?
chytridiomycosis
freddy the frog has hyperkeratosis, epidermal ulcers, hyperemia, and hemorrhages. What disease are you thinking of and how will you diagnose and treat this?
chytridiomycosis
diagnosis: RT Taqman PCR
treatment: itraconazole baths, maybe other antifungals
what are two possible carriers for chytridiomycosis?
bullfrogs and african clawed frogs
what disease is responsible for a north american ban on exotic salamaders?
chytridiomycosis which is experimentally lethal to most salamanders
a tadpole with hyperkeratosis on just the mouthparts may indicate…
chytridiomycosis
how does chytridiomycosis kill?
impairs osmoregulation and electrolyte imbalances leading to cardiac arrest
a snake comes to you that is not eating, appears thin, and is regurging. When you feel the snake it seems to have some distension around where the stomach is. What do you suspect? How will you diagnose and treat this condition? besides snakes, who else gets this disease?
Cryptosporidium serpentis
diagnose: prescence of oocytes (use acid fast stain) or PCR, ELISA, etc
treatment: often not rewarding
geckos (wasting syndrome)
A ball python comes to you because the owner is concerned about him: he seems to be sitting in his water dish a lot and his scales seem irritated. What should you inspect him for?
mites! ophionyssys
check between scales
also check mms for anemia
why is having mites a risk for a snake?
it can predispose to other skin diseases because the scales are loose
how do you treat a snake with mites?
pyrethroids or dichlorvos pest strips, avermectins
Rhabdiasis (lungworm) in amphibians causes…
verminous eosinophilic pneumonia
a beardie comes to you with swollen joints, lameness, and he seems to be painful. Differential?
gout
what are some things gout is related to?
- diets with lots of protein or organ meat
- water deprivation (incomplete clearance of uric acid)
- renal tubule damage with uric acid accumulation
