Practice Tips for Reptiles
-Place on substrates that are not easily ingested – no calcium containing sand
-Feed appropriately sized food and prey items
-In iguanas & some of the other lizards recommend spaying/neutering prior to sexual maturity
-Discuss long term problems of keeping reproductively intact
-Do not aggressively palpate females with distended coeloms or over-restrain for procedures (preovulatory stasis,
egg bound, egg yolk peritonitis)
-Kidney disease prevalent in adult iguanas probably due to chronic dehydration and high protein diets when they
were young
-Encourage feeding of dead prey – fresh killed/frozen
-Live prey should be removed if not eaten within five minutes
-Tail amputation done manually at natural breaking planes
-Do not suture
-Snakes that are preshed will have a rosey "glow" to the ventrum which is different than the petecchial hemorrhages
that are seen with snakes with septicemia
-Warn clients of possible long erm complications and dysfunction from early severe NSHP
-Ivermectin – not in turtles, tortoises and indigo snakes; w/caution in skinks; not w/in 10 days of ketamine use
-Standing lateral view allows for better visualization of air space, better definition of ileus and more information
in lizards
-Careful what you say!
"Keep warm during transport"
"Swim once per day"
"Increase the temperature of the cage"
"Give this once per day"
-Specific swimming recommendations
-Specific recommendations on heat changes
-NEVER ASSUME
-Thermal burns are common as heat receptors are not the same as pain receptors and will seek heat especially if
ill
-No ICe fluids w/space occupying lesion
-Annual PE, biannual fecal exams
-Specific swimming recommendations
-Not all "Reptile Lights" are the same
-Define "gut loading" insect prey items
-Discuss Salmonella risks w/all clients
-Brochure on Salmonella and Reptiles available through ARAV
-ANY disease process or procedure that is considered painful in other species should be considered painful in reptiles!
