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In the past 40 years, the veterinary care of reptiles has
advanced at an amazing rate. Beginning with a few
pioneers seeing a just handful of clients, today reptile
medicine and surgery are now being taught as part of
most university courses. There is still a long way to go
for reptile medicine to catch up to companion animal
practice, but the knowledge base is growing rapidly.
Finding yourself a vet who has an interest and experience
in reptile medicine is always a great start as there are
some subtle differences to examining and treating these
animals, and reptiles are great at hiding signs of disease.
Reptiles generally visit the vet either for an annual health
check or for treatment of an overt sign of disease:
Check ups and annual health checks.
Many reptile owners may not be aware that reptiles, like
all other pets, benefit from an annual check up with a
reptile-savvy vet. There are two main reasons for this, the
first of which is that reptiles do not live as long as people,
so visiting your vet once a year is comparable to visiting
your doctor every 5-10 years! Secondly, catching a
disease early in its course more often than not will
result in a better outcome and a cheaper treatment.
Establishing a baseline of normal data, including
information derived from blood tests, can be
beneficial for the preventive health management of
your pet reptile. There are not normal reference
parameters for blood tests in most species of reptiles,
so regular blood tests will allow your vet to
determine your pet’s normal ranges, which can then
assist with early detection of disease if results differ
from what is normally expected.
Overt signs of illness that require veterinary
attention.
Reptiles are a tough class of animals and are great at
hiding illness until it is in the very advanced stages.
There are a few obvious signs that you may notice in
your reptile that indicate it is time to take a visit to
the vet:
Reptile Vets: When
should you see one?
Dr Tom Vowell, of Glenorie Vet Clinic, explains
why you should get to know him better – or
your local vet with a special interest in reptiles!
Left: Dr Tom Vowell examines a turtle that has been
hit by a car. Image courtesy Dr Tom Vowell.
Right: Reptiles are great at hiding signs of illness,
and will benefit from annual check ups with a reptile-
savvy vet. Image by
Kuttelvaserova Stuchelova.
In this issue we have contributions from
two of our favourite reptile vets!
Image by Michael Cermak.
a decrease in appetite or refusal of food
altogether;
changes in normal behaviours or routine;
difficulty moving;
breathing difficulties - nasal or oral
discharge;
changes to one or both eyes (swelling,
redness, discharge);
regurgitation of food;
changes in the faeces (diarrhoea, unusual
colour or blood);
tremors of seizures.
How to transport your reptile to the vet.
Each reptile species requires a unique set of environ-
mental conditions in order to function properly. You
should try to replicate these conditions as closely as
possible during transportation, or at least immediately
prior to transport. The use of appropriate containers can
reduce stress on reptiles during transportation and while
waiting in the waiting room. Some recommendations
include:
pillow cases;
well-ventilated, clear-plastic containers;
cardboard boxes;
cat carriers.
Reptile medicine has come a long way, and more
veterinary practices are now willing to see reptiles and
are equipped to cater for their special requirements. Since
these animals are so adept at hiding signs of disease, it is
worthwhile to visit your vet on a regular basis (at least
once every 12 months) to catch disease early, which
often results in easier and more successful treatment.
Dr Tom Vowell
Glenorie Vet Clinic
Ph (02) 9652 1338
E: [email protected]
F: https://www.facebook.com/GlenorieVeterinaryClinic/
Image by Michael Cermak.
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