Exotic Animal Formulary5

a
Generally recommended to collect only 0.7% body weight in healthy reptiles, less in debilitated
animals, so 0.7 mL total in 100 g animal.
Table 4-16
Treatment of Dystocia in Reptiles. a,16,37,74,91,283,373
Etiologies
• Poor environmental conditions (improper thermal environment, lack of suitable nesting
substrate, shallow nesting substrate; underground obstructions [e.g., roots or buried
rocks], disturbance, lack of visual security, etc.)
• Social factors (e.g., competition, fighting, recent introduction of male)
• Dietary imbalances (e.g., calcium deficiency, hypovitaminosis A), malnutrition
• Endocrine imbalances
• Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism
• Uterine inertia
• Dehydration
• Renal disease
• Egg yolk coelomitis
• Cystic or cloacal calculi
• Infections (e.g., uterus)
• Anatomic anomalies of the reproductive tract, eggs, pelvis, or shell of chelonians
• Other (substrate ingestion, overfeeding, other illness, inadequate exercise)
Diagnosis
• History and clinical signs (prolonged anorexia, lethargy, posterior paresis,
straining/tenesmus, increased pacing/seeking, excavating nests without oviposition,
straining to pass eggs, passage of a few eggs but not a full clutch, fluid discharge from
cloaca)
• Knowledge of normal egg retention time or usual season for laying
• Physical examination (gentle palpation of inguinal or prefemoral fossa or caudal
coelom; eggs may not be palpable)
• CBC (anemia, elevated or decreased WBCs)
• Plasma biochemical analysis (hyperproteinemia, elevated ALP activity, hypercalcemia
[total calcium elevated], hypocalcemia [ionized Ca <1 mmol/L])
• Coelomic effusion aspirate and cytology—carefully avoid aspirating from the urinary
bladder, oviducts, or eggs when collecting coelomic fluid samples
• Radiography (tortoise eggs have a calcified outer shell and appear radiographically
similar to avian eggs; turtles, lizards, and snakes generally have soft-shelled eggs with
soft-tissue density on radiographs)
• Ultrasound
• Coelioscopy—particularly to confirm coelomitis, salpingitis, or oviduct rupture;
determine whether early surgical management is appropriate
Treatment
• If patient is stable, provide proper environmental conditions (appropriate thermal
environment, humidity, nesting site, substrate material, substrate depth, and substrate
moisture; minimal stimulus; isolation)
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