home care for the impacted reptile
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Home care for the Impacted Reptile. Gillian Gouchie Atlantic Veterinary College Envirovet Alum 2010. What is an impaction?. Impactions can happen anywhere in the body where something is supposed to drain Gastrointestinal tract + something that isn’t moving at all or easily. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Home care for the Impacted Reptile
Gillian GouchieAtlantic Veterinary College
Envirovet Alum 2010
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What is an impaction?
• Impactions can happen anywhere in the body where something is supposed to drain
• Gastrointestinal tract + something that isn’t moving at all or easily
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Which reptiles can become impacted?
The answer is: ALL OF THEM
The better question is: “Which individual animals will get impacted?”
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Why do reptiles get impacted?
• It’s all about the anatomy!
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It’s all comparative anatomy!
An impaction by any other name is still an impaction
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A word on substrate selection
• In general, substrates should be:– Non-toxic– Absorbable– Easily digestible– Easy to clean– As natural as possible?
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The things not to use...
• Toxic substrates– Pine and cedar wood chips– Mineral-added substrates
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The things not to use...
• Size of bedding and animal– Younger lizards– Accidental ingestion
If they can eat it, then don’t use it!
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The things not to use...
• “Digestible” sands– Calcium sands• Nutritional value?• Add water BIG PROBLEMS
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Alternatives to substrates
• Maybe not to most “natural looking”
• Types:– Newspaper– Reptile carpets
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Another major cause of impactions
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The odd ball cases
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Signs of an impaction
• Or possible impaction...– Can be complete or partial– Can be something else
• Decreased feed intake• Decreased fecal output• Decreased activity• Abnormal behavioral patterns• Sitting in water dish• Actively drinking water
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Possible outcomes
• The things we want...– The impaction passes and back to life as usual
• The things we don’t want...– Intestines perforate– Infection– Muscle wasting– Death
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A little story about assumptions
• Maxilla– 4 year old leopard
gecko– 1 month history of
anorexia, lethargy and decreased fecal output
– Housed on walnut shell substrate with a history of eating it
– Never been dewormed
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Suspect an impaction, now what?
• SEE A VETERINARIAN!
• Why?– Sometimes it’s not an impaction– Diagnosis is key
• Special equipment needed
– Specific medications are needed– Training needed to manage this
at home
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Things that can be done at home
• To avoid an impaction– Be aware of the
substrate– Note number and
consistency of bowel movements
– Pay attention to the behavior• Especially at feeding!
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Things that can be done at home
• And now we have an impaction – Remove substrate– Water soaks– Increased fluid diet– Other steps will need to be demonstrated by a
veterinarian!
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Things that SHOULD NOT be done at home
• And now we have an impaction – Force feeding!
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The miraculous case we love to see...
• Feline– Unknown age– Male tangerine
leopard gecko– Rescue– Severe pain and
emaciation– No feces in 2 months
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Signs that should not be missed
• This could apply to any animal with a gastrointestinal blockage– Decreased feed intake– Decreased fecal output– Pain
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Take home messages
• Owning a reptile is hard work!– Know your species– Advice vs. Practice– Know who to talk to!– Better to be safe than sorry
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A special thank you to the animals that keep me centered everyday