Bastien Rubin, Julie Pujol, Pauline Delnatte, Karine Béland, Annabelle Vigneault, C. Gara‐Boivin, Stéphane Lair, Shannon Ferrell, C. Vergneau-Grosset
N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) is a lysosomal enzyme found in renal tubular epithelial cells whose concentration can be measured in blood as a possible diagnostic tool to monitor renal disease; however, no reference values are currently available in reptiles. This study investigated the presence of plasma NAG concentrations in 3 reptile species. Blood samples were obtained from clinically healthy bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps; n = 13), corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus; n = 9) and wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta; n = 13). To further assess renal health, a biochemistry panel was performed for all animals, and renal biopsies were collected from the bearded dragons and snakes, but not from the turtles. Biopsies were not taken from wood turtles to limit the risk associated with anesthetizing an endangered species. Of the 35 animals sampled, 29 were considered healthy and included in the study. Plasma NAG concentrations in the wood turtles were significantly lower than in the corn snakes (P = 0.004) and plasma NAG concentrations in the corn snakes were significantly higher than in bearded dragons (P = 0.038). Wood turtles had the lowest NAG concentrations, followed by bearded dragons and corn snakes. In conclusion, NAG reference intervals should be established for each reptile species and analyte validation is needed for this assay in reptiles. Further research is needed to establish NAG reliability as a diagnostic tool in reptiles.
N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG)是一种存在于肾小管上皮细胞中的溶酶体酶，其浓度可在血液中测量，作为监测肾脏疾病的一种可能的诊断工具；然而，目前在爬行动物中还没有参考值。本研究调查了 3 种爬行动物的血浆 NAG 浓度。从临床健康的胡须龙（Pogona vitticeps; n = 13）、玉米蛇（Pantherophis guttatus; n = 9）和木龟（Glyptemys insculpta; n = 13）身上采集了血液样本。为进一步评估肾脏健康状况，对所有动物进行了生化检查，并从胡须龙和蛇身上采集了肾活检样本，但没有从乌龟身上采集样本。为了降低对濒危物种进行麻醉的风险，没有对木龟进行活检。在采样的 35 只动物中，有 29 只被认为是健康的，并被纳入研究范围。木龟血浆中的 NAG 浓度明显低于玉米蛇（P = 0.004），玉米蛇血浆中的 NAG 浓度明显高于胡须龙（P = 0.038）。木龟的 NAG 浓度最低，其次是胡须龙和玉米蛇。总之，应为每种爬行动物确定 NAG 参考区间，并且需要对爬行动物中的这种检测方法进行分析验证。要确定 NAG 作为爬行动物诊断工具的可靠性，还需要进一步的研究。
{"title":"Preliminary Results of Variation in Plasma N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase Concentration Among Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps), Corn Snakes (Pantherophis guttatus), and Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta)","authors":"Bastien Rubin, Julie Pujol, Pauline Delnatte, Karine Béland, Annabelle Vigneault, C. Gara‐Boivin, Stéphane Lair, Shannon Ferrell, C. Vergneau-Grosset","doi":"10.5818/jhms-d-23-00014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5818/jhms-d-23-00014","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) is a lysosomal enzyme found in renal tubular epithelial cells whose concentration can be measured in blood as a possible diagnostic tool to monitor renal disease; however, no reference values are currently available in reptiles. This study investigated the presence of plasma NAG concentrations in 3 reptile species. Blood samples were obtained from clinically healthy bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps; n = 13), corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus; n = 9) and wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta; n = 13). To further assess renal health, a biochemistry panel was performed for all animals, and renal biopsies were collected from the bearded dragons and snakes, but not from the turtles. Biopsies were not taken from wood turtles to limit the risk associated with anesthetizing an endangered species. Of the 35 animals sampled, 29 were considered healthy and included in the study. Plasma NAG concentrations in the wood turtles were significantly lower than in the corn snakes (P = 0.004) and plasma NAG concentrations in the corn snakes were significantly higher than in bearded dragons (P = 0.038). Wood turtles had the lowest NAG concentrations, followed by bearded dragons and corn snakes. In conclusion, NAG reference intervals should be established for each reptile species and analyte validation is needed for this assay in reptiles. Further research is needed to establish NAG reliability as a diagnostic tool in reptiles.","PeriodicalId":16054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery","volume":"119 28","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140987596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
There is limited information on the prevalence and etiology of urolithiasis even though it is considered a common occurrence in chelonians. Several hypotheses regarding urolith formation in chelonians have been proposed, but none has been tested by epidemiological research. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of urolithiasis in a large cohort of chelonians and the association between housing and dietary conditions and urolithiasis in African spurred tortoises (Centrochelys sulcata). Records of all client-owned chelonians that underwent radiographs at two institutions were extracted. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were built to explore associations between presence of urolithiasis and husbandry variables. Prevalence of urolithiasis was 4.4% (95% CI: 3.3 to 5.9%, 46/1033) amongst all chelonians. Terrestrial chelonians had 64 times the odds (OR: 64.2, 95%CI: 15.4 to 266.6, P < 0.001) of presenting urolithiasis as compared to aquatic chelonians. African spurred tortoises had 22 times the odds (OR: 22.3, 95%CI: 7.7 to 64.5, P < 0.001) of presenting urolithiasis as compared to other terrestrial chelonians. African spurred tortoises living in a confined indoor area had three times the odds of presenting urolithiasis as compared to the ones living outdoors (OR: 3.01, 95%CI: 1.06 to 8.55, P = 0.038), and African spurred tortoises that were not fed any fruit had 0.31 times the odds of presenting urolithiasis compared to the ones fed fruit (OR: 0.31, 0.10 to 0.99, P = 0.049). Certain chelonians in captivity are at higher risk than others of suffering urolithiasis. African spurred tortoises in a confined indoor area had the highest risk of developing urolithiasis. As a precaution, avoiding fruit should be considered in the diet of African spurred tortoises.
{"title":"Prevalence of Urolithiasis in Client-owned Chelonians and its Association with Selected Housing and Dietary Parameters in African Spurred Tortoises (Centrochelys sulcata)","authors":"V. Colon, N. D. Girolamo","doi":"10.5818/jhms-d-23-00042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5818/jhms-d-23-00042","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 There is limited information on the prevalence and etiology of urolithiasis even though it is considered a common occurrence in chelonians. Several hypotheses regarding urolith formation in chelonians have been proposed, but none has been tested by epidemiological research. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of urolithiasis in a large cohort of chelonians and the association between housing and dietary conditions and urolithiasis in African spurred tortoises (Centrochelys sulcata). Records of all client-owned chelonians that underwent radiographs at two institutions were extracted. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were built to explore associations between presence of urolithiasis and husbandry variables. Prevalence of urolithiasis was 4.4% (95% CI: 3.3 to 5.9%, 46/1033) amongst all chelonians. Terrestrial chelonians had 64 times the odds (OR: 64.2, 95%CI: 15.4 to 266.6, P < 0.001) of presenting urolithiasis as compared to aquatic chelonians. African spurred tortoises had 22 times the odds (OR: 22.3, 95%CI: 7.7 to 64.5, P < 0.001) of presenting urolithiasis as compared to other terrestrial chelonians. African spurred tortoises living in a confined indoor area had three times the odds of presenting urolithiasis as compared to the ones living outdoors (OR: 3.01, 95%CI: 1.06 to 8.55, P = 0.038), and African spurred tortoises that were not fed any fruit had 0.31 times the odds of presenting urolithiasis compared to the ones fed fruit (OR: 0.31, 0.10 to 0.99, P = 0.049). Certain chelonians in captivity are at higher risk than others of suffering urolithiasis. African spurred tortoises in a confined indoor area had the highest risk of developing urolithiasis. As a precaution, avoiding fruit should be considered in the diet of African spurred tortoises.","PeriodicalId":16054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery","volume":"140 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140369256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laura M. Martinelli, Amy Delmonaco, Michael M. Garner, J. E. Flower
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a gram-negative bacterium that can be routinely identified in the aquatic environment, and has become an emergent, multi-drug resistant life-threatening organism in some circumstances. This bacterium was identified as a presumptive causative agent in cases of polysystemic granulomatous disease in one diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) and one mata mata (Chelus fimbriata). Both chelonians presented with lethargy, hyporexia, and multifocal subcutaneous masses diagnosed by physical examination and in one individual on computed tomography (CT). The primary hematologic finding was moderate to severe heterophilic leukocytosis, and both turtles were treated with a combination of supportive care, systemic antibiotics, and/or surgical resection of subcutaneous masses. Medical and surgical management were unsuccessful, and one patient was euthanized and the other found deceased. Necropsies revealed multisystemic granulomas, and cultures identified growth of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. A post-mortem investigation into possible risk factors identified co-morbidities including shell disease, repeated administration of injectable antibiotics, low environmental temperature, and aquatic pH changes as possible contributing factors. This bacterium appears to be an emerging organism of concern and should be considered as a potential cause of granulomas in aquatic chelonians.
{"title":"Presumptive Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Associated Multisystemic Granulomatous Disease in Aquatic Turtles","authors":"Laura M. Martinelli, Amy Delmonaco, Michael M. Garner, J. E. Flower","doi":"10.5818/jhms-d-22-00003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5818/jhms-d-22-00003","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a gram-negative bacterium that can be routinely identified in the aquatic environment, and has become an emergent, multi-drug resistant life-threatening organism in some circumstances. This bacterium was identified as a presumptive causative agent in cases of polysystemic granulomatous disease in one diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) and one mata mata (Chelus fimbriata). Both chelonians presented with lethargy, hyporexia, and multifocal subcutaneous masses diagnosed by physical examination and in one individual on computed tomography (CT). The primary hematologic finding was moderate to severe heterophilic leukocytosis, and both turtles were treated with a combination of supportive care, systemic antibiotics, and/or surgical resection of subcutaneous masses. Medical and surgical management were unsuccessful, and one patient was euthanized and the other found deceased. Necropsies revealed multisystemic granulomas, and cultures identified growth of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. A post-mortem investigation into possible risk factors identified co-morbidities including shell disease, repeated administration of injectable antibiotics, low environmental temperature, and aquatic pH changes as possible contributing factors. This bacterium appears to be an emerging organism of concern and should be considered as a potential cause of granulomas in aquatic chelonians.","PeriodicalId":16054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery","volume":"26 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140230220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Two-dimensional (2D) and Doppler echocardiography is considered the most practical diagnostic tool for antemortem evaluation of reptilian heart disease but has only been described in a limited number of chelonian species. Cardiac morphology and function were evaluated by ultrasonography in 35 clinically healthy, captive non-sedated European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) using 2D-mode, M-mode, and pulsed wave spectral Doppler. Turtles were placed in a temperature-controlled water tank (24-26°C, 75.2-78.8°F) for cardiac examination through the right cervicobrachial window using water as coupling agent. Each echocardiogram included the evaluation of 19 variables, including 6 in 2D-mode, 7 in M-mode, and 6 in Doppler mode, and was performed in 5.64 minutes on average. Morphological and functional abnormalities were identified in eight turtles, including atrioventricular insufficiencies (n = 5), pericardial effusions (n = 4), increased velocity of the ventricular outflow tract (n = 1) and bradyarrhythmia (n = 2). Reference intervals could be established for the 19 parameters in the remaining individuals after excluding outliers (n = 25). Statistically significant positive correlations between weight and diastolic (0.61, P = 0.001) and systolic (0.46, P = 0.018) ventricular volumes, and diastolic ventricular diameter (0.35, P = 0.03) were identified. This study establishes an initial database for the evaluation of captive European pond turtle cardiovascular system by a simple and clinically applicable echocardiographic technique.
{"title":"Two-dimensional and Doppler Echocardiographic Findings in Healthy Non-sedated Captive European Pond Turtles (Emys orbicularis)","authors":"Irène Vonfeld, Benoît Quintard","doi":"10.5818/jhms-d-23-00036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5818/jhms-d-23-00036","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Two-dimensional (2D) and Doppler echocardiography is considered the most practical diagnostic tool for antemortem evaluation of reptilian heart disease but has only been described in a limited number of chelonian species. Cardiac morphology and function were evaluated by ultrasonography in 35 clinically healthy, captive non-sedated European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) using 2D-mode, M-mode, and pulsed wave spectral Doppler. Turtles were placed in a temperature-controlled water tank (24-26°C, 75.2-78.8°F) for cardiac examination through the right cervicobrachial window using water as coupling agent. Each echocardiogram included the evaluation of 19 variables, including 6 in 2D-mode, 7 in M-mode, and 6 in Doppler mode, and was performed in 5.64 minutes on average. Morphological and functional abnormalities were identified in eight turtles, including atrioventricular insufficiencies (n = 5), pericardial effusions (n = 4), increased velocity of the ventricular outflow tract (n = 1) and bradyarrhythmia (n = 2). Reference intervals could be established for the 19 parameters in the remaining individuals after excluding outliers (n = 25). Statistically significant positive correlations between weight and diastolic (0.61, P = 0.001) and systolic (0.46, P = 0.018) ventricular volumes, and diastolic ventricular diameter (0.35, P = 0.03) were identified. This study establishes an initial database for the evaluation of captive European pond turtle cardiovascular system by a simple and clinically applicable echocardiographic technique.","PeriodicalId":16054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery","volume":"117 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140251740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A 5-year-old, female, inland bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) was presented with a firm swelling on the ventromedial aspect of the left mandible. Fine-needle aspiration was consistent with blood aspiration; further investigations were declined. Surgical resection was performed successfully with minimal haemorrhage, and resected tissue was sent for histopathology. This was consistent with an aneurysm, fibrosis, and intraluminal fibrosis. The patient has since recovered well, and there has been no recurrence in seven months.
{"title":"Successful Surgical Repair of a Spontaneous Arterial Aneurysm in an Inland Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)","authors":"Harriet Woodhall","doi":"10.5818/jhms-d-23-00031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5818/jhms-d-23-00031","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 A 5-year-old, female, inland bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) was presented with a firm swelling on the ventromedial aspect of the left mandible. Fine-needle aspiration was consistent with blood aspiration; further investigations were declined. Surgical resection was performed successfully with minimal haemorrhage, and resected tissue was sent for histopathology. This was consistent with an aneurysm, fibrosis, and intraluminal fibrosis. The patient has since recovered well, and there has been no recurrence in seven months.","PeriodicalId":16054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery","volume":"132 32","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140251293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
William Hansen Hawthorne, James E. Bogan, Ray Ball, J. Goessling
A significant disease of concern in captive populations of snakes is gastric cryptosporidiosis, caused by Cryptosporidium serpentis, a gastrointestinal, protozoal parasite that can cause varying degrees of morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to understand physiological responses of eastern indigo snakes (EIS; Drymarchon couperi) infected with C. serpentis. Body condition index (BCI), heterophil:lymphocyte ratio (HLR), bactericidal ability (BA), hemolysis-hemagglutination assays (SRBC), and plasma corticosterone levels (CORT) were compared between EIS across cryptosporidiosis infection states including cryptosporidia infection positive with clinical signs, infection-positive without clinical signs, infection- recovered, and infection-free snakes. We found snakes that had recovered from C. serpentis had significantly lower SRBC titers than C. serpentis negative snakes (P < 0.05). Recovered snakes had significantly higher BCI than infection positive with clinical signs, infection positive without clinical signs, and infection-free snakes (P = 0.00198). Female EIS had significantly higher CORT levels than males (P = 0.0112), BA had a significant positive relationship with HLR (P = 0.0333), and BA had a significant relationship with SRBC (P = 0.0170). These results give meaningful insight into reptilian physiology of disease and show that snakes recovered from C. serpentis may have remaining negative effects of cryptosporidiosis on their immune system. Results from this study may aid conservation projects in determining suitability for release of EIS that have been infected with C. serpentis.
{"title":"Physiological Responses of Eastern Indigo Snakes (Drymarchon couperi) Infected with Cryptosporidium serpentis","authors":"William Hansen Hawthorne, James E. Bogan, Ray Ball, J. Goessling","doi":"10.5818/jhms-d-22-00016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5818/jhms-d-22-00016","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 A significant disease of concern in captive populations of snakes is gastric cryptosporidiosis, caused by Cryptosporidium serpentis, a gastrointestinal, protozoal parasite that can cause varying degrees of morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to understand physiological responses of eastern indigo snakes (EIS; Drymarchon couperi) infected with C. serpentis. Body condition index (BCI), heterophil:lymphocyte ratio (HLR), bactericidal ability (BA), hemolysis-hemagglutination assays (SRBC), and plasma corticosterone levels (CORT) were compared between EIS across cryptosporidiosis infection states including cryptosporidia infection positive with clinical signs, infection-positive without clinical signs, infection- recovered, and infection-free snakes. We found snakes that had recovered from C. serpentis had significantly lower SRBC titers than C. serpentis negative snakes (P < 0.05). Recovered snakes had significantly higher BCI than infection positive with clinical signs, infection positive without clinical signs, and infection-free snakes (P = 0.00198). Female EIS had significantly higher CORT levels than males (P = 0.0112), BA had a significant positive relationship with HLR (P = 0.0333), and BA had a significant relationship with SRBC (P = 0.0170). These results give meaningful insight into reptilian physiology of disease and show that snakes recovered from C. serpentis may have remaining negative effects of cryptosporidiosis on their immune system. Results from this study may aid conservation projects in determining suitability for release of EIS that have been infected with C. serpentis.","PeriodicalId":16054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140254111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Géssica Araújo, Ieverton Silva, Thaiza Fernandes, Yuri Valença, Arthur Lopes, Fabiano Costa
Organic pollutants have bioaccumulative effects and induce a high index of toxicity in aquatic ecosystems. The aim of our study was to report tomographic abnormalities found in free-living turtles (Geoffroy`s toadhead turtle, Phrynops geoffroanus) from an urban area near the Capibaribe and Beberibe river basins in Brazil, which are known to be contaminated by heavy metals as well solid waste. Clinical and tomographic evaluation of eight turtles was performed to assess their health status for subsequent release. Tomographic analysis revealed bone abnormalities including demineralization, coarse trabecular pattern, subperiosteal bone resorption, deformity of dorsal vertebrae and shell fracture. Considering that turtles are recognized as bioindicators of water quality, a high occurrence of bone abnormalities may suggest an association with environmental pollution in the studied area and signal that conservation initiatives are needed to safeguard the aquatic ecosystem of the metropolitan region of Recife.
{"title":"Osteoporosis and Bone Deformaties in Free-Living Geoffroy’s Toadhead Turtle (Phrynops geoffroanus) Rescued from Urban Areas in the Metropolitan Region of Recife (Pernambuco, Brazil)","authors":"Géssica Araújo, Ieverton Silva, Thaiza Fernandes, Yuri Valença, Arthur Lopes, Fabiano Costa","doi":"10.5818/jhms-d-22-00049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5818/jhms-d-22-00049","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Organic pollutants have bioaccumulative effects and induce a high index of toxicity in aquatic ecosystems. The aim of our study was to report tomographic abnormalities found in free-living turtles (Geoffroy`s toadhead turtle, Phrynops geoffroanus) from an urban area near the Capibaribe and Beberibe river basins in Brazil, which are known to be contaminated by heavy metals as well solid waste. Clinical and tomographic evaluation of eight turtles was performed to assess their health status for subsequent release. Tomographic analysis revealed bone abnormalities including demineralization, coarse trabecular pattern, subperiosteal bone resorption, deformity of dorsal vertebrae and shell fracture. Considering that turtles are recognized as bioindicators of water quality, a high occurrence of bone abnormalities may suggest an association with environmental pollution in the studied area and signal that conservation initiatives are needed to safeguard the aquatic ecosystem of the metropolitan region of Recife.","PeriodicalId":16054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery","volume":"13 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140262236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
James E. Bogan, Bethany Jackson, Michelle Hoffman, Michael M. Garner, April Childress, Nick Clark
Gastric cryptosporidiosis (GC) is an insidious infection in squamates caused by the protozoan Cryptosporidium serpentis and has impacted the captive breeding colony for the eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi; EIS) reintroduction program. This study investigates a novel treatment of GC in EIS. Seventeen EIS with GC were randomly divided into three groups: A, B, and C. Group A (n = 6) received parenteral administration of 25 mg/kg vitamin C, 0.5 mg/kg vitamin E, and 50 μg/kg selenium and 5 ml/kg 3 % H2O2 gavage; Group B (n = 6) received the same injections but 5 ml/kg water gavage; and Group C received no treatments and served as controls. All EIS from Groups A and B tested negative for C. serpentis for three months following treatment, while only 60% (3/5) in Group C tested negative. EIS testing negative received one 4 mg/kg dexamethasone sodium-phosphate injection. For three months following dexamethasone, 66.7% (4/6) in Group A continued to test negative compared to 83.3% (5/6) in Group B and 20% (1/5) in Group C. EIS testing negative underwent gastric biopsies but only one from Group C was confirmed to be negative for C. serpentis. Although parenteral vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium with H2O2 gavage decreased shedding of C. serpentis, it did not outperform the vitamins/selenium without H2O2. The parenteral use of 25 mg/kg vitamin C, 0.5 mg/kg vitamin E, and 50 ug/kg selenium once weekly cannot be recommended for treatment of C. serpentis in EIS if complete resolution of the parasite is desired.
胃隐孢子虫病（GC）是一种由蛇形隐孢子虫原生动物引起的有鳞类动物隐性感染，已对东部靛蓝蛇（Drymarchon couperi; EIS）重引进计划的圈养繁殖地造成了影响。本研究调查了一种治疗 EIS GC 的新方法。17 条患有 GC 的 EIS 被随机分为三组：A 组（n = 6）接受 25 mg/kg 维生素 C、0.5 mg/kg 维生素 E 和 50 μg/kg 硒的肠外注射，以及 5 ml/kg 3 % H2O2 的灌胃；B 组（n = 6）接受相同的注射，但灌胃 5 ml/kg 水；C 组不接受任何治疗，作为对照。A 组和 B 组的所有 EIS 在治疗后三个月的蛇虫检测结果均为阴性，而 C 组只有 60% 的 EIS（3/5）检测结果为阴性。 检测结果为阴性的 EIS 接受了一次 4 毫克/千克的地塞米松磷酸钠注射。地塞米松注射三个月后，66.7%（4/6）的 A 组检测结果仍为阴性，而 B 组为 83.3%（5/6），C 组为 20%（1/5）。虽然肠外维生素 C、维生素 E 和硒配合 H2O2 灌胃可减少蛇尾畸形的脱落，但其效果并不优于不配合 H2O2 灌胃的维生素/硒。如果希望彻底清除寄生虫，则不能推荐每周一次肠外使用 25 毫克/千克维生素 C、0.5 毫克/千克维生素 E 和 50 微克/千克硒来治疗 EIS 中的蛇虫属寄生虫。
{"title":"Open-label, Multi-arm Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating Vitamin E and Selenium Injection, Vitamin C Injection, and Hydrogen Peroxide Gavage as a Treatment for Gastric Cryptosporidiosis in Eastern Indigo Snakes (Drymarchon couperi)","authors":"James E. Bogan, Bethany Jackson, Michelle Hoffman, Michael M. Garner, April Childress, Nick Clark","doi":"10.5818/jhms-d-23-00023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5818/jhms-d-23-00023","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Gastric cryptosporidiosis (GC) is an insidious infection in squamates caused by the protozoan Cryptosporidium serpentis and has impacted the captive breeding colony for the eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi; EIS) reintroduction program. This study investigates a novel treatment of GC in EIS. Seventeen EIS with GC were randomly divided into three groups: A, B, and C. Group A (n = 6) received parenteral administration of 25 mg/kg vitamin C, 0.5 mg/kg vitamin E, and 50 μg/kg selenium and 5 ml/kg 3 % H2O2 gavage; Group B (n = 6) received the same injections but 5 ml/kg water gavage; and Group C received no treatments and served as controls. All EIS from Groups A and B tested negative for C. serpentis for three months following treatment, while only 60% (3/5) in Group C tested negative. EIS testing negative received one 4 mg/kg dexamethasone sodium-phosphate injection. For three months following dexamethasone, 66.7% (4/6) in Group A continued to test negative compared to 83.3% (5/6) in Group B and 20% (1/5) in Group C. EIS testing negative underwent gastric biopsies but only one from Group C was confirmed to be negative for C. serpentis. Although parenteral vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium with H2O2 gavage decreased shedding of C. serpentis, it did not outperform the vitamins/selenium without H2O2. The parenteral use of 25 mg/kg vitamin C, 0.5 mg/kg vitamin E, and 50 ug/kg selenium once weekly cannot be recommended for treatment of C. serpentis in EIS if complete resolution of the parasite is desired.","PeriodicalId":16054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery","volume":"51 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139775059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ellis M. Wright, Javier G. Nevarez, Chin-Chi Liu, Andrew C Lewin, Corinne Mayer, Laken Russell, Renee T. Carter
Louisiana pine snakes (Pituophis ruthveni) are a threatened species with a range limited to portions of Louisiana and Texas. There are captive reproduction programs that aim to assist in the recovery of this species. Therefore, obtaining information that can aid in maintaining their health, such as a complete ocular examination, is a critical component in conservation efforts. Examination of the snake ocular posterior segment is challenging due to the presence of striated uveal musculature which is unresponsive to anticholinergic agents, and the presence of the spectacle which may create a barrier to topical mydriatics. The objectives of this study were to document normal ocular biometric measurements (axial globe length (AP), lens thickness (LT) and vitreous chamber depth (VCD)) in this species using ultrasonography (US) and to assess the effects of topically applied rocuronium bromide (RB) solution (1- and 2-drop protocol, 20 μl and 40 μl, respectively) to facilitate non-invasive examination of the fundus. The ocular biometric measurements were then correlated to morphometric data including snout-vent length (SVL), tail length (TL), total body length (SVL + TL), sex and body condition score (BCS). We found that US, using an 8-18 MHz linear array probe, provided adequate image quality to measure the above parameters in all snakes (n = 8), and that there were no significant correlations between the morphometric data and ocular biometric US measurements (P > 0.05). RB solution applied topically to the healthy, intact spectacle did not induce mydriasis in a subset of this same population (n = 6) (P > 0.05) using either the 1- or 2-drop protocol. In conclusion, ocular US can be utilized as a non-invasive diagnostic tool in Louisiana pine snakes and further studies are needed to evaluate non-invasive methods of inducing mydriasis in this species.
{"title":"Ocular Ultrasonography and Effect of Topically Applied Rocuronium Bromide in Louisiana Pine Snakes (Pituophis ruthveni)","authors":"Ellis M. Wright, Javier G. Nevarez, Chin-Chi Liu, Andrew C Lewin, Corinne Mayer, Laken Russell, Renee T. Carter","doi":"10.5818/jhms-d-23-00027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5818/jhms-d-23-00027","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Louisiana pine snakes (Pituophis ruthveni) are a threatened species with a range limited to portions of Louisiana and Texas. There are captive reproduction programs that aim to assist in the recovery of this species. Therefore, obtaining information that can aid in maintaining their health, such as a complete ocular examination, is a critical component in conservation efforts. Examination of the snake ocular posterior segment is challenging due to the presence of striated uveal musculature which is unresponsive to anticholinergic agents, and the presence of the spectacle which may create a barrier to topical mydriatics. The objectives of this study were to document normal ocular biometric measurements (axial globe length (AP), lens thickness (LT) and vitreous chamber depth (VCD)) in this species using ultrasonography (US) and to assess the effects of topically applied rocuronium bromide (RB) solution (1- and 2-drop protocol, 20 μl and 40 μl, respectively) to facilitate non-invasive examination of the fundus. The ocular biometric measurements were then correlated to morphometric data including snout-vent length (SVL), tail length (TL), total body length (SVL + TL), sex and body condition score (BCS). We found that US, using an 8-18 MHz linear array probe, provided adequate image quality to measure the above parameters in all snakes (n = 8), and that there were no significant correlations between the morphometric data and ocular biometric US measurements (P > 0.05). RB solution applied topically to the healthy, intact spectacle did not induce mydriasis in a subset of this same population (n = 6) (P > 0.05) using either the 1- or 2-drop protocol. In conclusion, ocular US can be utilized as a non-invasive diagnostic tool in Louisiana pine snakes and further studies are needed to evaluate non-invasive methods of inducing mydriasis in this species.","PeriodicalId":16054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery","volume":"102 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139776725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ellis M. Wright, Javier G. Nevarez, Chin-Chi Liu, Andrew C Lewin, Corinne Mayer, Laken Russell, Renee T. Carter
Louisiana pine snakes (Pituophis ruthveni) are a threatened species with a range limited to portions of Louisiana and Texas. There are captive reproduction programs that aim to assist in the recovery of this species. Therefore, obtaining information that can aid in maintaining their health, such as a complete ocular examination, is a critical component in conservation efforts. Examination of the snake ocular posterior segment is challenging due to the presence of striated uveal musculature which is unresponsive to anticholinergic agents, and the presence of the spectacle which may create a barrier to topical mydriatics. The objectives of this study were to document normal ocular biometric measurements (axial globe length (AP), lens thickness (LT) and vitreous chamber depth (VCD)) in this species using ultrasonography (US) and to assess the effects of topically applied rocuronium bromide (RB) solution (1- and 2-drop protocol, 20 μl and 40 μl, respectively) to facilitate non-invasive examination of the fundus. The ocular biometric measurements were then correlated to morphometric data including snout-vent length (SVL), tail length (TL), total body length (SVL + TL), sex and body condition score (BCS). We found that US, using an 8-18 MHz linear array probe, provided adequate image quality to measure the above parameters in all snakes (n = 8), and that there were no significant correlations between the morphometric data and ocular biometric US measurements (P > 0.05). RB solution applied topically to the healthy, intact spectacle did not induce mydriasis in a subset of this same population (n = 6) (P > 0.05) using either the 1- or 2-drop protocol. In conclusion, ocular US can be utilized as a non-invasive diagnostic tool in Louisiana pine snakes and further studies are needed to evaluate non-invasive methods of inducing mydriasis in this species.
{"title":"Ocular Ultrasonography and Effect of Topically Applied Rocuronium Bromide in Louisiana Pine Snakes (Pituophis ruthveni)","authors":"Ellis M. Wright, Javier G. Nevarez, Chin-Chi Liu, Andrew C Lewin, Corinne Mayer, Laken Russell, Renee T. Carter","doi":"10.5818/jhms-d-23-00027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5818/jhms-d-23-00027","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Louisiana pine snakes (Pituophis ruthveni) are a threatened species with a range limited to portions of Louisiana and Texas. There are captive reproduction programs that aim to assist in the recovery of this species. Therefore, obtaining information that can aid in maintaining their health, such as a complete ocular examination, is a critical component in conservation efforts. Examination of the snake ocular posterior segment is challenging due to the presence of striated uveal musculature which is unresponsive to anticholinergic agents, and the presence of the spectacle which may create a barrier to topical mydriatics. The objectives of this study were to document normal ocular biometric measurements (axial globe length (AP), lens thickness (LT) and vitreous chamber depth (VCD)) in this species using ultrasonography (US) and to assess the effects of topically applied rocuronium bromide (RB) solution (1- and 2-drop protocol, 20 μl and 40 μl, respectively) to facilitate non-invasive examination of the fundus. The ocular biometric measurements were then correlated to morphometric data including snout-vent length (SVL), tail length (TL), total body length (SVL + TL), sex and body condition score (BCS). We found that US, using an 8-18 MHz linear array probe, provided adequate image quality to measure the above parameters in all snakes (n = 8), and that there were no significant correlations between the morphometric data and ocular biometric US measurements (P > 0.05). RB solution applied topically to the healthy, intact spectacle did not induce mydriasis in a subset of this same population (n = 6) (P > 0.05) using either the 1- or 2-drop protocol. In conclusion, ocular US can be utilized as a non-invasive diagnostic tool in Louisiana pine snakes and further studies are needed to evaluate non-invasive methods of inducing mydriasis in this species.","PeriodicalId":16054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery","volume":"45 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139836372","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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