The yellow-headed snapping turtle, Elseya irwini, is an Australian freshwater species that is very rare in captivity. A routine radiographic examination of a captive female showed a moderate loss of bone across the left glenohumeral joint. No clinical signs had been observed. Results of computed tomography showed pathologic changes in both the proximal humerus and glenoid; no other joints were affected. Under general anesthesia, fluoroscopic-guided arthroscopy was used to assess the joint and obtain tissue samples for further diagnostics. All tissue cultures (aerobic bacterial, fungal, and mycobacterial) were negative. Histopathology showed chronic degeneration of the joint capsule and glenoid. The results gave a presumptive diagnosis of focal degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis). Arthroscopy can provide a minimally invasive surgical technique to evaluate joint pathology in turtles.

Cilia-associated respiratory bacillus-like organisms (CLO) are bacteria found intermixed among the cilia of epithelial cells lining the respiratory tract. They are considered moderate pathogens and have been reported in rodents, rabbits, ruminants, cats, and pigs. In this article, we describe respiratory disease associated with a Mycobacterium sp. and CLO in a banded rock rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus klauberi). The CLO were confirmed via Warthin-Starry silver stain and ultrastructure examination.

Pain and analgesia are poorly understood in reptiles, which are commonly maintained in zoological institutions and as laboratory and companion animals. Thus, we developed a behavioral ethogram to evaluate pre-operative and post-operative responses to a thermal stimulus, feeding, movement, and breathing in red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans). We hypothesized that opioid drug administration would allow for a more rapid return to pre-operative behavior following a unilateral orchidectomy. The antinociceptive efficacy of morphine (2 mg/kg SC; mu-opioid receptor agonist) and butorphanol (20 mg/kg SC; mixed kappa-opioid receptor agonist and mu-opioid receptor antagonist) were evaluated because of their extensive use as analgesics in veterinary medicine. Compared to sham-saline turtles, surgery-saline turtles exhibited severely depressed feeding and increased movement at 2–8 h postoperation. Butorphanol did not alter feeding, movement, or breathing compared to saline in both sham- and surgery-treated turtles. Morphine depressed feeding and breathing for 1–2 days postoperation, but did not alter movement compared to saline except during the 2–8 h post-operation period. Our results show that pain in red-eared slider turtles is manifested as decreased feeding and increased spontaneous movement. Although turtles returned to normal behavior by 2 days following unilateral orchidectomy, a mu-opioid analgesic drug should be administered for at least 48 h following a surgical procedure.

Thirty-nine reptiles representing 11 squamate species were used to examine the effects of intravenous alfaxalone. All animals examined were captive-born, healthy, and had no history of chronic illness. Alfaxalone at a dose of 9 mg/kg was injected into the ventral coccygeal vein of each animal, and heart rate, respiratory rate, cloacal temperature, time from loss to regaining righting reflex, spontaneous movement, and response to noxious stimuli were recorded. Intravenous alfaxalone at a dose of 9 mg/kg was an effective sedative in most species examined with no obvious complications observed. Loss of righting reflex was not achieved in four (57.1%) blotched bluetongue lizards (Tiliqua nigrolutea), two (33.3%) coastal carpet pythons (Morelia spilota mcdowelli), and one (50%) red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus). Further research is required for alfaxalone use in these species.

Blood samples were collected from 18 female and 20 male adult crested geckos from 1 captive population in Massachusetts, USA. The geckos were given a thorough examination, and a blood sample was collected for a complete blood count (CBC) and plasma biochemistry analysis. Whole blood was stored in lithium heparin for analysis. The median weight of the geckos was 43.4 g (10–90%: 38.0–55.3; min–max: 32.0–69.0). The range of the packed cell volume (PCV) for the geckos was 23.0–45.0%. The lymphocyte was the most common leukocyte found on the CBC. The following parameters were found to be significantly different by sex: calcium (P = 0.0001), phosphorus (P = 0.0001), total protein (P = 0.03), albumin (P = 0.03), and PCV (P = 0.001). Overall, the geckos in this study were clinically healthy, and the ranges established from this population may be used as a basis for comparison in clinical cases.

Bacterial and fungal dermatitis is a common problem in captive reared alligators in commercial operations, and stress has been suggested as a predisposing factor. We compared corticosterone levels between alligators with dermatitis (Tx) and alligators without dermatitis (Cx). There was no statistically significant difference between the baseline corticosterone concentrations (time 0) of the Tx and Cx groups (P = 0.272). At 15 min postcapture, there was a statistically significant difference between treatment and control animals (P = 0.006), with the Tx alligators having higher corticosterone concentrations compared with the Cx alligators. At 3 h (after dexamethasone administration) values for both groups decreased from the 15 min levels, showing a functional negative feedback loop of the hypothalamic–pituitary axis; there was no statistically significant difference between groups (P = 0.90) at that time. The results do not show an association between stress and dermatitis, but suggest that animals may be more prone to increases in corticosterone release once dermatitis is present.

This report represents an investigation of the anatomical and histopathological structures associated with the female reproductive organs of Iguana iguana. The gross anatomy and histology of the ovary and oviduct of I. iguana were compared between immature and mature stages, and at different times in the estrous cycle. Although the structure of the reproductive organs of I. iguana was similar to historic descriptions, there were significant morphologic differences depending on the growth stage and phase of the reproductive cycle. Our results provide basic information related to the occurrence of ovarian and oviductal disease, which can be used when interpreting pathologic changes of the reproductive tract of female I. iguana.