A case of cerebral xanthomatosis is described in a long-nosed snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei). A 13-year-old long-nosed snake presented for pronounced lethargy, anorexia, and diminished righting reflex. The snake failed to respond to medical therapy and was euthanized. On histology, a focal cerebral cholesterol granuloma (xanthoma) was found within the lateral ventricle causing mild hydrocephalus, marked compression atrophy of the overlying dorsal cortex, and mild compression and disorganization of the ventral nucleus sphericus. Xanthomatosis is believed to be the cause of the neurological signs and the ultimate lack of response to medical therapy in this case. This case demonstrates another differential for neurologic dysfunction in snakes.

A Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri) from Germany was presented for medical examination showing signs of upper respiratory tract disease and hyperuricemia. The tortoise was kept with a Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii) for 1 month before presentation. After 1 month of treatment, the respiratory symptoms disappeared. Herpesvirus (HV) was detected from an oral swab by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The use of different PCRs and sequencing a portion of the DNA polymerase gene demonstrated that the virus was identical to other HV isolates from Russian tortoises (tortoise herpesvirus 1, ToHV1) but distinct from HV isolates from other tortoises, including previously described HVs from Hermann's tortoises (ToHV3). This is the first description of the detection of a ToHV1 in a Hermann's tortoise.

Paramyxoviruses (PMVs) are well documented as a cause of respiratory disease in snakes, but they have only been documented in tortoises in a very few cases. This study describes a leopard tortoise (Geochelone pardalis babcocki) with lethargy and respiratory disease. Examination of tracheal swabs for bacteria resulted in strong growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Morganella morganii. Despite antibiotic therapy, the animal died. Gross pathology noted severe diffuse consolidation of the lungs. Fourteen different tissue samples were collected for virological examinations. Viruses commonly detected in tortoises (herpesviruses, picorna-like viruses, and ranaviruses) or recently reported in chelonians (adenoviruses) could not be detected in the samples by virus isolation or by molecular methods (polymerase chain reaction [PCR]). The samples were tested by reverse transcriptase-PCR for PMVs, and cloaca, heart, liver, and small intestine were found to be positive. Sequence analysis of the PMV amplicons revealed that the tortoise was coinfected with at least two different squamatid PMV species and not with a chelonian host-specific PMV. The contribution of these viruses to the observed clinical signs and pathology is unknown.

Determination of plasma osmolality is useful for determining proper administration of fluid therapy. In many reptilian species, the normal plasma osmolality is unknown. To prevent detrimental fluid shifts, knowledge of a patient's osmolality is imperative. The purpose of this study was to determine plasma osmolality in 11 healthy adult male bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) and to validate plasma osmolality equations that are used to calculate osmolality in other species. Venipuncture was performed via the ventral coccygeal vein, and plasma biochemical profiles were obtained from a point of care chemistry analyzer. Calculated plasma osmolality was determined using the following equations: 2 (Na K ), (2 [Na K ]) (Glu/18), (2 [Na K ]) (UA/16.8) (Glu/18), and 1.86 (Na ) Glu/18 UA/2.8 9. Plasma osmolality was measured in duplicate with a freezing-point depression osmometer, and the mean value was calculated for the two osmolality measurements. Measured and calculated plasma osmolalities, as well as the plasma biochemical analytes, were normally distributed. The mean measured plasma osmolality was 295.4 ± 9.35 mOsm/kg. There was poor agreement between the measured and calculated osmolalities. Because of these limitations, we modified the calculation [1.85 (Na K )] to account for expected differences in the primary cations and anions in reptile plasma. This newly proposed formula resulted in good agreement with the measured osmolality. Osmolality of the bearded dragons in this study was similar to that reported in dogs, cats, and other desert-dwelling saurian lizards. When administering fluids to a dehydrated or debilitated bearded dragon, caution is advised as calculated values are not an accurate measure of patient osmolality.

The effect of anticoagulant and venipuncture site on hematology and serum chemistries was evaluated in eight captive spiny softshell turtles (Apalone spinifera). Animals were randomly and evenly distributed into two groups. On day 0, blood samples were collected from the dorsal coccygeal vein in turtles from group 1 and from the subcarapacial vein in turtles from group 2. On day 15, the same procedure was repeated, but turtles from group 1 were sampled from the subcarapacial vein and turtles from group 2 from the dorsal coccygeal vein. Hematologic samples were placed in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) on day 0 and in heparin on day 15. Samples for chemistries were placed in serum separator tubes. All samples in EDTA were hemolyzed. Nonparametric tests were used to assess significant differences in hematologic and biochemical parameters between the two venipuncture sites. Among the biochemical parameters, statistically significant differences were only present for glucose and potassium, with the median values being higher in samples obtained from the subcarapacial vein. Correlation tests did not show any significant correlation between the values obtained from the two venipuncture sites for any of the biochemical parameters evaluated. There was also a general lack of agreement for values obtained from different venipuncture sites. This study concluded that EDTA is not an appropriate anticoagulant for this species, and serum chemistry values from paired samples taken using different venipuncture sites did not have a significant correlation or agreement.

Toads in the genus Bufo are commonly kept in pet, research, and zoological settings and may require anesthesia during veterinary care. Limited information is available comparing anesthetic protocols in most amphibian species. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and cardiopulmonary effects of tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) and propofol in Sonoran desert toads (Bufo alvarius). Nine juvenile Sonoran desert toads were anesthetized with an immersion bath of 1 g/L MS-222 and 35 mg/kg intracoelomic propofol with a minimum 2-wk wash-out period between trials. Heart rate, respiratory rate, and reflexes (righting, escape, corneal, superficial pain, and deep pain) were monitored every 5 min for the first 90 min and then every 10 min for the next 90 min during both anesthetic trials. Surgical anesthesia was defined as complete loss of all measured reflexes. MS-222 produced surgical anesthesia in 100% (9/9) of toads, whereas propofol produced surgical anesthesia in 11.1% (1/9). Mean induction time for the MS-222 trial was 19.9 min (SD: 5.4, Min–Max: 13–30), with mean duration of surgical anesthesia 23.9 min (SD: 10.8, Min–Max: 10–42). Mean recovery time after removal from the MS-222 bath was 85.3 min (SD: 18.5, Min–Max: 60–110). Righting reflex was lost in all animals in the propofol trial at a mean of 23.9 min (SD: 5.5, Min–Max: 20–35) following administration. A single animal in the propofol trial reached a surgical plane of anesthesia at 25 min post-administration, with surgical anesthesia lasting for 50 min. Mean time to recovery following administration of propofol was 145 min (SD: 47.2, Min–Max: 60–180); one toad was not fully recovered at the end of the monitoring period. Heart rate was not found to significantly (P > 0.05) change from baseline at any monitoring point for either anesthetic protocol. Respiratory rate was found to decrease significantly (P < 0.05) at all time points between 5 and 65 min in the MS-222 trial and between 10 and 130 min in the propofol trial. MS-222 at 1 g/L immersion was found to reliably produce surgical anesthesia in Sonoran desert toads with a faster onset of action and recovery when compared to propofol administered intracoelomically at 35 mg/kg.

In 2004, a subset of a translocated population of gopher tortoises (n = 14; Gopherus polyphemus) were captured to determine the overall health of individuals and to investigate the prevalence of selected pathogens. Additionally, ultrasonography and endoscopic visualization of the reproductive tract were compared as methodologies to accurately determine sex and reproductive status. Tortoises were premedicated with butorphanol and induced with propofol. The hematology and biochemical profile values obtained were within the reference ranges previously reported for gopher tortoises. Tortoises were parasitized with Alaeuris spp. of pinworms and trichostrongyles. Ten of the tortoises (71%) were also parasitized by hemogregarines. None of the animals had clinical signs indicative of acute upper respiratory disease (URTD); however, six animals had signs consistent with previous upper respiratory infections. One tortoise had an antibody titer against Mycoplasma agassizii, considered to be positive, while an additional five animals had antibody titers considered to be “suspect.” We failed to detect Mycoplasma sp., Salmonella sp., or Chlamydophila sp. DNA from any of the animals. In general, morphometric characteristics reliably predicted the correct sex in the majority of animals that were >15 yr of age. When compared to endoscopy, ultrasound examination of the gonads was accurate for sex determination in 57% of the tortoises examined and was 86% accurate in animals >15 yr of age. Ultimately, endoscopy provided the most accurate method for determining sex in chelonians, particularly in juveniles or during nonreproductive seasons.