Veterinary Investigation and Testing in Reptiles
During investigation for the cause of disease in reptiles (including snakes, lizards and
tortoises/terrapins) diagnostic tests are commonly used. Tests tend to be performed more
frequently than in dogs and cats for several very important reasons.
 Reptiles are much more complex in terms of their anatomy/biology than mammals
(such as dogs, cats and rabbits) and can be affected by very different diseases.
 Most diseases cannot be diagnosed by examination alone, obviously we cannot see
what is going on inside them just be looking and feeling.
 Some infectious diseases pose a serious risk to human health and it is important that
we test for these for your safety.
 As they are very good at hiding illness, many reptiles are severely ill by the time they
are brought to us. We do not have the luxury of trying a series of treatments to see
how they respond as many will die before the correct treatment is found. Testing is
the fastest way for us to select the appropriate treatment and maximize their chances
of survival. It is important to note that due to this, some animals will die during the
course of treatment even when testing has been performed. This does not mean the
test was a waste of time, it just means that the animal was so sick when it was
examined that its chances of survival were very low to begin with.
X-Rays (Radiography)
We use these to look inside the body to see if there are any changes from normal which is
vital to assess bone density, look for eggs and identify abdominal blockages amongst other
problems. This is one of the best tests to diagnose metabolic problems in these animals which
are an extremely common problem. Please be aware that not all problems can be diagnosed
using this technique and we may need to combine this with other tests.
Testing for Viral Infections
This may be done through collecting blood samples, faecal testing or saliva testing. We can
test for some viruses if we suspect these are the cause of an infection. It is very important to
do this in some cases, especially if owners have a large collection of reptiles as some viruses
can spread very quickly and may even result in the death of several animals. They can also
have an impact on the reproductive success of collections. If we think your pet has a virus we
WILL NOT prescribe antibiotics unless there is evidence of a bacterial infection as well.
This is because antibiotics do not have any effect on viruses. This is why doctors do not give
you antibiotics for a cold.
Testing for Bacterial Infections
Animals can have infections caused by bacteria. We send a sample to a lab and ask them to
find out what the bacteria is and the best antibiotic to treat it with. In reptiles, it is common to
have more than one type of bacteria present in an infection and they are often resistant to
several antibiotics (i.e. the antibiotics will not work against them). An example of the
information we obtain is recorded below:
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Breed:
ROYAL PYTHON
Culture:
Aerobic cultures show a moderate pure growth of
1. Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Anaerobic Culture POSITIVE
2. Clostridium species isolated
SENSITIVITIES:
1
2
Augmentin
RESISTANT
Sensitive
Ceftazidime
Sensitive
RESISTANT
Gentamicin
Sensitive
RESISTANT
Amikacin
Sensitive
RESISTANT
Enrofloxacin
RESISTANT
Sensitive
Marbofloxacin RESISTANT
Sensitive
Doxycycline
RESISTANT
Sensitive
Metronidazole RESISTANT
Sensitive
This snake had infections with two different bacteria meaning two different antibiotics were needed.
One bacteria (Pseudomonas) was resistant to 5/8 antibiotics and could not be treated by using them.
Sometimes the lab cannot find anything and the test needs to be repeated.
Simply trying an antibiotic to see what happens is not the best thing to do. It encourages
antibiotic resistance to develop and a delay in selecting the right drug can be fatal. The above
example shows that in some cases we are more likely to select the wrong drug than the right
one for the infection if we do not test to find out which bacteria is the cause of the infection.
There are in fact hundreds of different bacteria that can cause infection and there is no point
us trying to guess which one is the cause as they are all very different.
Testing Faeces (Droppings) for Intestinal Parasites
To get accurate results it is important to collect droppings over a few days and not let them get too dry
as parasites may not be shed in the droppings every day. It is often easier for owners to send the
faeces direct to the laboratory we use (PALS Veterinary Laboratories) in order to be tested. The most
useful test to select is ‘Reptile Faeces 2’ as it will cover both parasites (e.g. worms & Coccidia) and
bacteria (e.g. Salmonella and Campylobacter). This is not the cheapest test but it is by far the most
useful. A copy of a report is below:
MICROBIOLOGY:
Bearded Dragon droppings
Direct Smear:
Cryptosporidium:
SCANTY COCCIDIA AND NEMATODE OVA SEEN
Negative
Yeast:
++
What does it mean?


This lizard has coccidiosis (a gut parasite) and needs treatment.
It has intestinal worms (nematodes) and needs treatment.
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

It does not have cryptosporidia. (a serious intestinal infection).
It has yeast in its intestines and needs treatment. The underlying reason for this is normally
that the vivarium is not warm enough.
In this case, the lizard needs three different medications: one to treat the coccidian parasite, one for
the worms, and one for the yeast. More heat must also be provided. Sometimes more than one type of
worm is present and two different wormers may be needed. It is very important to test the faeces of all
new reptiles brought in to a collection as you do not know if they are infected just by looking – they
can appear healthy but be riddled with disease. Shops very rarely mention this.
Blood testing
Blood tests are used to look for problems with the internal organs (such as the liver and kidneys). The
animal can be checked for things such as anaemia (not enough red blood cells) or changes with the
white blood cells which can tell us useful information. These tests often need to be repeated during
treatment to check that it is working and to monitor for side effects of certain drugs.
Limitations of Testing
Clients will sometimes ask if there is a guarantee that their animal will get better before they pay for
tests. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees as we are dealing with biological systems which work
every differently. We cannot guarantee a diagnosis will be reached even after a test is performed as no
test is 100% perfect and it is the same in human medicine. Please note: Diagnostic tests are NOT a
treatment in themselves. They enable us to select the correct treatment to use and your pet will not
get better without completing the treatment course. Testing will at least let us know what is not
wrong with your animal, whether it is worth trying to treat the animal at all or if there is a risk to the
owners and in fact euthanasia is the correct thing to do.
We only use veterinary laboratories based in the UK. This is so that in the event of a dispute
involving court we can call on the laboratory to appear in court.
Pricing
We routinely give clients estimates for any work to be done, it must be remembered that these are
estimates and by their very nature can increase or decrease depending upon the circumstances. We
will offer every client the ideal set of tests for a suspected problem which can include any
combination of x-rays, blood tests and faecal tests etc. We realise that people have different budgets
so we will also give you estimates which involve less testing which will mean lower estimates but
doing so may mean we get less accurate or helpful results as an element of guess work is then
involved in treatment. Your range of estimates may go from £200+ with investigations and testing, to
£45 if we just see how the animal responds to treatment. In some cases tests will also need to be
repeated and both sets of tests will need to be paid for.
As we rely heavily on the NHS for medical treatment, people are not used to paying for medical costs
and it can come as a surprise. There is no animal NHS so owners are entirely responsible for paying
fees.
You will be charged fees for the laboratory to do the work plus a collection and interpretation fee for
the results as you are paying for our time to advise you on the best treatment course. If you send
samples directly to the laboratory you will still be charged an interpretation fee when the results are
sent to us.
For more information visit:
www.village-vets.com/client-info/laboratory-tests/
www.palsvetlab.co.uk
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