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Proceedings of the 33rd World Small
Animal Veterinary Congress
Dublin, Ireland - 2008
Next WSAVA Congress :
Reprinted in IVIS with the permission of the Congress Organizers
Reprinted in IVIS with the permission of the Congress Organizers
Close this window to return to IVIS
WSAVA / FECAVA World Small Animal Congress
27 Vet Nurse Stream
R eptiles -
raise your confidence on husbandry and health care
Bairbre O’Malley MVB, CertVR, MRCVS
Bairbre O’Malley Veterinary Hospital, Ronoc House, Kilmantain Place, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
Introduction
The keeping of pet snakes, lizards
and chelonians (shelled reptiles) is
still a relatively new hobby and many
pet owners start from a high level
of ignorance about their pet. Many
do not even know which species
of reptile they have bought or the
correct diet and housing needs for the
pet. Consequently poor husbandry is
a major factor leading to malnutrition, debilitation and
illness in pet reptiles
Ectothermy
All reptiles are ectothermic, meaning they are unable
to generate metabolic heat and rely instead on the
temperature of their environment. This basically means
they draw their heat from the environment and not
from their food. An advantage of this is that they
need not waste energy maintaining body temperature
- consequently most reptiles have a much slower
metabolism with a metabolic rate only 25-35% that of
mammals.
As ambient environmental temperature plays a vital
role in reptile metabolism, food gathering and digestion,
pet owners must provide the correct thermal range in
captivity. This thermal range will depend on whether the
animal comes from a temperate, subtropical or tropical
climate. The majority of reptiles come from the tropics
where it is warm all year round. Those that come from
cooler climates have to hibernate when the temperature
drops. Diurnal temperatures for tropical reptiles range
from 26-37°C while temperate reptiles need a range of
24-29°C. Exact thermal requirements for each reptile
species are available from reference books.
Housing
Due to their need for constant heat, reptiles must be
kept contained either in a vivarium or heated enclosure.
The vivarium should be rectangular to allow for a
temperature gradient (i.e. hot end and cool end) and
as large as possible to avoid problems with dominance
and bullying. Territorial males tend to get more access to
food and heat, allowing both increased food intake and
more efficient digestion. The minimum requirement for
lizards is three times the animal’s length and two times
its width. Arboreal (tree living) lizards like the iguana
need increased cage height at 2-3 times the animal’s
length.
The design of the tank can be chosen from two
approaches. The minimalist sterile tank with newspaper
and bare essentials (as in for example a hospital tank)
or a more aesthetically pleasing environment with
major emphasis on enriching the pet’s surroundings.
The advantage of this naturalistic tank design is a less
stressed, leaner and healthier reptile. The disadvantage
is that cage hygiene may suffer and impactions can occur
from the reptile ingesting the substrate.
Cage furniture should be supplied according to the
animal’s needs. Arboreal reptiles like the iguana and
chameleon need branches and foliage while terrestrial
animals like tortoises and geckos need shelters. Secretive
animals like the royal python need hidey holes as they
like to eat in dark privacy. It is essential that tanks for
snakes are secured with locks as they are notorious for
their ability to wriggle out through tiny crevices and end
up days later in a neighbour’s apartment!
Temperature
Heating should be provided to maintain the POTZ
(Preferred optimum temperature zone). This is the
thermal range of the reptile’s natural habitat at which
it functions optimally and has a maximum immune
response. This can be provided by a heat lamp or heat
pad or both. The heat pad should not occupy more than
30% of the tank and there must be no direct contact
between the reptile and either the heat pad and heat
lamp as thermal burns are common. Heat pads should be
placed under or attached to the side of the vivarium and
heat lamps should be protected by wire mesh. Hot rocks
are not recommended. A thermometer should be placed
at each end of the tank to give accurate temperature
readings.
The type of heating will depend on whether the reptile is
a heliotherm or a thigmotherm. Heat lamps are best for
heliotherms - these are reptiles which derive radiant heat
from the sun and include diurnal species that bask in the
sun. Heat pads can be used for thigmotherms - these
include the nocturnal (eg leopard gecko) and crepuscular
species that obtain their heat via conduction.
UV light/photoperiod
All diurnal reptiles need visible daylight and the
photoperiod will depend on their natural habitat.
Temperate reptiles should have 13-15 hours light in
summer and only 9-12 hours in winter. Providing too
long a photoperiod can lead to ovarian follicle problems
and obesity.
Ultraviolet light is important for reproduction and
Vitamin D absorption. Lack of UVB range leads to lack
of vitamin D and subsequent nutritional osteodystrophy
(metabolic bone disease). UV lights must be provided
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Vet Nurse Stream 27
and located within 30cm of the reptile’s basking area
for maximum effect. They should be changed every
6 months. Traditionally UVB lights were fluorescent
(tubular) but incandescent bulbs which provide both heat
and UV light are now available. However as these can
get very hot they can only be used in larger enclosures.
Natural sunlight is the best source of ultraviolet light
of all but must be unfiltered as UVB cannot penetrate
through glass.
Humidity
Humidity is very important to aid shedding (ecdysis)
and prevent dehydration. The relative humidity for each
species is available from reference books and a hygrometer
is essential to give accurate readings. Humidity can be
provided by mist spraying, water features, shallow water
dishes or humidity chambers in focal parts of the tank.
Live potted plants and moistened substrate would also
help. Increasing humidity must not however be at the
expense of poor ventilation as this will only lead to the
buildup of bacteria and fungal problems.
Substrate
The floor material is an important consideration for
terrestrial or burrowing species, Newspaper, reptile mats
and astroturf are easy to keep clean but not aesthetic.
Coarse bark chips, wood chips, sand and stones are
commonly used to produce a more naturalistic terrain.
Food should be served in a dish to avoid the risk of the
reptile ingesting the substrate. Sand (even so called
‘calcium sand’) is a common cause of impactions in
juvenile or sickly reptiles.
Cage hygiene
Water bowls should be washed and disinfected daily to
avoid Pseudomonas infections. Spot cleaning should be
performed daily. Tanks should be cleaned and disinfected
weekly. Gloves should be worn for tank cleaning and
waste material must be kept well away from any food
producing areas. The best disinfectants are quaternary
ammonia compounds (e.g. Arklens / F10), dilute
hypochlorites and iodophores.
Routine health care
The owner should keep records of feeding frequency,
shedding and weight. A yearly veterinary examination is
recommended with faecal parasitic examination. Annual
blood for haematology / biochemistry tests may be
needed.
Quarantine
When a new reptile is introduced it should be isolated
and quarantined for at least 6 months during which time
three faecal samples should be checked. New arrivals
should also be checked thoroughly for mites as these are
a common carrier of bacteria and viruses.
Nutrition
The diet of the reptile will depend on whether it is
omnivore, herbivore or carnivore. Carnivores have a short
simple gastrointestinal tract while herbivores have a
large colon for fermentation of fibre.
Carnivores
Carnivores eat a diet high in animal protein and fat and
the only carbohydrate is from the gut of their prey. All
snakes are carnivores and are fed mainly rats and mice
in captivity. As a general rule the smaller the snake the
smaller the prey with juvenile snakes being fed pinkies
(neonatal) mice. As freshly killed prey has the same
quality as live prey it is not recommended or humane
to feed live prey. Frozen food is acceptable although
owners should be aware that after 6 months there
is deterioration in taste, texture, smell and nutrients.
Snakes should never be fed from the hand as they may
inadvertently learn to strike the hand. A feeding tongs
should always be used.
Insectivores
Many lizards are insectivores and in captivity the diet
usually consists of crickets, locusts, mealworms and
waxworms. Most invertebrates have an exoskeleton
of chitin that is low in calcium. This deficiency can be
rectified by ‘gut loading’ i.e. feeding the insects after
purchase with calcium rich foods. Insects should also
be dusted with calcium powder before feeding at least
twice weekly and then hand feed to the reptile to
prevent wastage.
Herbivores
Herbivores include most terrestrial tortoises and lizards
like the green iguana, chuckwalla and uromastyx. They
need a diet high in cellulose, calcium and vitamin A and
low in fermented sugars and fats. Herbivores normally
eat daily and can be fed a variety of chopped dark
green leafy vegetables. Tropical species can also be fed
some fruit. As herbivores are very visual reptiles, bright
coloured foods of red, yellow and orange colour are
readily accepted. All food should be well washed and fit
for human consumption.
Omnivores
Omnivores derive their energy from a mixture of protein
and fats as juveniles with more carbohydrate and fibre
as adults. Many species like bearded dragons and aquatic
turtles eat mainly animal protein when juvenile but
become more herbivorous when older.
Feeding frequency
The frequency of feeding will depend on the species and
size. Rapidly growing young lizards like bearded dragons
and chameleons need to be fed twice daily. Chelonians
and lizards usually eat daily or every other day. Small
snakes feed about twice weekly while large snakes
feed only every 2-4 weeks. Reptiles need the correct
environmental temperatures to digest their food - if they
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27 Vet Nurse Stream
are kept at sub optimal temperatures they may become
anorexic or regurgitate.
Water requirements
This will vary with species - chameleons in the wild sip
dew off leaves so will not drink from a water bowl in
captivity. They can either be misted with a warm water
spray twice daily or provided with a drip feed water
system which allows water to drip onto foliage into
a collecting water bowl beneath. Tortoises prefer to
immerse their head while drinking so should be provided
with a large shallow tray. Many snakes like a water dish
in which they can soak so a large dog bowl or cat litter
tray filled with water should be provided.
Proceedings of the 33rd World Small Animal Veterinary Congress 2008 - Dublin, Ireland
684 | WSAVA / FECAVA Programme 2008
653-690 27 Vet Nurse Stream.indd 684
21-07-2008 11:24:53