In this issue we have contributions from
two of our favourite reptile vets!
Reptile Vets: When
should you see one?
Dr Tom Vowell, of Glenorie Vet Clinic, explains
why you should get to know him better – or
your local vet with a special interest in reptiles!
In the past 40 years, the veterinary care of reptiles has
advanced at an amazing rate. Beginning with a few
pioneers seeing a just handful of clients, today reptile
medicine and surgery are now being taught as part of
most university courses. There is still a long way to go
for reptile medicine to catch up to companion animal
practice, but the knowledge base is growing rapidly.
Finding yourself a vet who has an interest and experience
in reptile medicine is always a great start as there are
some subtle differences to examining and treating these
animals, and reptiles are great at hiding signs of disease.
Reptiles generally visit the vet either for an annual health
check or for treatment of an overt sign of disease:
Check ups and annual health checks.
Many reptile owners may not be aware that reptiles, like
all other pets, benefit from an annual check up with a
reptile-savvy vet. There are two main reasons for this, the
first of which is that reptiles do not live as long as people,
so visiting your vet once a year is comparable to visiting
your doctor every 5-10 years! Secondly, catching a
disease early in its course more often than not will
result in a better outcome and a cheaper treatment.
Establishing a baseline of normal data, including
information derived from blood tests, can be
beneficial for the preventive health management of
your pet reptile. There are not normal reference
parameters for blood tests in most species of reptiles,
so regular blood tests will allow your vet to
determine your pet’s normal ranges, which can then
assist with early detection of disease if results differ
from what is normally expected.
Overt signs of illness that require veterinary
attention.
Reptiles are a tough class of animals and are great at
hiding illness until it is in the very advanced stages.
There are a few obvious signs that you may notice in
your reptile that indicate it is time to take a visit to
the vet:
Left: Dr Tom Vowell examines a turtle that has been
hit by a car. Image courtesy Dr Tom Vowell.
Right: Reptiles are great at hiding signs of illness,
and will benefit from annual check ups with a reptile-
savvy vet. Image by
Kuttelvaserova Stuchelova.