#scale rot

Exotic specialty vets are trained extensively in reptile husbandry and illness; traditional vets who just so happen to treat reptiles, aren’t. That is an important difference to remember, and it’s very important to stay vigilant when seeking assistance for your pet.   It is not uncommon for standard ‘cat-dog’ veterinarians to give out blatantly incorrect or outdated information pertaining to reptile husbandry and healthcare. Sometimes they do this to the point where it can actually be detrimental to your animal’s health and wellbeing.  I am certain there are vets out there who don’t do this, but it is unfortunately far more common than not.  The problem is that unless you live in a densely populated city, you’re probably not going to find an experienced exotic vet nearby unless you are very, very lucky.   Make no mistake, we are not claiming veterinary care is unreliable in general (at least not completely...)  Most vets, even standard vets are capable of performing fecal examinations, x-rays, ultrasounds, and prescribing antibiotics.  These are important procedures that in severe or simple cases, need accessing, and should be accessed when necessary.   In some cases, you may have acquired a wild caught or second hand “rescue” animal.  In those situations, you absolutely should be getting your pet into a veterinarian to assess the fecal parasite load and do a basic check-up to make sure you get off on the right foot.  In other cases, it’s not that easy, and though you think you’re doing right by your animal, it may actually make it worse. For example, we had a Leopard Gecko surrendered into our care.  The animal had been presenting with difficulty for over a year.  The previous owner did their absolute best trying to get the proper assistance.  It started with a spot on the edge of the mouth that appeared to be mouth rot, from an unknown source - likely a cricket bite that got infected.  After some time consulting with other reptile keepers on ways to improve the spot, another symptom appeared.  They noticed that the animal now had cloudy eyes – a typical indicator of Vitamin A deficiency.  At this point the animal was taken to several vets in the area, seeking help, second opinions, the works.  Five hundred dollars and a seemingly worse off gecko later, the owner had done the best they could and forfeited the animal.  

Apparently, none of the vets bothered to do a fecal examination, which was the first mistake made.  Had they done so, they would have noticed that the animal was suffering a parasite overload.  The first day the gecko came into our care, we could physically see the worms in his eyes, the next day he began anti-parasite treatment and an eye drop regimen.  The gecko ended up developing a severe eye infection after the first few rounds of anti-parasite medication, which was treated following completion of the first medication.  Since then, he has completely lost eyesight and had had to undergo surgery to have hardened abscesses left-over from the infection removed from behind his eyes.  He is still on the long road of healing, but slowly seeming to show progress.  If the vets had have done a fecal examination right off the bat, they would have determined the involvement of parasites, likely from an infected cricket.  Had they known this when he first visited the vet, they could have prescribed an anti-parasite medication immediately and the animal would not have had to endure all that it has, and probably would still have his eyesight.   We spoke to the previous owner early on about the development we had noticed in his eyes, and they expressed that all the work the vets had done between two offices, consisted of a few rounds of antibiotics and a vitamin injection (No other examinations).  The really outstanding part of this story is that they were about to deliver the vitamin injection into the Leopard Gecko’s tail. For those who don’t see the issue with this, Leopard Gecko tails are a fat deposit that can be dropped at will, an injection in this area would soon prove useless. This is one example, an extreme example with a severe health issue, but one that happens more often than you would imagine.  They have no problem accepting money to treat your animal, but they don’t actually know how to treat your animal, and that’s what’s frustrating about this industry.  An exotic vet would be the simple solution, but there just aren’t enough of them out there to meet the demand.  The next best thing you can do is to consult hobbyists, get advice, get opinions.  It might not seem like a reasonable option, but it is.  Many of the people you’ll speak to in the hobby really know what they’re doing, and if they don’t, they know who to direct you to.  When exotic vets are in short supply and standard vets are less than optimal, you’ll have to learn to troubleshoot most simple ailments on your own. A lot of folks in this community really know what they’re talking about and can help you out of a jam most of the time.

The reptile keeping community spreads worldwide.  As a group of people who share the same love of our under-appreciated animal friends, we are usually very supportive of each other.  Together we have collected a lot of valuable information over decades of learning, improving our care practices and producing these creatures.  There are thousands of blogs, forums and social media groups that have the ability to answer nearly any question you can think of.  Like most communities, there is a small percentage of people with poor attitudes, take those individuals with a grain of salt.  The majority of them are very helpful and knowledgeable.   The members of this community often face rude and ignorant people of the general public who think it’s okay to say degrading things to people who like reptiles. So naturally, some of the people in hobby can get pretty defensive, or condescending as a result of this.  They’re rude, but it’s coming from a place that just really cares about the animal’s wellbeing.  Don’t let those people discourage you, you are making the effort to research and ask for help. This is the right thing to do.  After a season of two of reptile keeping, you will come to understand how to navigate these sources without having to deal with negative people like that. It feels dumb to have to disclaim this, but the way I have seen some experienced keepers speak to newcomers has been offensive enough that I think it needs to be said as a word of caution.  Don’t let the gatekeepers scare you off of seeking help.

Keep in mind, when asking for help with your animal, you will need to have some important information ready. In most cases, people will ask some combination of the following questions: - What are the temperatures within the enclosure? Basking/Hot Side/Cool Side/Ambient - When did it last eat? - What is it eating and how much/how frequently? - When did it last defecate? - When did it last shed? Is it currently in shed? - What is the humidity of the enclosure? - What is inside the enclosure? (Substrate, hides, decorations) - What area of the home is the enclosure in? (Windows nearby, temperature of the room, foot traffic) - What size is the enclosure? - Do you have any other pets in the home? - Do you use air fresheners? - When was the last time or are you currently handling the animal? - Has the animal been physically injured? - What are the supplements you are using on your animal’s food and how often are you using them? (Calcium, with or without D3/Multivitamin with or without D3) - What lighting are you using, if any, and for how long each day? - What type of heating equipment are you using, if any? (Bulb, mat, thermostat??) - Is the animal wild caught or captive bred? - What are the animal’s genetics? Making sure you have the answers to all of these questions can assist others in leading you to a solution for MOST every problem your animal might encounter.  Usually, there is no need to panic.  Reptiles are resilient and can often be improved with a little research and minor husbandry changes, so long as you pay close attention, and notice any issues early on.