reptile - Articles
Burn injuries
Introduction
- Cause: burns from inappropriate heat source in the reptile housing.
- Signs: lesions visible on potentially multiple areas of the body.
- Diagnosis: history and clinical signs.
- Treatment: debridement, antibiotics.
- Prognosis: variable depending on the chronicity and severity of the burn.
Presenting signs
- Lesions on potentially multiple areas of the body, severity can vary.
- Potential signs consistent with secondary septicemia.
Acute presentation
- Severe, often deep burns that the owners have only just noticed.
Geographic incidence
- Worldwide.
Age predisposition
- Older and therefore heavier bodies snakes, kept on non-thermostatically controlled heat mats may be more predisposed to burns than lighter bodied, younger snakes.
Breed/Species predisposition
- Snakes and lizards appear over-represented compared to chelonians.
- Heavy bodied snakes such as boids, kept on non-thermostatically controlled heat mats may be more predisposed to burns than lighter bodied snakes such as colubrids.
- Snakes and climbing species will be more prone to being burnt on un-protected suspended heat sources.
Public health considerations
- Reptiles can carry salmonella, so basic hygiene is recommended to avoid transmission.
Cost considerations
- Costs likely to increase with the severity of the burns, but may include topical treatments, systemic treatments and any hospitalization fees, in addition to costs of husbandry modifications.
Special risks
- Reptiles with chronic burns can often have underlying systemic infections.
- Reptiles with septicemia are at increased anesthetic risk if anesthesia is needed for surgical debridement.
Pathogenesis
Etiology
- A reptile coming into contact with a non-thermostatically controlled heat source, a heat source that is inappropriate for the reptile, or in an enclosure where there is no guard protecting the reptile from the heat source Lizard husbandry Snake husbandry Chelonia husbandry.
- A reptile that has accidently escaped and got trapped behind something hot.
Predisposing factors
General
- Lack of understanding of the safe and appropriate heating of reptiles.
- Accidental.
Specific
- Non-thermostatically controlled heat source.
- Heat source that is inappropriate for the species of reptile.
- No guard protecting the reptile from the heat source.
- A reptile has escaped and got trapped behind something that is hot.
Pathophysiology
- Reptiles appear poor at perceiving thermal pain, especially if the rest of their body is not warm, so will not move away from a burning heat. Burns can therefore be deep and extensive.
- Burns are graded as follows:
- 1st degree: a mild burn resulting in a reddening of the epidermis only.
- 2nd degree: a partial thickness burn affecting the epidermis and the dermis; redness, swelling and blistering often noted.
- 3rd degree: a full thickness burn where the entire epidermis and dermis are destroyed and the deeper tissues are affected; charred skin may be present.
Timecourse
- Hours to weeks.
Epidemiology
- Snakes and lizards over represented in comparison to chelonia.
Diagnosis
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Treatment
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Prevention
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Outcomes
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Further Reading
Publications
Refereed papers
- Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
- White S D, Bourdeau P, Bruet V, Kass P H, Tell L & Hawkins M G (2011) Reptiles with dermatological lesions: a retrospective study of 301 cases at two university veterinary teaching hospitals (1992–2008). Vet Derm 22 (2), 150-161 PubMed.
- Hoppmann E (2007) Dermatology in reptiles. J Exotic Pet Med 16 (4), 210-224 VetMedResource.
- Chitty J (2011) Hospitalisation of birds and reptiles. J Exotic Pet Med 20 (2), 98-106 VetMedResource.
- Scagnelii A M (2016) Therapeutic review: manuka honey. J Exotic Pet Med 25 (2), 168-171 VetMedResource.