A 3.10 kg, six-year old male green iguana (Iguana iguana) suffered several weeks of decreased activity, loss of body weight, anorexia and change of skin colour. Physical examination revealed a cachectic depressed lizard, with marked pale mucous membranes. The complete blood count revealed a leukocytosis (46.5 × 10 9 /l), elevated heterophils (23.25 × 10 9 /l) and azurophils (23.25 × 10 9 /l), decreased haemoglobin concentration (29.00 g/l), low haematocrit (0.16 l/l) and erythropenia (0.35 × 10 12 /l). Abnormalities of the plasma chemistry panel included increased activity of aspartate aminotransferase (6.05 μkat/l) and creatinephosphokinase (217.91 μkat/l), increased concentrations of uric acid (321.58 μmol/l), phosphorus (4.04 mmol/l) and bile acids (120.21 μmol/l), as well as a decreased concentration of glucose (3.72 mmol/l), cholesterol (0.637 mmol/l) and triglycerides (0.09 mmol/l). A lateral radiograph revealed soft-tissue opacity present in the region of the liver. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a markedly enlarged left liver lobe distended caudally and displacing the other abdominal organs. The signal intensity of the liver parenchyma was slightly hyperintense, the ventro-medial part of the left lobe showed a hypointense signal. Endoscopic examination of the coelomic cavity revealed a greatly enlarged pale liver and the presence of a straw-coloured modified transudate. Based on histopathological examination of the liver hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed. Despite supportive treatment the patient died on the sixth day of hospitalisation. Reptiles, liver disease, plasma chemistry, bile acids, MRIDifferent types of liver diseases are common in captive reptiles. Monitoring of liver function in reptiles is not easy and cannot be based purely on measuring the activities of plasma enzymes like alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), because the large reserve capacity of the reptilian liver function makes such evaluation incorrect. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess focal lesions of the spleen and liver has been well documented in dogs (Clifford et al. 2004) and the diffuse and focal pathological processes in different organs and soft tissues are documented with MRI imagines in human and veterinary medicine (Gumpenberger and Henniger 2001;Oliva and Saini 2004;Bialecki and Bisceglie 2005;Aguirre et al. 2006;Hecht et al. 2006;Silverman 2006;Elsayes et al. 2007;Knotek et al. 2007;Szklaruk and Bhosale 2007). Materials and MethodsA 3.10 kg, six-year old male green iguana (Iguana iguana) suffered several weeks of decreased activity, continuing loss of body weight, anorexia and change of skin colour. The iguana was kept as a single pet indoors in a terrarium (1.45 × 0.9 × 0.6 m) with temperature ranges between 24 and 35 °C, air humidity between 60 and 80% and a specific light regime (12h/12 h of light and dark, 100 W bulb + UV lamp Repti-Glo 5.0, Hagen). The diet
A total of 20 healthy green iguanas (14 males and six females with body weight ranging from 280 to 720 g) were divided into three groups and used for the experiment. Carprofen (2.0 mg/kg,<I> i.m</I>.) was administered to seven iguanas for 10 days, five were treated with meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg, <I>i.m</I>.) for the same period, and eight iguanas received the same volume of saline solution (0.04 ml/kg). All iguanas were blood sampled on Day 1 and 11 to obtain haematological and biochemical parameters. Comparing the values within particular groups, a decrease in haemoglobin concentration and packed cell volume accompanied by an increase in azurophils (<I>P</I> < 0.05) was observed in iguanas treated with carprofen. Decreased values of haemoglobin and packed cell volume were also found in control iguanas (<I>P</I> < 0.05). Increased ALT levels (<I>P</I> < 0.01) were found in all three groups of iguanas. A decrease in the concentration of Ca (<I>P</I> < 0.01) was observed both in meloxicam-treated iguanas and in the control ones. Mean ALT values of carprofen-treated iguanas (2.42 ± 0.52 μkat/l) were considerably higher (<I>P</I> < 0.01) than those in iguanas treated with meloxicam (0.49 ± 0.18 μkat/l) or saline (0.43 ± 0.13 μkat/l). Repeated doses of carprofen induced higher levels of AST (0.82 ± 0.26 μkat/l) compared with saline (<I>P</I> < 0.01, 0.31 ± 0.16 μkat/l) or meloxicam (<I>P</I> < 0.05, 0.38 ± 0.16 μkat/l). All blood parameters of green iguanas following the 10-day intramuscular administration of both carprofen and meloxicam were within the physiological reference values of this species.within the physiological reference values of this species.
The aim of this study was to evaluate short-term intravenous anaesthesia with alfaxalone in green iguanas (Iguana iguana). Alfaxalone at a dose rate of 5 mg/kg was administered to thirteen adult male green iguanas via the ventral caudal vein following 24 h fasting. The induction time, tracheal tube insertion time, surgical plane of anaesthesia interval, and full recovery time were recorded. Systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure (measured indirectly), pulse rate, respiratory rate, SpO 2 and ETCO 2 were recorded. The induction time and tracheal tube insertion time was 41.54 ± 27.69 s and 69.62 ± 37.03 s, respectively. The time from the alfaxalone administration to the loss of toe-pinch reflex was 2.20 ± 1.47 min. Full activity was restored 14.23 ± 4.15 min after the initial alfaxalone administration. The respiratory rate increased significantly (P < 0.01) from 4.3. ± 3.2 to 6.8 ± 1.6 breaths per min and a gradual decrease of ETCO 2 from 43.65 ± 10.54 to 26.58 ± 8.10 mmHg (P < 0.01) was noted from the second to the 13 th min after alfaxalone administration. The pulse rate, SpO 2 and blood pressure did not change significantly. Intravenous use of alfaxalone proved to be a suitable and safe form for short term anaesthesia in green iguanas.
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