Endoscope-Guided Marble Foreign Body Removal Technique in an Inland Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)

Abstract

A 1-year-old intact female inland bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) was presented approximately 24 hours following observed ingestion of a marble. Orthogonal whole-body radiographs with and without contrast revealed a spherical radiopaque foreign body within the gastric lumen and no passage of contrast material beyond the foreign body, suggestive of pyloric outflow obstruction. The CBC showed mild basophilia, and plasma biochemical analysis revealed a moderately elevated creatine kinase. The bearded dragon was placed under general anesthesia, and a rigid endoscope was utilized to visualize the foreign body at the level of the pylorus. The marble foreign body was suctioned and removed orally using a red rubber catheter and a Luer-lock syringe. The patient recovered uneventfully from the procedure and was sent home after two days of hospitalization with sucralfate and omeprazole. This report provides a novel, non-surgical method for removing smooth spherical foreign bodies from the proximal gastrointestinal tract of bearded dragons. The technique may apply to various small to medium-sized reptiles or amphibians that present with spherical foreign bodies.