Dr O
Veterinarian
A friend that owns an exotics pet shop sent me this photo and video of a Panther Chameleon donated to him by an owner who claimed that "he was doing everything right" but the lizard was acting sick. After seeing the video and the severe distress that the cham was in, I told my friend that I would take it and try to nurse it as best as I could, but the prognosis was exceedingly grim from just the video evidence that I was presented with. Upon receiving him, the physical exam revealed several long bone and joint fractures that were fresh or unhealed, severe edema around his neck, distal limbs, ventral chest and abdomen, curved and soft long bone formation, severe bilateral exophthalmos (eyes pushed outwards from the socket) with ocular discharge, grasping at his own limbs, and periods of tetanic seizures and gaping behavior. However, the most worrisome sign was a very gritty feel upon palpation of his liver, mesentery, and intestinal tract. I performed a quick fine needle aspirate of his peritoneum which should basically be an empty vacuum, but indeed received a blood-tinged and flocculent (suspended particles) fluid in the syringe. Typically I would immediately fix, stain and dry the aspirate to look under a microscope at the cells that I had, but I was unfortunately out of the necessary stains. However, I knew at that point that his prognosis was terminal. At the time another forum member just happened to be over and asked an excellent question, did I think that the gritty feeling was possibly from calcification of the soft tissues from oversupplementation of calcium? However I said that it was unlikely as the gritty texture appeared to be on the serosal (external) surfaces of the organs and was more likely from inflammatory cells such as fibrin and blood clots from the fluid in the abdomen. Organ calcification tends to distribute evenly throughout the tissue and not just on the outside of the organs. With that, I instituted therapy with Repashy RescueCal+, high dose enrofloxacin, tobramycin ophthalmic ointment, oral fluids supplemented with Reptisafe and Reptaid, full day sunlight exposure in a screened cage, and elevated temperatures during the nights. With all of my hospital equipment still in storage several states away, I was not able to place a catheter as I would have normally tried to do for direct intraosseous fluids and injectable medications (however, the necropsy revealed that placement of a catheter would have been difficult to impossible due to the destuction of most long bones). By the fourth day he was worsening, only able to lay on the floor of his cage or hang upside down from his rear feet, but he had obviously become much weaker. As I felt that he had a terminal situation which was worsening and that he was suffering, I chose to euthanize him with Beauthanasia-D. Immediately afterwards I performed a necropsy and photographed the procedure for the members of this forum. In the photographs below you will see some examples of how nutritional MBD can wreak havoc upon the body, as well as normal anatomical structures which some may find interesting.
First, the photo and video that was emailed to me by the pet shop owner. You can see the bulbous eyes with drainage, some curvature to the limbs, self-grasping behavior and involuntary muscle movements.:
http://youtu.be/EZphRnqEJx0
After the euthanasia, his body was laid out on a canine Wee-Wee pad which was excellent at absorbing fluids without leting them pass through the material.
His left forelimb was dissected down to the bone where a broken and displaced radius is visible (A) in addition to a metacarpal (wrist) joint that was mobile in all directions from the complete destruction of the joint (B). Notice how it is easily reflected backwards in the second photo.
The right forelimb had an unhealed fracture of the ulna which almost gave the appearance of him having "two elbows". (A) is where the elbow joint is, and (B) is where the fracture exists. Note in the second photo how there is flexion in both regions. The brachial vein (red) and artery (white) are clearly visible in the upper part of the limb as well.
Removal of the muscle and connective tissue shows a short, stunted and curved radius with the thickened fracture of the ulna. Throughout the necropsy, the bones were soft and rubbery as a chicken bone becomes after soaking in vinegar for several days.
The oral cavity was surpsingly clean. The first photo shows the normal position of the tongue as it leaves the hyoid bone (A). Note the various muscles and blood vessels within the tongue
A typical visualization of the open glottis (A) which leads to the trachea (B) and then to the lungs. This would be where an endotracheal tube would be placed to allow oxygen and anesthetic gasses to be delivered to the lungs. As its normal position is at the bottom of the oral cavity and it has a strong flap of muscles that can close it, one can see how it is quite easy to tube feed or give oral medications to most reptiles without fear of getting any in the windpipe.
Both hemipenes (A) were everted and appeared normal other than the large waxy plugs (B) that were inside each hemipene.
(To be continued; please do not post until entire article is completed)
First, the photo and video that was emailed to me by the pet shop owner. You can see the bulbous eyes with drainage, some curvature to the limbs, self-grasping behavior and involuntary muscle movements.:
http://youtu.be/EZphRnqEJx0
After the euthanasia, his body was laid out on a canine Wee-Wee pad which was excellent at absorbing fluids without leting them pass through the material.
His left forelimb was dissected down to the bone where a broken and displaced radius is visible (A) in addition to a metacarpal (wrist) joint that was mobile in all directions from the complete destruction of the joint (B). Notice how it is easily reflected backwards in the second photo.
The right forelimb had an unhealed fracture of the ulna which almost gave the appearance of him having "two elbows". (A) is where the elbow joint is, and (B) is where the fracture exists. Note in the second photo how there is flexion in both regions. The brachial vein (red) and artery (white) are clearly visible in the upper part of the limb as well.
Removal of the muscle and connective tissue shows a short, stunted and curved radius with the thickened fracture of the ulna. Throughout the necropsy, the bones were soft and rubbery as a chicken bone becomes after soaking in vinegar for several days.
The oral cavity was surpsingly clean. The first photo shows the normal position of the tongue as it leaves the hyoid bone (A). Note the various muscles and blood vessels within the tongue
A typical visualization of the open glottis (A) which leads to the trachea (B) and then to the lungs. This would be where an endotracheal tube would be placed to allow oxygen and anesthetic gasses to be delivered to the lungs. As its normal position is at the bottom of the oral cavity and it has a strong flap of muscles that can close it, one can see how it is quite easy to tube feed or give oral medications to most reptiles without fear of getting any in the windpipe.
Both hemipenes (A) were everted and appeared normal other than the large waxy plugs (B) that were inside each hemipene.
(To be continued; please do not post until entire article is completed)
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