The Critical Reptile Patient
Stacey Leonatti Wilkinson, DVM, DABVP (Reptile & Amphibian Practice) presented the continuing education webinar “The Critical Reptile Patient: Physical Examination, Triage, and Stabilization”. A common misconception is that true emergencies in reptile medicine do not exist. While it is true that most emergencies are an acute manifestation of a chronic disease, by the time the owner notices a problem an emergency may exist. Some common, true, acute-onset emergencies include trauma, vomiting, prolapse, seizures, tremors, obstructive dystocia, and severe dyspnea. Proper triage is critical when treating exotic animal patients and a complete history is vital to help determine a list of differential diagnoses. A physical examination should be performed, but initially it may be only visual or extremely limited if the patient is unstable. Stabilization should be the priority, then additional tests or procedures can be performed once the patient is more stable.