Lake Street Animal Hospital
Reptile & Amphibian Appointments
Performing a physical examination on a reptile or amphibian is similar to performing a physical examination on most pets.
Overview
To ensure your reptile or amphibian friend healthy and live the most productive life they should have routine wellness appointments. We know that these pets have specific needs that are far different from other pets. That’s why our reptile and amphibian specialist is here to treat all pets with the highest quality of care and medicine.
How Do Wellness exams work?
First our team will perform a visual examination to determine your pet’s temperament prior to handling directly. We’ll observe if you pet is stressed from their car ride or any other signs of stress or discomfort.
From there we’ll perform a head to tail examination of your pet including:
Weight
Assessment of eyes, ears, oral cavity, thoracic and coelomic cavities
Palpation of extremities and tail to assess abnormalities and current or old injuries
Organ Health
Respiration and heart rate
Full skin examination (trauma, discoloration, masses, dysecdysis, ectoparasites, elasticity, etc.)
Note - Snakes that are about to shed or those that are in a shed cycle should not be examined (unless the animal needs immediate medical attention). Signs of shedding include dull, blue-tinged or opaque coloration to the skin. At this stage, the underlying skin is not fully developed; therefore, handling the animal can cause damage to the newly developing skin. It is best for us to see your pet once their shed cycle is complete.