Category: Ask A Vet
4 Tips for Choosing the Best Food for Your Pet
Knowledge is the key when it comes to choosing food for your pet. [...]
Can A Retic With Inclusion Body Disease Still Strike?
Inclusion body disease is known to strike pythons and boas. [...]
The Vet Report: Salmonella In Reptiles
In the 1970s, red-eared sliders were so popular in the pet trade that they were actually raised in human sewage ponds —hence the source of the Salmone [...]
The Vet Report: Contrary To Popular Belief, Snakes Can Hear
“Well, Mr. Jones, I have to disagree with you. Snakes do have internal ears, and they can hear.” [...]
The Vet Report: Puka, The Sea Turtle With A Hole
When Puka came to the Turtle Hospital, the director at first wanted to euthanize her. My first thought was that I had to agree. A hole in a sea turtle [...]
Metabolic Bone Disease In Reptiles
MBD is not actually a single disease entity, it is a collection of medical disorders affecting the integrity and function of bones. [...]
Reptile Medicine Behind Bars At The Monroe County Sheriff’s Animal Farm
The Monroe County Jail in Florida is home to a variety of animals, cared for by inmates. [...]
The Vet Report: Reptile Vomiting and Regurgitation
The two most common causes of vomiting or regurgitation in snakes are low-environmental temperature and handling the animal too soon after eating. [...]
The Vet Report: Don’t Diagnose Your Herps Via The Internet. Find A Good Reptile Vet
Long-distance medicine is a reality, but it requires trained individuals on both ends of the cyber connection to collect all the data and formulate a [...]
Mites in Reptiles
Mites can be both a nuisance and a costly problem in any reptile collection. [...]
Dr. Douglas Mader Bids Farewell: Thank You REPTILES Readers
After 23 years answering over 350 questions in over 250 columns and writing numerous columns, Dr. Douglas Mader bids farewell. [...]
The Vet Report: Environmental Enrichment for Reptiles
Environmental enrichment will improve the health of captive reptiles. [...]
The Vet Report: Burns in Reptiles
Thermal burns in reptiles are one of the most common injuries seen by herp veterinarians.The exact reason why reptiles seem so prone to burns is not u [...]
The Vet Report: A List of Common Internal Parasites in Reptiles
A parasite is any animal that lives on or within a second animal, and for the most part, parasites live in harmony with their hosts in the wild. They [...]
A Crocodilian Christmas
Years ago, I always liked to take the emergency shift during holidays so that my associate doctors could spend time with their families. At the time m [...]
The Vet Report: Working On Hot Herps
I am frequently asked if I will perform veterinary work on “hot,” or venomous, species. The answer is yes. The “hot stuff” is [...]
The Vet Report: Routine Blood Testing In Reptiles Is Encouraged
"Bad laboratory data are worse than no laboratory data at all." Considering the variety of species of herp patients that I see, I think [...]
The Vet Report: Herp First Aid Kit Checklist
It seems as though throughout my life I have lived in places where natural disasters are just a blink away. Whether it was California with the e [...]
The Vet Report: Sulcata Tortoise Spine Abnormality
Dear Dr. Mader,
I am a tortoise enthusiast and a huge fan of yours. I am in the process of finishing my prerequisite courses for veterinary sch [...]
The Vet Report: Inclusion Body Disease
I get a zillion e-mails and calls asking advice about herp cases. This morning, I got a frantic call from a veterinarian about a large python that was [...]
My Leopard Gecko Is Not Eating
My leopard gecko ran away and now that I found her again, she won't eat. Why is this? [...]
Bearded Dragon Will Not Eat
My bearded dragon recently stopped eating and I was wondering what would cause this? [...]