09/03/2025
Meet Charlie! He is a 14 year old Green Iguana who presented to Dr. Webb this spring for some concerning, but non-specific signs. Charlie had become restless over a few weeks’ time, had a reduced appetite, diarrhea. Charlie’s owner also noted a behaviour that looked like he was having trouble swallowing, which we often call “hard swallowing” and can be associated with belly pain in lizards.
Charlie was bright and alert on examination, but Dr. Webb palpated some irregularities in Charlie’s swollen coelom (belly). A blood sample was taken for a complete blood count and biochemistry, and computed tomography (CT) imaging was completed to get a better idea of what was going on inside Charlie’s body.
The CT images gave a clear answer: Charlie is actually a girl and was experiencing follicular stasis! Reproductive disease is unfortunately very common in pet lizards, and a common reason for presentation. Reptiles can develop mature follicles (yolks) even without a male lizard, and a range of problems can follow. If the conditions for finding a mate and preparing a nest aren’t “perfect,” these follicles should reabsorb and the nutrients “recycled” by the lizard’s body (a process called follicular atresia). Sometimes these follicles sit in the body for prolonged periods (hence “stasis”) and become inflamed and/or infected. The follicles can even burst in the body cavity causing peritonitis. Leaving them untreated results in inflammation, infection, pain, and even sudden death.
Charlie’s bloodwork came back without any surprises, so she was scheduled for surgery to remove the problem follicles. Green iguanas are large, powerful, and very intelligent lizards; our exotics team was happy to help her feel comfortable and provide excellent care. She was sedated, an intravenous catheter was placed for fluid and drug administration, she was intubated to protect her airway, and our anesthetic monitoring equipment was modified to work on her reptile anatomy. Dr. Webb removed her ovaries with the huge follicles and she recovered like a champ! After a brief hospital stay overnight in Coastal’s intensive care unit, she was discharged to her family the day after surgery. Charlie’s family reported that she very quickly returned to her regular attitude!
Reptile skin takes a long time to heal post-operatively, but Charlie’s scar looked great at her six-week recheck. She gave us a bit of “iguana stink eye” (they are very suspicious animals) but was otherwise well-behaved and a charmer, as always.
Are you concerned about your pet lizard, or other exotic animal? To book an appointment with Dr. Webb and her exotics team, no referral is necessary. Call (902) 703-2323 ext. 5 to speak with our referral coordinators, or see our website: https://www.coastalcarevets.ca/site/veterinary-exotics-request-appointment
