Denver Reptile Vet

08/02/2022

This is dangerous legislation that was tacked on to a completely unrelated bill to try to sneak it in. Essentially if this passes it could severely restrict the movement of reptiles across state lines regardless of whether or not they are pets or breeding stock, etc with very little justification. This could even be used to prevent bearded dragons and ball pythons from crossing state lines if you are moving and want to take your pets. The way this act is being altered means that is a very realistic scenario and the process to include more species on the restricted list is very easy. Our community needs to be active to protect our hobby and our pets. There are already restrictions in place for endangered species and to try to reduce poaching and those can be strengthened if needed. This is not the way to protect animals, only to threaten pet ownership. Consider donating to USARK to help their efforts and please reach out to your representatives. The post has information on how to do that easily!

ALERT: America COMPETES Act of 2022 Lacey Act Amendments

UPDATE 7/28/22: We have been posting relevant updates on our main alert page at https://usark.org/2022lacey/. To be brief, the “CHIPS-Plus” bill that passed in the Senate passed the House on 7/28 (243-187 vote). This bill includes some of the technology initiatives included in the America COMPETES Act, USICA, and other bills. The portions of COMPETES that were not germane to the intent of the bill (including the bad Lacey Act amendments) were not added to the CHIPS-Plus package. This should be the end of any threat from these Lacey Act amendments for this Congressional session.

Thank you to everyone who contacted their legislators and voiced opposition! Your opposition is hugely important and needed. When advocacy groups like USARK meet with legislators, they give us more attention if they have been hearing from their constituents. The Reptile Nation is a huge part of USARK and we just want to say thank you again to those who took the time to fight for responsible h**petoculturists.

Also, a huge thank you to other animal keepers and organizations who opposed these Lacey Act amendments! USARK and h**p keepers were certainly not the only ones fighting. The stoppage of these Lacey Act amendments shows that various animal interest groups can work together and make a difference. Thank you!

Read below or at https://usark.org/2022lacey/ (more info and What To Do at link). We also have a spin-off post at https://usark.org/2022lacey1/ and an FAQ page at https://usark.org/2022laceyfaq/.

UPDATE 7/28/22: The "CHIPS-Plus" bill passed the Senate and then the House (243-187 vote). This bill includes some of the technology initiatives included in the America COMPETES Act and other bills. The portions of COMPETES that were not germane to the intent of the bill (including the bad Lacey Act amendments) were not added to the CHIPS-Plus bill.

UPDATE 7/27/22: This is the current version of the technology-focused "CHIPS-Plus" bill. No Lacey Act amendments are in this bill.https://rules.house.gov/.../files/BILLS-117HR4346SASA.pdf

UPDATE 7/20/22: After months of negotiations, the Senate voted to advance a $52 billion bill aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor production. The House may vote next week as this works through the process. This will take some pressure off the conference committee and the USICA/COMPETES reconciliation may fade away but keep contacting legislators through our alerts!

UPDATE4/7: House Representatives have been announced to the S1260/HR4521 reconciliation conference committee. See the list at https://usark.org/laceycomm/. An unofficial list of Senate members has been released (included at link).

UPDATE 3/29: A top priority on Capitol Hill is to pass the Bipartisan Innovation Act (this is the current name for the bill that will merge HR4521 and S1260). The primary goal of this bill is to boost high-tech research and chip manufacturing in the United States. Since the House and Senate passed different versions, the two versions must now be merged (reconciled). The process to conduct a formal reconciliation finally started Monday evening with a move from the Senate that replaced the text of HR4521 with the text of S1260 and sent it back to the House. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the House should vote this week against the bill from the Senate. This downvote will trigger the formation of a conference committee with members from both chambers. That committee will reconcile HR4521 and S1260 to produce a final bill. Following a vote to begin a formal conference negotiation process, Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell must define the structure of the committee talks.

UPDATE 3/28: Following a roll call to limit debate on the measure (cloture), the Senate voted 68-28 to send its version (text from S1260) of this bill back to the House. Next, the House will reject this bill. This was the process needed to set up a cross-chamber conference committee to settle on the final language for the bill (reconciliation of the two bills).

UPDATE 2/14: As we have stated, the America COMPETES Act (HR4521) and U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (S1260) will be reconciled (merged) in committee. The merged bill will likely have a new name (promoting a “Make It In America” or similar moniker). As of this update, the House has yet to send the final version of HR4521 to the Senate (due to over 200 amendments being added on the House floor). Informal discussion on the reconciliation may begin this week. The formal Senate/House conference should begin in March. This issue of strengthening the U.S. economy (specifically in the technology fields) is a priority for many in Congress. Our mission remains to keep the Lacey Act amendments from being added to this or any other bill. Full alert at https://usark.org/2022lacey/.

UPDATE 2/4: This bill passed in the House and will go to the Senate. We will adjust our alert to contact Senators at the appropriate time. It was a slim margin with the final vote at 222-210.

UPDATE 2/1: The America COMPETES Act passed out of the Rules Committee, as expected. It will next go to the full House for a vote [debate on February 2]. Our goal is not to stop the bill but to get the Lacey Act amendments removed before it goes to the Senate. During today's hearing, Arkansas Representative Rick Crawford specifically cited the Lacey Act amendments as provisions that, "...would not stand a chance if they were vetted through regular order and the legislative process." The hearing was filled with opposition and pointed concern that this Act is far too broad and unfocused with an unreasonable number of amendments (over 600). The Act strays far beyond its stated purpose. Keep contacting your Representatives! (See https://usark.org/2022lacey/ for directions.) end update

Buried within the 2,912 pages of the America COMPETES Act of 2022 lie Lacey Act amendments that affect all non-domesticated pet owners and the greater pet community. COMPETES is an acronym for Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength. The stated purpose of the Act is to strengthen America’s economic and national security but obviously, this was slipped into the massive bill in hopes to go unnoticed.

The amendments would reverse the USARK federal lawsuit victory by reinstating the ban on interstate transportation of species listed as injurious under the Lacey Act. The bill would also create a “white list” (see #2 below) that could affect millions of pet owners, as well as pet businesses. If your species of interest, even your pet, is listed as injurious (which could happen because it can survive outside somewhere in the U.S.), then it cannot be transported across state lines. That means you could not even take a pet with you if you moved to another state or needed veterinary care across a state border. This does not just ban sales but prohibits all interstate transportation. This will trickle down to hundreds or thousands of common pet species.

The America COMPETES Act may pass in the House next week. If passed in the House, it will then be sent to the Senate to be reconciled with an innovation policy package called the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, or USICA, that passed in the Senate last year. The America COMPETES Act is the House Democrats' response to USICA (which does not contain the Lacey Act Amendment). The House Rules Committee will hear the America COMPETES Act on February 1, 2022. This is the same language we saw introduced by Florida Senator Marco Rubio as Senate Bill 626 in 2021.

Briefly, the amendments will:

1. Provide that the Lacey Act bans the interstate transport of species listed as injurious. Specifically, it replaces Lacey’s current language ‘‘shipment between the continental United States’’ with ‘‘transport between the States."

2. Create a “white list” of species that can be imported. This means that any animal (reptile, amphibian, fish, bird, mammal) that is not on the white list is by default treated as an injurious species and is banned from importation.

3. Create a new authority allowing FWS to use an “emergency designation” that becomes effective immediately after being published in the Federal Register unless an extension of no more than 60 days is allowed. That means no due process, public input, hearings, advanced notice, etc. for injurious listings.

4. Permit FWS to not allow importation if a species has not been imported in “minimal quantities” (to be defined) in the year prior to the enactment of this Act.

5. The effective date would be one year after the enactment of this Act.

Read the relevant amendment text (these are pages 1661-1665) at https://usark.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-HR4521-excerpt.pdf.

In our landmark court decision, four federal judges agreed that USARK was correct and that the Lacey Act (Title 18 Section 42 of the U.S. Code) did not ban interstate transportation of injurious species based on the original language of the Lacey Act and the intent of Congress. As a result of this fight for our members and the h**petocultural community, this meant animals domestically bred under human care could be moved and sold across state lines (within the continental United States). For h**petoculturists’ concerns, this included some species of constrictor snakes and 201 species of salamanders.

SAMPLE MESSAGING and more at https://usark.org/2022lacey/.

11/01/2022

It is always a treat to see unusual species! Meller’s Chameleons are one of the largest chameleon species and native to East Africa. This beautiful girl is captive bred, which is still quite rare to see for this species but so great. They require a large space and specialized care to replicate their montane environment. After laying a clutch of infertile eggs she passed an egg that wasn’t quite right so posed for some X-rays to make sure there weren’t more eggs to be concerned with. We are always careful to reduce stress as much as possible when treating chameleons.

01/10/2021

Working with the Morrison Nature Center to keep their Colorado native species ambassador animals (Tiger salamander, ornate box turtle, and bull snake) healthy!

16/09/2021

Did you know that bearded dragons can get their teeth cleaned? This bearded dragon had a lot of chunky tartar building up below the gumline causing irritation and inflammation. When it continues to erode the it rise it can cause infection to enter the bone of the jaw spreading into the bloodstream and that bone can even die. While under anesthesia this beardie got all of his teeth and jawbones cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler to prevent further damage. He recovered from anesthesia very well and went home a few hours later!

11/08/2021

It is very common to see beak overgrowth in turtles and tortoise but it is entirely preventable. This male ornate box turtle was doing his best duck impression and even with reshaping under sedation it was too abnormal to return to a normal shape. The lower beak was more like a shovel with an unnatural upward curve. And the insides of the top beak were severely thickened. Shaving off these parts allows better occlusion during eating. By getting closer to normal and maximizing nutrition (especially calcium, vitamin A, and protein ratios) and UVB light exposure we can prevent it from worsening and over the years it may be able to correct further. It’s a slow process. Comparison with a normal male ornate box turtle beak in the other picture!

06/06/2021

One of my favorite hobbies is going out into unfarmed prairie regions and see wild reptiles in their native environments! Today I found several ornate box turtles, including a baby, a hognose snake and several fence lizards. On these little excursions all critters are left to continue on their way unharmed. Keep wild animals wild and preserve their dwindling populations! If you find a box turtle it is critical to leave them where you find them as their numbers are dropping and they usually do not acclimate well to being pets. If you are interested in a pet turtle you can get a captive bred one!

12/05/2021

Sometimes we need lots of hands to help restrain large patients for diagnostics like a blood draw! The beautiful Red Tail Boa was the biggest one I've ever seen and a total sweetheart. She luckily just needed people to hold her rather than truly restrain her. Everyone enjoyed snuggling with her!

27/04/2021

Share the trails!

Snakes will be out more and more now that the weather is warming up! The easiest way to keep yourself and the snake safe is to keep back and respect the snake’s personal space.

If the snake is moving and just crossing the path, you can simply stop and wait for it to finish crossing and then proceed. However, if it is stopped and sunning on the trail, then go around the snake while maintaining at least 6 feet at all times.

It is best to not poke snakes or pick them up because, in the snake’s eyes, you are threatening their life. This is when they will start to think about biting you; otherwise they do not want to hurt or interact with you.

If you find an injured snake on a trail, contact your local licensed wildlife rehabilitator or park ranger.

23/04/2021

Someone was trying to help type up his record! 😆

09/03/2021

Talk about biting your tongue! This gorgeous panther chameleon injured his tongue while trying to shoot it at a bug and therefore could not pull his tongue back in. During his sedated exam you can see there is hemorrhage within the base of the tongue muscles indicating severe damage. Unfortunately the tongue would not be able to heal from this in a way to preserve the tongue itself or its function so it needed to be amputated before the tissue became necrotic. Chameleons can adapt to eating without a tongue actually quite well. They just have to run up and bite their food like a bearded dragon or gecko would. A feeding cup is often useful to keep their food from running away. This guy recovered well from his surgery!

24/02/2021

We can use many of the same diagnostic tools on reptiles even though they may look a bit different inside. This ball python was getting an ultrasound to evaluate a mass.

13/02/2021

It is important for our reptiles to stay a healthy weight too! Where does your leopard gecko fall on the scale?

08/01/2021

An unusually large snake scarf! This reticulated python was seen for regurgitating her meals. Her physical exam was normal so bloodwork will help evaluate her internal health. She did enjoy exploring around the hospital a bit.

23/12/2020

PSA: I have seen multiple collections of ball pythons test positive for Nidovirus. This is an incredibly serious virus that is a killer of ball pythons! It is in our area and it is spreading as snakes move to different homes before they start showing symptoms. It causes respiratory infections that quickly progresses to pneumonia and does not respond to treatment and it is highly contagious, especially in rack systems. It can potentially infect other species as well. Be aware of how to protect your snakes!

EDITED TO ADD: There was a paper published just last month, so very new data, reporting nidovirus in veiled chameleons and it looks like there is current investigation into some other lizard species as well. So potentially many, if not all, species of reptiles can be infected.

Nidovirus classically presents as respiratory infection symptoms, such as not eating, lethargy, keeping the mouth open more than usual, sitting with head pointed up more than normal, substrate getting stuck to the lips because of excessive saliva, bubbles between lips, stringy saliva strands in mouth, bubbles in the mouth, wheezing/clicking/popping noises while breathing, or coughing/sneezing sounds. If you see any of these symptoms your snake should be examined because even if it is not the dreaded nidovirus most snakes do need antibiotics to overcome respiratory infections. And if you have a sick snake with recent additions to the collection (within the last 6 months) or especially if multiple snakes are falling ill, you should consider testing for Nidovirus. Testing is easy and not very expensive ($75 per snake for Nidovirus PCR testing at Aurora Animal Hospital).

Any new snakes or sick snakes should be quarantined away from your existing collection. Zoos quarantine snakes for a minimum of 90 days because it can take so long for snakes to show any symptoms of illness or symptoms can go unnoticed for so long when mild. 90 days! Quarantined snakes need to be in an entirely separate area of the house, not just across the room. Any cage decor, water bowls, feedings tongs, etc. cannot be shared between quarantine and healthy snakes. Quarantine snakes should be handled last, after handling the rest of the collection. If there is a snake already quarantining and a new one comes in then the quarantine period starts all over for the first one if they are exposed to each other. It is a pain to do quarantine correctly but the alternative is that you could lose your entire collection by bringing in a new snake that is harboring this virus without showing any symptoms. The recommendation for infected snakes is euthanasia because this is such a serious threat to other snakes. It is terrible! Watch out for your snakes!

18/11/2020

Today I performed an oophorectomy, which is the equivalent of a spay, on a crested gecko that was eggbound! She went through everything smoothly and will feel much better without those eggs causing problems. Removing the ovaries will prevent this from happening again in the future.

07/11/2020

This 20 year old red-ear slider laid a clutch of eggs then started acting lethargic. An x-ray showed that she wasn’t quite done yet with two eggs remaining inside her. She spent the day toasty in the incubator and after getting a calcium and oxytocin injection she laid both of her eggs without complication! Happy ending :)

31/10/2020

Don’t underestimate the creativity of an exotics vet! We are constantly finding new and unexpected ways to help our patients. Axolotls have very delicate gills and their skin is very sensitive. Since they need to stay in water the best way to do a full physical exam without having to restrain their slippery, delicate bodies is in a plastic bag so they can stay in the water and I can see them from all angles! It just takes a few minutes and then they go back into their water container. Squishy here had some anchor worms removed during her exam that she’s undergoing treatment for but otherwise looks great!

29/10/2020

This is a cute face! This Fire Skink had a sublingual (under the tongue) abscess. You can see the swelling of his throat area and with his mouth open you can see the large swelling under the tongue that is pushing it aside. With brief sedation the abscess was opened so the pus could be removed and the pocket thoroughly cleaned. Hopefully this little guy is well on his way to recovery!

12/10/2020

It’s time for the box turtles to go into the fridge! With the weather quickly changing and night temperatures consistently going below 40 degrees the safest thing for them is to hibernate indoors. While ornate box turtles are native to this area they can choose where to hibernate from large swaths of land. In small captive enclosures conditions may not be favorable for safe hibernation. Snow builds up a lot in the area of my outdoor enclosures so I bring them inside, check weights and that everyone appears healthy, then they go into a hibernacula with moist coco coir...and into the refrigerator! The temperatures stay in the perfect range and can be monitored closely, and I check the turtles’ weights every few weeks to make sure they are tolerating hibernation well. Here are few getting weighed and checked...and one that was still quite awake!

02/10/2020

Some beautiful aquatic turtles in for exams!

24/09/2020

Taking regular weights on your exotic pets is extremely beneficial. Sometimes weight starts dropping before any external signs of illness occur and you can catch it early. Conversely if a snake, for example, stops eating and there is no weight loss then it is less concerning for illness in most cases. Just use a kitchen scale that weighs in grams!
If you already keep weight records what method do you use? Have you found a good app?

22/09/2020

Some patients are very teeny!

17/09/2020

Cute Tegu tongue! I just love these guys.

12/09/2020

Reptiles are pretty amazing! Which fact fascinated you more: that she laid eggs without being with a male or that she’s over 60 years old!

The zoo say the birth is also unusual because ball pythons stop laying eggs long before they reach their 60s.

11/09/2020

When a teeny snake gets a laceration and is too small for normal bandaging it’s bandaids to the rescue! Squiggles the corn snake needed bandage changes regularly so part of the bandaid could be gently unstuck to allow medication to be applied. It worked very well!

07/09/2020

Which beardie do you think is the ideal size?

There is a lot of confusion over what a good body condition looks like for bearded dragons. It may be easy to tell that the dragon on the far right is way too skinny, but the one on the far left is obese. Obesity in beardies can lead to a host of medical issues, such as fatty liver disease, difficulty breathing, and constipation. There’s a lot of debate on how much to feed our captive dragons, but in general I recommend feeding an adult dragon salads with every meal but insects only 1-2 times per week. If you aren’t sure if your dragon is a healthy weight, or if you’re having trouble keeping it at a healthy weight, you might want to set up a vet appointment at Aurora Animal Hospital.

04/09/2020

Egg binding in chameleons is unfortunately quite common, for a variety of reasons. Their care requirements are advanced and having any nutritional or vitamin imbalances definitely contributes to problems with laying eggs. She had one o***y develop fully formed eggs but the other o***y developed follicular stasis, where the eggs do not finish development and look like a cluster of yolks. These are unable to be laid at this stage and cause problems being stuck in the body. She underwent an oopherectomy (spay to remove to ovaries) and has recovered very well! See pictures of the difference in the ovaries.

01/09/2020

Sometimes my patients are extra helpful 😆

30/08/2020

Denver has such a dry climate so leopard geckos often having trouble shedding appropriately. This little one had shed wrapped around the foot which caused circulation to be almost completely cut off. Two of the toes died completely and despite medical intervention the tissue of the foot started to slough and expose underlying bone. The infection started spreading up the leg so the only choice was to amputate the leg so the infection didn’t spread into the bloodstream further. Leopard geckos are great candidates for amputation because they’re low to the ground with a tail to help with balance. She recovered from surgery well and went home without having a damaged leg to cause her pain! Keep a humid hide in with your geckos at all times to assist with shedding.

28/08/2020

Leopard geckos can lay infertile eggs without being exposed to a male, although it is not common. In this case one the eggs became adhered to the oviduct and was physically stuck so she was unable to lay one of her eggs. The common term is “egg-bound”. She underwent surgery to remove the egg that was stuck as well as the ovaries to prevent this from happening again. Very small surgery!

28/08/2020

Having the proper tools can make the difference in providing excellent reptile care! An infrared temperature gun provides an instant digital reading of the surface temperature of the first object the infrared beam touches. It is important to have a gradient from one end of the cage to the other (in this case too vs bottom for an arboreal carpet chameleon) to allow thermoregulation. Reptiles will move into different temperature zones over the course the day depending on their metabolic needs.

28/08/2020

Having the right tools can make a huge difference in the level of your reptile care! UVB lights are critical to proper calcium metabolism for many species of reptiles but they stop emitting appropriate levels of UVB after 6-12 months, depending on brand, but they still look exactly the same to our eyes. A UVB meter allows you to measure the output of your UVB light to ensure it is giving your reptile the spectrum necessary for proper health. Arcadia Reptile https://www.arcadiareptile.com/lighting/guide/ has an excellent UVB guide depending on species! You don’t have to have a UVB meter (they are pricey) but if you don’t have one you have to make sure your UVB bulb is changed at least every 6 months for Reptisun and Exoterra brands or at least every 12 months for Arcadia.

28/08/2020

One of my favorite cases was removing a rock from Penelope, an African clawed frog’s, stomach!

28/08/2020

Whenever a reptile is sick it is extremely important to maintain them at appropriate temperature to help their immune system recover. This beautiful eastern indigo snake is in an incubator to keep her appropriately warm.

28/08/2020

Have you ever heard a reptile heartbeat? It is hard to hear the heartbeat through the scaled skin, but using a Doppler crystal we can hear the heart beating in real time. This bearded dragon is still anesthetized after a tail amputation and on a warmed fluid bag to keep body temperature up.

28/08/2020

When needing to collect a blood sample from our lizard species the most accessible vein is under the tail. This beardie was the most cooperative patient to allow me to draw blood!

28/08/2020

Even little patients get the treatment they need! This little Pac-Man frog is getting x-rays using our dental x-ray machine so I can see the details of those tiny bones better.

28/08/2020

This baby bearded dragon fractured its humerus, a major bone in the arm. Weighing only 6 grams it was difficult to bandage it in a way that would support the bone that needed to heal. But being small has its advantages in that this medical grade tape provided all the support it needed by keeping the leg in place and not allowing it to move. The little guy got around surprisingly well and after a few weeks the leg was healed up and the tape splint was removed!

28/08/2020

Hello, I’m Dr. Willems at Aurora Animal Hospital in Colorado! I have treated over 100 different species but reptiles are my favorite and I made this page to share my love of them with others. I will be posting cool cases, interesting information, and care tips. Hope you enjoy!