Reptiles

Tortoises are herbivores, meaning that their diet consists largely of plants. However, feeding your tortoise an appropriate diet goes beyond just giving them a tossed salad each day. Feeding a balanced diet is essential to keeping your tortoise happy and healthy. Variety is key. When deciding the right diet for your tortoise two important factors have to be taken into account: age and species.

Internal parasites in reptiles are very common. While they are more common in wild-caught reptiles, captive bred animals often have them as well. Because of this all pet reptiles should have a yearly fecal examination done by your veterinarian to screen for parasites.

Eye and skin problems are probably the most common problems seen in leopard geckos. Often when problems are left unaddressed too long they will become so severe that the gecko will stop eating. 

Hypovitaminosis A, or vitamin A deficiency, is the result of feeding a diet low in β-carotene. This is commonly seen in animals fed imbalanced diets, such as reptiles that are being fed only insects without supplements or vegetables low in these nutrients such as fruit and iceberg lettuce. 

A Cloacal Organ Prolapse is when tissue normally located within the cloaca (the excretory orifice of reptiles) protrudes for an extended period of time. This tissue may be any of the structures located within the cloaca. This includes structures associated with the bladder, reproductive organs (penis or oviducts), or colon.