Todayโs path rounds are on ๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฒ in turtles!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฒ can be quite common in turtles kept in captivity if they arenโt fed a proper diet. This is just one reason why consulting with your exotics veterinarian about your pet is so important!
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
We can see this in an ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐๐ง (turtle or tortoise), however we most commonly see it in young ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฑ ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
As mentioned, Vitamin A deficiency typically results from an improper diet. Some turtles, like the Eastern box turtle, are primarily carnivorous when they are young. Carnivores tend to acquire Vitamin A from organ meats like the liver in their diet, so if these tissues are not adequately provided, the animal may become deficient. In particular, turtles exclusively fed foods like dried shrimp mix or muscle meats may experience this condition.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
Vitamin A has an important role in maintaining ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ข๐, which are the cells that line structures of the body and form glands. When Vitamin A is deficient, epithelia tend to convert to ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ, which is a flattened, non-productive type of epithelium similar to the skin. This is called ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐, which means that one type of cell is replaced with squamous tissue.
When glandular tissue undergoes squamous metaplasia, it stops producing its normal secretion. In turtles, we most commonly see this change in the ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ, which produce a tear film to protect the eye, and in the ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ, which produces mucus in the ear to facilitate hearing. Without adequate tear production, the turtles get severe irritation of the eyelids, leading to ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ (swelling). The mucus produced in the middle ear helps trap bacteria to prevent infection, so Vitamin A deficient animals are predisposed to ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ (infection of the ear).
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
Both eyelid edema and aural abscesses are easy to diagnose just by looking at the turtle! These swellings will alert the veterinarian to a dietary problem that can be investigated further by reviewing the animalโs ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ (how the animal is cared for).
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐?
Vitamin A deficiency is treated by diet changes, usually by increasing the amount of dark leafy greens like spinach. In more carnivorous species, ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฒ like small fish can be provided, to ensure that the turtle is getting Vitamin A-rich organ meats. In some cases, turtles may also be supplemented with dry cat food.
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1-3) Some turtles with sad swollen eyelids.
4) A turtle with an aural abscess.
5) What squamous metaplasia looks like under the microscope! Normal glands have a bubbly appearance, whereas the squamous tissue is more solid.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
OโMalley B. Nutritional Problems in Reptiles. World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings, 2008.
Pollock C. Presenting problem: Aural abscesses in turtles. Lafebervet 2013.
Photos 1-5 ยฉ Noahโs Arkive contributors Zwart, McNamara, King, Long licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
