• Burns - skin damage caused by excessive heat. These may be general, covering the whole animal in extreme cases, but are more usually found localized over specific areas of an animal.
  • Physical Symptoms - visible damage to the skin, varying in extremity and ranging from areas of gray or red coloration to blistered areas.
  • Cause/Transmission - caused by direct heat touching the animal's skin. They may be occasionally caused by an exposed heating element in the animal's enclosure.
  • Treatment - for serious burns or burns covering a large area of your animal, consult your veterinarian. Less serious burns may be rinsed in a povidone iodine solution.
  
  
  
• Dehydration - desiccation of amphibian.
  • Physical Symptoms - dry, wrinkly skin, emaciated look.
  • Cause/Transmission - exposure to heat, lack of water, low humidity.
  • Treatment - soak or mist affected amphibian to rehydrate. Keep amphibian clean to avoid opportunistic skin infections.
  
  
  
• Dropsy - heavy accumulation of serous fluid in the amphibian's body.
  • Physical Symptoms - abnormalities or softening of abdominal skin; bloating.
  • Cause/Transmission - metabolic disruption or abnormality caused by poor husbandry and possibly bacterial infection.
  • Treatment - consult your veterinarian. Generally he or she will use a needle to aspirate the body fluid before disinfecting the resulting puncture wound.
  
  
  
• Fungal infections - invasions of fungus over the animal's body, most often seen in aquatic animals.
  • Physical Symptoms - noticeable skin color changes, especially red or inflamed white tissues, ulceration of the skin. Slimy feel to skin, skin coated in fuzzy or creamy material or whitish threading.
  • Cause/Transmission - fungal spores or fungus in water, enclosure, or other amphibians or fish; dirty conditions; generally poor husbandry.
  • Treatment - consult your veterinarian.
  
  
  
• Internal Parasites - parasites inhabiting the host's internal organs. Varieties range from single celled parasites (such as Monocercomonas and Giardia) to worms (such as tapeworms).
  • Physical Symptoms - often there will be no symptoms although some animals may have decreased appetites, weight loss, or regurgitation. Subcutaneous parasites often can be felt just under the skin. Fecal or blood examinations by a veterinarian are the preferred methods of diagnosis.
  • Cause/Transmission - internal parasites are usually passed from one animal to another through direct and indirect contact between hosts which can include infected prey items.
  • Treatment - consult your veterinarian. Many will recommend medications such as Metronidazole, Oxfendazole, Fenbendazole, Levamisole, or Ivermectin.
  
  
  
• Metabolic Bone Disease - most commonly seen in, but not limited to, herbivorous lizards, a calcium deficiency that causes the animal's bones to soften or break easily. In severe instances when the disease is untreated, paralysis or death may result.
  • Physical Symptoms - squeeze the animal's jaw gently. If it feels soft or if it "gives", the bones may have become soft. Lethargy or bent, collapsed backs may be another symptom. Most commonly, swellings on the limbs are evident.
  • Cause/Transmission - diets low in calcium or inability to process calcium due to insufficient sunlight/UVB exposure.
  • Treatment - ensure your animal is fed a proper diet and that it has plenty of exposure to sunlight. Consult your veterinarian if the condition continues to worsen.
  
  
  
• Minor Cuts or Scrapes - minor skin damage caused by the abrasion away or slicing of the skin.
  • Physical symptoms - visible cuts or scrapes.
  • Cause/Transmission - sharp surfaces in the animal's enclosure which catch on the animal's skin, repeated contact with jagged or rough surfaces that has abraded the skin, physical skirmishes with other animals. Many times an animal will rub a part of its body, like its nose, repeatedly on a rough rock or screen and may abrade its skin. Live prey items can also scratch or bite your animal.
  • Treatment - clean the area with a povidone iodine solution. Consult your veterinarian.
  
  
  
• Red Leg - potentially deadly infection of Aeromonas hydrophyla bacteria leading to septicemia.
  • Physical Symptoms - reddening of the skin of the amphibian's inner thighs or belly i.e. skin hemorrhages; lethargy, cloudy or opaque eyes, anorexia.
  • Cause/Transmission - Aeromonas hydrophyla bacterial infection passed to amphibian through spoiled food, other infected animals, or generally poor husbandry.
  • Treatment - isolate affected animal. Consult your veterinarian. Sometimes antibiotics may be prescribed. Application of topical antibiotic creams may help.

Part Five - Health	Part Seven - Breeding
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