Hello, Vetaheader! Our monthly newsletter is here. Once again, we have papers on mammals, birds and reptiles!

Second, we have a pharmacokinetic (PK) study on the antinociceptive effects of buprenorphine in cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus). Sixteen adult (≥ 2 years old) cockatiels (8 males and 8 females) were used in a randomized complete crossover study. Buprenorphine is a mu opioid receptor agonist and kappa and delta antagonist that is used to treat moderate pain that has a slow onset and is long acting, with a dose dependent analgesic effect.

For the evaluation of antinociceptive effects, they received either buprenorphine hydrochloride at each of 3 doses (0.6, 1.2, and 1.8 mg/kg) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (control treatment), all IM. Foot withdrawal response to a thermal stimulus was determined before (baseline) and 0.5, 1.5, 3, and 6 hours after treatment administration. Agitation-sedation scores were also determined. 

For the pharmacokinetic analysis, buprenorphine (0.6 mg/kg) was administered IM to 12 of the birds, and blood samples were collected at 9 time points ranging from 5 minutes to 9 hours after drug administration. Samples were analyzed with liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated with commercial software. 

Their results showed that buprenorphine at 0.6, 1.2, and 1.8 mg/kg did not significantly change the thermal foot withdrawal response or caused sedation when compared with the response for the control treatment. Plasma buprenorphine concentrations were > 1 ng/mL in all 4 birds evalu­ated at 9 hours. 

The take home message is: buprenorphine at the doses evaluated did not significantly change the ther­mal nociceptive threshold for cockatiels, or cause sedative or agitative ef­fects. 

Lastly, we have a case report on an endoscopic-guided technique for foreign body removal in bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps).  A 1-yr-old intact female bearded dragon was presented approximately 24 h after having been seen eating a marble. Radiographs showed the presence of a spherical foreign body (she truly ate it) within the stomach, and after using contrast, a pyloric outflow obstruction was diagnosed. Under general anesthesia, a rigid scope was used to visualize the structure and guide a 12 French red rubber catheter, that was cut in half and reversed so the narrow end fit a 20 mL Luer-lock syringe, and the wide end could be used to produce an airtight seal onto the infamous marble. The instrument was advanced using endoscopic guidance and stabilized in position via external digital manipulation.

There are few case reports of nonsurgical foreign body removal in reptiles, since their small size can restrict the use of rigid endoscopy; biopsy forceps and grasping forceps have been reported – but they may be hard to use with smooth and round objects (like, for example, a marble 😬). Other anatomic locations most likely to have a foreign body that could be resolved with this technique include esophagus, stomach, and trachea.

The take home message is: bearded dragons and other similarly sized lizards with round/smooth foreign bodies in the upper GI may be able to avoid gastrotomy by using rigid endoscopy and a red rubber/syringe technique.