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GASTROINTESTINAL STUDIES IN THE GREEN IGUANA: TECHNIQUE AND REFERENCE VALUES
Author(s) -
Smith D.,
Dobson H.,
Spence E.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
veterinary radiology and ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.541
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1740-8261
pISSN - 1058-8183
DOI - 10.1111/j.1740-8261.2001.tb00979.x
Subject(s) - iguana , medicine , gastric emptying , stomach , large intestine , abdomen , anatomy , small intestine , barium , gastroenterology , nuclear medicine , biology , inorganic chemistry , zoology , chemistry
Five healthy green iguana ( Iguana iguana ) were used to determine appropriate technique and normal transit times for gastrointestinal contrast studies and to describe normal radiographic anatomy. The animals were maintained at 27–29°C. There was rapid transit through a U shaped stomach, with a median gastric emptying time of 8 h, and median small intestinal transit and small intestine emptying times of 4 h and 16 h respectively. Median large colon transit and emptying times were 15 h and 66 h. Maintaining the iguana at a reduced ambient temperature increased all of these times. The vaso‐vagal response or mechanical methods were adequate for restraint. A 25mykg dose of a 25% w/v suspension of barium administered by stomach tube gave the best results. Lateral and ventrodorsal projections of the abdomen should he made immediately following the administration of the barium and at 1‐hour intervals for the first 6 h and at 12‐hour intervals thereafter until barium can be identified in the distal descending small colon.