Meloxicam and Reptiles – a Practical Approach to Analgesia

INTRODUCTION Reptiles remain popular zoo exhibits and companion animals, and their numbers in captivity and presented for veterinary treatment continue to increase. Similar growth and development has occurred within the field of herpetological medicine and surgery with the publication of a number of detailed texts. Reptile anesthesia, particularly involving the green iguana (Iguana iguana), has been the subject of detailed study. However, despite this interest there is a noticeable lack of published information on pain and its alleviation in reptiles. Analgesics, including opiates and non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) are commonly recommended despite a lack of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data to support their use. There is certainly evidence to confirm the anatomic, physiologic and biochemical components of nociception, at least in crocodiles, and despite poor clinical definition and quantification, there is little doubt that members of the Reptilia can perceive pain. A recent survey of members of the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians indicated that 98.4% of questioned veterinarians believed that reptiles do perceive pain, and yet < 40 % of respondents used analgesics in the majority of their patients. Inadequate knowledge of analgesia in reptiles was cited as a probable cause for the lack of analgesic use, signaling an urgent need for further research into this field. Basic research into the pharmacokinetics of different analgesic agents in different reptile species to determine appropriate doses, dosing intervals, and safety was the most common request for further research into reptile pain management. A recent review of the peer-reviewed literature by this author failed to reveal ANY previous pharmacokinetic or toxicity studies of ANY class of analgesic agent (opiate or NSAID) in ANY species of reptile.