Colostomies for two lizards with cloacal prolapse

Abstract

Two captive-bred lizards, a Western spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura pectinata) and a bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps), were evaluated for anorexia and absence of feces. The iguana had a recent cloacal prolapse, whereas the dragon had a repaired prolapse 20 days earlier. Exploratory celiotomy under anesthesia revealed a devitalized distal colon in the iguana and stenosis of ductal organs in the pelvic cavity in the dragon, leading to colostomies. Stomal stenosis, managed through dilation, was the main complication. Both gained weight within 1,000 days post-surgery. At 2,152 days, the iguana weighed 166 g; the dragon, which died at 1,792 days, weighed 274 g. Colostomies may benefit lizards with distal colon or cloaca damage that can still urinate, as demonstrated in this report.