Hepatic Lipidosis in the Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps): Diagnostic and Therapeutic Investigations
Thank you for your interest in my bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) hepatic lipidosis study. My name is Trinita Barboza and I am an ACZM (American College of Zoological Medicine) resident and Doctor of Veterinary Science student from the Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
I am completing my thesis on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatic lipidosis in captive bearded dragons in North America. Our preliminary retrospective study has shown a prevalence of approximately 23% on necropsy in our captive population (Based on 735 bearded dragons, Barboza et al., unpublished data). As part of this investigation, we would like to compare liver histology of captive bearded dragons to wild bearded dragons from Australia to determine if they contain similar lipid content and whether hepatic lipidosis occurs in wild animals.
We are looking to obtain histology images (or slides) from wild Pogona vitticeps of various age, sex, and disease status. Along with the images, please proved the final diagnosis (concurrent diseases) from the post mortem, age, sex, and the season the animal was found if this information is available.
Please contact me at tbarboza@uoguelph.ca if you have questions, if you would like further details of the study, or if you have cases that could be of benefit to this study.
Thank you so much for your time and efforts in helping us learn more about this disease process.
Sincerely,
Trinita Barboza, DVM
