title: Hemorrhagic stomatitis in a natural hybrid of Vipera ammodytes × Vipera berus due to inappropriate substrate in terrarium.
abstract: A natural hybrid of Vipera ammodytes × Vipera berus was presented having low body weight, seizures and generalized swelling of the cephalic region. Based on the history of the case and clinical examination, hemorrhagic stomatitis of traumatic origin was diagnosed. The snake was kept in a terrarium with wood chips as a substrate, and the material had induced trauma in the oral mucosa which was further complicated with Salmonella Arizonae and Morganella morganii co-infection, abscessation and osteomyelitis. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of bacterial infection in European snake hybrids and one of a few case reports in European snakes. Although wood chips are an inexpensive substrate, based on our findings, they should be avoided when keeping and breeding European vipers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Mănăștur str. 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Gábor Árpád
authors.initials: GÁ
authors.lastname: Czirják
authors.forename: Lóránd Béla
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Köbölkuti
authors.forename: Miklós
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tenk
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szakács
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kelemen
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spînu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005892:Gingivitis, Necrotizing Ulcerative / Q000473:pathology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D006799:Housing, Animal / Q000592:standards*; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D020613:Morganella morganii; D012476:Salmonella arizonae; D017819:Viperidae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*; D014934:Wood / Q000382:microbiology*