Iguana Cure a Reptile Dysfunction? Fang-tastic
Info From a Cold-Blooded Expert!
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..Dr. Elliott Jacobson.............................
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Some people are fascinated by them. Others experience abject fear at the sight of one. The Chinese calendar celebrated them in 2013 as thoughtful, wise and focused on detail. The creature in question…the snake. It is estimated by the American Veterinary Medical Association that over 1 million snakes are kept as pets in the U.S. They are gorgeous, can be a challenge to care for, come with a unique set of health concerns and often a hefty price tag.
My guest is Dr. Elliott Jacobson, professor emeritus at the University Of Florida School Of Veterinary Medicine. He has spent his veterinary career advancing the health and welfare of captive and wild reptile and amphibians.
Questions or comments? Email Dr.Cruz at: thepetdoctor@petliferadio.com.
National Reptile and Amphibian Law Symposium panelist Elliott R. Jacobson PhD, DVM, DACZM, is currently a Professor of Zoological Medicine at the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida. The author or co-author of 250 refereed scientific papers and 37 chapters in texts, he has edited and co-edited four books, and has been either the principal or co-principal investigator on 83 funded projects since 1978.
Many of his papers are the first description of certain infectious agents in nondomestic species. Several of these descriptive reports have evolved into long-term research projects. Over the last 34 years he has worked on health problems of a wide variety of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. His laboratory focuses on infectious diseases of wildlife and zoo animals, with an emphasis on reptiles including the development of serologic assays and molecular diagnostic assays used to determine exposure to and infection with certain pathogens.
Born in Brooklyn, NY in 1945 and attending Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, he earned a BS degree in Biology in 1967 and went on to earn a Master of Science Degree at New Mexico State University in 1969 where he worked on the physiological ecology of snakes.
Attending graduate school at the University of Missouri he earned a PhD in Zoology and then dually enrolled in graduate school and veterinary school going on to earn a DVM and PhD in Zoology in 1975. From 1975 to 1977 as a faculty member in the Veterinary Science Department at the University of Maryland and wildlife veterinarian for the state of Maryland, he worked on various epizootics of waterfowl in the Chesapeake Bay.
Elliott R Jacobson arrived at the University of Florida in 1977 and is currently a Professor of Zoological Medicine, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine. He is also a member of the Zoological Medicine Service, Veterinary Medical Center at the University of Florida where he serves as a clinician and teaches veterinary students and graduate veterinarians in a zoological medicine residency-training program. Since 1979, Dr. Jacobson has advised 30 residents and has advised or served on the committee of 18 graduate students. Almost all of former residents are employed in major zoological institutions and aquariums scattered across the United States. In 1986 he became a Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine.
Dr. Jacobson has also been a reptile hobbyist since childhood, keeping and breeding a wide range of reptiles over the years. He currently has about 120 snakes.
Appearing as a panelist at the NRAAC Reptile and Amphibian Law Symposium and Workshop Sept 28-30, in Houston, Texas, Dr. Jacobson will represent the University of Florida and event co-hosts the Association of Amphibian and Reptile Veterinarians.
UF researchers develop blood test for fatal disease of boas & pythons
The National Reptile & Amphibian Advisory Council (NRAAC)
