The owner who fails to pay at least this much attention to his pet won't detect early signs of disease and is really neglecting his responsibility as a pet owner. Most reptiles need to be fed and watered daily, and often the cages needs to be cleaned daily as well. The owner who intends to put his reptile in a cage and observe it only once in awhile should seriously consider his decision to care for this type of pet. Doing this allows early detection of disease. At a minimum, most reptiles require a 10-gallon glass aquarium, two pieces of astroturf to line the bottom of the aquarium, a source of heat, and a source of UV light.
Reptiles do get sick, and preventing illness is definitely preferred to treatment.
As an introduction to reptile diseases, owners must understand that reptiles hide signs of illness quite well. In the wild, if an animal showed signs of illness every time it felt bad, it would easily be attacked by predators or even members of its own group. Therefore, these animals don't appear ill until the illness is actually quite advanced. While the principles of diagnosis and treatment of diseases is the same regardless of the species of pet, there are important differences between reptiles and dogs and cats. Only a veterinarian with the expertise in treating reptiles should be consulted for medical or surgical advice.