# Skinny Tegu



## StygianChild (May 9, 2016)

So I got my B&W Rorschach about 3-4 mo ago. He's about 2ft long. When i got him he was a hair thin. Since i've had him i've noticed he eats maybe every 4 days, if i'm lucky. and he's been pooping less and less. I think I haven't seen/found a poop in 2+ weeks. He's still his normal friendly self and is active if i take him out of the tank. 
so i'm looking for some ideas on why he's loosing weight and not pooping. 

I did take him to a vet and we are currently giving him de-wormer and that's supposed to have the side affect of increased appetite. So far i've seen him eat about a quarter of a HB egg, and a super worm and a small nibble of turkey in the past 3 day ( i feed every other day).

All his tank specs are fine according to the vet and everything else i've read. 

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'm starting to get a bit worried…

The two pics with him under the red light are from a couple days ago. The other one is around when i got him.


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## StygianChild (May 9, 2016)

not sure why the one is an attached file, but whatever….


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## Justsomedude (May 9, 2016)

Try different variations of food like fish hole fuzzier etc


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## snibborsirk (May 9, 2016)

Def try various foods like dude said. I've had the best luck with frozen/thawed mice or dripping some raw egg yolk over ground turkey - they usually can't resist the raw egg! Good luck


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## StygianChild (May 9, 2016)

I've tried all sorts of things. ground turkey, hb eggs, fruit and veggies, super worms. He's eaten a fuzzy but i don't ant him to get too hooked on those because they are so fattening. I have talapia in the freezer that i haven't tried yet. and i've heard raw egg isn't good for them; they could get salmonella or there was something about not being able to absorb some vitamin because of something in raw eggs… (i don't remember the details on that one)

Either way, he tends to just nibble on it a bit and ignores it.


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## beardeddragon111 (May 9, 2016)

this tegu looks pretty skinny. If he's gonna eat it and its fattening, give it to him. Honestly though, I don't think fuzzies are too fattening. I would give him anything he'll take. If he eats mostly whole foods that's a good thing. Bones and organs are healthy for them. Sorry if I'm saying something innacurate please correct me if I am.


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## Justsomedude (May 10, 2016)

yea I would lean more towards the fattening foods right now to get him to eat as much as possible! Don't worry about the salmonella thing either remember every reptile on this planet has one form or another of salmonella growing in their intestines! So just plump em up! Have fun making some funky mixes of different types of food and get that tegu looking like a chunky monkey! Once he has the weight back on em then you can start to be more decisive about what he is eating. If all this fails....go to another vet! Don't be afraid to get a "second opinion" drs are wrong all the time even though its highly unlikely it might be just the thing to save your little dudes life!


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## Lavin45 (May 10, 2016)

And I got my Loki a month ago she was skinnier than yours is in the pictures what I did to be her up in one month was ground Chuck crickets and wet dog food on the high-quality though. She beefed up so fast it's unbelievable. I swear by the ground chuck, prep some balls of it and freeze them so you can thaw them in hot water in a bag when you need and keeps them fresh. And feed DAILY!!! Young tegus especially malnourished ones need to gain that weight FAST. She also wouldn't eat it first at all I couldn't get her to even look at food but upon taking her to the vet they gave her some antibiotics and a dewormer and about two days later she was chipper as ever and hungrier than I've ever seen. They also force-fed her 12 mL of mashed up pinkies just because she was so skinny.


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## StygianChild (May 10, 2016)

Sound good everyone i'll give it a shot and update you in a week or two. Thanks


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## Justsomedude (May 10, 2016)

Lavin45 said:


> And I got my Loki a month ago she was skinnier than yours is in the pictures what I did to be her up in one month was ground Chuck crickets and wet dog food on the high-quality though. She beefed up so fast it's unbelievable. I swear by the ground chuck, prep some balls of it and freeze them so you can thaw them in hot water in a bag when you need and keeps them fresh. And feed DAILY!!! Young tegus especially malnourished ones need to gain that weight FAST. She also wouldn't eat it first at all I couldn't get her to even look at food but upon taking her to the vet they gave her some antibiotics and a dewormer and about two days later she was chipper as ever and hungrier than I've ever seen. They also force-fed her 12 mL of mashed up pinkies just because she was so skinny.



Damn good for you! I love hearing stories like that! And that's a really nice bong as well!


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## Roadkill (May 10, 2016)

That tegu doesn't look skinny, it IS skinny. No, that's not a criticism. It's possible, as the vet seems to think, that this could be possibly due to parasites, but I disagree that de-wormer will stimulate appetite. It isn't a clear cut issue. If your tegu had such a heavy parasite load that it was causing this kind of severe weight loss, then guess what is going to happen when you give a good dose of de-worming medication? The parasites are gone and the tegu gets better, right? Sadly, this is what most people think. Here's what happens: say your tegu had a lot of parasitic worms, it got a good dose of de-wormer, and all those parasites die. Now your tegu has a bunch of dead or dying organisms through a lot of its system, rotting and releasing toxins. You DO want to get rid of the parasites (if they're there) but it isn't as simple as take some medicine, instantly better. While undergoing treatment, it is likely the poor tegu is going to be feeling quite bad. As some have said, you want to think of high calorie type foods, this is typically fatty type stuff, but also easily digestible and non-aggravating. Dog food was suggested, and I would concur, as long as you read the ingredients and stay away from fillers such as wheat, corn, soy, oats, rice (ie. grains), and any dairy product. There are probiotics out on the market you might try, but from my experience....I'd have to say they aren't probiotics for reptiles. Most of the bacteria in them are for/from dairy consuming organisms, and so are not typical reptile gut flora. I'd also drop the use of insects, particularly super worms. Insects are a natural dietary item, but can also be unsettling to the stomach under certain circumstances, and I frankly don't think super worms are actually good for anything (I've had too many issues that I attribute to super worms, won't use them anymore). Something you might try, and which I've had good success with reptiles needing special care is Oxbow Carnivore Care. Stinks like hell, but seems easily digestible and quite nutritious.
The issue of _Salmonella_ is a concern, but is overstated in so many ways. All animals can carry _Salmonella, _not just reptiles, and all animals can be susceptible to _Salmonella_ INCLUDING reptiles. It depends on the virulence of the strain. Use clean technique and clean foods. As far as eggs, the egg white has albumin, which strongly binds to biotin in the egg yolk. Albumin is readily denatured (basically destroyed) by heat, so feel free to boil the eggs.


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## Justsomedude (May 11, 2016)

yea what roadkill said!


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## beardeddragon111 (May 11, 2016)

Thanks roadkill my tegu still has hookworms and that was a helpful and detailed post.


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## dpjm (May 11, 2016)

I've used Oxbow Carnivore Care as well with a veiled chameleon. It sure does stink.

Hey Roadkill, what issues have you had with superworms?


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## Roadkill (May 12, 2016)

Nothing like some of the stuff that is often heard around (eating a lizard from the inside out, etc.) but for the last couple of years in the area I've been living, getting the type of invertebrate prey I actually wanted for some of my animals has been very difficult on a regular basis. Super worms, however, are always abundant and so were the item I'd use when I couldn't get other stuff. I swear every time I fed the lizards those, their health would take a dive. Now, before I go further, I'll state I don't honestly think it's the super worms themselves, per se. In the herpetocultural world, most invertebrate prey we use are not used because they are nutritious, they're used because they're easy to cultivate. The easier they are to cultivate, the less attention goes into making sure not only that they're nutritious, but that they are "clean" and healthy. This is what I think is going on with super worms, they're relatively easy to cultivate, and considering how everyone these days are cutting corners to reduce costs and increase profits.....well, I just don't think we're getting a good, clean product with super worms anymore. I actually lost a lizard that I attribute entirely to super worms.


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## Walter1 (May 12, 2016)

Roadkill said:


> Nothing like some of the stuff that is often heard around (eating a lizard from the inside out, etc.) but for the last couple of years in the area I've been living, getting the type of invertebrate prey I actually wanted for some of my animals has been very difficult on a regular basis. Super worms, however, are always abundant and so were the item I'd use when I couldn't get other stuff. I swear every time I fed the lizards those, their health would take a dive. Now, before I go further, I'll state I don't honestly think it's the super worms themselves, per se. In the herpetocultural world, most invertebrate prey we use are not used because they are nutritious, they're used because they're easy to cultivate. The easier they are to cultivate, the less attention goes into making sure not only that they're nutritious, but that they are "clean" and healthy. This is what I think is going on with super worms, they're relatively easy to cultivate, and considering how everyone these days are cutting corners to reduce costs and increase profits.....well, I just don't think we're getting a good, clean product with super worms anymore. I actually lost a lizard that I attribute entirely to super worms.


Nailed it on the dilemma of easy to cultivate often equals little attention to nutritional quality.


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## dpjm (May 12, 2016)

So Roadkill, you are saying that superworms themselves are not the issue, but the way that they are raised. So if you breed your own and feed them nutritious food in a clean environment then problems should be minimal? Or are there issues with the worms themselves, no matter how they are raised. Even if you are just speculating, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this. 

I don't feed any to my tegu anymore, but we do use them for other lizards. I raise them in peat moss and feed them a well-chopped mix of fruit and vegetables that I mix into their substrate. I think is at least better than raising them in and feeding them bran, which is probably how they are raised in large scale operations that provide them to pet stores.

On a side note, I had a breeder of black soldier fly larvae (Phoenix worms) give me a trial sample of those. I was excited to try them because they do have a better nutritional profile than most feeder insects in some respects. For example, they require very little calcium dusting because the Ca : P is pretty good. But when I actually got down to feeding them out I was really disappointed. They have a really tough, sort of leathery exoskeleton. If this does not get pierced than the worms come out in the feces intact. I even noticed one still wiggling after it had passed through the digestive system of a leopard gecko. For any lizard that doesn't chew it's food much, these are not suitable at all.


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## StygianChild (May 12, 2016)

Do you know if that Oxbow stuff is carried at regular pet stores or would i be better off looking online? and are there any dog foods you would recommend? I'd assume I'd be looking for a wet food.


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## beardeddragon111 (May 12, 2016)

you could find a dry food and soak it in water.


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## dpjm (May 12, 2016)

I got Oxbow through a vet clinic, I don't know that it is carried in pet stores.

Be careful with dog food, they are often loaded with ingredients like corn, wheat, oats, and rice that a tegu can not digest and will cause much intestinal discomfort. Review Roadkill's post above.


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## StygianChild (May 12, 2016)

I was just looking around online and there are some that are grain free and tell you all the ingredients. I've found a couple options: 
BLUE Wilderness Wild Rolls Beef Recipe; it has some pea starch and stuff but no actual chunks of veggies, otherwise i found some cat foods as well. Petco's website has an option to remove foods with grain and veggies (still checking that ingredients tho).


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## StygianChild (May 12, 2016)

just got some cat food at the pet store he was so excited he at almost half the can and just ate it right off the fork haha.  hopefully this dewormer and the cat food helps to straighten him out.


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## Roadkill (May 12, 2016)

hooooboy, hijacking the thread a bit....

Super worms: in and of themselves, I think the only thing I would say that I think is a negative on super worms is their exoskeleton is rather heavy, which could be a digestive concern. Properly raised, clean super worms shouldn't be an issue with a healthy, appropriately sized reptile.

Phoenix worms/soldier fly larvae: sorry, dpjm, that whole issue of the Phoenix worm being a more nutritionally balanced invertebrate prey is a myth. Well, maybe I should say 95% myth. Years and years ago, hobbyists and researchers realised that the cultivated invertebrate selection they were using just weren't nutritionally balanced and lacking in calcium. If you read any of the older books, you'll often see references suggesting that for better balance and nutrition, to try "meadow plankton", essentially just going out and grabbing wild insects. They were eating natural foods and seemed to be better nutritionally. This didn't stop people from experimenting though. With the idea that wild insects were perhaps a little better nutritionally (after all, that's what wild lizards are eating and doing well on), and that it was from eating a more natural diet, some people experimented with the idea of giving cultured insects a diet that should enhance their nutritional value, particularly with regards to calcium. So they gave the insects high calcium foods. It didn't work. When you give most insects a lot more calcium (to a level to meet the needs of the lizards eating them) it kills them. Lower the calcium content (higher than normal, but not high enough to kill the larvae) and it became apparent that the calcium was just excreted, the insect didn't retain the calcium, only long enough for that food to pass through the gut. So "dusting" and "gut loading" became the better methods to try to make insect prey more mineral balanced. Until one day, someone realised something. Soldier fly are used throughout the world for composting. Not just household veggie scraps type composting, but composting on an industrial scale of some truly horrendous matter. Whomever it was recognized that if soldier fly could be used to compost some of these organic wastes that other invertebrates wouldn't survive in.....maybe it meant they had a much higher tolerance to compounds. Sure enough, you could feed soldier fly larvae high doses of calcium and it wouldn't kill them. Thing is, they don't retain the calcium either. So long story made short, Phoenix worms are NOT naturally a better source of calcium, and if they aren't recently fed a special diet, they are no more nutritionally sound than any other vertebrate prey regularly available. The Original Phoenix Worms company is both deceitful (in claiming that the calciumhosphorous content and ratios are natural) and at the same time surreptitiously honest, if you dig around their site you will find the following quote:
"Reared in a completely closed environment, our worms are fed a proprietary diet which guarantees their nutritional values and provides balanced calciumhosphorus for your pets. " They don't exactly come right out and say what I've claimed above, but yet they do in their quiet way.
Personally, I wouldn't have that much issue with the dishonesty angle other than, yeah, it's nonsense and people shouldn't be fed lies to support your profit. However, I have my own views on soldier fly larvae themselves. I've never found anything that would eat them. Period. Likewise, many people as well report their lizards have no interest in Phoenix worms. When I was doing my research in Brasil, at least at that time and in the area I was living, there was no exotic pets industry to speak of. Me being the type of person I am, and also working at a place where I could get my hands on many different reptiles and amphibians, well it wasn't long before I needed to find insects to feed the collection I had down there. My options were limited: meadow plankton (which for most of the year was bountiful as heck, just a pain to do), wax moth larvae from my friend who was producing them for his research, or earthworms and "bicho de laranga" (bug of the orange, or as we're calling them, soldier fly larvae) from the fishing tackle suppliers. I had frogs of many sizes, very large toads, iguanas, spiny-tailed iguanas, tegus, bush anoles, Tropidurid lizards, amphisbaenids of several species and sizes, spiders and tarantulas (particularly the Brasilian banana spider, most poisonous spider in the world and rather aggressive), baby caiman, turtles of various species, red-footed tortoises, bats....nothing would touch the soldier fly larvae. Even when I tried rearing them on a more attractive medium. So considering how expensive Phoenix worms are, and how few animals seem to even like them....too bothersome.

Back to StygianChild: Oxbow Carnivore Care can be ordered from some suppliers online in the states, but most often is sold through vet clinics. Yes, a wet dog food is what we're advising, but beings as I don't live in the US, I can't really recommend something as it isn't likely available where you are. I personally don't use dog food, but as long as you make sure the ingredients are suitable then it should be fine.
Now, there was some other things I had wanted to mention and kind of slipped before I finished my prior post.
Calcium supplement. We all tend to think of calcium as something for the bones, but as any biologist who really understands physiology should tell you, nearly every process that takes place in a living body involves calcium sooner or later. Calcium is very important. Particularly in digestion, it "powers" many of the absorptive processes as well as is very important for the smooth muscles that help food pass through the gut. You have a tegu that isn't eating much, is possibly not getting enough calcium, not getting enough calcium is going to inhibit digestion....you can see where this goes. Considering you have an already compromised tegu, stay away from powdered calcium supplements. Liquid calcium supplements are far more readily uptaken and won't bind/harden with foods in the gut. Your vet should be able to either recommend a good supplement to you, or even give an injection.
Temperature: as I'm sure some of the audience here can tell you, I'm a bit of a stickler with temperature and tegus (it was a big part of my research) but most importantly, as I try to stress to everyone on all their reptiles.....it's fine to measure the temperature of the enclosure you keep your tegu in, but it really doesn't tell you what temperature your tegu is. Get yourself an infrared thermometer (sometimes called a touchless or IR thermometer) and measure (and monitor) the tegu's actual body temperature. A healthy active tegu basically tries to keep their body temperature around the same temperature as mammals (35-37 degrees Celsius). For your tegu to be able to properly thermoregulate, it needs to be able to access temperatures HIGHER than this, as well as lower than this. If your tegu's body temperature is higher than 37C, this is likely a sign that the tegu is either unable to escape the higher temperatures, or is possibly feeling ill and behaviourally inducing a fever. If your tegu is typically lower than this range, particularly below 33C, this is likely a sign your tegu is trying to suppress its metabolism. Why could be a number of reasons. But to get your tegu healthy and eating more, you may need to restrict the lower temperatures it has access to, ensure it is always above 30C.
Hydration: tegus are relatively thirsty lizards. Compared to some other lizards, tegus seem to have quite a high need for water intake (water is one of the reasons it is thought tegus hibernate - South American winters aren't so much cold as they are dry). Always make sure to have ample water available. To go along with hydration, being so skinny, there's a possibility your tegu may have an electrolyte imbalance. Exo-terra produces a relatively cheap electrolyte supplement to add to your tegu's water, or there's several sites on the internet you can look up to see recipes or substitutions with Pedialyte/Gatorade/etc if you want to try that route.

Natural sunlight. Most of us are aware that natural sunlight is a great way of ensuring good UVB exposure for vitamin D3 production. However, it also has UVA which helps stimulate natural behaviours and even appetite. This being said, I should forewarn you: many people when they take their reptiles out in full sunlight experience a dramatic change in behaviour of their pet. It not only provide that wonderful UVB, warmth, and other benefits....but it seems to flick on a mental switch and many people suddenly find their "pet" is now a "wild vicious reptile". I personally think this is a good thing, a wild animal is more likely going to have a good appetite, but I can understand why it can make some concerned. They don't stay that way, take them indoors and they typically resume their old self. Which kind of leads to my final point.

Last thing I think I'd bring up is one that is typically overlooked with reptiles, especially with tegus. Exercise. Captive tegus seem to lounge about, sleeping a lot, basking. Wild tegus roam a whole lot, rarely see them lying about lazilly. Exercise is a very good appetite stimulant. Problem is is trying to figure out how to get them to exercise. Free roaming around the home is a good start, just be sure the place is "tegu" proof. Just like you have to be careful with a baby crawling about, you don't want to leave small items lying about that your tegu may consider a food item. Letting your tegu roam around on a leash outside is also a great way to get exercise. Myself, I like to take my tegus over to my friend's place and set them loose in his yard. Always keep an eye on them, though.


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## Walter1 (May 12, 2016)

Thanks, Roadkill. This very helpful and not my thread.


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## StygianChild (May 13, 2016)

haha walter i don't think he said it was you thread  anyways…yeah, i've checked his temps and he does drink plenty of water. I do take him out regularly. At least every other day. He's super social so we tend to go to the park and he hates his leash so much that he stays around me without the leash.


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## Walter1 (May 13, 2016)

StygianChild said:


> haha walter i don't think he said it was you thread  anyways…yeah, i've checked his temps and he does drink plenty of water. I do take him out regularly. At least every other day. He's super social so we tend to go to the park and he hates his leash so much that he stays around me without the leash.


Oh, I know. Love it still!

That's great about him sticking near you. Who needs a rotweiler?


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## StygianChild (May 14, 2016)

got a game for you: let's play the is it vomit or poop game. This came out of him yesterday. It looks almost identical to what i fed him couple days ago….


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## StygianChild (May 14, 2016)

I'm waiting to hear back from a friend of mine about running it for parasites. (that's the best part of biology. You have weird friends in weirder occupations. WOO PARASITOLOGY!)


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## dpjm (May 15, 2016)

It looks like vomit, and in that case you will not get a great parasite test, since this hasn't passed through most of the digestive tract where most of the parasites are likely inhabiting. If you think it's poop then run the test.


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## StygianChild (May 15, 2016)

yeah i think it's vomit as well...


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## Roadkill (May 15, 2016)

It does look like vomit, and that's not a good sign. Vomiting in reptiles is usually a death knell. Very few reptiles recover from this without rather extreme intervention. At this stage, it's time to start doing some injections, diluted lactated ringer's (about 50% dilution) with sterile water, likely daily at no more than 5-10% of the tegu's mass. If you're going to continue feeding, it should be small but frequent (maybe twice a day, maybe about a teaspoon) very easily digested food. Time to go for the Oxbow Carnivore Care, make it runny.


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## StygianChild (May 15, 2016)

i'll give the vet a call tomorrow when they open back up.


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## beardeddragon111 (May 15, 2016)

Hope he makes it .


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## StygianChild (May 15, 2016)

you and me both. He's an awesome boy.


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## dpjm (May 15, 2016)

> Vomiting in reptiles is usually a death knell. Very few reptiles recover from this without rather extreme intervention.



One exception is if they vomit due to inadequately cold temperatures and are simply unable to digest the food so opt to vomit it up rather than have it rot in the gut. This is probably more common in snakes than lizards, but it's a simple husbandry fix.

Does your tegu spend time in the basking area or does he seem to be sticking around the cool end? Do you have a way to measure his body temperature?


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## Walter1 (May 15, 2016)

StygianChild said:


> i'll give the vet a call tomorrow when they open back up.


Please do and let us all know the score. I hope he pulls through.


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## StygianChild (May 16, 2016)

he usually hides out under the bedding. if he's not under there then he's under the heat lamps. and the temp is fine. last i checked it was in the mid 80's. perhaps he just ate too much….

and i called the vet and they want to do X-rays, which i don't have the money for right now. They think it might be an obstruction but that doesn't make sense to me. He's not aggressive, no distention, he's active when i have him out. the only thing is that i haven't seen him poop in weeks. usually i at least smell that.

If he vomits any more i'll take him in i'm hoping he just ate too much too fast.


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## StygianChild (May 16, 2016)

also i don't have a way to check body temp, just ambient.


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## beardeddragon111 (May 16, 2016)

get a heat gun off amazon, if you can in time.


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## Lavin45 (May 18, 2016)

Justsomedude said:


> Damn good for you! I love hearing stories like that! And that's a really nice bong as well!


lol why thank you! Every animal I've owned has been literally brought back from the brink, no animal deserves to be kept in a plastic bowel soaked in their own urine like my baby was.


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## Justsomedude (May 21, 2016)

Lavin45 said:


> lol why thank you! Every animal I've owned has been literally brought back from the brink, no animal deserves to be kept in a plastic bowel soaked in their own urine like my baby was.


I'll toke to that!


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## StygianChild (May 22, 2016)

So I'm have him eating every day, so i think he's on the mend. Still haven't seen any poop tho...


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## Walter1 (May 22, 2016)

He will. When he does, stand back.


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## Roadkill (May 23, 2016)

This is encouraging news. Just remember, keep the meals on the small side. Right now, your tegu is in recovery, anything can stress it and reverse the process including overeating. Small frequent meals are key. The other thing is to consider the lack of defecation. It's hard at this stage to say exactly what's going on, undernourishment is definite, but parasite load is another possibility, as is simple blockage. You probably want to consider something to help with gut motility. While many advocate the use of mineral oil, this is something you would basically have to force the tegu to take, and at this stage I think you want to be a little more gentle. I'd personally recommend the addition of basic fiber laxative to the food. In some cases, that's as simple as ensuring there's vegetation in the meals. In your case, I'd recommend buying unflavoured fiber laxative supplement (like Metamucil) and adding it to the cat food you've been feeding.


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## dpjm (May 23, 2016)

Another laxative I've had success with for lizards is lactulose. Don't use it if you suspect your animal is dehydrated but other than that it is safe. It is basically a non-digestible sugar that draws fluids into the intestines, increasing the water content of stools.

I've used mineral oil also with success but I'm not a big fan of that product. The name "mineral oil" makes it sound safe and natural but it is anything but. It's actually a by-product of the distilation process used to produce gasoline from petroleum. Not really something you would want to consume.

If you're feeding wet cat food at this point, I would try mixing in very finely chopped vegetables and a bit of fruit. These will provide not just fiber but also beneficial nutrition that your tegu really needs right now.

Great to hear that your tegu is on the mend, good work!


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## StygianChild (May 24, 2016)

Walter….. you jinxed me….. he just pooped all over my lap…….actually more like my groin. off to the shower and then to find clean pants. But at least he finally pooped!


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## viejo (May 24, 2016)

StygianChild said:


> Walter….. you jinxed me….. he just pooped all over my lap…….actually more like my groin. off to the shower and then to find clean pants. But at least he finally pooped!


Murphey's law @ work! Good that he pooped in any case!


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## Walter1 (May 24, 2016)

StygianChild said:


> Walter….. you jinxed me….. he just pooped all over my lap…….actually more like my groin. off to the shower and then to find clean pants. But at least he finally pooped!


Stop! Are you [email protected]@ing me?


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## StygianChild (May 24, 2016)

ZIIINNNGGG lol but yes he did that. in his defense he tried to find a place that wasn't me, but we were in a hammock so my leg is better than my head.


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## StygianChild (May 26, 2016)

So I have Rorschach eating cat food daily and he's pooping again. He hasn't changed to the naked eye, but i wouldn't expect a visible weight change for a few more weeks at least. I have noticed him twitching his toes. He was doing that when i first got him, but i got a UVB bulb and it stopped for ~4 months. He does eat eggs, shell and all and he get calcium supplement.

Could this have something to do with his weight loss? 

When i went to the vet they said he looked good, just skinny. And i mentioned the twitching, but he didn't seem to concerned because it had stopped. 

I'm not worried about a form of MBD as i am a neurological problem or a liver problem


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## dpjm (May 27, 2016)

Be a bit careful with eggshells. First, they are dirty unless you are buying from a good source. Supermarket eggshells are filthy. Second, they are 90% calcium which could be more than your tegu needs.

We all know that vitamin D regulates calcium absorption from the gut into the blood. So if vitamin D production is regulated by UV light and not received in significant amounts in the diet, a route in which it is not regulated, then calcium levels should automatically be regulated simply by eating some of it and by exposing yourself to enough UVB from the sun. That is what you often read, and it makes people comfortable to supplement with huge mounts of calcium, because the body will just take what it needs. 

However, at least I think so and please correct me if I'm wrong anyone, calcium absorption is only regulated by vitamin D in the first section of the gut. Further down the gut, calcium can be passively absorbed independently of vitamin D. This route of absorption is especially prominent if large amounts of calcium (e.g., eggshell) is consumed. 

So it is very possible to overdose on calcium, even with well-regulated D3 levels. Calcium oversupplementation is thought to be one of the causes of hypercalcaemia (toxic levels of calcium in the blood).


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## StygianChild (Jun 12, 2016)

Well he seemed to be doing better. he started gaining a bit of weight and he died some time today or last night.


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## Dee-Dee Idrais (Jun 13, 2016)

I'm so sorry to hear that


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## StygianChild (Jun 13, 2016)

thanks. i'm going to necropsy him and see if i can't find a reason for his death. (i'm a biology major, i'm weird that way)


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## dpjm (Jun 13, 2016)

Very sorry to hear that, you put in a great effort. 

Make sure you get his body refrigerated or the necropsy will not yield any results. Let us know what you find.


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## StygianChild (Jun 14, 2016)

yeah i put him in the freezer right away. I can't run his blood but i can check for abnormalities and parasites and such. I may articulate his skeleton if i feel up to it. 

on a side note, i was talking to a guy in florida that traps them about what was wrong with Rorschach and i let him know that he died and he offered to send me another tegu for free. I'm debating if i should take him up on the offer. I may be doing a 6 mo internship in Utah and they don't allow pets. I'm worried that if i get this new one and have him for a few months and leave him with my brother, that the new tegu will be more attached to my brother than me.

Do you guys know if they form a bond with one main human usually or are they not really the kind of animal to make a bond?


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## beardeddragon111 (Jun 14, 2016)

I think that they definetly can like the company of people, but I dont think they "bond" to specific individuals.


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## dpjm (Jun 14, 2016)

Don't freeze him, you just want to keep him cold, at fridge temperature. Freezing destroys a lot of tissues, limiting what the necropsy can show.


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