# What am I going to do?!?!



## ColdThirst (Jul 6, 2011)

*My Argentine Tegu is an Adult Female and tonight when I was feeding her, she straight up bit off and swallowed a chunk of plastic from the RubberMaid lid that I was feeding her on. She has accidently bitt the lid before, or what she was being fed on, but she quickly drops it and gets her food. Tonight her teeth bit straight through it and before I can do anything, right down her throat it goes with her food!!!

Is surgury at a reptile vet the only way to go? I severely doubt her digestive track will break it down, and it's far too large of a piece to pass.

*



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*Any Input would help! Thanks*


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## tora (Jul 6, 2011)

Oh wow, you def need to get it to a vet asap. I know tegus get impacted from things a fraction of that size. They might wait a bit to see if giving her meds will help it pass, because surgery really should be a last resort... but I don't see how that will get out without surgery..


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## Max713 (Jul 6, 2011)

That is terrible! I wish I could be of more help than just wishing you good luck, I would have no idea what to do in this situation... I would be a nutcase if Kimo swallowed something like that!


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## turtlepunk (Jul 7, 2011)

you can try soaking him in warm water to try to get him to pass it, but I think a vet might be needed. but hey, my bearded dragon once broke off about 5 inches of a beaded necklace and ate it (without me knowing!!!) and he passed it fine in his enclosure without any soaking what so ever!! string, beads and all...it was weird!! but i was so thankful!! i would have never known he swallowed part of my necklace!!!! (i wasnt wearing it, it was sitting on the counter where i had him at the time) was wondering how it broke! sheeesh! 
I hope your tegu passes it with no problem!! sorry this had to happen!!!!! =/ best of luck


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## tora (Jul 7, 2011)

Yeah I wouldn't soak and hope for the best, it's too long and jagged and could puncture something. Like I said, I read of someone who's adult tegu got impacted from eating a little plastic cap that goes on door stoppers. They were following vet instructions to see if it would pass, but it wouldn't. Then when they were left with no choice but to opt for surgery, it finally passed. A small, soft piece of rubber.


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 7, 2011)

How big is she?


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## Jefroka (Jul 7, 2011)

Have you taken her to the vet yet?

Was the piece she broke off and swallowed one intact piece?

It appears to me there may have been a piece of the container missing already, true or false?

I'm thinking if my assumption is correct and she just swallowed a small narrow piece I believe she just might pass it on her own but absolutely a vet needs to be consulted here if you haven't yet already.

Please update when you find the time.

Thanks and best of luck!


...Jefroka


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## kellen.watkins (Jul 7, 2011)

If I was in your shoes I would take him/her to the vet, that would be a horrible I should've scenario :-(


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## ColdThirst (Jul 7, 2011)

She is right at 4ft long and a little over 4 years old. This is a pic of her I took the other day. She weighs 7.10 Lbs.




Everyone but my wallet will be happy to know that today I took off work (Lost Income $130) and drove her 107 miles ($70 Gas) to the nearest Reptile Vet Surgery Center that could accommodate her and had a Vet that wasn't on Vacation. (Speeding ticket on the way there (15 over) $145)

Put her under slight anesthesia ($75), Flushed her stomach contents back out her mouth ($75) but almost nothing came out, in 6 hours it was already in the digestive tract. Then took 3 X-Rays ($140) to see if we could see where it was (we couldn't) and now first thing tomorrow morning she will be operated on to extract the foreign object before real damage occurs. ($400-$500) 

Counting the $70 in gas to go pick her back up will bring my Tegu Fiasco to a grand total of $1,205.00

But that's life and that's my only child, so what can you do?
Hopefully the surgery goes well and they get it out. 

Also that entire piece went down her throat, there wasn't a piece missing before.


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## james.w (Jul 7, 2011)

Sucks that it cost you that much, but much respect for being a responsible herp keeper. Good luck with her.


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## teguboy77 (Jul 7, 2011)

Your a great tegu owner going the extra miles to take her to the vet to get the rite care,thats what pet owners are suppose to do congrats and i wish you and her the best of luck.


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## laurarfl (Jul 8, 2011)

wow. I applaud you for doing the right thing. it can be expensive. I ended up paying something like $4,000-$5,000 for my dog's knee surgery a few years back. He was a young, extremely active dog and like my furry kid. What else do you do? She's a gorgeous tegu and you are her hero.


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 8, 2011)

Good for you giving your tegu such great care.


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## Jefroka (Jul 8, 2011)

Holy Toledo! Don't ever part with that tegu! 

Kudos to you for having such a good heart!

I know that was an expensive day for you and your gu, but I honestly feel you will be laughing about this some where down the line. The first laugh should be shared between you and your gu though after she heals up! 


...Jefroka


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## tora (Jul 8, 2011)

Is she okay now?


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## ColdThirst (Jul 8, 2011)

*GREAT NEWS!
The Sr. Vet came in today to do the surgery. I'n the process he took new x-rays to see if he could locate the piece. He was able to see it broken up into 4 different smaller pieces! He said that there is a really goo chance that she will be able to pass these smaller pieces on her own!!! He then strongly advised me against surgery. 

He said that I can come pick her up tomorrow and take her home. When I get her home to keep feeding her as usual and watch for anything out of the ordinary. He said he has no doubt that she will be perfectly fine now that it isn't in one big piece.

I am so Relieved! 

On a side note: He also commended me for about 15 min on the phone for keeping such a beautiful and healthy animal. He said that in his 30yrs **experience it was the best example of a healthy and docile Tegu he has ever seen. He was just amazed and kept saying it over and over again. He also used to be a vet for a zoo for several years I found out. 

So I was a proud papa after hearing that. I told him the thing eats better than I do 90% of the time, and all my energy when I get home goes into trying to make it happy lol. So that was really rewarding to hear from him, that the last 4 years of blood, sweat, and tears was actually for something. 

So all in all, the Bill will be around $500. Kind of anticlimactic due to the fact if I had done nothing at all the outcome would have been the same. BUT if it hadn't of broken up, the Lizard would be in really bad shape here in a day or so. I'm just so thankful it turned out this way. 

Thankyou all for your thoughts and wishes. This time tomorrow I will be with my Lizard again and she will be back to breaking everything in my house as usual. lol *


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## laurarfl (Jul 8, 2011)

That's pretty awesome news!


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## Jefroka (Jul 8, 2011)

Just love a happy ending!

Here's to looking for that next big dump! (hopefully with four little pieces of blue plastic)


...Jefroka


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