# enough is enough



## Anthony (Aug 9, 2009)

im not positive but i think my tegu is impacted... her stomach is the biggest ive ever seen it and shes walking funny slow and slugish , she fell trying to climb her rock and has been doing stuff she never does like just laying on the other side of her tank where she never goes.... i got her in warm water rite now and i bought mineral oil.... i swear im just gona take the cypress mulch out and use aspen i dont care if its ideal or not at least she cant get impacted well at least i dont think she can.... can a tegu get impacted with aspen? id imagine shed have to eat a lot of it.... maybe im wrong and shes just full from eating a lot of crickets but i dnt know just yet


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## throneofjade (Aug 9, 2009)

If you worried about her take her to a vet. Did you feed her more crickets than usual?


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## AWD247 (Aug 9, 2009)

At this point I wouldnt chance it, I would just take out all the substrate, clean the enclosure real good and use newspaper tonight and till you get a new substrate if you have too.
Defiantely look into meeting with a vet.

Good luck


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## GOT_TEGUS (Aug 9, 2009)

Anthony said:


> im not positive but i think my tegu is impacted... her stomach is the biggest ive ever seen it and shes walking funny slow and slugish , she fell trying to climb her rock and has been doing stuff she never does like just laying on the other side of her tank where she never goes.... i got her in warm water rite now and i bought mineral oil.... i swear im just gona take the cypress mulch out and use aspen i dont care if its ideal or not at least she cant get impacted well at least i dont think she can.... can a tegu get impacted with aspen? id imagine shed have to eat a lot of it.... maybe im wrong and shes just full from eating a lot of crickets but i dnt know just yet



bro I would use outdoor carpet sold at lowes cut to fit. looks better than newspaper and you can clean it or replace it. and just provide a humid hide
I wouldnt use aspen for GUs they will get really impacted sticks to everything.
JD


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## AWD247 (Aug 9, 2009)

That sounds like a good idea too, 
I bought up the newspaper cause he should definately take out what hes using tonight asap, the carpet idea sounds good while you figure out what you can use.


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## White_Lotus (Aug 9, 2009)

newspaper works well when they are young..as they get older feed them OUTSIDE the enclosure to prevent impaction and keep the cypress mulch(when older)


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## Jefroka (Aug 9, 2009)

Anthony, man you are having a rough time, so sorry man. Yeah, go with newspaper or artificial turf, something it can't eat, perhaps tile. Just make sure he has a nice hide to go to.

Best of luck man.


...Jefroka


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## crox (Aug 9, 2009)

This is why i feed my tegu in a bin.


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## cornking4 (Aug 9, 2009)

Can they get impacted from coco fiber?


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## Jefroka (Aug 9, 2009)

Yes, they can eat coco fiber but it usually passes through as it is much finer than coco husk or various mulches.


...Jefroka


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## Anthony (Aug 9, 2009)

crox said:


> This is why i feed my tegu in a bin.




i feed my tegu in a feeding bin she eats substrate on her own


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## Anthony (Aug 9, 2009)

she took a huge poop and it was normal then not even a hour later she crapped out pure substrate pretty big peices also.... i dont know what to use news paper only will make her miserable


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## throneofjade (Aug 9, 2009)

Have you ever fed her in her enclosure? There may be something there from that feeding that she is trying to eat.?.


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## Anthony (Aug 9, 2009)

yes i feed her in the enclosure BUT ONLY AFTER i seen her eating substrate and substrate in her ppoop... i freaked out and figured she was hungry and hated eating in the bin... the day it first happened was right after she denied turkey in her bin.... i put her back in the enclosure with crickets in there and she started biting her rock then eating substrate .... that was the first time she did that and i put a post up about it on this forum.... i always used the bin before that and only did that a few days.... i tried everything.... right now the whole tank has no substrate just news paper and her hide and rocks and water dish and some crickets.... she hates it i can tell but tommorow i gota pick out a different safer substrate and its driving me crazy i spend all afternoon dealing with this and me and my gf were arguing she drove over a hour to see me and i spent the whole time worrying bout my tegu and cleaning out the enclosure.... im getting a red in 2 weeks and im praying he dont act this way... thanks for all the replies guys and sorry for flooding the board with this same topic hopefully i can find a way...


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## Anthony (Aug 9, 2009)

i guess im gona get some cocunut fiber or husk tommorow whatever is the smallest and looks the safest and im just gona use bout a inch deep in my tank in case she does the same thing... if time goes by and she dont eat it i will get more.... if this dont work i really wont know what to do i know she cant go her whole life without a decent substrate or shell be miserable and wont have proper humidity.... the good news is i dont think theres anything left in her she took one big regular poop then not even a hr later she pooped a lot of pure substrate the most ive seen... god i hope my red dont eat his substrate


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## Jefroka (Aug 9, 2009)

Anthony, I really believe your tegu ingested substrate because it smelled left over food. You could try one last thing, by completely cleaning out your enclosure with bleach or soapy water, dry thoroughly and add mulch.

Never, ever place food of any type back in the enclosure, only feed in the feeding bin. I know you have a very tough work schedule but if you don't do this you risk impaction issues down the road.

Its either do something like this or have no substrate other than artificial turf or newspaper which is really not the best option for a burrowing lizard.

Tough love on the tegu or risk impaction issues. Don't know what else to tell you man.

Best of luck.


...Jefroka


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## DaveDragon (Aug 9, 2009)

Our male Blue has been impacted 3 times because he eats his substrate. The last time he nearly died so he's living on his vinyl flooring in his enclosure. He has 2 plywood hides and sometimes a towel to burrow into. He tends to drag the towel around and it usually ends up in his water or full of poop! We tried a few other substrates that were said to not pose an impaction risk but they were very dry & dusty and would mold if wetted. I'm sure the vinyl is upsetting him but it's better than him being dead!!


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## cornking4 (Aug 9, 2009)

What do you do for impaction, dave?


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## DaveDragon (Aug 9, 2009)

He went to the vet, they took an x-ray and they used a tube down his throat to give him some mineral oil. They recommended that we don't force him to drink any because it could get into his lungs. We also gave him a very warm bath every day. He wasn't allowed to eat until he passed it since he would just throw up whatever he ate anyway. Once anything is truely impacted food cannot pass through so they will trow it up undigested. Very messing and stinky!!! Our female got impacted with rodent fur and laying eggs last year. Same process.

All our Tegu's get some cod liver oil in their turkey to help keep things moving!!


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## Bubblz Calhoun (Aug 10, 2009)

_Anthony,..have you tried Zoo Meds Eco Earth, I know there are others out there (one thats compacted soil or something) but I only remember that one because its what I use. Its coconut fibers that you can buy in a compressed or loose form. Compressed is better because you get more for your money. Just make sure that you keep it moist. It helps with keeping up the humidity, and spot cleaning. Especially when it starts to dry out because it sticks to the poo. Its odor absorbent and your tegu can burrow and dig into it all day. As far as getting impacted that's pretty much null and void. Your tegu would have to eat a ridiculous amount if it got impacted at all. The only problem I have with it is that it always ends up in the water when they get to rearranging things :roll:. But thats an easy fix,..you change the water daily any way right,..hopefully. Or at least when you see that it needs to be changed.

Try it and see if you like it,...whats the worse that could happen, definitely not an impaction :-D . Besides I think its like 7-10 bucks,..thats a lot better than a minimum $200 Vet bill in some places just for xrays. _


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## Anthony (Aug 10, 2009)

thank you bubblz and yes i change the water everyday


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