# Rescued Red Tegu Progress



## tresh (Jan 6, 2013)

Some folks will remember when I rescued a tegu back in august of last year. I fought with her for awhile, trying to get her to eat, trying to put weight on her, but in the end, she wasn't getting better, and I chose to let her hibernate. She hibernated until a few weeks ago, when she decided one day to wake up and be aware. 

She's still sleeping probably 18-20 hours a day, and still far too weak to even want to do tegu things like digging, burrowing or generally getting into trouble, but progress is slowly being made. 

Today was the first day she voluntarily drank the food I've been feeding her via syringe. I got Carnivore Chow for her, and everyday I've patiently been feeding her syringe after syringe of it, watered down so she would take it. Been wrapping her in a towel and holding her for hours, keeping her warm. 

The last few days, instead of laying still with her eyes half-closed, she's been trying to escape her wrapping, so I'm so glad...she's finally showing some life. 

I took a pic today, showing comparison. She's still in horrible shape...still so very emaciated, but she's getting a touch of noticeable tail fat. 

I'm also keeping people aware of her progress on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ember-the-Tegu/353135511440600

Top pic is when I got her, bottom pic is today.
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## laurarfl (Jan 6, 2013)

She looks much better!


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## tresh (Jan 6, 2013)

Thank you. It's been very difficult, but I think she's passed a major hurdle, now that she's starting to want to eat on her own.


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## chitodadon (Jan 6, 2013)

Looking good

from Samsung Galaxy S3


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## tresh (Jan 7, 2013)

Today she voluntarily ate ground meat from the feeding tongs! Without me having to open her mouth to get her to try to eat. She ate about 1/4th a lb of meat, all on her own! I made a mix...eggs, ground turkey, chicken hearts, gizzards, mixed with vitamin powder. And she ate like she was starving. So, she's got appetite finally! 

She made a mess, but I don't care.


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## chitodadon (Jan 7, 2013)

Great

from Samsung Galaxy S3


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## tresh (Jan 26, 2013)

She had a vet visit yesturday, and we got some super awesome news!

Somehow, the damage to her jaw/front of her mouth was not as bad as the vet originally thought. She's growing teeth! She's got at least 4 growing in that the vet could see. Which means that while she's healing slow, she's definitely mending wonderfully.


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## james.w (Jan 26, 2013)

Sounds like you are doing an amazing job. Have you looked into ordering some whole ground animal from hare-today.com? I think the calcium and vitamins she would get from the whole ground animal would be a great benefit.


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## laurarfl (Jan 26, 2013)

That's very cool. I like james' idea of ground whole prey


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## tresh (Jan 26, 2013)

Oh yeah...at the moment her diet is a lot of ground meat, mixed with vitamins and egg, made into little balls that she can handle. I've tried the hare today ground chicken, ground turkey, and the ground herring. THe only one that she wouldn't touch was the herring (but then again, all of the tegus hated that one!). I've also given her the ground rabbit. And yes, I"m making sure it's the ones that have all of it in there, bones and organs.

Today, she ate TWO mice. She looks like she swallowed a balloon. But the vet said to keep feeding her as much as she will eat, and as great a variety as I can, so that's what I'm doing. She's shown some interest in blueberries now as well, which is awesome. 

basically, I just make up a plate of a bunch of different things, and let her pick what she wants to eat. Anything she doesn't eat, my adults polish off pretty quick.


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## TeguBuzz (Jan 26, 2013)

Great to hear she's making a recovery. Some new pics? I'd like to see the difference!


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## Bubblz Calhoun (Jan 27, 2013)

_Congrats  glad to hear she's getting better._


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## tresh (Jan 28, 2013)

I'll get some pics of her tommorrow when she's in the bath.


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## tresh (Jan 29, 2013)

She wasn't too keen on sitting still, but I got some pics of her last night. She's got these glorious pale red patches going on on her neck and belly, I can't believe how pretty she is! She's shedding really weird (her scales are so thin!), but she is doing pretty well. Being a greedy-guts and eating half her bodyweight in food every other day, lol. 

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## TeguBuzz (Jan 29, 2013)

She is looking a whole lot better, keep it up


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## chitodadon (Jan 29, 2013)

Great job

from Samsung Galaxy S3


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## tresh (Feb 17, 2013)

It is with great sorrow that I'm having to say this. I'm giving her up. She's been getting progressively more skittish, more scared. She barely tolerates handling. Today, one of my other tegus tried to eat her. Up until now, they've slept together, basked together, eaten together. That other tegu, my adult female Ammy, has always been friendly with Ember. Then this morning...Ammy decided to attack Ember. I got them apart before anything happened, but I've come to the decision to give Ember up, to someone who has the facilities to take care of her, and the time to work with her. 

I've got my hands full with two hormonal adults. Now that Ember is eating on her own, it's time for her to go to someone who has all the facilities to take care of her. She's going to the reptile expert at the local pet store...he's already said he is willing to take her on as a rescue, so I'm going to relinquish her to him.


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## bfb345 (Feb 17, 2013)

You have made the right choice im sure the person will take wonderful care of her and she will thrive good job


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## tresh (Feb 20, 2013)

She went to her new home yesturday. Apparently she's got a pond and a big outdoor area that is just for her. The fellow who took her, he told me that she's definitely not a full red. She's a hybrid. She's destined to become a display-lizard, going with him to reptile expos and getting her own perch in the window at the pet store. I'm really happy for her, while I'm really sad that I had to let her go. She's going to become a big spoiled lizard, I know that much. And I'll be able to see her, since it's not like that pet store or the guy that got her, is going anywhere. 

They all loved her when I brought her in, and I'm glad. She's got a good future ahead of her. 

And now I can concentrate on my two adult bundle-of-hormone lizards, lol.


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