# Update on Champ: Could be graphic...



## RehabRalphy (Mar 23, 2009)

4 days ago, this little tegu was eating his eating pinky mice on a dinner plate. The damn cat ran in, grabbed him, and ran off. I chased the cat around the house trying to get the cat to let go. 4-5 mins later, I found him.

This tegu had teeth marks in his back, stomach, and tail. The stomach was the most series because it penetrated all layers of skin, whereas the tail and the back where just little bite holes.

I decided to name him Champ because after 4 days of recovery, hes doing just fine. Hes alert and enjoys basking still. Hes ate a little, but I'm to afraid to give him big food (pinkies) with the stomach wound. I do have a feeling his tail will drop because of the shape its in. I'm lucky hes still alive. You can read the other post "New colombian tegu video" to read the story.

Notice the scab on his belly.






Back wounds





and the tail. The picture makes it look worse than it is.





but hes hangin in there like a Champ!


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## BOOZER (Mar 23, 2009)

was he in rough shape to begin with??


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## RehabRalphy (Mar 23, 2009)

nah before his mauling he was doing great. ate daily for me. had him eating crickets, super worms, wax worms, and pinky mice. Only had him for 5 days until that happened.


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## BOOZER (Mar 23, 2009)

thats a heckova start for the lil guy! good luck with him, hopefully no inner damage.


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## zgoldsmith (Mar 23, 2009)

He still looks good! That's a miracle!! Are you mad at the cat? :evil:


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## homer (Mar 23, 2009)

why is there a cat around after only 5 days of owning your tegu? im not one to talk crap but that seems careless?


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## PinkPunisher (Mar 23, 2009)

homer said:


> why is there a cat around after only 5 days of owning your tegu? im not one to talk crap but that seems careless?



It was probably in the same room and he didn't notice the cat until it was to late. Rehab has been around for a while and from what I've gathered on him he would never mean for this to have happened or anything bad to any animal for that matter.

I've fed my tegu in the same room as two cats, although the tegu was on the kitchen table with the cats on the floor.

Anyways, hope the little guy pulls through for you Rehab! Fingers crossed that there isn't a infection inside his stomach from dirty cat teeth or something :fc 

Spencer


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## Red Earth Exotics (Mar 23, 2009)

glad the little guy is doing better. that sucks. that's why the only pets i own that have hair and legs are tarantulas!


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## JohnMatthew (Mar 24, 2009)

It amazes me how tough reptiles can be with injuries! Good luck with him, hope he keeps getting better.


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## jmiles50 (Mar 24, 2009)

homer, I'm sure he know's that and there's no reason to make Ralphy feel worse than he already does :nono Things happen :!: Let's all just hope things work out for the little dude. Good luck Ralphy :fc


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## VARNYARD (Mar 24, 2009)

Dang Mike, sorry to hear about your little guy, I hope he pulls through. 

As for the cat, bring him on down, we can school him with one of my giant males, and then see if he still wants to chase lizards. lot


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## Red Earth Exotics (Mar 24, 2009)

VARNYARD said:


> As for the cat, bring him on down, we can school him with one of my giant males, and then see if he still wants to chase lizards. lot




HECK YEAH! I'd buy that on pay-per-view! :twisted:


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## RehabRalphy (Mar 24, 2009)

lol. I'm not offended. I have 2 cats, and adopted another one (my old ladies choice is cats). Well, I know that the 2 cats I originally had were fine around animals. My parrot likes to ride on one, and the other one loves tegus. 

Its this dumb adopted one that got it. Guess I didnt really know this new cat well enough. As for the cat, hes with a friend now. 

I appriciate all the warm comments. I really do think Champ will pull through.


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## Red Earth Exotics (Mar 24, 2009)

RehabRalphy said:


> As for the cat, hes with a friend now.
> 
> 
> > With a friend or in that great litter box in the sky...? :chin


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## RehabRalphy (Mar 24, 2009)

lol


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## Schnab (Mar 25, 2009)

!!

I'm glade to hear Champ is on the road to a good recovery. Poor little guy. I've always hated cats for their habbit of sometimes killing for fun.


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## mr.tegu (Mar 25, 2009)

Oh its not fun thier after, Its instinct. Cats are related to of course the Big Cat family Mt. Lions, Bob Cats, ect. We have just domesticated them to a certain extent. All wild animals have natural instincts no matter how hard we try to get rid of these instincts they will always be their in the back of the animals head. Alot of Big Cat attacks on humans is not the fact the animal being hungary its more of our movement on such things as bikes in the mountains or our poor climbing ability while hiking looks to them as injured prey or a good chase. Same with even Tegus, I have had prekilled mice in the enclosure with no interest to the tegu. I put a live mouse thats running around in the enclosure and it turns into dinner. Once again a sign of instinct.


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## RehabRalphy (Mar 25, 2009)

Only thing that worries me is that he sleeps for 18-20 hours at a time, then basks for maybe only 2-4 hours. He has energy (runs around the cage if theres loud noises), but I'm thinkin hes still in hibernation mode.


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## RehabRalphy (Mar 25, 2009)

Caught him soakin. Looks like hes gettin better.


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## jmiles50 (Mar 26, 2009)

Lookin great Ralphy :app


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## RehabRalphy (Mar 26, 2009)

A couple feeding pics[attachment=1]


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