# Tegu laying on Back! Help needed.



## kingbenny (Dec 29, 2008)

Hi guys, 

I just looked in on my Red tegu and he was laying on his back looking dead! I flipped him over and he was fine but i'm very worried as i've nver seen this in a live reptile before. Anyone know what could cause this? His temp is 82 in the cool area, 105 in the basking spot and he has a newwooden hide i built last night, he was on his back inside it.

I fed him about 3 hrs ago, raw chicken that i dusted lightly with Nutrobal calcium. Its the first time i've dusted his food, i've had him a week now. Thanks in adavance for any help, im obviosuly very worried!

Mike

Edit.

I've included a picture of his viv in case anyone can spot any alarming errors im making here! It has the 100w light at one end at the microclimate thremostat set to 82 on the roof of the viv.

I've also noticed that the tmeperature my have climbed too high under directly in the basking spot. If he had spent too long under that maybe that could have caused him to go to the cool area and then flip onto his back? It could also be the fact that he shed only two days ago, maybe he was trying to get a last bit of shed off and got stuck? I really don't know, but i want to do the best for my new tegu!


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## DaveDragon (Dec 29, 2008)

How old is he? What do you have for UVB and how far away from it is he? What are you measuring the basking temp with?

If his basking spot is too hot he can walk away, if the whole enclosure is too hot that might be a problem but I doubt that with only a 100W light bulb. If anything I'd say it might not be warm enough with all of that volume. But if you have a thermostat set to 82 degrees on the roof (why?) who knows what the temp is down where he is living?


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## kingbenny (Dec 29, 2008)

I've moved the thermostat down to the floor lvl now, that makes alot of sense so thanks. As for monitoring temp i just move one of those cheap ones you stick on the side around. I have ordered a digital one though so i can get a better reading. I have also just built him a nesting area out of substrate today and built another hide in the hot spot so i think that may help a little. I've put a pic of what i did today below, hopefully it gives him both more areas to thermoregulate and
a bit more privacy.

The UVB strip is located at the top of the tank. I put him onto the top of his hide earlier and he nearly flipped over climbing off it so it may be possible that he just happened to fall onto his back trying to get down, or maybe rubbing himself to get rid of shed.






Thanks for your comments, It may seem that I don't know what i'm doing at all but I think I know the basics, I just want to make sure I keep a healthy, happy Tegu.


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## JohnMatthew (Dec 29, 2008)

Looking pretty good with the enclosure. You will need to move your UVB light probably alot closer to the tegu. Most of the uvb bulbs(at least the good ones) will tell you on the box how far away from your animal they should be and how often you need you replace them(usually every 6 months). You'll probably have to fasten some kind of guard over the light like some heavy gauge chicken wire or something like that but you do need the UVB source closer I'm sure with a tubelight. Good luck and keep us posted!


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## kingbenny (Dec 30, 2008)

Thanks for the advice!

Bob seems fine today, he's eating well and happy to be handled, I'm thinking more and more that he may have just fell onto his back as the only other Reps i've seen on thier back have been dead ones and apart from seeing on his back he seems fine. Im picking up a new UVB tube on Saturday so i'll move it down the viv then as i dont want to keep moving stuff around every day, I think he still needs a while to settle in.


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## kingbenny (Jan 1, 2009)

*Tegu rolling over update.*

Ok Guys, 

A quick update. I fed Bob today (scrambled egg and a little grape) outside his viv. He was quite happy, had a poop (which he always seems to do outside his viv) and then put him back. About 5 seconds after I put him back in the viv he rolled over onto his back agin, stcuk his legs in the air and then rolled over onto his front as if nothing had happened. I'm quite sure the viv setup is good now so i was hoping someone might have some ideas. Maybe its just something he does when stressed, he had just been handled? I'm taking him to the vets for a checkup on saturday so hopefully they might have some ideas as well.


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## DaveDragon (Jan 1, 2009)

Maybe he's practicing for the circus??!! Teach your Toad to do back flips. :roll: 

By the way, I hear Cane Toads are great food for Tegu's! :mrgreen:


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## laurarfl (Jan 1, 2009)

I don't know what could be causing your tegu's problems, but are you measuring temps with the stick-on dial thermometer? Those are notorious for being inaccurate.

I would also wonder about something neurological, perhaps a chemical he's exposed to in his food, water, or surroundings. Are you in a heavily fluoridated area? Google flouride and reptiles...seems like it caused seizures.


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## mr.tegu (Jan 1, 2009)

i was kinda thinking neurological as well, maybe been dropped or abused, i dont know either. kingbenny has this rolling over just started when you added supplements? or was it going on before the supps?


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## LouDog760 (Jan 1, 2009)

Try looking into a temp gun. Pro exotics has the PE-1 for $25 bucks. I'll post a link below.


<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.proexotics.com/store/home.php?cat=248">http://www.proexotics.com/store/home.php?cat=248</a><!-- m -->


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## kingbenny (Jan 2, 2009)

Both the times he's rolled seem to be just after he has eaten, the first time was after having his food dusted for the first time. 

There is an amazing reptile vets about an hour from me, it's meant to be the best in the UK, I am going to see them on saturday so hopefully they can help.My Temp gun was ordered a few days ago so hopefully it will arrive today!

I'm also now letting his water settle for 24 hours before i give it too him in case there is a problem with the Fluoride, the reptile center said water staright from the tap was fine but i'm a little concearned that maybe my area has more fluoride in the tap water then the area where I brought him from. On the plus side, he seems pretty good apart from the flips, he'll eat straight away and is quite active and he poops regularly so I guess that rules out any impaction. He'll let me handle him fine but will make it obvious when he has had enough handling so his temprement also seems fine.

Its a shame that being in the UK I can't really go to a good well know breeder so there will always be an element of doubt as too how sound his breeding is.

Edit; Just spoken to the vets and they can't see him until next Friday! Both reptile experts are on vacation and I didn't think it was worth one of the normal vets seeing him as they wouldn't be able to help much anyway. The last time I took my Alligator Snapper to non reptile vet he took him out of the box and commented that he had some cotton in his mouth. I was just explaining that it was the turtles tongue when he put his finger in his mouth and was bitten quite badly. On the plus side, I wasn't charged for the appointment as the vet said it was a learning experience for him!


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## JohnMatthew (Jan 2, 2009)

I can picture that vet getting bitten so vividly for some reason :-D .. You'll love your temp gun! I picked one up a few weeks ago and it's so nice. Don't know how I ever got along without it.


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## laurarfl (Jan 2, 2009)

OMG, LOL! I just had the same visual image in my head as I was reading your post. Who sticks their finger in a turtle's mouth, much less an alligator snapper?

I don't know if the flouride makes a difference, but it may be worth a mention. I was doing some research on my water softener and how it would affect the kidney disease of my two cats and Burmese python when I came across that info. Then when I saw your post again it popped into my mind.


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## kingbenny (Jan 2, 2009)

Well he just flipped over again and once again it was about 1 minute after i fed him. he seems fine otherwiese so i really think this is some behaviour he has picked up as the three times he has done it it has been after feeding and he puts himself back on his feet again without any problem. I watched him stretch his legs out and the flip seemed to be something very deliberate rather than a fit. He also always poos just after he has fed so maybe that is something to do with it.

On a side note, his poo is basically like Bird poo (white and Yellow) but he always releases some liquid with the poo as well. I'm assuming that this is normal for Tegu?


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## laurarfl (Jan 2, 2009)

Mine always pass water, I assumed it was normal.

That's strange about the flipping after eating. So, he eats, flips, then poos...or does he eat, poo, then flip? Is he straining to go? Can you video it and then post it on youtube?


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## kingbenny (Jan 2, 2009)

He eats, poos and then flips. 

I'll film it tomorrow if possible and link the Youtube video for people to see, it is very strange.


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## kingbenny (Jan 3, 2009)

No Flip today so no video, good news i guess.

My new digital infrared thermometer arrived, and it read very diffrent from the other ones! The cool side of the tank is between 70-75, the middle of the tank is around 82-85 and the area near the basking spot was in the 90-95's. The basking spot was reading 130 however which i guess is far too high! I'm raising the bulb now to get it more around the 110 mark although I suppose it will show a bit more than that anyway as it has concentrated heat 12 hrs a day?

The infared thermometer really is great!

I should also add that i went to the reptile centre today and brough a 10.0 UVB so i can keep it higher up the viv, the Reptile guys said they dont need any UVB lighting so im thinking that he may have been without UVB for a couple of months!


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## DaRealJoker (Jan 3, 2009)

Might have a digestive issue. Possibly he's trying to help his belly turn the food. Or he is mixing the water in his belly. He could be feeling tight in the stomache much like we do if we eat a big meal. And maybe the rolling is simply to ease that tension and gives him a stretch aswell. Awesome job making so many efforts to keep and care for that tegu might I add. All pet owners should be as quick to do as you. Thanks for caring so well for that animal. Happy New Year and Hi from Canada.


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## kingbenny (Jan 3, 2009)

Thanks so much for your kind words! I do think we are slowly getting somewhere with him/her.

I have to say that so far i've been very impressed with having a Tegu, i've owned alot of reptiles but this is the first one i've owned where the personality of the animal has shone through so quick. I put some bark in the viv today and he pushed it around with his head for about 15 minutes, you don't often see reptiles being playful!


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## kingbenny (Jan 5, 2009)

Quick update for those who were interested. Bob hasn't flipped over for about 4 days now. He seems more and more alert each day and he is happy to be handled. He's started getting quite frisky around food as well. I think he had a lack of UVB and maybe calcium, both of which he is getting lots of now as well as a twice daily misting with T rex bio-mist which he seems to really like. I've alos made his diet much more carnivore based as he is still young, I think the reptile shop was feeding him mainly greens.

So, things are looking good. Now i just have to figh the urge to buy a B+W that I know a reptile store about 5 miles away has!!!


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## jor71 (Jan 6, 2009)

I am glad to hear kingbenny.


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## mr.king (Jan 6, 2009)

Man I wish it lasted one more day I wanted to see a video of that!


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## kingbenny (Jan 23, 2009)

Bob does still flip on his back occasionly but seems none the worse for wear for it, his food, temps and humidity are all good and his temprement is coming on great so i'm now just putting it down to some quirk of his.

I will capture it for Youtube soon!!!!!


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