Help - Tegu is holding Tummy off ground while laying down

[Aiion]

My Red Tegu is holding her tummy off the ground when I put her down to spend time under the lights. She looks like she might be in pain. She has her head down on the substrate and a few times looked like she might fall on her side. Her tummy is just hovering off the ground. I can't find any info on this. She just had a healthy poop yesterday. Her temps and humidity are good. I was worried yesterday that the computer vent might be putting out too much heat but she insisted on laying right over it and I kept adjusting her. Also we fed her a scrap of raw steak yesterday that was a little big but not as big as the fuzzies she eats.

 

[jumper123]

is she wiggling her butt? she might be impacted. is her belly swollen? you may want to try warm soaking her. i wonder if tegus can colic?

 

[Aiion]

Well, she finally put her tummy down and is sleeping. Her belly isn't swollen. She looked kinda like she was trying to poop but right over the spot where she usually sleeps. Her belly would sink to the substrate and she would quick lift it again and arch her back...the whole time her head was laying on the ground. I thought at first the substrate might be bothering her so I put something flat down for her to lay on and she was doing the same thing. Maybe it is little Tegu colic? No one else seems to have posted this issue online. Hopefully she feels better when she wakes up.

 

[jumper123]

at least she put it down.. it sounds a little like she was trying to poop. bUt usually they wiggle a little bit let me know how she is in a little while ! hope its still good!

 

[Aiion]

I'll update after her nap.

 

[Aiion]

Now that she woke up from her nap... I think she might have a slight burn on her lower abdomen from the laptop vent. Her skin is not pink but it is sensitive to touch. It's too bad because she loves that spot. I think as my laptop gets older, it's getting hotter. I'll have to be more careful.

 

[Piercedcub32]

How bad does the burn look from the outside, cause remember that the deeper layers of tissue may have also been injured. these guys can't really tell how hot something on their bellies, this is why we don't use heat rocks as a method of warming them etc. Keep an eye on her and make sure she is able to move her bowels!

 

[Aiion]

When she first woke up her belly seemed a little sensitive. Now she seems just fine and her belly is not the least bit sensitive. I might have been wrong about the burn. I have no idea now what was wrong. Maybe it was a gas bubble? She has eaten some fish since she has been up and is currently running all over the house.

 

[Piercedcub32]

awesome news! thanks for the update!

 

[Aiion]

So, she is doing it again. She was perfectly normal and energetic for several days and now she is all hunched over again and won't lay down. Normally at this time of day she is still a sleepy little rag doll who can't stay awake. She has been awake for several hours and I can't tell if she is in pain but she looks all serious...if you can imagine a tegu looking serious.

She is having a bad shed but it's only been about a week. I don't know if that could have anything to do with it? She hasn't been near the computer vents or any other strong heat sources. I have no idea what is going on?

BTW.. she has had a healthy poop every day.

 

[Piercedcub32]

A trip to the vet never hurts... well doesn't hurt anything but the wallet. If you are concerned I would make an appointment.

 

[Aiion]

My husband was fired right before Christmas because he wouldn't drive a van with illegal plates. I'm soaking her now because it seems that she has 2 layers of shed. Went into shed about 2 weeks ago and she must have started another one.

Normally I would take her right into the vet but I have to know it's an emergency before I take away from rent money...for obvious reasons. Her tummy doesn't seem tender at all and she pooped when I was soaking her. She has no congestion and inside her mouth looks great. She has energy still.

 

[laurarfl]

That is also a defensive posture to make themselves look larger. She may be telling you to "go away", especially if she's shedding. Just another thought if everything else checks out OK.