Hibernating a tegu with MBD

[Guest]

I have been battling MBD with my young tegu. I took him to the vet about 2 months ago where he got some d3 shots. I also stopped feeding him eggs and started dusting all his food with calcium powder. He seemed to be doing better for almost a month. He became very active and would even scratch at the glass to be let him out and explore the apartment.

Then he I noticed he had a few kinks in the end of his tail and he started to go off feed. So I got a better PowerSun bulb, took him to the vet for another D3 shot, and brought the temp of the cage up. I have been force feeding him intensive care cat food mixed with calcium for the last 2 weeks. He just doesent seem to want to eat. The only thing he will occasionally eat is fish.

Yesterday he didnt come out of his bedding at all. So today I unbarried him "I know, its not good to do this" but he needs the time under the UV to get better. When I uncovered him today, I took notice of his behavior. I noticed he wasnt walking correctly, he was dragging belly and not moving back legs very well.
I think he may be trying to hibernate and that why he is going off feed, but I dont think I should let him hibernate if he is not in perfect health. I think him going off feed and spending time under the mulch will further prolong his recovery from this MBD.

P.S. he is pooping fine and his temps are 80 F on cool side and 110 F in the basking spot, with night lows of 75 F. His basking spot is 8" from the bulb

I am trying so hard to get this guy happy and health again. Can someone please give me advice.

 

[Guest]

I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this!

First off, stop feeding him cat food. It's NOT formulated for reptiles at all, and *can* do harm. Offer him whole prey items like mice or rats (size appropriate, or course) and pick up some chicken necks at your local grocery store or butcher. If it IS in fact MBD, then he needs natural calcium, and fast. For the checken necks, just chop them up into bite-sized pieces. I'd advise offering these things to him every other day, if not every day. Suppliment with things like chicken gizzards and liver, beef liver, roaches, fish filets such as tilapia and salmon...

As far as the distance between your tegu and the Powersun bulb... it's too close. For a 100 watt one, it needs to be 12" away, and about 18" away for a 160 watt.

 

[Guest]

Thank you nordica, you have been a big help.
I have not tried the chicken necks yet. I have been trying the salmon, pinkies, catfish, some eggs, dubai roaches, shrimp, chicken gizzards, chicken hearts, beef liver and ground turkey. He was eating pinkies, roaches and eggs verry well, but got very pickey recently. Now he wont eat hardley at all. Now when he does eat, he likes eggs and fish. He is spending almost all his time under mulch now, so I think he is going to hibernate. I talked to Bobby Hill and he told me to let it hibernate. He said any damage that is none is done and that MBD damage is perminant.
This was not normal catfood from the store. This was perscribed to me by my vet. Its intensive care cat and dog food and is properly balanced and full of vitamins. I have stopped feeding him this food per your request and will just let him hibernate. Bobby told me the most recent belly dragging thing may have been that he was so tired and was in hibernating mode when i woke him up. So maybee is MBD is not back and it is just me getting all worked up over nothing. I will try moving the PowerSun bulb farther away, I just read that the max distance from this bulb was 12 inches to get proper UV exposure. I will also torn my day light hours down to ten for a couple weeks, then to 8 hrs and finally off.
Any other info is greatly appreciated. Have a wonderful rest of the week and thanks for all your help and concern