How to clean a tegu's mouth?

[Rebecca Stout]

Hey, my tegu's mouth is really stinky. Its driving me nuts. She's healthy and normal, its just old food, etc, that gets trapped in the corners and on the gums. My son used a wet qtip and somehow cleaned out some gunk from the corners of her mouth. It made a significant difference. But it came right back in 3 days. So my questions is this... can we use anything on the qtip to help rather than just moisten it?? And lastly, we don't know what we are doing... so he might have done a really poor job and if we were to do better, it would really make a difference. I need to see pictures or video on how to do this. Can anyone help?

 

[RickyNo]

Quit feeding mushy meat that doesnt have all the nutrients he needs. Switch to whole prey, keep your basking temps around 130-135 and stinky mouth no more...

 

[Rebecca Stout]

I give whole prey one a week, mush two times and fruit one time (which is a toss up day). Eventually I'll do all whole prey (although I might do mush once a week or less). Thanks for the tip about the stinky mouth. Its not an association that I thought of!

Right now, the giant enclosure had cost way over (nearly double) of what we predicted and on top of that it has taken two months more to do than we were able. Outrageous stupid prices on wood, etc, in my area put us way behind. Just insane compared to what others have spent on their enclosures. We are hoping to finish it all the way tomorrow except for the uvb strip and also we have to wait for it air out when done. So after we recoup from that, I'm hoping to get into the swing of ordering whole prey etc rather than picking it up at a higher price locally.

Meanwhile, I really do need to clean her mouth and need to learn how and what with please.

 

[RickyNo]

Ohhh gawd once a week? So so bad...
He probably isnt going to be doing much growing....
Im also predicting some MBD on the way here real soon...
Hey I thought I was going to just spend a grand on mine. Im at like 3 grand now and still going lol, but then again I also have a fully automated cage. Custom glass windows, Spyder Robotics thermostat (herpstat 2), completely automated misting system, Filtered pond plus waterfall on the way, heat emitter, uvb, underground custom burrow and some custom rock walls on the way here soon. **** gets addictinggggg.

 

[Rebecca Stout]

I'm feeding her as much as she wants (she wont eat every day anymore, its winding up to be every other day). I am giving her big variety, and believe me plenty of calcium power ... Imean LOTS and using reptisun lights. Arcadia being ordered tomorrow. But, I will do 2x a week now in regards to what you said, I can manage that. The other 1-2 days can be fruits and the mixed innards and meats. I will continue doing both however. At least for now. Thanks for the support and taking your time to talk with me.

I so dont feel bad about my cage cost now. It's not even at the max it could be, likes yours is. And I'm guessing it might be up to 500, not sure. I gotta add it up. The problem is, we live on bare necessities. Every dime is a big deal to us. So, when I researched what I needed for a cage, I ran into two problems. One was like I said. Wood and glass is astronomical here compared to most places. The wood has sky rocketed so bad in the area, an xconstruction worker double checked on what my husband said as he didnt believe what a cheap piece of plywood cost now. We had to have our deck repaired months ago, and the guy apologized twice to us about pricing and explained the prices had been jacked up on him, which we already knew. The second thing we ran into ... was the fact, that no matter how detailed people got with their supplies list?? It was missing a lot for someone like me. Many home owners (not all, maybe even not most I dont know) have all kinds of saws, electrical tape, and the like in their garage just "cause". We didnt. We had to do everything from obtain a paint stiring stick (thank god its free), to electrical tape, pencils, ...... I mean you can't imagine what we had to buy unless you've "been there" financially and have never built anything before.

I have a question. Other than mice/rats, and fish that are readily available, what kind of whole prey can be bought and given? Remember, I'm on a budget... I'm imagining nothing but mice wouldnt be very good either, just as an all mush/meat diet wouldn't be.

 

[Josh]

You can find whole prey chicks and quail and other birds that are frozen...
I'm sure you are doing your best. Just make sure you're feeding a varied diet with lots of the essential nutrients and vitamins. You don't need to spend a fortune and a half to have a healthy tegu. Nothing you've said necessarily indicates MBD either.

 

[RickyNo]

Im still going to disagree with 2 whole prey a week...
I said the same thing till my Loki developed mbd at the end of his tail. Luckily he was still a baby when it happened. Now that hes like 4ft you cant even tell he had it. Im not sure why you feel so strongly that you must feed this whole wacko diet you've come up with but if your gu is only eating every other day and its not even a year old then its probably because it doesnt want what your feeding it. Thats ok, take your own advice because I dont know why you bother to ask others if its not going to change what your actually going to do anyways...

I guess I can understand why your so adamant with the feeding, perhaps it falls under what is or is not in your "budget." I hate to break it to you but a Tegu is not a "budget" kind of animal. My Loki will be a year old next month, I believe he still has some growing to do and I still spend 120 a month feeding him at his current size. I dont believe that to be that much, I have 9 lizards and I manage to feed them all with 200 a month.

 

[Rebecca Stout]

Thanks everyone. Josh, thank you for all your support and info. I can always count on that and its direly needed. You've made a big difference in our lives. And ricky, although you are beyond harsh to the point of almost being not helpful. [You go on so critically and obsessively on your way, right or not, you don't offer alternatives... without alternatives there is nothing... something that is not optimal or something that is terrible. Remember being right is only "half" of education. Without tact and alternatives, you loose people all together and then the animals suffer. I know you are a dude, (guys are less than tactful), and I know you are passionate about these animals getting the best ... so it wasnt' wasted on me specifically. But believe me on most newbies? It would be and thats sad cause you are a wealth of information.] You still helped and I'm grateful. and thank you for educating those getting involved with tegus.

She should be settled into her permanent enclosure sat. At which point, I'll be looking into more whole prey than I am doing. I found a reliable place to get mice from.... where are affordable and reliable places to get other whole prey from? Once we recoup from all the unexpected costs (which were more than double than I researched for almost a year), then I can think seriously about whole prey. I still want to offer mixed meats, eggs, etc once a week. Won't go into reasons why, because I don't want to argue or get anyone upset. I'd be nice if she went back to a 6 day a week eating as when I first got her (because I'll feel like shes working harder on growing). I don't know if shes going every other day because of age (she is nearing 1 1/2 as far as I know ... I dont know her exact age, just what the breeder told me), because of the many weeks of upset and transitioning in her temp situation waiting on the enclosure or if its because shes chosen to do so.

 

[RickyNo]

Ok, I am a dood and sometimes I do not sugar coat things. A nice "alternative" would be one whole prey a day and then mix in whatever other food you choose to feed after that. Whole prey has everything a tegu needs to stay healthy. What I am really trying to get at is why waste so much time trying to prepare this and that to alternatively maybe get your tegu all the nutritional needs elsewhere? Loki used to like fish, now he does not. Loki used to like scallops, now he does not... Things change. If shes not eating dangle a rat in front of her face, I bet you shes hungry then...You can buy rats/quail frozen online but unless your buying like 500 of them after 50 dollars in shipping its not really worth the money I would rather buy from my local pet store fresh. I sometimes go to the local feed store and see when they have fresh chicks in, or look on craigslist. Problem is chickens grow really fast! So I only buy them so often...

 

[RickyNo]

I seen a guy on here who bought a sausage machine, and he would grind a retarded amount of things and cram them all into each sausage for enough meals to last like 3 months which was very nutritional, im sure someone here can link you to it. You can put your calcium inside there if you want but me personally I think nothing beats some good fresh bones to digest, plus Loki really enjoys crushing their skulls

 

[Rebecca Stout]

Cool thanks!