Swollen Vent- photo included

[Guest]

I recently got a young tegu at a reptile store, and it was doing ok until today. It's still active, but it's cut down on eating, and today I noticed that its vent is swollen. I took it to the vet, and she thinks that it didn't get enough UV where I bought it, so it might be a little weak, causing what might be the start of a prolapse. I'm going to be getting some Vaseline later tonight, as she suggested. Thankfully it looks like there are no signs of infection, and she says my husbandry sounds fine.

I was considering getting some aloe vera, and using that as well. Is that safe for Tegus? Is there anything else that I should do? She's soaking in the tub right now in warm water. She has also pooped a few times in the last three days, and ate a pinky two days ago. She ate some tillapia yesterday, but didn't seem interested in food today.

Also, here's a photo showing the condition. I'm going to be dropping off a fecal sample at the vet next week to check for parasites, as we both agree that he/she probably wasn't born in the northern hemisphere.

 

[Guest]

Update: it ate a fuzzy, and with vengeance. So at this point, it has eaten every day I've had it now. That's good at least I also cleared out one side of the cage, so that it's just cold tile. If the substrate is what's irritating her, I can figure it out pretty quick this way, by what side of the cage she seems to prefer. (by side, I mean I have "rooms" built into the cage, accessible by holes in the divider.)

 

[txrepgirl]

I recommend having him/her in a clean enclosure with no mulch in it. You don't want any dirt sticking on the vent. Try to keep it moist. I would put some panalog medecine on the vent ( info about the medecine is in the link below ).

Prolapse info:

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Panalog info. Ask your vet about this medecine ( if you want to ).

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How to put medecine on a vent ( this is my Tegu )

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How to treat a prolapse ( this is not my Tegu ).

Part 1.

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Part 2.

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Part 3.

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Part 4.

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[Guest]

I just wanted to say thank you for all of that information. I've taken out all of the substrate, and I've been soaking her about twice a day in a sugar bath, followed by the Vaseline. The prolapse has receded a bit, and she's pooping about once a day in the bath, and it doesn't seem to be affecting the prolapse negatively. The vet has hours again on Tuesday, and if it hasn't cleared up by then, I'll be asking about the Panolog cream.

 

[TEGU_JAKE]

I had the same thing with one of my tegus. She was impacted very bad. Do you have her on Repti bark?

 

[Guest]

No, I had her on Eco Earth coconut substrate. I don't think she's impacted. She's pooping pretty regularly.

 

[Guest]

So, she was doing better earlier, and sucked everything back into her vent soon after I applied more Vaseline. I was thrilled, and glad that she was ok. Later I came home to her having the same problem again. It's not as bad as it was, but it's still definitely there. Does this mean that it's going to be a re-occuring issue and that she's going to need surgery? she's doing great other than the prolapse.

Here's a photo from today after I got home.

 

[txrepgirl]

Your welcome . Any time. I do not recommend getting a surgery for this. But I'm not a vet and it's just what I think about this. It is a very good sign that it went back in even if it came back out. I'm sure it will heal up. If/when you go back to the vet I would get a stool sample done to make sure your Tegu doesn't have any parasite problems. When she poops is the poop solid or runny and kind of smells sour ?

 

[Guest]

I'm actually supposed to collect a sample, and give it to the vet on Tuesdsay. She just had a hefty poo in the sink, and it reeks to high heaven, now that I've got it in a specimen jar, and out of the water.

I'll continue the trend and offer a photo. There's a bit of water in there, because I had to fish it out of the sink during her bath.

http://silverback2001.webs.com/Poo.jpg

 

[Guest]

She had another sugar bath today, and after that, and another application of Vaseline, the prolapse popped back in. It only lasted a minute or two before she wiggled in my hands, and it popped out again. I then applied more Vaseline, and it went back in, but then it came back out again. Progress? I hope so.

 

[txrepgirl]

To be honest with you I have never heard of a prolapse keep going in and out like this. Maybe she has some problems with her muscle in her vent to keep it in. By looking at the photo it doesn't look like she has a parasite problem ( but I could be wrong ). Usually if there is a parasite problem the stool is very runny and not solid like this.
What did you feed her ? When I feed my Tegus some fresh fish filets or hard boiled eggs the stool stinks, too. I have high hopes for it to heel up since the prolapse does go in. I can't wait to hear what the vet says.

 

[Guest]

She's been eating tuna, ground turkey, tilapia, beef liver, and fuzzy mice. She had some hard boiled egg today. She hasn't seemed interested in crickets at all. All non-whole foods have been dusted with reptical without D3.

 

[Guest]

Just in case this is somehow UV related, I just purchased a Mega-Ray bulb for the enclosure. Hopefully this will clear up before I get it though. I'll keep people updated.

 

[Guest]

Took her in to the vet again today, and they did a fecal float. Nothing turned up, so it doesn't sound like parasites. They are however sending off a sample to another lab to double check. They're also going to be getting in touch with other vet clinics about the matter. I do know one thing though. With all of the sugar baths she's had, I'll probably end up naming her Sugar. lol

Hopefully I'll hear back from the vet before next week.

 

[Guest]

So my vet hasn't gotten back to me, but I did discover a new reptile shop in the area. I brought my tegu in, because they offered to take a look at him, and give him a nail trim. Within 5 minutes of bringing him in, I get told that it IS a prolapse, that it does need antibiotics, and they ran into the back room to give me some to take home.

I now have an antibiotic cream called Dermalone Ointment, that I'm putting on the vent every 12 hours. I got this plus a nail trim for paying absolutely nothing. I also got referred to another vet, who apparently specializes in exotics, and is who they take all of their reptiles to. I'm to give him a call, if the vent gets redder, or starts leaking any weird fluids or anything.

I just find it kind of sad that I paid over $100 in vet fees for a "I don't know, I'll give you a call eventually, maybe." basically. And then went into a pet shop, and they fixed me up.

Is this a common occurrence? Are vets usually this incompetent? I do know the tegu is a him now btw. The little tell-tale bumps are showing up under the vent. Now I just need think of a name for the little guy.

 

[Guest]

I don't know... a lot of what I've read and heard others mention leads me to believe that finding a reputable Vet THAT HAS A SPECIALITY IN REPTILES can be a little challanging. It just seems that there aren't as many out there that cater to herps as opposed to, say, cats and dogs.

 

[Nafun]

It sounds to me like your vet just bit off more than they could chew. Tegus aren't exactly common herps.

I hope you have better luck with the new vet, and I hope Sugar's condition improves. I feel your pain, I've got a milk snake that has been fighting an infection at his vent for going on 7 weeks now. He's on his third course of antibiotics.

 

[txrepgirl]

I'm so happy to hear that you found a great pet store. It's very rare to have a good one like that in town. But I'm very sorry that your vet didn't help you much. I hope the new vet will be good. I'm sure he will be. Since the pet store cared so much about your Tegu I'm sure they are very picky about their vet. You also can call your local zoo and ask them who they have as a vet .

 

[Guest]

Just figured I would post an update. Link (as he is now called) is eating well, pooping well, and shedding well. He still has swollen pink tissue sticking out of his vent though.

I took him to the vet that the store uses (which is also apparently the zoo vet!) and he's on more dermalone ointment, and an oral antibiotic called Baytril. I put the ointment on every 12 hours, and he gets 0.02 CCs of the Baytril every 24 hours.

He's been on the Baytril for over 10 days now and the ointment, and there hasn't been any change in the tissue. Other than that bit of swelling though, he seems fine.

One thing I was told is that maybe the temps weren't what I thought they were in the cage, and that there was too big of a difference at night, etc. So I've since made absolutely sure that my temps are perfect, day and night. I've also upped the humidity in his tank by getting a waterfall and fogger. It stays around 80% humidity at all times now.

Despite the fact that this guy is the Zoo vet though, I'm concerned. He seems totally convinced that I shouldn't be using calcium supplements, and should just feed Link mice, and that I'm probably going to either give him salmonella or kill him by feeding him the ground raw turkey, or raw chicken hearts. He claims that breeders and keepers aren't vets and don't know anything and that I'm going to overdose my Tegu on calcium... :/ so frankly, I'm a little disheartened by him (the vet) and I'm not really sure what to think.

Link hasn't been getting his sugar baths for a while, and honestly I think the sugar baths combined with the Vaseline was doing more for him :/ I at least saw the tissue shrink and TRY to go back in at first when I was doing that.

I'm not really sure what I should do at this point. He seems very healthy other than the swelling. Maybe I should call Bobby, even though this tegu isn't one of his stock?

 

[ashesc212]

Hi there, I'm sorry to hear that you have had all of this trouble with your little guy. I am so glad tht you are the type to take him to the vet etc. Did you have a blood test taken? A blood test would tell whether the calcium levels are on point. Sometimes their calcium levels are off when they have other problems like kidney and liver problems (this happened to my tegu a while back and it was completely reversible).

I hate to say it but I would get a 3rd opinion! Here is a site that has herp vets in Oregon:

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I have never expereinced a prolapse with my clan so sorry I cannot be of much more help. I hope your little guy gets better soon!