Tegu not lifting herself up

[andii530]

Last week I have notice that when I pick up my tegu, she is limp, her arms dangle and she is too weak to catch the crickets in her cage. I hate seeing her like this. What can I do to help her get better?

 

[Keeps]

Sounds like it could be MBD (metabolic bone disease) do you have her under UVB lights, and on a proper diet, aswell as being supplemented with a calcium powder? I'd look for a reptile vet, problems like this don't happen over night. Should have took her in at the first sign of a problem.

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

For future reference anytime you need help the more info you provide the better. We need a full run down of your set up, what you feed and how often.

http://www.tegutalk.com/showthread.php?tid=9678#axzz1ldTF69Dm

If you're at home, for now and weather permitting natural sun does wonders. But won't completely fix the problem so we need (link posted above) more info.

 

[andii530]

I have a UVA light and I feed her gut-loaded crickets,grapes,watermelons and strawberries all with calcium every week. I going to try to find a reptile vet this week, I just hope it's not too expensive

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Still more info,.. is your light just a UVA or is it both UVA/B or do you have a separate light for both? What are you feeding other than fruits and crickets? Help us help you at least until you can get her to a Vet but we can't do that with out more info.

 

[andii530]

Well I have a black and white tegu that's about a ylear and a half old, she's a little bit longer than 1 foot, I have her in a 20 gallon tank

 

[Keeps]

Year and a half old, and only 1 foot doesn't seem right. 20 gallon tank is way too small to begin with. I wouldn't recommend anything less than 40gallon long for hatchlings - 8 months or so. Was this your Tegu, or was she given to you?

 

[andii530]

she was a gift for me last year and I'm just guessing on her age. I using a uva bulb for now but i have been taking her outside everyday when i get back from school. What other information do you need?

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Click on the link I posted above and answer as many questions as you can. If you only have a UVA light she needs UVB as well, they make two in one lights for both. But getting her outside will help with that until you get a new light.

Never mind c&p'd for you, just truthfully answer as many of the questions below that you can.

What kind of tegu do you have?
How old is your tegu?
How large is your tegu?
What is the sex of your tegu?
How long have you had your tegu?
Does your tegu brumate or hibernate?
What size enclosure do you have?
What kind of substrate is used?
What kind of UVB do you use (brand and coil vs bulb vs tube)?
What is the wattage of your bulb?
How old is your bulb?
How far away is the UVB?
Do you use a separate bulb for heat? What is the wattage?
What are the temps (basking and cool side)?
What do you use to measure the temps?
What is your humidity? What do you use to measure it?
What do you feed your tegu?
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them?
Does your tegu have regular BM's?
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?
Does your tegu share and enclosure with another tegu?

Read more: http://www.tegutalk.com/showthread.php?tid=9678#ixzz1ldfg8RlK

 

[reptastic]

Also a pic would help, a yearling tegu should be nowere near 12", crickets are good as a snack but s/he need whole prey like rodents/chicks, meat like ground turkey, chicken parts, turkey parts ect.

 

[TeguBuzz]

Smh..

 

[ilovelizards]

wow.My tegus the same age about i think(would have to look at pic. dates) &he is about 3-3 1/2 feet long....just saying.Somethings not right like the others are saying somethings not right at all.

 

[andii530]

She hibernates, I use forest floor bedding, the wattage of the bulb is 65 and I have it on the screen top, the basking side is 90 and the cool side is 75,the humidity is 85 and i measure them both with a thermometer gauge, I use to feed her every morning when I wake up but now I feed her when I get back from school since she's to weak to hunt, I switch between Fluker's calcium with vitamin D3 and Rep-Cal phosphorus-free calcium with vit.D, I have not had the money to get her checked out by a vet yet but IM planning to go soon and she is the only tegu I have

---

Here is a picture of her [attachment=3962]

 

[Keeps]

Uh...You need to go get pinkies, or load her up on gizzards, hearts, livers, scrambled/hardboiled egg, and stick to the rep-cal calcium, flukers is mainly oyster shell and not easy for them to digest. The hot side should be anywhere from 100-110, atleast my girly's cage is about that, and low is 83-87 if not 90. Your bulb should be a 100 watt UVB/UVA+Heat bulb, at the very minimum. Your Tegu is looking pretty sickly (in my eyes) they shouldn't be rigid and sucked up like that. She's underweight, and probably not getting the proper UV exposure, and calcium intake for her bones to grow properly and be healthy. You need to seriously get her to the vet, or hand her over to someone who can take care of her.

 

[Non Crimen Jr.]

Try the 100w Powersun from Zoo-Med it is UVA/UVB+Heat heres a link. http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.php?products_id=74

 

[laurarfl]

But you also need a proper diet with a proper calcium : phosphorous ratio, proper basking temps, etc. All the UVB in the world won't do a thing without good nutrition. At this point, the tegu may need to see a vet to rule out fractures.

 

[got10]

From looking at the pic . You can see the spine is high above the ribs almost as if the ribs are degenerating and beginning to sag. I would fill her with calcium and organ meats. It is good that you are getting the animal out into the sunlight as much as possible .But, you are going to need a uv A/B bulb to help out unless you house outside full time.
Good luck to you

 

[reptastic]

You mentioned a 65watt bulb but no uvb? All the supplements and good nutritional food won't help unless she is getting uvb/a to help her bones absorb the nutrients and calcium, a vet visit at this point(judging by the pic) is her only hope, not beat down on you but the condition she is in isn't something that occurred over night, perhaps you need to find her a new home with someone who could provide for her all her needs, she needs medical attention asap

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

It's not too late and I know it's a lot to take in from everyone but it's going to take some time and money on your part to get her back on track. If you do decide to stick with it and take care of her. If not I don't know where you're located (no shipping in her condition) but re homing her with someone who's experienced or putting her to sleep may be the best thing for her.

She's lethargic and under weight so making her chase crickets is not the best option right now. No live prey, for now she needs to conserve energy and not spend it trying to catch food. Until you can get her to a Vet make the changes suggested here starting with the lights and food. I would pick up some Repta Aid with the lights as well to help give her a boost.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/vitamins-medicines-and-cage-cleaners/reptile-medications-mite-sprays-and-cleaners/-/flukers-repta-aid-herbivore-formula/

 

[Khoilie]

not to sound rude but if taking your sick pet to the vet is a major financial decision, its probably time that you seriously consider giving her to a new home, someone that both has the time and finances to take care of her and nurse her back to health. its not easy to hear this, especially from strangers but please know that we are only trying to help you and your tegu by saying these things. please dont take it as a personal attack. the blunt and honest truth is that she will be dead soon by the looks of her and it will be slow and painful. i hope you do the right thing by going to the vet or giving her to someone more experienced.

good luck to both of you