yellow pee

[dragonqueen4]

my juvi tegu is being treated now for mbd, which he had when i bought him. but he seems to have a hunched over appearance and really looks deformed when he walks. ive been noticing that his pee is also really yellow. he had bloodwork taken yesterday, so im just waiting for the results. im assuming yellow pee is not normal?

 

[dragonqueen4]

and he never drinks any water. he will not drink from his water bowl and when i mist him he runs in his cave and hides. im really worried about him

 

[VARNYARD]

I am sorry to hear about your tegu, MBD is very hard on tegus. And it is the leading disease in tegus.

However, the yellow urates can be normal depending on the diet and nothing to worry about. If the urates are very thick and yellow, it might indicate that the tegu is dehydrated or that there may be other problems going on that may require a veterinarian's attention. Again, it depends on the diet as to the color of the feces and urates.

 

[dragonqueen4]

Thanks for your reply.
He eats chicken hearts/liver, superworms and fuzzies.
It is thick and yellow and I think its because hes dehydrated. Im not sure how to get him to drink his water.
He gets calcium shots at the vet every 2 or 3 days. Do you think this will make him better? Its costing me a fortune, 15$ every time. But if it will make him better it is worth it.
If the bloodwork shows something serious, unfortunately there is no herp vet where I live

 

[dragonqueen4]

I just gave him a fuzzie, and I injected its belly with water first. That solves the water problem!

 

[crimsonrazac]

Great Idea!

 

[omgtaylorg]

I never thought of that...that is a good idea, let me know how that works out...mine doesnt drink water either so I have to soak him almost everyday so he absorbs the water.

 

[PuffDragon]

absorbs the water.

???

 

[alewis0890]

Do tegu's not absorb water through they're vent? I know alot of reptiles including beardies, and even non reptiles such as cats absorb water rectally. even though 99% of cats hate water... He's saying that because i mentioned it...

 

[PuffDragon]

It's news to me but something interesting to look into. Can anyone provide scientific data/journal on this?

While I think a bath can help with hydration issues; such as some water getting in through the mouth and maybe vent, I wonder how much indeed. I don't think enough would be able to be absorbed through the vent as it is meant as an exit valve not an intake.

 

[Red Earth Exotics]

at least we know they won't have to taste the water coming in from the south end.... :rofl

 

[alewis0890]

I will see if I can check it out for you puff and I was just like you when I heard it.. thought of it as an exit only type of ordeal. I have been told by a few vets, and instructors.. but other than that its just hear say.. i will try to find something to back it though.

 

[alewis0890]

Taken from exoticpetsvet.com

"This is one area that has more misinformation than most. For instance, reptile vitamins sprays are a waste of money, since due to their nonporous skin they do not absorb water in this matter. (They can absorb water orally and cloacally though.)"


Theres one but like you said no journal evidence...

 

[dragonqueen4]

interesting..

 

[alewis0890]

Taken from

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Soaking: Dehydrated chelonians take up water well through the cloaca and by
drinking if allowed to soak in lukewarm water for prolonged times


not a test on tegus themselves... but still has to do with absorbing the water though.


sorry for the multiple posts.

 

[crimsonrazac]

On that subject I heard that some spieces of turles could breath through thier butts. o_o


"Many species have a pair of sacs (bursae) opening off the cloaca (combined digestive and urogenital chamber). These are heavily vascularized to facilitate the uptake of oxygen. "

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[dragonqueen4]

"Fluids can be administered by soaking, oral, intracoelomic, intravenous, intraosseous, or subcutaneous routes. The soaking of mildly dehydrated reptiles can lead to per cloaca absorption of fluids and is an easy and practical means of hydrating reptiles." Merck Veterinary Manual