theTegu.com - Tegu information, photo gallery, forums, caresheets, diet & nutritional info, taming tips and more for the argentine black and white tegu, argentine red tegu, blue tegu, colombian black tegu and the colombian gold-phased black tegu. Tupinambis merianea, teguixin & rufescens.
I apologise in advance for my poor typing - I have two nonfunctional fingers on my left hand at the moment, so it's kinda throwing me off.
This is one of those things that makes me go WTF... a vague sign like a hard abdomen CANNOT be diagnosed over the internet - it's common sense if you think about it for a minute. The internet is far better for husbandry concerns than immediate medical diagnostics and care. Your lack of money is no one's responsibility but your own, and it's not fair to write sarcastic messages that badly disguise the fact you're pissed off over having to acknowledge that fact. If you're still young enough that you have to discuss your purchases with your parents or enlist their help in caring for pets, you all should've had a discussion about how much veterinary care you can realistically afford, and bought your pet based on that. We always tell our clients to budget $1/day/pet on health care, and I have to say reptile clients are horrendous about doing that and it's one of the main reasons I'm running away as fast as I can from the only clinical medicine practice that interests me - I like reptile disease, I cannot stand most reptile owners (actually most pet owners, when it comes down to it. I just meet more reptile owners)
So a couple of things
Petroleum jelly is often used topically to prevent dermatitis, not necessarily to cause it. If you ever get a cold with lots of snot, try coating your nose lightly with it and it works wonders. We also often use it to prevent serum scald around exudative wounds. It could also be a lubricant for constipation in the cloaca or distal colon - I don't know if you've ever seen the rectal suppositories for constipation, but that's pretty much what they are.
There are a lot of choices for laxatives - osmotic, cathartic, fibre-based, etc. I'm not convinced you should use any of them. You don't know if your tegu is impacted - like Colin said he could have a GI impaction, from the sound of things he has a largely liquid high-protein diet which could possibly trickle past a blockage, but it could also not be - do you have any idea how long reptiles can retain food in their guts for? Healthy reptiles can be a period of WEEKS, a sick reptile potentially longer. What the feces look like also indicates what's in them - if they're stinky, mucusy, watery and high volume with not a lot of good solid feces, it's probably not a lot of digested food (interestingly enough, if we could defecate one order of magnitude higher of bacteria, our feces would be solid bacteria. No skin cells, no mucus, no food remnants, nothin' but microbes)
A hard abdomen can be lots of things - like you say eggs, but those tend to be more caudoventral and soft. Animals can "splint" when in pain which would be the case if it was peritonitis, it could be musculoskeletal, it could be vitamin/mineral problems if you've been feeding a poor quality supplement or too much/little - tortoises will show metastatic calcification with as little as 3x the recommended dose of calcium but will appear to be the healthy, vigourous ones in the group. Depending on the age of your tegu and it's status (wild caught, cb) it could be parasites, neoplasia, etc.
Reptiles seem to get sick slowly, maintain apparent normal function for awhile, and then often crash and burn. I have no idea how you think you successfully evaluated the vets in your area, but look at the Amphibian and Reptile Veterinary Association web site for a listing of all ARAV vets... that might help you find a vet who meets your standards (try not to let them know you're into trash-talking those in the pet industry, 'cause if they get pissed off they can ask you not to come back). Phone a petstore you do like with healthy animals and ask who their vet is, since if they deal with exotics they're going to need a vet. Phone your local zoo/aquarium and ask who they use. YOU HAVE ALTERNATIVES AND YOU'RE NOT USING THEM.
I don't understand whyyou won't take your tegu in now, and are worried about the cost of rads. Taking your tegu to a clinic under a normal appointment if going to be a lot cheaper, and if you present your financial situation they will often give payment plans, make bargains, etc. The emergency clinic we used to refer people to makes people fork out about $300 as a down payment before a vet even sees the animal - you're paying a lot for the time of an emergency vet and the rapidity of their diagnostics, and if you've left your tegu until it's near the point of death it's going to be extremely pricy compared to a physical, maybe some blood, rads/US and some lactulose (if warranted). Emerg clinics rarely give discounted care, but are well-versed with payment plans.
Don't wait until the expo - it's not going to give you the level of care your animal needs right now. The ones I've been to rarely have vets attending except to make fun of products (one vet I know purposefully has a few drinks to get into her best form before shows)
I think you need to get your animal seen, get this dealt with and then get feeding a good, balanced diet with decent fibre to help digestive tract function - if you've been researching tegus for the 6 months you were saving up for one, saying you only have a diet of eggs if kind of a weak excuse - you had a lot of time to think about it, check out grocery stores, and start purchasing food.
Joined: Nov 24, 2005 Posts: 78 Location: Pennsylvania
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 8:00 pm Post subject:
yeah well its not leagal to work anywhere except mcdonalds here when ur 14 and they wont let u use a knife and i live 25 mins from the nearest mcdonalds in the middle of freakin nowhere. plus i m homeschooled and my dad never had any problems that an over the counter med. couldn't fix. besides the vet that can treat herps is 1 hour and 37 mins from here and they make you pay 40 for an x-ray and 50 for an office visit so... well nothings wrong now i m gonna wait it out and see. i got olive oil and some extra lean ground turkey for him.
Joined: Nov 24, 2005 Posts: 78 Location: Pennsylvania
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 8:28 pm Post subject:
WTF yourself! srry had to repeat the favor!!LOL any ways i ve had him for six months and there are few reptiles who recieve the level of attention as mine does. he gets a 85 degree bath at least four times a week, is let out EVERY time he rubs his nose against the cage. And is the tamest col. i would imagine that uve ever seen! HE has never given me ANY trouble and never has required any care above and beyond a minor cut that was peroxided an neosporined twice a day for a two weeks. the fact that i live 25 mins from the nearest town doesn't help whatsoever. i will try calling the zoo because thats a good idea and we have a membership for there. and i wasn't trying to hide my sarcasim it bothers me when people who know nothing about ur situation try to critisize u. so could we get off the vet subject? PLEASE! i feel bad e nuf as it is! n e 1 who loves their pet as much as i do would give their last buck for someone to diagnose their baby.
I certainly do hope that few reptiles experience the care you impose on your tegu. I would like to believe that most people who have a pet in need would take it to the vet with no hesitation.
Joined: Mar 25, 2005 Posts: 1354 Location: Denver, CO
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 12:06 am Post subject:
Reptileslovepunk - You came on here seeking advice and help, however as a few have already stated, a forum is in no way a diagnosis to your Tegu's problem, and if you think anyone on this forum can give you an "internet diagnosis", - you are quite mistaken.
You will get varied replies from people on here with varied knowledge - like it or not, no-one here has any intentions to lead you, or mis-lead you in any wrong direction - Some "As I do" care about these creatures passionately - From reading your replies in this topic, I would suggest you take it to the vet already "Money is your task", or turn the Tegu over to someone who cares and has the means to do so... _________________ 1.0.0 Ball Python "Albino"
1.1.0 Ball Python 100% "Het Albino"
1.2.0 Ball Python "Pastel"
1.0.0 Ball Python "Cinnamon Pastel"
1.0.0 Ball Python "Spider"
0.2.0 Ball Python "Normal"
Really, I think "Reptileslovepunk"'s biggest problem right now is being 14 and male... I mean, I think of what I was like when I was 14, and thankfully I didn't have to go through that with testicles... I imagine it makes you even less fun. I certainly remember my male friends then. It could also explain the internet spelling, which I find so totally abhorrent.
And on the subject of criticising people who know nothing about your situation, what do you think you did to me? You can add me to your list of vets to badmouth as #3 - I can't diagnose over the internet. No one can. You need to get him to a vet in person for diagnostic servies like radiology and bloodwork. There's no getting away from the whole vet thing because that's where he needs to go. Like I said, try telling them your age and your financial situation and see if they'll let you work something out, like a payment plan.
Also, btw, H2O2 is bad for wounds. Avoid it wherever you see blood or exposed deeper layers of skin, it's quite damaging to the tissue you want to heal. Flushing with tap water and then the neosporin is probably adequate, that stuff is awesome. Just make sure it's not going anywhere near his mouth, the antibiotics in it are not good systemically.
Joined: Dec 11, 2005 Posts: 36 Location: Northern VA
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 3:04 am Post subject:
Quote:
Really, I think "Reptileslovepunk"'s biggest problem right now is being 14 and male... I mean, I think of what I was like when I was 14, and thankfully I didn't have to go through that with testicles... I imagine it makes you even less fun. I certainly remember my male friends then. It could also explain the internet spelling, which I find so totally abhorrent.
Alex, at 0300 in the morning, that is the funniest thing I've read in a very long time. I imagine it makes you even less fun is a great line.
Thank you for making an otherwise dull and LONG midnight shift somewhat bearable.
Reptileslovepunk - good luck with your Tegu. Let us know how he gets along.
Really, I think "Reptileslovepunk"'s biggest problem right now is being 14 and male... I mean, I think of what I was like when I was 14, and thankfully I didn't have to go through that with testicles... I imagine it makes you even less fun. I certainly remember my male friends then. It could also explain the internet spelling, which I find so totally abhorrent.
Alex, at 0300 in the morning, that is the funniest thing I've read in a very long time. I imagine it makes you even less fun is a great line.
Thank you for making an otherwise dull and LONG midnight shift somewhat bearable.
Reptileslovepunk - good luck with your Tegu. Let us know how he gets along.
I have to second this one, although I think I woke my cat up from laughing so hard....
ReptilesLovePunk wrote:
the little thing means the world to me and it took me about six months to save up the cash for him.
Justine
You know, this reminds me of a game, I used to play when I was younger called BULLSHIT! and this is my reasoning for thinking so.
1. If you truthfully loved your columbian tegu, and noticed his problem around christmas, you would have done whatever you had to do to bring him to the vet.
2. If you cared about him, what so ever you would have done your home work, and planned ahead better with "gee, if the tegu gets sick, which happends to all animals, how will I pay for it."
3. Admit that you royally f'd up kid, and find him a home that can actually take care of him, the way that he deserves, yeah I have read it and attention-wise you are there for him, but when it comes to financial needs you are not, and that will only make him die sooner.
I'm not trying to be a prick, about this but am telling you this from experience, as a little under a year ago I was in the same boat as you were, and was unable to bring my Tokay to the vets, and it died.
Joined: Nov 24, 2005 Posts: 78 Location: Pennsylvania
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 6:28 pm Post subject:
first of all i wanted to say that i m sorry if i came across bitchy but i would like to say that i have someone to consult in case of a reptile emergency now and that i am a girl and have no testicles.
All times are GMT - 5 Hours Goto page Previous1, 2
Page 2 of 2
Translate to English using Google Language Tools:
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Login
so could we get off the vet subject? PLEASE! i feel bad e nuf as it is! n e 1 who loves their pet as much as i do would give their last buck for someone to diagnose their baby.
LMAO i also think it's pretty funny! maybe alex has testicles!!(stifled laugh)