My tegu ate a big glass bead

amyfasnacht · New Member Joined: Jan 23, 2006 Posts: 2

Help! I am a jewelry designer and I let my Argentine tegu walk
around in my jewelry room while I'm working. He's always been
fine with this, but yesterday he ATE A BIG GLASS BEAD. It was
like 1/2" across by 1/8" thick, and he's only 21" long!!! What should
I do? Can this possibly pass through him? Can lizards cough or
throw up stuff from their stomach? It's been a day now and he is
acting quite normal.

tupinambis · Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 9:44 pm Post subject:

Most likely it will pass without any problems. I've seen them swallow stuff they shouldn't (rocks, wing nuts, suction cups, etc.) and usually it passes without much of a problem. However, that being said, keep an eye on it and if you see any problems with defecation or it looses appetite, be prepared to take it to a vet.

Teiidae · Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 10:11 pm Post subject:

To add my .02, soak him in some warm water and if he does take a crap, break it up and see if the bead is in there - One of mine did go through an impaction, although there was more like 9 pieces of Repti-bark around the same size of the bead you are speaking of...
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amyfasnacht · New Member Joined: Jan 23, 2006 Posts: 2

Just an update on this bead-eating problem...after several months
of consistent bead-eating, I have concluded that my tegu really
does like to eat glass beads, and possibly it's even good for him

like in the way that chickens like to eat pebbles...
Even though I hide the glass beads, he goes to great lengths to get
at them. They seem to pass through him just fine, and he's eating
lots of real food too, and growing like a rocket.