not using her front legs. HELP!!!!

meanah

i have done a lot of reading on here and i think that the tegu that i got from a friend has mbd.. they didnt take that great of care for her and she is slugish, tired, when she does walk she wont use her front hands just like her arms a lil and shes pushing with the back legs.. i havent got her to eat in 3 days.. the last thing she ate was an alive fuzzy. she is about 16 months id say and 22 ins shes very thin... im so very worried i already love this lizard and if there is anything seriously wrong with her... then i will never forgive the person i got it from...other then calcuim and going to the vet what can i do? she wont eat anything but the fuzzies.. but that has been 3 days... ive only had her for a few days.... please someone help... im going to be getting a uvb bulb soon... would a black light work? idk... HELP PLEASE!!!!!

amazing · Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 4:09 am Post subject:

Hello there,

bad messages of you and your tegu...

You say frequently "I think".

Were you ever with a veterinary surgeon? If "she" does not used their frontlegs, it sounds for a fast reaction!

But this is only a forum, a community. Nothing more or less;)
It cannot replace the veterinary surgeon attendance

An UVA/B lamp is anyway a very good idea.

You need black light only, if you liked to observe them at night.
But Tegus crawling gladly under pine-substrates in order to sleep.
Thus you might see to nothing normally at night

If she does not eat, hold an eye (de)hydration! If it drains strongly, she needs Water a.s.a.p.!
With a pump into the mouth or the vet will inject with a needle subcutan in the flanks under the first skin.

Otherwise the kidneys could fail. And then it is to be helped frequently too late in order.

Maybe the calcium and vitamins are to high, too. also vitamin A is to low (nervs)
Ask the vet to take an x-ray-picture and have a look about the sceleton, the organs and maybe eggs.
If you can see the organs, calcium is definitivly to high.

Did you have some pictures?

I am not a vet! Only a Tegu Loverboy;)

(( sorry about my english.. I'm native german ))
greets from germany
Andreas

txrepgirl · Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 12:11 pm Post subject:

I'm sorry to hear that your Tegu isn't doing well.Try to squeeze the jaws of your Tegu really gently.If they give (feel soft) than your Tegu doesn't get enough calcium.Go to your local store and get a Baby dropper or a syringe (with out the needle) from the Pharmacy (they are cheep).Get some (Organic if they have it) Turkey or Chicken (can be with gravy) Baby food.Mix it with a little bit of water and put some vitamine and calcium powder in it.Than force feed your Tegu with it.I had to do that not to long ago.That way your Tegu gets some food and some fluid in him so he/she will not get dehydrated.Yes,it would be a good idea for you to get the UVB light.I still would take him/her to the vet.Oh,after you put the Baby food in the fridge and you are going to use it again please make sure it is room temperature or mix it with warm water.Good luck and please keep us posted.

meanah · Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 8:38 pm Post subject:

well i got the powder.. i couldnt find it in liquid form intill after i got home.. i might get it tommorow.. if i have more money... i got a 26 watt uvb bulb that is 10.0 uvb.. or w.e. it means.... i have force fed her once so far with a little bit of chicken and gravy with warm water and calcium powder.. she didnt seem to mind once i got her to start eating.... she has done nothing but bask under her basking light and the uvb bulb all day.. so i guess its going good.? idk.. well we'll see in a few days i guess..... thanks

greentriple · Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:29 pm Post subject:

take her to the vet!!!!!

txrepgirl · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 11:28 am Post subject:

That is great news that she at least ate something.Did you watch her walk yet ? please let us know what the vet says.

meanah · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 10:37 pm Post subject:

day two of my trying... i have got her to eat several times including the chicken and gravy.. with calcium, then f.t pinkies with calcium on it.. she has drank for me as well.... shes been under 12 hr+ of uvb and heat basking light. along with under heater.... i cleaned everything in the cage today and changed the reptibark.... her walking is amazing today.. she was using both of her front feet. she wasnt dragging them either she was walking... so i am going to try a nother day or too... i have called a vet and they told me what im doing is good.... i also talked to rick and he told me to use liquid calcium... but i couldnt find it till last night but i dont think im goin to need it... shes looking great.... i think shes going to make a great rebound..... thanks everyone..

txrepgirl · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:45 am Post subject:

Your welcome.That's what we are here for.

thank God she is ok now.I'm sooooo happy to hear that.I just would be careful with the heating pad because if she borrows down there where it is warm and she falls a sleep it might get to hot for her after a while and she can burn her self with out her knowing it.I have seen some ugly pictures before of animals that got burnt by heat rocks and pads.Also please make sure the mulch is moist,too.Take care and good luck with every thing

.

amazing · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:57 am Post subject:

good job!

meanah · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:20 pm Post subject:

once again.. today i got her to eat some baby food chicken and gravy waterd down a lil bit.. with a small amount/enough calcium and then a pinkie with a lil calcium on it as well... she has been running around her cage and my room when shes allowed to free roam... she is using her legs even more then yesterday... its looking soo good... only one thing i think might be a lil abnormal... her shits are still a lil liquidy... but i think shes going to be fine.... thank you all so much.. thank you so much txrepgirl your advice really worked... your a god send.. .thanks once again... i will have more pics really soon

greentriple · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:29 pm Post subject:

wonderful news!!!! I'm turning to you if things go wrong with my guy, you've done a great job.

txrepgirl · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 9:00 pm Post subject:

Oh,you all are so nice (Your compliments made me cry).Thank you.Don't thank me thank God.I couldn't give you the advice if Leonidas wouldn't of gotten sick when he ate the mulch.I'm just passing on what I learned from it.I'm glad that the baby food worked for you,too

and that she is doing well now.Don't worry I don't have all the answers so sooner or later I will come for advice to you,too.Take care.Oh,don't worry about her poop.As soon as she is going to eat something more solid her poop will look normal again.Just make sure she gets enough fluid so she will not get dehydrated (try to give her the food a little thicker now,that should help with her poop)

.

meanah · Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 9:58 am Post subject:

well yesterday i got her to eat another f/t pinkie with a lil calcium powder on it. i also offered her some cantelope and strawberrys diced up.. she licked them both and then ate a piece of cantelope. shes been more active everyday.... shes running around her cage... shes making such a recovery... im so happy thanks all..

txrepgirl · Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:22 pm Post subject:

That's great news.I don't want to tell you what to do Daniel but you might want to give Isis some lean ground turkey or some super worms or some crickets so she will get a variety in her diet.Just in case you need a menu for her let me know.You don't have to give her the calcium powder every day just every other day.Please make sure you feed her in a empty bin and put the food in there first,then put her in the bin.That helps with her not getting aggressive later on.She will stay calm and doesn't think you always have food for her when she sees your hands and she will not swallow any mulch (I fed Leonidas in the Tank one time and he got impacted and I had to take him to the vet).Have a Happy and save new year.

meanah · Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 12:15 am Post subject:

i usually feed her on my bed, or in an empty tub. i actually almost lost my hand tonight.. haha i was cooking tacos and i had broken up a 5 lb pack of hamburger and so i washed my hands 3 times so i reached in to put her in the tub with a lil bit of cooked hambuger... and she could somehow still smell the hambuger on my hands, so she opened her mouth and jumped at my hand... i was a lil freaked... so i washed my hands 3 more times and tried again... this time i was able to pick her up and put her in the tub... without almost losing my finger. haha. so she ate some of the hamburger... but not much at all i only gave her a little bit... so then i thawed a mouse out for her and she gobbled it up....

i have fed her ground turkey breast and some fruits. so far.. she likes grapes, cantelope, and strawberries so far... i do make sure i give her a varied diet... i have copied down ricks "menu" the only thing she wont eat is crix or mealworms of anykind.. but other then that she is becoming a pig more and more everyday...

haha on a different note... she didnt leave a liquid shit today... it was nasty and solid..... thanks everyone dan