Vet Q&A-Reptile

My tortoise is having running nose and watery eyes.please advise

Have Peechu examined by an experienced herp veterinarian. She may have a respiratory infection. If left untreated, it can progress to pneumonia which can be deadly. Check the temps and humidity in her enclosure. Low temps can stress her and high humidity can cause respiratory infection.

My iguana has a swollen jaw and wouldblike to know what i can do

A swollen jaw,in an iguana is usually typical of metabolic bone disease. This comes about due to a lack of Calcium and or a lack of vitamin D to absorb the calcium. You will need to take him to a reptile vet to see if he needs calcium injections and vitamin D substitution. In future to avoid this problem you need to feed calcium rich greens, which you can sprinkle calcium from a cuttle bone onto. Then you need to make sure he has a uvb light that he can bask under at least 12 hours a day to get the vitamin D. Then of course everything else such as temperature, humidity and ventilation need to be correct.

Our Anole lizard swallowed a piece of substrate bark today, about the size of his head. Will Eco Earth brand bark digest, or should I be concerned about blockage? He's a beloved family member, and although he is acting fine, I wanted your expert advice. Thank you very much.

A small enough piece should pass uneventfully. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite or lack of defecation. If necessary, see your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet. Soaking him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte will keep him well hydrated which can help the substrate pass easier.

My turtle has and redish-white spot on the bottom side of his shell. It's not even orange or shows any of his markings. There is a red ring around it. Is this shell rot?

It appears as if Franklin is missing a pectoral scute. This can be due to trauma, infection or a combination of the two. A turtle can develop infection from something as "minor" as a scratch on the shell. Have Franklin examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. He may need treatment and systemic antibiotics. In the meantime, maintain pristine water quality which will aid in healing and limit secondary infection and other complications. Consider increasing ambient temps by a few degrees to aid in recovery. Franklin may ultimately need to be dry docked (kept out of water) for most of the day until he heals.

My bearded dragon Spyro has been developing a crust over his left eye for the last month or so. Small bits of crust have occasionally fallen out but then they immediately come back a day later. He would open his eye for the most part over the last 3 weeks but now his eye is completely shut with a little visible crust poking out of the eye. If you can give me any suggestions on what could be causing this or what I can do for him please let me know. Thank you.

Sometimes, the eyes will appear bulged just before shedding. This happens to both eyes though, not just one. Spyro's eye appears to be infected. This can be due to trauma, retained shed or foreign body (sand, wood, etc.). Ideally, Spyro should be examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp veterinarian. The eye can be stained to diagnose corneal injury and flushed to remove any debris. If there is a retained eye cap, the vet may be able to remove it.

Hello my leopard gecko is having troubles shedding and her eye is stuck open because of her of her shed , there seems to be a thin layer over her eye

Make a moist shed container for Aurora. This can easily be done using a small plastic container and some paper towels or a washcloth. Poke holes in the lid, moisten the towel or cloth with warm water and place her in the container for 15-20 minutes. A moist hide should also be placed in the enclosure during sheds. Use a Q-Tip to gently wipe old shed off after soaking. If the eye cap does not come off, do not try to remove it yourself. Have her examined by an experienced herp veterinarian.

My turtle has gained weight and I have recently found out that she is pregnant she has become very aggressive and so has the other turtle in the tank. I have two red ear sliders one is a male one is a female. I do not know what to do with her I put her in a tank with dirt so that she can lay her eggs but it has been over a month and nothing has happened. Every time I put her in the tank with the other male Turtle they always fight and get aggressive I do not know what to do please help.

A gravid (pregnant) RES is very particular about the site she chooses to lay her clutch of eggs. Substrate, temperature, lighting and humidity all play roles in selection. Follow the link for information regarding mating, egg laying and incubation. http://www.redearslider.com/reproduction.html Gestation is about 8 weeks after mating. If it has been longer, TeTe should be examined by your herp veterinarian. An injection can be given to stimulate laying. If you are not set up for incubation or don't have buyers lined up, you can discard the eggs. RES are not endangered and are actually over populated. You can easily find yourself overwhelmed with hatchlings as a female RES can lay several clutches each season if conditions are right.

I need to know what's wrong with my leopard gecko

I am sorry your gecko is not feeling well. It is very hard to tell what is going on based on the picture. It is possible it has a skin infection, burn, problem shedding, prolapsed rectum or fungal disease. I would recommend takin him to a vet for a closer exam.

My red eared slider turtle is not eating any thing and it sleeps the whole day.

Usually the reason turtles get sick is something to do with their environment. Make sure the water is clean, but most importantly that the temperature of the tank and water is high enough as being too cold is the first thing that will stop it eating. Also try feeding foods such as earthworms as they can be very picky. If this does not help you will need to take it to a vet.