Vet Q&A-Reptile

My turtle won't eat and I'm concerned she might be experiencing egg binding. She has laid eggs without issues before but recently she laid an egg and I noticed when I had found it it was broken. She won't eat now and and will not move and then have short bursts of rapid movement . I'm concerned because she is normally not like this. Her tank mate is doing just fine and is behaving normally.. I'm very worried.

If you think Bertha may be egg bound, she should be examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp veterinarian as soon as you can get an appointment. In the meantime, check water and ambient temperatures in the tank. Soak her in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. You can add a little liquid calcium supplement to the soak as well.

I took Willow to the park and let her off leash and she got a sip of the dirty pond water. The water is green and ducks and turtles live in it. I am worried that she will get sick or get some type of bug from it. What are the things is should be worried about and what signs should I look for or pay attention to flake sure she is ok? Thank you

Great question! Dogs can get sick from drinking pond water, but not as often as you would think. Giardia is a one celled parasite that can cause diarrhea. Also, bacterial infections such as leptospirosis are present in some areas of the country. I would recommend calling your local veterinarian as they are likely well versed in the problems they see in your area. If Willow acts sick, vomits, has diarrhea, or won't eat then have her evaluated right away. I hope this was helpful! .

Why does my leopard geckos tummy feel so jiggly

Hello. This doesn't sound like anything to be worried about at this stage. I would be more worried if she was bloated or the stomach was hard. That being said, it is hard for me to say much without examining her myself. As long as she is eating and drinking and acting normally I would just monitor her and see if this condition persists. If you are worried though, you should take her to your veterinarian for an exam as you know her best. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Can my red earedmslider turtle see in the dark it with my moot heat light?

Sliders see very well in the dark. They are mainly active during the day and usually sleep in the water at night. A heat lamp is not necessary unless nighttime temps drop below 65 F. In these cases, you can use a CHE (ceramic heat emitter that will provide heat without visible light.

What diet would you recommend I feed my red eared slider turtles? I feed them shrimp, meal worms, and pellets 3 times a day. Is that too much protein for them?

Juvenile sliders should be fed daily. Feed an amount equal to the size of his head or as much as he will eat in 10-15 minutes. Adult sliders can be fed every other day or even every third day. The same general guidelines stated above can be applied to feeding adults. Adult sliders are more herbivorous than juvenile, so you should feed more fresh chopped greens and vegetables than prey items. You can offer greens to juvenile sliders as well. You can vary the diets you have pictures to keep him interested in different foods.

Hello my name is Marissa and my bearded dragon is relatively young (2-3 months old) and within the few (3-4) weeks I've had him, he is showing strange symptoms of not using his limps as much. Some times he will walk but he is very nonactive. He doesn't drink water and now he is barely eating his crickets that I laced with Calcium powder. I've done so much research but i have yet to succeed of finding the answer. What could be wrong with him?

I am sorry drac is not feeling well. Our biggest concern would be metabolic bone disease. This is where reptiles have soft or weak bones which predisposes them to breaking there limbs. However it is possible drac has an infection, parasites or viral disease. I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian as soon as possible for a good exam to help determine the cause and provide more direct treatment

I have had my bearded dragon for 17 months when i first got him he had yellow crusty skin round his mouth and flat yellow patches on his chest. Weanaged to get rid of this by treating him with flamentazine. However he now has yellow skin round his vent area which is not scabby bit looks identical could you givee some advice on this please? Other than the yellow skin he is fine eating alert and active.

It looks like it could be yellow skin disease. It is becoming more common in beardies and is thought to be caused by a fungus. The antifungal/antibacterial properties of the Flamazine cream (silver sulfadiazine) likely resolved the previous infection. Have Dude examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp veterinarian for confirmation. A culture and/or biopsy of the area may provide an answer. If it is fungal, topical treatment may work but systemic treatment is usually more effective. Clean and sanitize the cage, furniture and bowls. Monitor and prevent elevated humidity levels which can promote fungal or bacterial overgrowth.

Can a ten month old bearded dragon eat black soldier fly larvae? If yes how often?

Yes, BSFL can be fed to juvenile beardies. They can be fed to Mateo can be fed daily. Calcium supplementation is not necessary when feeding BSFL as they are naturally high in calcium. You will still need to supplement with a reptile multivitamin. They are also known as phoenix worms and calci-worms.

I have a black leatherhead turtle some white pimples occurs on his body what to do

Those appear to be papillomas caused by a turtle-specific herpesvirus. You would need to have Torti examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet to confirm fibropapillomatosis. The "pimples" are actually benign masses. Surgical resection or laser ablation may be an option to prevent larger tumors from interfering with swimming, vision, breathing or eating.