Vet Q&A-Reptile

My bearded dragon Savannah has started laying eggs yesterday in her enclosure (3 of them), i gave her a lay box and she continued to lay 4 more eggs, 3 of which in a warm soaking bath, and only 1 in the lay box. i am concerned she may be binded but im not sure and am a bit tight on money right now. Any advice would help. Shes drinking normally and ate today but is only 8 eggs in a day too little? its her first clutch and she was a bit malnourished when i got her a few days ago. Is a vet needed??

The average clutch size is 12 to 20 eggs. If she was malnourished prior to laying, the number could be less. The only way to determine if she is truly egg bound would be to have her examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. In the meantime, adjust her diet to include more calcium and vitamin D3. Soak her in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte to maintain hydration. To encourage laying, be sure the lay box is large and contains at least 2-3 feet of substrate so she can dig.

My bearded Dragon refuses to eat his meal worms and only seems to want to eat sweet things like baby carrots, bananas, apples, lettuce, etc. is this okay if I only feel him mostly fruits and veggies? He seems to eat crickets fine?

Thanks for including the picture. Vegetables are much healthier than fruit, especially for a young, growing bearded dragon. The demand for calcium is high, for the growth of bones and muscles. Dark greens such as kale, cilantro, or other lettuces are a must. Red, yellow and orange vegetables also provide other nutrients. Meal worms are pretty much bags of fat, low in proteins. Adult insects are healthier, such as crickets or the beetles meal worm pupate into. Iceberg and romaine lettuce are not that rich in vitamins and minerals and should not be fed as the sole source of greens. Proper heat and exposure to UVB radiation are also paramount to success.

Hi, thank you so much for your time, I was wondering if you know what is happening to my turtles shell, and possibly, how I could fix it?

Thanks for reaching out about Zero and including photos. Is the shell soft and easy to indent? If so, a calcium deficiency is likely. This could be due to dietary deficiency or lack of ultraviolet radiation, needed to convert vitamin D3 to an active form. Vitamin D3 is needed to absorb calcium in the intestinal tract. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess healthy and prescribe treatments.Check and correct water quality parameters. Good luck.

My snake went on a food strike from October to February. I fed her mice because I didn’t want to give her something too big. She took it like a champ. So recently I tried to give her a small rat because it’s the same size. I can’t get her to eat a rat. What do I do?

Hello, and thanks for using Boop by Petco. There are lots of reasons why a snake might go on a hunger strike, but it sounds like you've narrowed it down to a food preference. Rats are a bit more nutritious and ideally preferable over mice, but mice are also a perfectly acceptable option. Some snakes simply prefer them, in which case you are welcome to keep feeding Luminescence mice, and depending on her size she may simply need multiple mice per feeding as she grows. If you want to encourage her to switch to rats, you can try rubbing a dead mouse or mouse bedding on the rat prior to offering it, to give the rat a more familiar scent. Keep trying - but don't stress if the end result is she ends up staying on mice. Hope this helps!

OK so my leopard gecko shedded in had shed over his eyes and they were like glued shut for a week I made a vet appointment and the day I was gonna take him he actually opened both of his eyes so I was glad and they just told me to call him if I need them but ever since then he still keeps them close I know he can open them but he still keeps in close and he still not eating so I'm worried

Thanks for reaching out about Bowser and including a photo. Vitamin A deficiencies can lead to poor shedding, especially associated with the eyes. This can lead to secondary infections, pus production and the eyes being shut. The diet needs to be corrected in that the insects need to be gut loaded. Ophthalmic antibiotics and anti-inflammatories are recommended. A veterinary visit is needed for this. The veterinarian can review husbandry and diet, and recommend corrections. Good luck.

Why my red eared turtle not eating

Check the water temperature and ambient temperature in the tank. Low temps can affect appetite in reptiles. Be sure to feed appropriately sized bits if food to Tuk Tuk. If it it too big, it may be difficult bite at and eat. Make sure you are feeding him or her in the water. Sliders are omnivorous. You can offer fresh chopped greens and vegetables, feeder fish, nightcrawlers and commercial pellets. Try offering bits of faw beef heart just to stimulate the appetite. You can review slider care at the link below. http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

I can't take my turtle to a vet cause the vets here don't know how to treat turtles ....my Nemo has swollen eyes and he is not eating ....I just put some cod liver oil on his eyes but I m worried. .... please help me! He hasn't eaten in almost 2 weeks I tried to give him some shrimps and pellets too but all in vain

Nemo likely has an ocular infection and so is painful and uncomfortable and not wanting to eat. He most likely needs some antibiotic ointment for his eyes and possible an injectable antibiotic as well. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck.

My african sideneck turtle shell has a green spot inside the shell, do you have any advise on how to treat or what the green may be.? In a article I read of putting the turtle in a dry area and letting them have a 1hr of water/feed time and use mild soap to wash shell (diluted?), povidone iodine (diluted?), and either rub it on shell or let sit with gauze on shell for 10 mins? Also dust their food with calcium..? Abagail (Abby, from Blade), she refuses to bask bt she does eat/have fun swimming

Thanks for reaching out about Abby and including photos. She does appear to have a good amount of algae on her shell. Test and correct water quality as high phosphates and too much lighting are often culprits. The shell can be gently scrubbed with water or a mild soap (Dawn dish soap) and then rinsed. Keeping her dry for prolonged periods of time can kill the algae but if water quality not corrected, problem could re-occur. Good luck.

Hi my boyfriend found a snake at the river . He’s already keeping the snake he has it in a snake cage already ready. I would please like to know if the snake is not poisiness we went to a pet shop they told us garter snake but I want to make sure with a real vet like yourself to help me . Please I want to make sure it is not a bad snake but a good snake (: thank you .

Thanks for reaching out and including a photo. Does appear to be a garter snake, which are not poisonous. Just because not venomous, does not mean it wont' bite and they still have saliva that can cause some reactions in humans. In many states, keeping wildlife captive is not legal and is very stressful on the snake. Consider re-releasing or presenting to a wildlife rehabilitation society. Good luck.