Vet Q&A-Reptile

Hello, my name is Marissa and i recently just got two bearded dragons but I've recently noticed that my younger bearded dragon is showing strange symptoms. He barely eats and inst drinking water. I tried giving him baths so he can drink but he refuses to drink anyway. He barely moves and when he does decide to move, we walks very strangely.

From the photos he looks like he is lacking condition in his legs and tail. I would be concerned about him and take him to a good reptile vet asap. If he is lethargic and walks strangely I would be worried about metabolic bone disease. Beardies need direct UV light and calcium in their diet gor proper skeletal development.

I have a Russian Tortoise and I just got a notice that my power will be turned off from 8am to 5pm so they can change electrical poles out. Will my tortoise be okay without his heat lamps or should i take him somewhere for the day? It will be 70 degrees out that day if that helps any.

He should be fine for that short period of time. Normal temp ranges from 68 F to 80 F. If necessary, you can use a disposable hand warmer packet to prob a warm spot. Make sure cannot chew it though.

My breaded dragon has lost most of his appetite loss of energy and when I got him his leg was black with hard skin I got skin off by spray water on him twice daily but leg is still black and leg looks infected, he also having head tremors.

Hi there and thanks for using Boop by Petco! If Salem is having tremors and has a possible infection, this warrants a trip to your local veterinarian right away. If this progresses further, it may become life threatening. I'm sorry to not be of more help, but this is actually an emergency and will require an in depth physical exam of your pet as well as likely medication prescriptions and further testing. I hope he gets help soon and feels better. My best to both of you.

I have a leopard gecko and I believe she has slight scale rot. she has not come out to eat. for a few days I left crickets without their legs for her but they were all still there. For 2 nights i have been feeding her Oxbow carnivore with a syringe. She will let me. Also, her skin has some purple areas with blister like marks on it. I read that neo/poly sporin is safe but i also ready zinc is toxic and both contain zinc. I'm wondering what topical item is safe. I'm an experienced herp owner

Silvadene , Tricide or povidone/iodine creams can all be used safely. Make sure she is in a dry enclosure with species specific parameters. If the lesions do not heal or spread or if she becomes lethargic or stops eating, have her examined immediately by your herp veterinarian.

Hi, My friend was tortoise-sitting for us while on vacation. We just got "Torty" back & discovered he's infected with worms (very long white worms). Do I need to warn my friend? Could the worms infect her children or have been transmitted to our tortoise by her children? As a note, she has an acquatic turtle which had brief contact with our tortoise. Also, we have a large garden behind our home, will the infection clear on its own now that Torty is outside, or do we need to treat him?

Hello, & thank you for using Boop by Petco. Yes, you should tell your friend about the worms. Intestinal parasites are quite common & over time can cause some serious problems for your tortoise, as well as your friend's. It is important to check a fresh stool sample, at least twice a year, & deworm your pets with an appropriate medication. This should be a part of the routine care that should be given to all tortoises. As for the children, hopefully they know to wash their hands after handling any animals, as all parasites & most other infectious diseases are transmitted through the fecal oral route. Hope this helps. Take care.

I just bought a created gecko and i put him in his enclosure and he ran really fast and then stopped and went under the eco earth and i dug him out and then he went and is laying on the soil now, i misted the tank and i am just nervous that something is wrong since he burrowed right away i know they're nocturnal i just am really nervous

Check the temperature and humidity in the enclosure to ensure proper ranges. He may be searching out moist substrate or warmer/cooler temps. He may also be stressed at the change in environment. Provide a secure hide at each end of the enclosure. Confirm proper environmental parameters. Allow him a few days to acclimate. Don't try to handle him until he settles in and only then for short periods of time. Monitor for lethargy or loss of appetite. Ideally, any new pet should be examined by a veterinarian within 72 hours of arriving home to confirm good health or to diagnose and treat any pre existing conditions.

Hello. I have a baby yellow bellied slider turtle. I got her last week she's about 2 inches. The temp is 27C and her water temp is 30C. She's still not eating since i got her. She occasionally opens her mouth whenever i put her outside in sunlight with water. I researched it and it says a possible RI but she loves soaking even in her tank and the symptoms says that if the turtle doesn't want to be in water then it is really a possible RI. Please help.

Be sure to feed her in the water. Water depth should be no more than 3-4 inches at her size. You can offer appropriately sized prey such as crickets or dubia roaches. Brine shrimp, tubifex worms and fresh greens and fruit can also be offered. Commercial pellets or sticks should be a staple. Lethargy, swimming crooked or blowing bubbles are typically signs seen in cases of RI. The "gaping" (opening her mouth) could be her attempt to intimidate you. Follow the link below for more information regarding care. The link is for red eared sliders, but care of YBS is the same. http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

My kitty is an indoor/outdoor kitty, every summer, she seems to get thinner and gain a bit during winter. I was told it could be because she eats Lizards and their Vet told them to give them milk because it dilutes the toxicity. Is this true?

River could certainly be losing light in the summer from more exposure to parasites, more activity while hunting, and many pets actually do tend to eat less during the heat of the summer months. There are parasites that the cats can pick up from hunting and keeping them on a routine parasite prevention Such as revolution or Advntage multi would be a good idea. There may have been a recommendation to give the cats milk if they were excessively foaming after hunting lizards and frogs as this will decrease the taste in their mouth to stop the hypersalivation. thank you for using Boop by Petco.

I have an aquatic turtle and she has not ate in the past 4-5 days & she has 4 "indents" on her she'll that weren't there a few days ago. Can you please let me know what this could possibly mean?

If there are soft areas in the shell, Ryder may have shell rot or metabolic bone disease. I would recommend a visit to a reptile vet to assess and diagnose her. Untreated these can potent be fatal. Good luck and I hope she recovers quickly. Arav.com may help you find a vet if needed.