Vet Q&A-Reptile

My leopard gecko may have early signs of kidney disease. The vet says the xrays were fine and he looks healthy and gave me some omega 3 to give my gecko. He is 18 yrs old. What can I do at home via diet, soaking etc to help him heal? I have found a yellow waxy substance in his hide twice. It looks like dried glue.

Soak once or twice weekly in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. Feed lower protein prey (mealworms, nightcrawlers, crickets). Avoid high protein prey such as locusts, dubia roaches and waxworms. Blood work may need to be monitored to track progression. Further treatment (steroids, phosphate binders, calcium supplements, fluid therapy) will depend on status. The waxy substance may be normal secretions from the pre anal pores. This is used for marking branches and letting other geckos know who is in the area.

I have 3 painted turtles that were recused from being throw out on a frozen pond Jan 2017 I got a 75 gallon tank and though every one would be happy- One is as big as open hand the other are the size of my fist -One of the smaller ones latched on the the bigger one and I had a had time getting her loose- all girls-were they fighting?

Painted turtles can become aggressive and territorial if tank size is not adequate or if there isn't enough cover (hiding spots). The general guideline is to provide 10 gallons of water per inch of turtle. Confirm the filter is rated for at least twice the volume of the tank to maintain water quality.

My beardie has a few problems To start off I feed her every day a balance between kale mealworms and the all living things juvenile bearded dragon diet food I get from your store but she will only go to the bathroom about every two weeks or so and when she does it is very very watery also she has some scales on her head that look like they should have said a long time ago I noticed it after they started to come off one by one Last of all she is sleeping a lot more I am scared please help

Mealworms can be a problem for some beardies, especially juveniles, due the chitinous body. If you can, switch her over to appropriately sized crickets or dubia roaches. Gut load all prey for 24 hours prior to offering and dust with multivitamin and calcium powders to maximize nutritional value. Maintain adequate temperatures as well. Low temps can affect activity, appetite and digestion in reptiles. A temp gradient ranging from about 76 F (cool side) to 86 F (warm side) with a basking spot of 90 F to 100 F is recommended. To stimulate defecation, soak Lizzie in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. Gently massage her abdomen from front to back during the soak. The soak will also hydrate her and aid in shedding.

my boyfriend has a pet iguana that almost died after having him/her for 3 years. I picked "it" up and it was almost life less and dark brown. after hours of trying to feed and pet the iguana, my last though was to give "it" a bath. it drank water for 5 mins straight. ive given "it" a bath for 3 days not at 30 mins a time. "its" getting green again but is there any thing else I can do? we have fed it kale, spinach, arugula, and some times wheat bread and strawberries it doesn't tough either.

Consider having Bud examined by a veterinarian experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose illness or injury. Iguanas should be kept in a large enclosure that is properly heated. A varied diet complete with a multivitamin and calcium supplement will prevent disorders such as metabolic bone disease. At the very least, the vet can confirm Bud is on the road to recovery. Continue with daily soaks. You can use a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. In addition to darky leafy greens and diced vegetables, offer a commercial diet. Zoo Med and Mazuri offer excellent choices. You can read more about iguana care at the link below. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Lizards/Green-Iguana/

How can I tell if either of my mud turtles is sick? I found them outside my house. I have one who is 1 year old. I have it since it was about 1 inch long. I just found another baby turtle, 1 inch long. I keep them in a ten gallon tank with 4 inches of water. They get along ok. I also put repti-safe, special blend microsystem, and turtle block in the tank and turtle bone. how long can I keep turtles in a ten gallon tank? thfank you

Symptoms of illness can include lethargy, decreased appetite, loose droppings, discharge from the eyes, nose or mouth, swimming crooked, difficulty breathing, wheezing or popping noises while breathing, swollen eyes, or blowing bubbles from the mouth or nose. Ideally, you should provide 10 gallons of water per inch of turtle. Keeping a hatchling with a larger turtle would not be recommended for the safety of the hatchling. The 10 gallon tank would be fine for the smaller turtle temporarily. Maintain a water depth of no deeper than twice the length of the shell.

I have a 14 week old leopard gecko who I have had for 5 days and she/he doesn't really move away from along the edge of the heatmat apart from when i try to feed him/her then she goes to the other side of the vivarium or just stands up looking really scared. This results to barely eating only maybe 1 meal worm a day

The tank may be too cold. If so, Rita will stay on the mat. Low temps can affect appetite and activity in reptiles. Maintain a basking spot temperature in the 90s F. This will produce a gradient of the mid 70s to 80s in the rest of the cage. You can soak her in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. This will warm her up and treat or prevent mild dehydration. Feed appropriately sized prey. Crickets or dubia roaches are recommended over mealworms for juvenile geckos. They should be no bigger than the space between her eyes. Gut load them for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value.

Do you have techs for Turtles? I think my turtle has developed some sort of tumor by his back leg

This is most likely a tumor or an abscess. In either case, it will need to be evaluated and treated by your veterinarian. If it is a mass it may need to be removed. If it is an abscess it will need to be surgically debrided and the turtle will need a course of antibiotics. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck.

Hi, my horsefield tortoise usually just roams round the house and was beginning to hibernate but has woken up and started to walk today. I'm worried the house is too cold and that he hasn't ate for weeks yet is wondering around, surely using energy he doesn't quite have? What do you recommend?

As long as the house is between 68 F and 80 F, Mikey should be fine. As a reptile, he does need a basking area to warm up and UVB lighting. Nighttime temps can drop to 60-65 F. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and an unflavored electrolyte replacement beverage for 30 minutes. This will warm him up and provide hydration. If he is kept indoors year round at constant temperature s, he does not "need" to hibernate.

I'm trying to figure out what these 3 tiny white lumps in my iguana's mouth is. I'm hoping it isn't Ulcerative Stomatitis or Infectious Stomatitis. If it isn't either of these things what could it be?

Those do have the appearance of abscesses. You would need to have Timmy examined by your veterinarian for confirmation and treatment. This may include cleaning each abscess to facilitate healing. A course of antibiotics will likely also be indicated. In the meantime, increase tank temps by about 5 degrees F to aid in recovery. The wound on his nose can be addressed during the exam also. Topical treatment may be indicated. If the wound is caused by "glass surfing", try to determine the underlying cause. This may be due to boredom, stress or a cage that is too small. Survey the area around his enclosure to identify any negative stimuli. A cage wrap can be used to limit views. Rearranging the cage may also help to alleviate boredom.