Vet Q&A-Reptile

My bearded dragon has a black tail I fear it maybe tail rot. Doesn't feels normal and doesn't cause her any discomfort

Have Mulan examined by your herp veterinarian. Tail rot can be caused by trauma or infection. If it severe enough, amputation may be necessary to prevent systemic infection. Stress can also cause body parts to turn black. Commonly, it is the "beard"/throat that turns black during stress or anger.

My leopard gecko Koopa has not been eating lately and I noticed a small scab in his...well, you know. He is usually a good eater, but has been drinking water as usual. I am very worried that this is his intestines, but I see no traces of blood. Thank you so much!

If you think it is a wound severe enough to expose intestine, Koopa should be seen immediately by your vet or an experienced herp veterinarian. A physical exam may diagnose injury, infection or a bad shed. It may also be a prolapse from the vent. These conditions cannot be diagnosed without an exam. Confirm proper temps in the enclosure. Soak him in a warm solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte daily for 15-20 minutes as long as he is not eating. keep him on paper towels or reptile carpet to keep the affected area clean. Loose substrate may stick to it and contaminate it further. If it is a bad shed, the soaks may loosen the skin/scab.

Hello, i just got a 2 new turtles yesterday and one of them has this bump on his head/neck, he doesnt like to swim that much and i am pretty worried that he might be sick, i looks like he has a hard time eating, but he likes to walk, i dont have a UV light yet, but i have everything else.

From these pictures I'm concerned that Emelia may have an abscess or infection. I strongly recommend a visit to a reptile veterinarian ASAP. Correct husbandry and environment and feeding may prevent this from happening in the future but if she is already acting sick she likely needs antibiotic therapy and potential he injectable vitamins in order to recover. Try to get their lighting correct ASAP, and here are some links on Karen husbandry as well as the reptile veterinary Association if you need help finding a vet. Good luck with them. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/turtles-aquatic-diseases http://www.anapsid.org/mainchelonians.html http://arav.org/

i heard my pet cry out in pain and now she won't stop panting, there are no visible wounds and i felt everywhere but found nothing, is a snake bite possible?

I am very sorry that Shiloh seems painful. It is possible a snake bite happened but I would say depending on the part of the country you live in this is not very common. It is possible that Shiloh has a soft tissue injury/pulled something while playing being a cattle dog I bet she is very active. I would recommend taking her to a vet if she seems uncomfortable. That way the vet can help detect where the pain is coming from and possibly start her on pain medications if needed. You can confine her to cage rest and limited activity for a few days too to help her recover.

Question. My fiances sister gave us her "perfectly healthy" bearded dragon. From my understanding he's about 4ish. We got this poor guy and he had no heat at all he was frozen nearly half to death at 50°. He's severely dehydrated, weak, and has slept the entire 5 hours we've had him. The first time we tried feeding him he started foaming at the mouth then a clear liquid came from his mouth, nose, and eyes. I've gotten his body temperature up by a warm bath and he's under a heat lamp now. I also

It looks like your question was cut- off before you could share all the valuable information. You are limited in characters in your posts. Would you mind reposting the rest of the information so we can help you with Beardie? So sorry for the inconvenience.

How would I transport by bearded dragon? I'm mainly thinking of vet visits which is about a 25 minute drive. I'm concerned for when I have to take him during the winter since he's still pretty young. Any tips to keep him calm in his carrier would be great too! thank you!

Hi there! There are many great commercially-produced reptile carriers out there, but my preference are the kind that have three covered sides and a clear or mesh front. Keeping them calm during travel is important, and preventing them from seeing everything going on outside can be helpful for this. Additionally, getting Clyde adjusted to the carrier before travel is a good idea. Try putting a treat that he likes in the carrier, and allowing him to venture inside on his own. Associating the carrier with a snack may also help to minimize stress in the future. Good luck, and I hope Clyde's future vet visits go well!

Good morning, my son has a land turtle ar home. Today i niticed 4-5 ticks on turtles head, legs. I removed all of them and killed. Can you tell me what to do with this turtle? May it have other ticks? or may tick eggs be at home? I am worried and don't know what to do... Please answer

You were correct in removing the ticks and disposing of them. Monitor Leo for more ticks. They can be a common pest (along with mites) in reptiles. Keep his enclosure clean to prevent reinfestation. You can sanitize it using household bleach diluted in water (1-3 oz of bleach in 1 quart of water). Ticks will typically feed for 48-72 hours then drop off to lay eggs in the environment. Monitor for lethargy, decreased appetite or infection at the sites of attachment. See your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles if necessary.

I handle many types of turtles and fish both inside my house and in an outside pond. I have headaches,, fevers and chills, aches and pains. Could my Doctor test me for Salmonella? Thank You, Vic I have Golden Threads, Reeves, Musk, Map, Sliders and have handled Snappers

Salmonella does not typically cause the symptoms you are describing. This bacteria usually causes GI signs like excessive vomiting and diarrhea. As long as you are practicing good hygiene after being around your turtles (like washing your hands) you should not be exposed.

Hi, my hatchling red foot tortoise has a problem with keeping his eyes open for very long, he hasn't been eating as much as usual and when he closes his eyes I have to soak him in water to get him to open them back up. When his eyes close it almost looks like they are crusty. I have a cypress mulch and jungle mix substrate in his cage which is about 4 inches at the highest and 1 inch in his basking are but it's kept well watered. Thank You!

Check the lighting in his enclosure. It may be too bright for him which can be irritating. Rinse his eyes with a sterile saline solution in case he has debris from the substrate. An exam with your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles would be needed to diagnose eye infection or injury. Another possibility may be a Vitamin A deficiency. Feed a good quality commercial diet as well as dark, leafy greens (spinach, collard greens, dandelion greens, etc), carrots, squash and broccoli. Dust food with a calcium and multivitamin supplement as well.