Vet Q&A-Reptile

My crested geckos eye lid is swollen. Was not like this last night. She has never had any health issues. He happily lives with another female and never had a problem :(

If she will allow, try rinsing it gently with some sterile saline. This may wash any irritating debris away. If symptoms persist or worsen, have her examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.

What weight should a spur-thighed tortoise be before going into hibernation?

It is not recommended to hibernate a tortoise that weighs less than 700 grams or one that is or has been sick recently. Follow the link below and click on the Jackson Ratio Graph link. This will allow you to estimate weight based on a measurement if you don't have a scale. The link also provides information on pre/post hibernation care as well as caring for your tortoise during hibernation. http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/newhibernation.html

My spur-thighed tortoise is 501g and I know they should be 700g before hibernation. She has never been hibernated so would it be better to hibernate her now at 500g or to not hibernate her and wait until next year? She has slowed down with her eating due to the cold so I don't think her weight will go up without heat, which in turn will cause her not to hibernate. What do I do?

Do not hibernate her this year. Keep her enclosure temperature between 20 C and 27 C. Provide a basking area of about 32 C with UVB lighting. Provide food and vitamin/mineral supplementation as well as several baths weekly.

Hi, my name is Danna, and my turtle isn’t eating, we found her in the beach and rescued her. And she’s been eating fine for 2 Years, and now she isn’t eating, she has one spot of white on her shell. And I’m really worried, please answer me as soon as possible, I don’t want her to die please. PLEASE help me, I love her, help please. Why isn’t she eating? Tell me what to do

Inappetance in a turtle is a vague sign and can indicate several different things going on. Your turtle may be suffering from some sort of infection or a metabolic disease affecting her internal organs. I would recommend taking your turtle in to see a veterinarian that specializes in reptiles. They will be able to better diagnosis and treat whatever is going on with Shanya. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck.

My turtle Myleene has a pocket on her left back leg and I just want to know what it is she has also stopped eating anything and doesn’t crawl and play around anymore

Given the other symptoms (lethargy, decreased appetite), she may have an infection or abscess. Ideally, she should be examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. If it is infection, she will need antibiotics which are by prescription only. Review her diet with your veterinarian to confirm proper nutrition. She should also have a heat source, UVB light source, access to fresh water and an adequately sized enclosure.

My red footed tortoise has a shell fungal infection do the bottom of his shell is very soft. Is there anything I can to help get rid of the fungus.

Since the shell is very soft, have Joan examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. There may be an underlying metabolic issue or nutritional deficiency that may be complicating the shell infection. Review her diet to confirm adequate nutrition. Review enclosure parameters (heat, UVB lighting, etc) and correct or lower humidity levels which can predispose or be the cause of the fungal infection. If minor, the shell can be treated topically. It is not recommended to treat or medicate your pet without the advice of your veterinarian.

My turtle has an eye infection. She's a red ear slider. Slight improvement with eye drops. Should i bring her to the vet?

As long as she is improving, you can continue with the eye drops. Be sure to maintain water quality and offer foods high in Vitamin A. If she does not improve, becomes lethargic, develops eye discharge or stops eating, then have her examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.

My Russian tortoise has seem to stop eating and drinking for the last couple of days. what should I do?

You should have Steve evaluated by a veterinarian that is familiar or specializes in tortoise care. He may have an underlying infection, liver disease or a primary gastrointestinal disease. If he is not eating, a feeding tube can be placed in order to provide nutrition and medications.

I got a bearded dragon and put him on me and he fell asleep for at least 4 hours, is it normal? Also he only 2-3 crickets per time a feed him. (He's juvinile I think around two months)

If it was warm enough, Godzilla likely enjoyed the spot for a nap. As long as he is active and behaving normally at other times, there is no cause for concern. He's quite young. Feed him twice daily. He may not be eating due to low temps or the crickets may be too big. Reptiles need heat to properly digest their meals. Low temps can affect appetite and activity. Feed prey no bigger than the space between his eyes. He can eat small crickets, dubia roaches, micro meal worms and similar prey. Dust with a vitamin and mineral supplement every other day. Offer dark leafy greens and other vegetables daily as well. Cut them up into appropriately sized bits and pieces. If his appetite does not pick up, have him examined by an experienced herp veterinarian. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. If you need help locating a vet or to discuss husbandry in greater detail, you can request a consultation.