Vet Q&A-Reptile

I have a baby rat that was going to originally be snake food, but the snakes were too dormant. Now he is a pet. :) But unfortunately I just noticed some lice like bugs coming off him... What should I do? Could they affect me personally?

What a cute little guy! Mice do get lice, and it's usually because they're in poor husbandry conditions (like being sold for food). This means your mice are likely infected with other parasites like dwarf tapeworm that definitely is zoonotic (meaning it can infect you). You should treat this little guy with Revolution for cats, which is a spot-on treatment you can get from your vet, and use it topically ever 3 weeks until the parasites are gone. Disinfect his cage and throw out all the bedding as well. If you spray the cage/furnishings with fipronil topical spray this helps kill all the eggs and disinfects the environment. Hope that helps, and best of luck!

Is there a specific product or enzyme I need to use to clean out a leopard gecko cage? It's got a strong smell that won't go away once I cleaned it.

Hot, soapy water can be used followed by a thorough rinse. If that doesn't work, a 50/50 solution of distilled water and vinegar can be sprayed used. Allow a 10-15 minute wet contact time before rinsing thoroughly. ExoTerra, Zoo Med, Natural Chemistry and API all make "herp safe" cleaners that may be effective in removing odors.

My son has a 5 to 6 month old female bearded dragon and i'm trying to make sure her temp and humanity are correct

Hi! My favorite resource for bearded dragon care is anapsid.org. http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html Gwenevere should have a tank that’s large enough to permit a temperature range with a cool side about 75-85F and a hot side 95-100F. A UVB light should be on about 10-12 hours a day on the hot side. A water bowl should always be available and should be large enough to permit full body soaks. Good luck!

My bearded dragon Leia is not eating part from a small piece of food every now and then she lies still for at least 30mins with her eyes shut and sometimes it almost looks like she isn’t breathing please help it is really worrying me and can you tell me what is wrong with her she won’t even eat a Maria worm

Confirm proper temps and humidity in her enclosure. Low temps can affect appetite and activity in reptiles. Offer a variety of appropriately sized prey to get her eating. Crickets, dubia roaches, locusts or superworms can be used. Soak Leia in a warm 50/50 solution of water and an unflavored electrolyte replacement beverage for 20-30 minutes. This will warm her up and provide hydration. A gentle abdominal massage during the soak may stimulate defecation if she is constipated. If she doesn't regain her appetite, have her examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet to diagnose illness or injury. The link below will provide a refresher on beardie care. http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html

My Hypo bearded dragon(male) mated with my Amarican leatherback (female). I'm not sure what to do with the babies because as ive heard recently, breeders are trying to get rid of the hypo geene. What should i do with the babies if they dont turn out to be slugs?

If the eggs are recently laid, simply discard them. If not, you can still sell them. I haven't heard of breeders specifically not breeding hypos anymore. There will always be a market for them among casual collectors/owners.

How do I tell if my leopard gecko is shedding

Right before they shed their color will appear darker. You will then see the skin start to flake off all around the body. Often, they will take the skin off in pieces and eat it. Other times they may wait until it falls off. It does not appear like Tiki is shedding right now in the pictures shown. I hope that helps.

My bearded dragon tank lost its lightbulb and our car doesn't work. (Going to a store isn't an option.) What can I feed him besides crickets and do to keep him warm. Keep in mind we only ha e access to household items. He won't eat any vegetables I feed him or grapes. I need help.

Hi, For heat you could do a number of things e.g. place any incandenscent bulb above him, place other types of heaters near the tank etc. Please make sure that the temperature is not too high. As for food, this is more of a problem. If he's used to eating crickets it would be difficult to switch him at once to something else. I assume meal worms or otjer insects are also unavailable? You could very temporarily try some soft cat food but it may not work.

I have 2 adult bearded dragons and for 3 days the female has been scratching the floor and mounding up the sand in their viv . Both of them have gone off their live food but are eating kale , rocket and grated carrot . Could this be she is getting ready to lay eggs ?? I have re-homed these , they usually let me hand feed them . I would be pleased of any help .

Hello. It does sound like the female may be getting ready to lay. Keep a close eye on her attitude and appetite. If she hasn’t laid eggs in a few weeks and still isn’t eating normally, I’d be concerned about follicular stasis or retained eggs. These can be life threatening conditions if left untreated. make sure he female has enough substrate to dig in, as well as enough privacy to feel comfortable laying. Double check that the temperature is no cooler than 72F and has a basking temp of 95-100F. If you need any further information, feel free to request a consult. Good luck.

My turtle has been floating, not eating, red spots on under shell, and having discharge from the nose. I believe he has respiratory infection, can you confirm that and tell me what I need to do for him to get better?

By your description, it it highly suspicious for a respiratory infection. You will need to have Walter examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet for a definitive diagnosis. Antibiotics are usually required for treatment. You can also raise tank and water temps by about 5-10 degrees F to aid in recovery.