Vet Q&A-Reptile

A turtle, 28 years old, she started to scratch all around apartment with her legs. Not usual behavior. She don't want to be in a pool anymore. What should we do?

Check the water quality. Make sure it is clean and at the proper temperature. She may also be searching for food or a safe place to bask. It is unlikely given her age, but she may be looking for a place to lay eggs. Consider an exam with your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose illness or injury. Her shell in the image does not appear normal or healthy, but it could be her age.

My long-haired cat is throwing up hairballs and mostly-digested dry food (no blood or mucus). I thought a hairball now and then was normal, but this is the 3rd time she's had one in the last month. She doesn't have a signal (drooling, etc) that indicates she's about to throw up. She's an older indoor/outdoor cat and the second time she threw up lizard chunks also came out with it. I give her Lax'aire every so often (about once a week or so), but now I'm not sure if it's helping or not.

While vomiting hair occasionally is normal for some cats the increased frequency you have described is concerning. It is possible at Midnight is grooming more due to a seasonal coat shedding or she may have some underlying intestinal irritation contributing to the vomiting. Cats that hunt are at higher risk for parasites and this can also contribute to vomiting. If the increased frequency of vomiting continues or if you notice any other signs such as decreased appetite, lethargy or weight loss, I would recommend that you have her seen by your veterinarian. They may recommend checking a stool sample for parasites and possibly blood work to rule out other potential causes for vomiting such as kidney disease or thyroid problems.

I know every dragon is different but what is a bearded dragos favorite bug, fruit, and/or veggie? I just brought mine home two days ago and he hasn't eaten anything. I heard it's common for that in the beginning but still want to know just in case.

Some of it depends on the age of the beardie. If young, make sure any live food is small enough for it. Meal works, crickets or even pinkie mice Here's a good recipe for a reptile salad. Basic Salad Recipe 1/2 cup shredded raw green beans 1/2 cup shredded raw orange-fleshed squash (such as acorn, banana, kabocha, spaghetti, and pumpkin) - you can occasionally alternate with carrots 1 medium or 2 small raw shredded parsnips (in areas where these are seasonally hard to find, you can substitute with asparagus or cooked or canned lima, navy or kidney beans that have been well rinsed and minced or mashed. If you use beans, add extra calcium to offset their high phosphorus) * 1/4 cup mashed/minced fruit (strawberries, raspberries, mangos, papaya, figs, cantaloupe, cactus pear) Alfalfa ** Multivitamin and calcium supplements * If parsnips are a seasonal vegetable where you live, you can use 1/2 cup shredded asparagus, trading off with 1/2 cup drained, rinsed, and chopped canned cooked lima beans, plus additional calcium to make up for the lousy calcium:phosphorus ratio in beans. Cooked beans are acceptable for short term use only due to their phosphorous content and other chemicals that can impede the uptake of minerals and trace elements. Asparagus is comparable in protein to parsnip, but does contain oxalates, so should not be a long-term staple. ** The quantity of alfalfa you use will depend upon the alfalfa product you are using. You want to add about 15 grams of protein. That is about 1/2 cup of alfalfa rabbit pellets, or about 1/4 cup or less of alfalfa leaf tea or a tablespoon or so of alfalfa powder. The older the healthy iguana is, the less protein they need, so you may end up using only a couple of teaspoons for an adult iguana. Thoroughly mix all the Basic Salad Recipe ingredients together. Makes about 3.5-4 cups. Add in a multivitamin supplement (any multivitamin supplement for birds or reptiles is fine, but the best, actually, is powder from a crushed Centrum tablet) and a calcium supplement. You do not need to get a calcium supplement that has phosphorous or D3 in it, as the iguana is already getting considerably phosphorous from the plants and multivitamin, and their D3 is best manufactured in their bodies by regular exposure to direct sunlight or special UVB-producing fluorescents. And more good info on husbandry and feeding isnhere. If temperature is not correct they also may not eat. http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html

Hi, we recently took in an orphaned kitten that seems to be about 5 weeks old. She has lots of teeth and has been eating wet kitten food mixed with KMR well and has lapped up some water a few times, however we have had her for about 3 days now and she has only urinated once that I can tell. She poops regularly, it is soft but not watery, light brown in color, and is formed enough that it looks like a snake every time. My concern is that she has only urinated once in three days. Any thoughts?

If she has a good appetite and is having normal BMs and is active, she is likely passing urine. It is probably a small amount each time it gets lost in the litter box or is missed with the BM so it is hard to tell the difference. I would confine her and make sure she is not using the bathroom outside of the litter box.

My cat ate the tail of a blue tailed lizard and I found online that it can harm my cat. If it were to harm my cat, could you tell me how long it would take for the symptoms to show??

Symptoms to do with stomach upset will happen within 12 hours, whereas symptoms to do with organs such as liver and kidneys can take a couple of days to show. I would be more concerned about stomach upset though.

My leopard gecko, has been really struggling with the time change and is experiencing mild brumation, any tips on encouraging eating and activity?

Warm him up. Check your tank temps (ambient and basking). Low temps will affect activity and appetite. Use a timer to set a 12 hour light cycle. An infrared heat bulb can be used at night if room temp goes below 70F. See an experienced herp vet for an exam to diagnose illness or injury if symptoms persist. Follow the link for a comprehensive care sheet. http://geckoforums.net/f115-leopard-gecko-caresheets/54138.htm

Hello, My neighbor has a red ear slider than recently got all of it's limbs chewed off. I asked him if I could help him take care of the poor thing because my neighbor is an older man. I currently have the turtle in a tank with moist coconut fiber, no water.

Nubbins should be examined by an experienced herp veterinarian. Any open wounds are at risk of infection. They wounds should be properly cleaned and antibiotics administered if indicated. Dry docking him is the right thing to do until the wounds heal. He will need to be placed in water for about an hour a day to eat, rehydrate and defecate. Follow the link for a care sheet: http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

My 8 year old miniature pincher got bit by a rattle snake approx 2 months ago. In the last week she gone down hill. She has quit eating , got very thin and has green puss coming out of her eyes and her toe nails are shriveling up. What's happening

That could be due to a wide spread infection, as the signs are systemic and not only confined to one body system. A check up is absolutely needed, and blood test too (general health profile) to be able to determine more specifically the source of the problem. I would strongly recommend a check up as soon as possible.

How can i tell my painted male turtle in hibernation or dead?

First of all if he is in the house, then he is most likely dead as it is too warm to go into hibernation. If he is outside it's not easy to tell, at least not in the beginning, eventually you will know as you will see him start to decompose after a few days of being dead, it will start smelling as well.