Vet Q&A-Reptile

My baby aqua blue iguana will not eat, hides under his water dish, and I've tried EVERYTHING. Is It possible that he was used to having others in his tank and he is just lonely? The heat and humidity are perfect and I've tried lots of different blends of food, including what the pet store was providing?

Iguanas are solitary creatures in the wild. Confirm proper environmental parameters, especially heat. Low temps can affect appetite and activity in reptiles.Younger iguanas typically require slightly higher temps than adult iguanas. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 20-30 minutes. This will provide warmth and hydration. Look him over for signs of injury or infection. This may include redness, swelling, bruising, bleeding or discharge. If you find any, have Zilla examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles for confirmation and treatment.

Hello. My bearded dragon (1 1/2 years old) hasn't eaten for about 6-7 weeks, and i am convinced she has passed away. She has gone stiff, her colour is now white, and i cant feel a heartbeat at all. Her eyes are sunken in but are open. I have read about Brumation, and from what i have read, it sounds like she has passed away, as apposed to brumating. But i wanted to get a professional opinion first. Thank you.

I am so sorry that this is happening to you and Cleo. It can be very difficult to tell when reptiles have passed away sometimes, so I am glad that you asked. My recommendation to tell for sure would be to take Cleo in to a veterinary clinic to confirm that she has passed. Sometimes their hearts can beat very slowly (sometimes even one beat every 1-2 minutes!) so I think that this will give you peace of mind. If the vet is not comfortable with reptiles, that is okay. They need to place a Doppler probe right between the front limbs on the chest - this will be the easiest place to hear if there is a heartbeat present or not. I hope that helps, and I’m so sorry again.

My snake got out about 3 or for months ago. We looked for her everywhere and tried to lure her back but had no look. Yesterday we found he while packing. She looks really weak, but she's alive. We put her in her cage to warm her up, she started moving around and acting like she was getting stronger. So we offered her a frozen mouse(that's what she ate before) but she won't eat. Should I be worried? What should I do to get her to eat?

Please have Penelope seen by a vet right away. It is important to have her checked as she may be dehydrated and/or injured if she has been missing for that long. She needs to be seen by a vet so they can help make a plan for her recovery and provide care immediately.

My turtles shell is very flaky and there are white/discolored spots all over it. I thought it was just shedding but it’s been like this for a very long time, plus it’s tearibg away at the top layer of shell, while the next layer is cloudy and white. I’m really scared and worried about her. She is a 7 inch long red eared slider turtle

Thank you for the pictures - they are very helpful. I am sorry that this is happening to Finley! Her shell looks very dry - I am not sure if you dried her for the picture, or if she is not hanging out in her water enough. If she is not utilizing her water source enough, that could cause her shell to get dry and flaky. With your description of the shell looking cloudy and white underneath the layer, it could also be that there is an infection (bacterial, fungal) of the shell. If the water quality in Finley's enclosure is not adequate, this can result in infections. I would recommend that you take Finley to a veterinarian who is familiar with reptiles. To find one in your area, you can visit the ARAV website. The veterinarian will ask about Finley's husbandry set up and diet, and will perform a thorough examination of her. They then can take samples of the flaky, white, cloudy areas of the shell to evaluate for culture to determine if there is an infectious reason for it to look abnormal. They may also prescribe treatments, such as antibiotics, or have suggestions for husbandry changes, depending on what they find. Please do not give Finely any human medications, as they can be harmful for our scaled friends. I hope that gives you a place to start, and I hope Finley feels better soon!

I have a bearded dragon I got from the let store about a week and a half ago. He has all the right lighting and the lady told me hes 3. He refuses to eat veggies and ever since I've gotten him his beard has been black. He doesn't puff up at me and let's me handle him but all I can get him to eat are superworms now he hasnt eaten in 2 days. Is he just stressed? Is this normal?

The black beard Is indeed an indication of stress or anger. It may be due to his new surroundings or something could be wrong in his environment. You can review care and feeding here: http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html Confirm proper temps and humidity. Also, provide a hide large enough for him to enter on each side of his enclosure. As long as Boris is at least 16-17 inches long, superworms are fine to feed. Gut load them for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value. For variety, you can offer appropriately sized crickets, dubia roaches or phoenix worms. Try offering greens in the morning about an hour or two after the heat lamp comes on. He may be hungrier at this time. Once he eats his greens, you can offer prey. Sometimes, a sprinkle of dried mealworms on the greens will stimulate the appetite. Since he is "new" to you, an exam with your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles would be recommended to confirm good health or to diagnose and treat any preexisting conditions.

I think my leopard gecko might have stick tail disease and I don't know what to do

You'll need to submit a stool sample to your veterinarian to definitively diagnose the condition. It is caused by an intestinal infection. There are several medications that can be dispensed for treatment. Confirm proper husbandry and diet, either can be predisposing factors. The links below will provide more information regarding Stick Tail and Leopard Gecko care. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Stick-Tail-Disease-in-Leopard-Geckos/ http://www.anapsid.org/leopardgek.html

I have a 11 and a half month old bearded dragon and his name is Cosmo... I have noticed this but I really don't know if he's been doing this the whole time but anyway, it's the way he is breathing... And pretty much only when I give him a bath and get runs around. He will breath kinda slow then it will go a little faster and then stops and does it again and usually when he does that each time his beard will very slightly go out a bit, and he also does not have any signs of a RI so I don't know.

Hello, that sounds like normal breathing to me. What I would suggest you do, is get a video of this behavior and then just take it by a vet office (one that is used to treating reptiles) and show it to them. I'm sure they would be happy to give you an opinion. That would give you a better idea than me trying to ascertain what is normal just based on your description. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Hi! I have a single Corn Snake that has lived on their own for their life ever since they were an infant snake. After a week or so of odd behavior I have just come home from work to what appears to be a single Egg in the Viv. I didn't realise before now that snakes still lay eggs without a partner to fertilize them, but I'm not sure what to do.

In rare cases, a snake may lay eggs without mating. The eggs are not fertilized as there is no male present. The egg won't hatch. Just take it out of the viv and monitor her for any signs of egg-binding. ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/egg-binding-dystocia-in-reptiles-causes-signs-diagnosis-tre/ ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello doctor, my 5 month old bearded dragon lizard just jumped off my table and broke his spine, the table is like 3ft tall and I know his spine broke because it stuck out and I pushed it in slowly and now his two legs in the back are not moving, he can only move his tail a bit and his front legs and head. I want to know if he would be able to survive in these conditions?

Haru needs to be examined by a veterinarian immediately. X-rays will likely be taken after a physical exam to diagnose any fractures or spinal injury. Soft tissue damage would have a better chance at recovery than a fractured spine. Only your vet can determine Haru's prognosis after an exam. Good luck.