Reptile & Amphibian Forums

One of my 3 babies is dying. It is the largest and fattest one. He/she has been going into convulsions and mouth-gaping as well as labored, sporatic breathing and arching it's back. What are the signs of abdominal impaction? I'm afraid it will be dead in the morning.

Here is a link on impaction, below. What substrate do you have the babys on? Also are you sure he got enough calcium?

I would try and get some calcium into him , if you do not have calcium syrup than use some of your dusting calcium in a small amount of water, and try and drop a few drops in his mouth in one of the corners , slowly as to not choke or drown him.

I'm so sorry he's not doign well, but don't give up yet...
Impaction Article

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PHEve / Eve

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I'm glad you came to the rescue so fast, if any one can save this baby, it's you, having the little babies for the first time myself, I fell for Happycamper.

Cecil
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1.1 Bearded Dragon (Drago,Medusa)
1.1 Desert Iguana(Dima, Dianne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Igor)
0.1.1 Chuckwalla (roxy,Little Chuckie)
1.3.5 Collared Lizard (Fred, Wilma, Betty, #1,2,3,4,5, KND)
1.1 Desert Leopard Lizard (Simba, Kimba)
0.1 Hamster (Tofu)
1.1 Kids
0.1 Wife

And I wish I was able to SAVE the sick ones, but sometimes you just can't. Still frustrates and feels terrible, for any of us who lose one.

But we just try and figure out what the problem may be, and give it our all. I lost a couple last year, a runt, so tiny, and a vestigium hatchling the day after it hatched. Never knew why

Hope his lil one can hang in there.
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PHEve / Eve

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What do you have for substrate? If you think it is impaction try giving it a warm bath, is this something new or has this been happening from birth, hopefully someone else with more experience can chime in and help.

Cecil
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1.1 Bearded Dragon (Drago,Medusa)
1.1 Desert Iguana(Dima, Dianne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Igor)
0.1.1 Chuckwalla (roxy,Little Chuckie)
1.3.5 Collared Lizard (Fred, Wilma, Betty, #1,2,3,4,5, KND)
1.1 Desert Leopard Lizard (Simba, Kimba)
0.1 Hamster (Tofu)
1.1 Kids
0.1 Wife

Thanks for replies. I gave him a water soak last night, a drop of mineral oil in his mouth then used a heat pad underneath a hospital tank as suggested for impaction in bearded dragons. I shouldn't have been feeding him mealworms yet! Apparently babies have difficulty digesting the chitin in the shells (and he really pigged out on them the last couple days, you can see the bulges from the worms in his stomach.). I didn't know that! Now I do. I hope he makes it...

LG

Well thats awesome news, hope he perks up for you. Yeah , he should not eat mealies this young. Even when older I like superworms better, less chitin, easier to digest.

Let us know how the baby does

******* Your a GOOD collared baby PARENT ************

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PHEve / Eve

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Thanks for the encouragement. The thing is, the mealies are VERY small (1/4 inch long). About 4 times smaller than the ones you normally find in the little white tubs. I understand that it is OK to feed them right after they shed, when they are still white and soft? And what about little grasshoppers? I've been feeding those too. But they have chitin also! So am I limited to crickets only? What a boring diet. BTW I have been sprinkling calcium supplement on the paper towels in their cage and have seen them lick it up. But also when I put them in the big lizard's cage (55 gal) to exercise (after taking the big ones out) they did appear to eat some of the sand substrate. I guess I'll have to stop putting them in there.

ps...I read that impaction causes pressure on their spine, which can cause tremors in their legs. Ever seen yours twitch like that? It is like electricity is going through them. Disturbing...

I forget how old yours are, but after a while I really don't worry as much about what they eat . I use smaller insects of course, for the first month, 1/4 to 1/2 inch, but after they get going so to speak, I give them larger bugs.

A month old collared can down a full grow cricket. I'm not saying I do this that young, but I have had young ones grab big crickets on occasion and were fine.

I'm using baby B.dubia roaches for my hatchlings. The only problem I see is the baby roaches play dead, and don't move when you go near them at times, which does not get the collareds attention. I have to make them(the roaches) run or leave them in a bowl shallow enough for the young lizards to jump in and grab them when they move.

White, freshly shed mealies and small supers are fine, they are nice and tender when white.
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PHEve / Eve

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np

oh dear this is terrible. i hope the little booger makes it through! if you have a way to let him get direct sunlight, that might be good too, especially if it is a calcium problem. whenever i have had impacted lizards, they never had convulsions, usually they strained alot. although griffin did lose the use of his back legs, but i am still not sure if that was from an impaction or a bacteria because impactions aren't contagious and ivan has been having pooper problems too
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vonnie

***Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months. Oscar Wilde ***

Was just wondering.

Cecil
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1.1 Bearded Dragon (Drago,Medusa)
1.1 Desert Iguana(Dima, Dianne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Igor)
0.1.1 Chuckwalla (roxy,Little Chuckie)
1.3.5 Collared Lizard (Fred, Wilma, Betty, #1,2,3,4,5, KND)
1.1 Desert Leopard Lizard (Simba, Kimba)
0.1 Calif. Kingsnake (Keebler)
0.1 Hamster (Tofu)
1.1 Kids
0.1 Wife

Really hope he's doing ok
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Kelly

Where there's a will there's a way
www.collaredlizards.co.uk

He made an amazing recovery, I am very surprised!

your lizard is doing better

Cecil
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1.1 Bearded Dragon (Drago,Medusa)
1.1 Desert Iguana(Dima, Dianne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Igor)
0.1.1 Chuckwalla (roxy,Little Chuckie)
1.3.5 Collared Lizard (Fred, Wilma, Betty, #1,2,3,4,5, KND)
1.1 Desert Leopard Lizard (Simba, Kimba)
0.1 Calif. Kingsnake (Keebler)
0.1 Hamster (Tofu)
1.1 Kids
0.1 Wife

So happy for you, and the lil fellow TERRIFFIC NEWS
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PHEve / Eve

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