Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got several uro, but they are very wrinkled and thin looking.
The basking spot is 120 and the other end of the enclosure is about 80. They have fresh greens and a dried lentil mixture and I gave them some bird pellets that are natural and do not contain bht like Flukers juv iggy food.
I am very worried about my new babies. any help would be greatly appriciated

Do you ave several males together? Can you post a pic?

No there appears to be just one male, a large Mali. I am trying to up load an image
Mike

Do you know how to attach an image? The easiest way is to set up a free account with www.photobucket.com then you can upload your pics to there, and then copy the IMG link, the fourth link under the pic, and paste it into a post.

Where did the uros come from? Are they adults? Do you know if they are wild caught or know how they were kept before?

I was told they were originally bought from Donald Dix. The mali looks to be full grown and the others are smaller so maybe just a year or 2. I know they were all housed together in a 30 gal tank. and that is all I know

here's another pic of the gery's

They don't look too bad. They are a little thin. If they came from Doug Dix, then they were likely healthy at his place. I would just feed them, and make sure your temps are good, Also do you use UVB? A Mercury Vapor Bulb would do them good. Also, Doug has a really good care sheet and some great starter packages on his web site along with the mercury vapor bulbs. They will need suppliments, and I strongly suggest that you take them for a vet check, at least for a fecal to make sure they don't have worms.

Doug Dix's care sheet is here: [url]
www.deerfernfarms.com/Uromastyx_Care.htm

His supply page is here:
www.deerfernfarms.com/Supplies.htm

Keep us posted!

I was using a basking spot and a flouresent but will switch to a MVB. I put a reostat and a heat lamp on them for the night and they seem a little perkier this am.
I was reading that giving them bird pellets like pretty bird or zupreem is good as well...what are your thoughts.
Thanks again
Mike

I throw small bird pellet in my lizard salad (endive, bok choy, collards, turnip greens)along with finely chopped or grated fruit and hard veggies such as squash, some carrot(not too much!) and snap beans, and ground Mazuri pellets. When I cook bird mash (beans, rice, pasta, seed, minced veggies) I toss some of that in as well. I feed this to the uros, beardies, desert iggies and collared. Then for the uros, I provide a small dish of dry ground beans (minus kidney beans) and small bird seed. Then of course everyone gets as many dandelions and hybiscus as are available.

HOWEVER, if you think they are dehydrated, I would hold off on the harder foods and get them off any loose substrate until you know they are producing normal stools, as they get impactions when they get dehydrated.

Keep us posted!

Here's what my lizard salad looked like this morning. I though it was beautiful and very photogenic!

How many animals are there total - the three pictured? And they're all housed together? What size is the enclosure (in inches, not gallons)? Have you offered them a shallow dish of water to see if they will drink? How many hides are available to them and what are they - half logs, slate and brick, etc? How many separate basking spots and food dishes are available? What kind of thermometer are you using to measure temps - round dial, digital with probe, or infrared?

Just because they originally came from Doug Dix doesn't automatically mean they don't have health problems - especially since they appear to have been badly kept in the meantime. ALWAYS check. No matter the source. If the animals had small amounts of non-harmful parasites at the time of original purchase, but have been in stressful conditions since, parasite levels could have risen significantly, to the point of harm. ALWAYS check.

I would strongly recommend fecal checks and parasite treatment. Remove most of the seed in the cage (or all of it and keep them on paper) - they're swimming in it currently. They need an extremely large cage if they are all together, and it would be better if they were separated into their own large cages - especially since there appear to be health problems. It will be easier to treat for parasites and monitor their conditions if they are alone. Don't feed any dry foods until you are confident they're healthy and hydrated. Stick with a wide variety of dark leafy greens and shredded veggies. No bugs.
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Saharan Uros (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Mali Uros (Spike, Turtle, and Tank)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
0.1 Collared Lizard (Rorschach)
2.0 Green Anoles (Bowser and Sprocket)
1.1 Chubby Housecats (Roscolux and Jenny)

There are now 6 in a 3'6" by 2' cage. They have two hides, one 1/2 way down and the other at the cool end. I have removed a lot of the seed and their temp is averaging 118. I have not given them water but I do mist their greens down. The three gery look the worst very thin and wrinkled all have had soaks and had a drink but one wouldn't drink so forced a little mashed melon and water in there. They just want to sleep. The three mali seem quiet happy and are eating and poopig well.
The original owner apparently had 8 or 10 in a 30 gal or 3x1 ft tank.
Any help would be greatly appreciated as I had hoped to breed the gery next year....I was just leaving them together to lessen the stress
Mike

Mike, that is an awfully small cage for six uros. Are you saying 3 feet 6 inches by 2 feet? Are you sure there is only one male?

I would definitely separate out some of them. That is a pretty large group anyway, but way too big for a cage that small. It is barely big enough for one uro. Three should have a minimum of 4x2x2 I think or larger. But 6 would need a huge enclosure to remain healthy and stress free.

I would also get a fecal done ASAP. As Torey said, if the care was that bad, there is no telling what they were exposed to.

Keeping them together isn't lessening stress, there are far too many uros in that cage. Sorry but you won't be breeding those geyri's pal. You will be lucky if they are still alive next year. There is so much wrong with that situation I don't have time to address it. You need to read some caresheets. Click the link to deerfernfarms at the top of this page to start. And at the very least separate them by species. Nothing personal- you just obviously don't have a clue.

Nothing personal, pal, but this is how they came to me!
I am taking out the larger Mali male as soon as I can get a tank/tub ready for him. I have read the deerfarm care sheets and have them taped by the tank. When I spoke to original owner he told me he had them (8) in a 30gal tank and I put them in the largest tank I had as I knew from my research that this was too small. Even after a week I never see them in the cooler end of the tank.
I am doing the best that I can to save these poor creatures and give them a better life than they had. I have rescued herps before and fattened them up and found them responsible homes.
I came to this formum for help for the uros!You don't know me or how hard I am trying on behalf of these creatures, so thanks for your clueless comments

Mike, I'm sure Mr. Slate didn't mean to come off sounding harsh. From what I have seen, he is a very caring person, and spends a lot of time on this forum helping people. Yours is a difficult case, as you inherited some critical animals from a poor keeper. We are trying to instill in you the urgency of the situation. They need to be separateed ASAP and you need to step up the critical careif they are going to recover. He is right about the breeding issue, too. That should not be a consideration at this point. Just focus on getting them healthy.

I am really glad that you have studied the care sheet. You can also call Doug Dix. He rehabs, and has a great critical care formula with an appetite stimulant that you can use if they still aren't eating. He is very approachable and willing to help. I'm sure it will sadden him to know what became of some of his babies.

It really is doing more harm than good to keep them all together like that, and removing just the male mali will only help so much. I would separate them into groups of 1.2 trios at least, and try to get them into bigger containers. Even better, get four storage containers, and separate out the males and females of each breed just for now. I think they need the least amount of stress right now to recover. If you really do only have the one male, keep the females in pairs for now. You can combine groups again later after they stabilize.

Please don't be put off. We are all on this forum because we love our critters. Bless you for trying to help them.

Thanks
We have separated the Mali's and the Gery's. The Gery are still looking pretty flat and vey lethargic. I have a call inot Mr. Dix but he hasn't gotten back to me yet.
I am very worried about these three
Mike

Please keep us posted!

spoke to Mr Dix
gave the 3 geryi a long hot soak and got 2 to drink and I geri-rigged a formula I have used to rescue kittens to encourage them to drink and to give them some cal. The third I had to syringe in about a 1/2 cc but she got most of it down. Their body temps are all up to about 100 so here's hoping.

Gosh, I am so glad that he called you back. So let us know what the vet says. At least now you might get a stool sample to take.

After talking to Mr Dix, I lost one more Geryi but the last two seem to be getting stronger. They having been having hot baths daily and drinking, but have been giving them a high cal/vit suppliment that we have used with other rescue animals and today they got this liquified with pureed crickets....mmmmmm good...The Mali are doing very well salads, lentils and pretty bird.
I shall keep you up to date with the others
Mike

Hon, I didn't know you had lost some. I am so sorry. Are you getting some critical care from Doug? Did you talk to him a second time? Did you make it to the vet?

Please keep us posted. I was really wondering . . .

There wasn't time to get any critical care. He told me what was in it and I had a close formula with a kitten high cal paste, so we liquify it with hot water and added the pureed crickets. They are still very lethargic but they are pooping and we will get it off to the vet as soon as I can. We lost three in total, but these two are looking not too bad so let's hope.

You must be using nutrical. Yeah, I use that a lot on a variety of wilds that I rehab.

Did you get their temps straightened out? Please keep us posted. I am crossing fingers and toes that they survive!

lost another one
the last one is still week but will drink if forced so three or four times a day, and I'm going to try mixing in baby veggies with the nutrical paste.
The Mali's are all doing great!! happy little poopers eating pretty bird, lentils and their greens....I'll take my victories where I can get them!

How are your little patients doing?

I thought we'd turned a corner but it was not the corner I'd hoped for.

Oh, Hon, I am so sorry. Did you lose all of the gerys?

Have you taken a fecal to a vet? It would be good to get a fecal of the survivors over to a vet just to make sure that there aren't parasites involved.

Are the malis still improving?

The Mali's are doing great. I added some frozen veg to their diet this week and they are happier than clams. The last gery died today. The best herp vet in this area is apparently on vacation and nobody else is too sure what to do.
mike

I'm really sorry, Mike. I know you tried your heart out.

Well, keep us posted on the malis.

BTW, if you don't have hybiscus or wild dandelions where you are, you can give them a little bee pollen and give them some ground beans(but not kidney). They can probably use the protein.

I'll pick up the bee pollen on Sunday. The are getting a lentil mix and some tapioca as well as spring greens and the mixed veg (Q2day)once a week I've been giving them a frozen fruit mix of strawberry/rasberry/blue and bumble berry wich they also liked.
They are having good 1/2 poops and running around like mad , so they seem much happier.
It looks like a Moroccan might be heading my way....hope he's in better shape!!!!!!
Thanks for all your help and I'll post pics of the Mali's soon

Mike

OK,OK,sorry if I came across too rough. It is just obvious you are new to uros and don't know how deep the poop has piled up.I know you didn't cause this to happen, but now YOU have a big mess to clean. My advice is this,and it may seem harsh... seek out some assistance but do not focus all of your efforts on those poor geyri's when you have 3 mali's with a better chance. They will eventually end up like the geyri's. Do what you can but DO NOT put the mali's second because they appear to be doing better. The geyri's are the window to the mali's future if you don't treat them as if they are all in the same boat. They have all been neglected the same, it is just the mali is more hardy. I am sorry you have found yourself in this predicament. I hope you save them all. BUT!!! Just remember, DO NOT put off treating the ones that are doing better, in an attempt to save the sicker ones...good luck.