Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got a baby sav it came to me by mail it has a gimp leg. It seems to be broken or maybe just something else wrong with it. He's only the size of a anole. Will a vet be able to fix that bad leg on such a small monitor or no?

i would contact the place you purchased it from.

How come?

Front or hind? Is there a visible deformity, if so, where? Does it eat?

If you are looking down on the monitor with its head facing away from you front right leg no visible deformaty that I can see. He eats like a monitor should. In fact I literally think he had never eatin in his life until I got him today. He grabbed a cricket from his cage mates mouth and they tug of war the cricket until is split in half then they both ate. He is the smallest of the 3 in that cage but he holds his own and then some. He just falls on his chin every time he walks but he catches warm gut fed crickets which are freakin fast. These 3 are not the healthiest savs I have had.

Some times they are born with broken legs or just deformed. Some times they can catch it on a piece of wood or something and break it. I had a beardy that had that happen, I took him to the vet and they put a cast on it (yes, a cast, he too was tiny) after the cast was off, they had to amputate the dead part of the leg, so basically I have a 3 legged beardy. He is healthy as a normal one though. Some times the leg will just die and fall off, but infection can follow that way so it is not advised.

Either way I would contact whoever you got it from and tell them it's bs to send you one w a broken leg!

-Dan
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1.1 Savannah Monitors (Annah & Terrance)
1.1 Nile Monitor (Lyle)
1.0 Timor Monitor (Timmmmaaayy)
1.0 Blood Python (Kevin)
1.0 Ball Python (Martin)
0.1 Leopard Gecko (Bella)
2.0 Bearded Dragons (Peter & Jack)
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake (Hector)
1.1 Kenyan Sand Boas (Wayne & Maude)
1.0 Dwarf Gecko (Little Girl)
1.0 Curly Hair Tarantula (Pube)
1.0 OBT Usumbara Orange Baboon Tarantula (Sin)
1.0 Emperor Scorpion (Ashoka)
2.0 D. auratus (Poison Dart Frogs)
1.0 Peacock Bass (Gary)

I have tokay with a busted up leg from a previous owner. It doesn't seem to slow him down. I guess I will call them and complain. Probably should take him to a vet right?

Since he is eating and holding his own and has no visible deformity I would wait half a week and see how he does. Sometimes either the radius or ulna is broken (the part of the front leg between the had and elbow has two bones) and one bone acts as a splint for the other. I would just put lots of calcium on the bugs and see if he gets better in a few days. If ot, take him to the vet.

"Since he is eating and holding his own and has no visible deformity I would wait half a week and see how he does. Sometimes either the radius or ulna is broken (the part of the front leg between the had and elbow has two bones) and one bone acts as a splint for the other. I would just put lots of calcium on the bugs and see if he gets better in a few days. If ot, take him to the vet."

I think I will try that thank you.

Also I sent the company that sent me the crippled lizard a assertive but polite email letter explaining the situation. I won't name the company publicly because thats not my style.

You should name the company because that's bs! Also, it doesn't matter how much calcium you load the food up with, it won't really matter if you don't have a UV light (correct me if I am wrong). If the leg is broken I would have him looked at. I also have an 'in' with the local rep vet though so it cost me like $5 total for the cast, amputation and following medications so to each his own I guess. Good luck with it either way, let us know how it goes.

-Dan
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1.1 Savannah Monitors (Annah & Terrance)
1.1 Nile Monitor (Lyle)
1.0 Timor Monitor (Timmmmaaayy)
1.0 Blood Python (Kevin)
1.0 Ball Python (Martin)
0.1 Leopard Gecko (Bella)
2.0 Bearded Dragons (Peter & Jack)
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake (Hector)
1.1 Kenyan Sand Boas (Wayne & Maude)
1.0 Dwarf Gecko (Little Girl)
1.0 Curly Hair Tarantula (Pube)
1.0 OBT Usumbara Orange Baboon Tarantula (Sin)
1.0 Emperor Scorpion (Ashoka)
2.0 D. auratus (Poison Dart Frogs)
1.0 Peacock Bass (Gary)

If they dont fix the problem you should go to fauna. you say its not your style but we should do everything we can to weed these people out of our hobby.

That is why I would wait a bit to see if it gets better. You can't do circulation checks on the cast limb of a tiny lizard. The cast I would use if I used a cast in the case of a known mid shaft break with deformity, (not at a joint), would be gauze lined bit of paper tape changed and checked every few days.

It could be that the bone edge severed the artery and veins of your little lizard's leg, thats why the limb died, not the cast causing it. Also, it could be that his baby Sav was injured in transit. You should see how they throw those boxes around. Still, it is upsetting to recieve an animal you now must worry over.

They offered to exchange the monitor for another or give me money toward another product. I decided to keep the monitor because I like him.

How is he doing now?