Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
Shaggy is now 12 and has always been healthy. In the past two weeks, I had noticed him drinking more water and urinating more. Took him to the vet, although he was not due for his annual checkup until May. Bloodwork showed elevated urea nitrogen (41) and somewhat elevated T4 (6). All other blood and urine values were normal. The vet started him on kidney diet but no thyroid meds yet as he has not lost weight or shown any other signes of thyroid disease, except for the drinking. One disturbing behavior has accompanying these changes and this is the one which worries me the most. The vet (two vets actually) have no idea what it is.
Shaggy has begun doing something like this: He turns his head and neck all the way to the left. At the same time his right eye closes and he seems to grimace. The "episode" ends with him licking his paw and rubbing the right side of his face. The vets examined his mouth, cheek, eye, ear, and could find nothing. I wonder if it might be something neurological. But even if it is...then what? He is acting normally otherwise, except he hates the kidney diet. I wonder if it is really necessary since all the urinanalysis values were normal. I would welcome any advice. Thanks.

I would suggest getting his thyroid values down before you put him on a diet he doesn't like. For the kidneys, add some raw beef kidney to his diet each day, and feed him a diet of raw cheap hamburger, bone meal, and cod liver oil. He can use the extra fat.