Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got a tegu from the reptile show in town. The animal was kept on a wire floor, it has no front toes or claws. The tail has been broken but is growing back again. It is VERY SCRAWNY!!!! It did drink water, and ate some canned turkey catfood, some mustard and collard greens were mixed in. I also dusted some crickets with calcium supplement and it ate a few of those. It also ate some thanksgiving turkey, only a couple of pieces though. I will call the vet on Monday and see if I can get it in. I call him/her Bubba. I love tegus with a passion and want to pull this abused animal through....Please help us!!!! 1tegufan..

Well that was indeed a good rescue! I'm surprised that he would even survive long without being able to burrow or hide. I think my tegus would freak out from insecurity without their hide box. How old and big is he? Have you kept tegus before? How long have you had him? Try some superworms he'll probably like them and they've got more fat then crix.

Hi Rollin, Age unknown-bubba is about 18 inches snout to tail. I just got him today. He spent a couple of hours napping in my shirt. Yes, I've had a red tegu before. I have not had a tegu for about the last 4 years. This one really breaks my heart as they are my favorite reptile of all. I will try the meal worms and the superworms. I have a good reptile vet. Should I dust them with calcium too?

Good, sounds like he needs an experienced tegu keeper. I think you've got the right idea with giving him all those different types of food in one day; it seems to help stimulate their appetite. When mine were younger I would feed them something until they wouldn't eat any more of it then I'd try something else and they'd dig right in! I think I'd dust just about everything for awhile considering how he was kept before you got him. Sounds like he's doing ok now though, why do you feel it necessary to bring him in to the vet? Oh and I agree, Tegus are the best!

Rollin, It would give me great piece of mind! I wish you could have seen my bubba at the reptile show today. There were two other tegus in with him. One, a huge blue, had a 3inch scar from a burn on his back and he was missing his front toes as well. They were all scrawny! I am worried about parasites, mbd, all kinds of bad things have been going through my mind.

Hi- I'm glad you came to the rescue for Bubba. I would definitely take him to a good reptile vet to find out:

what species is he? What sex? How old? does he have signs of infection?( blood test may be necessary)

If he is a columbian tegu chances are he was captured in the wild and is loaded with parasites. You may need to have him wormed.

I hope I'm not making you paranoid. But you would never regret taking him to the vet, whereas you may regret not taking him if something is wrong that could have been treated.

Good luck,

Alioops, Bubba is supposed to be an Argentine black and white. When his basking light hits him just right though, he looks like his white turns to baby blue.Bubba is about 18 to 20 inches long from nose to tail. I am already paranoid!!! I am calling my vet on Monday morning. He is so scrawny, I am already fearful of parasites. Doc will go over him from nose to tail. I will also take in a stool sample. I don't know if bubba is really a boy, I will have doc tell me that too. Thank you for your help and response.