Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just rec'd (via next day shipment) a juvenile Red Nigerian Uro. Upon arrival he was VERY cold, I bathed him immediately in very warm water and put him in his tank under heat lamp. He has just declined everyday. He won't eat any of the veggies or greens I put in there. I finally offered him a meal worm and he ate it, but has since just layed flattened out. He really has to be coaxed to hold his head up. He is very emaciated looking, although he puffs himself up when I soak him. Any input out there from an experienced owner?
you can e-mail me at bootscooter@isoc.net
Thanks, Bridgett

Hi Bridget , I'm still new to uros so not able to help to much .
Does he look well & fat ( not skinny ? )
maybe try him on peas my little guy loves them .
what are all his temps ? Is he basking or staying out of the light / heat ?

Like I said sorry i'm not much help and I really do hope your little guy picks up . At the moment i'm trating my little guy for parasites and he is picking up

Lets us know what happens , Sara xx

PS is he wc ?

I have him in all the appropriate habitat and heat requirements.
No he is not fat, he is very emaciated, that is why I am so concerned.

Bridgett-

I'm fairly new at this, but did deal with a sick one not too long ago. I ended up having to tube feed mine a few times, plus took him to the vet for injections of vitamins and fluids before he turned the corner. I found out from the breeder what he had been eating before and continued to offer it to him. I also soaked him every couple of days to give him the chance to drink, which he eventually did.

Can you get any help from whoever you got him from? Was there no heat pack in with the uro when he was shipped? Or did something go wrong?

Best of luck-
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Torey
1.1 Uromastyx Geyri (Joe and Arthur)
0.1 Anolis Carolinensis (Leeloo)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

There was a heat pack but his cup had slipped off of it as it was not secured and we (Ohio) had overnite temps that day of 17.
Anyway, he was cold, curled up and on his back. I have corresponded with the shipper, and am following his advice, guess I was just hoping for more.
Bridgett

How old is this juvenile? If he is emaciated something was wrong with him at the breeder, because it takes a some time for them to lose first their fat and then their muscle mass to the point where they have that emaciated look. There are MANY differentials for a debilitated lizard. I would be concerned with internal parasites as a first and very treatable possibility. Have you brought this guy to a reptile veterinarian? I would bring a fecal sample to the veterinarian and have the baby checked over. Is he staying warm or does he go the the cool side of his enclosure and hide? I would bump up the temps in his enclosure, sick lizards need higher general temps to increase metabolism and immune activity. Warm water soaks are a good idea as a way to warm them up and also for rehydration. With all that said I really think the little guy need s to see a herp vet. I may be as simple as getting a deworming and some subcutaneous fluids for rehydration to get him going again. ARAV is an excellent resource to find a good herp vet (see link).
Assoc. of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians

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Stacey

a good setup and proper temps (most important!) would be a solid first step. a vet visit would be the next.

if you can share specific details about your setup, folks would be better able to chime in with suggestions and ideas. setup, temperatures (highs/lows, day/night), diet, age, size, etc, the more specific you are, the better others can respond.
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

He is 4 mo. old, he is in a 50 gallon herp tank with a screened lid, a florecent UVA/UVB herp strip, a 150 watt full spectrum spot and a black light 75watt spot for added heat at night.
Ambient temeratures are 90 at the hot side and 75 at the cool side. Night temeratures are around 65-70 on the cool side at night, probably around 80 on the warm end, I have an undertank 10.5 x 11 " stick on heater by zoo med on the warm end.
I am offering collard, mustard, radis tops, shredded carrot, yellow squash, red pepper, bok-choy, you name it. I did take him to the vet and he gave him an injection of NORMOSOL R which is a cocktail of electolytes, steroids,etc. He also dewormed him. He had hook worms but he said they were not bad enough to cause his problems, he felt he just about froze to death in shipment and is just too little to pull out of it. Lets hope, I have done everything I know, Oh I am also soaking him 2x day in half H2O and half Pedialyte VERY warm.

Normosol-R is just a isotonic fluid for replacement only. There are no steriods or medications of any sort in it. It was given subcutaneously I would presume to rehydrate the little guy. It sounds like you need to bump up your hot side quite a bit. You have all the right tools you just need to get the basking temps up. As I said before debilitated reptiles need higher temperatures than healthy ones. The gal from Proexotics was rec. 120 for the basking site so I would make sure it is at least that. Sorry your little guy arrived so sickly, that's every pet buyer's nightmare.
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Stacey

Yeah, the Normosol R was what you said, the vet added a couple of things to it and he told me what they were, I just can't remember the names of it. Anyway, the little guy did attempt to eat tonight, but got tuckered out after the attempt, I think I had the pieces to large for him, he did however eat 2 crickets!
I know these guys are mainly herbivors but the crick's beat a blank I guess. I will shred his greens much more finely tomorrow and see what happens. I have taken the vets advice and bumped the heat up too, so we'll see if this makes a difference with him.

why were the temps so low to begin with , if u would've done research on them u would've never had the temps at 95 to begin with, temps should be 80-90 on the cool side, and 120-130 basking spot and the warm side of the cage at 100, maybe thats why he isn't eating and stuff, with these guys u really have to make sure u have the temps like that, hope he gets better goodluck

I most certainly DID research them and everything I read on tiny juveniles was more toward the cooler temps not 130 because of their size it is very easy to bake one, particularly a weak, ailing one. The only thing the vet advised me to add was an undertank heater WHILE he was ill. If you read the beginning message you will find that he almost froze in transit and because of his age and small size is having a hard time snapping back.

i said the basking spot has to be at 120 - 130 and the warm side of the cage at 100 and the cooler side at 80-90 nothing u say will make it alright to have his temps at 90 on the hotside, especially when they are sick u have to pick up the temps to get there immune system working better trust me thats how u have to have the temps i can't see anybody disagreeing with me on this, hope he gets better good luck

So sorry you midunderstood my tone. My intent is not to argue, I am a 46 year old adult. I logged in here for advice, not bickering.

seriously i'm not trying to argue or come off the wrong way i'm giving u good help if anybodys else sees this read all posts and tell her u guys agree with me, i'm a grown man too this is not the subject though, i'm just trying to help