Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My argus monitor started acting funny today, as if his equilibrium is off. he seems disoriented, and when he walks he stumbles on his front legs with each step. at first i thought there was a problem with his legs, but it seems to be the result of cocking his head to far to the side, and almost looks like he is about to rub the side of his face on the ground to scratch the side of his face. He is young, about 6 mos, and up until this point he has been doing great. Please respond quickly, I am extremely worried!
Thanks!
Ian
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buy the ticket, take the ride...

I have seen this once in a male pilbara rock monitor. It was sent to Scott Stahl and then died. I have a new male now. You may not be able to help it but taking it to a vet is your best bet. It may not even be the same thing. It may be husbandry.
While you are taking it to the vet explain all aspects of your husbandry.

andrew

What was wrong with it?
Ian
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buy the ticket, take the ride...

n/p

Andrew,
There brains are very small; a cerebral hemorrage would kill them almost outright, as it does with mammals...it may be a stroke, or perhaps a fistula, a forced combining of arterial and venous blood ways, and can cause serious damage in his brain/spinal chord...

markb

thanks mark. that was good info. i just wish i know for sure what caused it.

andrew

Ian, take your monitor to a herp vet asap. My male WT started showing those types of symptoms and started declining rapidly. The vet put him on a concoction of medications including antibiotics,anti-inflammatories and cerebrex.

Neither one of us still know what caused this, but we were able to get him on the up n up. Hes doing much better now but still not ayt his normal state.

Not saying what happened to mine is the same but they were nueromuscular symptoms. No one here is going to tell you anything to help him now,again take him to the vet.

What do you mean by "not his normal state?"
Ian
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buy the ticket, take the ride...

Well by his normal state, I mean being 100%.This only happened recently. He's getting there though. Here he is 2 days ago.

He looks happy... But you do think he will totally heal? Is he still on meds?
Ian
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buy the ticket, take the ride...

I think so, Im a positive thinker so yeah. No hes no longer on meds. Hes eating anytime I offer him food again, tail whipping me constsantly if I get near him, and semi active. Progressive thats for sure. Best of luck!

Luck to you to... I am so worried...
Thanks for all the help!
Ian
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buy the ticket, take the ride...

np

Dont wait around looking for answers from any of us. Take him to the vet, he's not getting any better as we speak.

I cant take him tonight, the vet is closed (i already checked), i have to wait until tomorrow morning. I just want to know what im up against, or at least have some vague idea of it.
Ian
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buy the ticket, take the ride...

Great man, I know how it can be. Let us know how it goes.

n/p
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buy the ticket, take the ride...

Here is some information you may find useful. It can be this or something else that is similar. Many vet's are simply looking at it is a type of menangitis.

check out these two sites, one is of a bosc that had these symptoms, other is of a. cantonensis (possible cause).

See a vet a.s.a.p. the sooner the better there is not alot of time once these symptoms occur.

Good luck

www.nauticom.net/www/varan/zeke.htm

www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~parasite/angiostrongylus.html

yeah jody, in case you are interested my pil developed a brain aneurism. Scott Stahl and the laboratory still have no clue why it developed. I got it to him before he died. When it did arrive Scott and Joe Lewis were like "dude, this thing is as healthy as a horse" and then it died three days later. It wasn't able to even get up to the basking sites appropriately. It was very wierd.

andrew

did they check the cerebral spinal fluid?? If so did they find any bacteria in it? Everytime I have seen this it has been caused by a bacteria in the cerbral spinal fluid. I have also noted some with damage to the liver, and pale muscle coloration.

If you read about a. cantonensis, or any of the many other parasites or menengitis like diseases, they all seem similar on how they attack.

That bosc article goes back to 95, maybe one of these years a vet will get a handle on this.

I don't know, I didn't ask Scott. I will ask Joe Lewis though to send me out the report. that would be cool. andrew