Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My male saharan uro Orion has been making popping noises and shaking his head from left to right for over 3 hrs now.

It is 1:22 am and there is no vet open to take him to (plus I don't know if there is a herp vet in my state).

I'm hoping that some of you are late night people and will see this and respond.

The female saharan uro Phoebe that I had gotten originally with Orion did this the day before and the day of her death.

I really don't want him to die from the same thing that she did.

I've had him for 2 months now and he was doing perfectly fine up until tonight.

There have been no changes in living conditions what so ever.

No standing water in the tank with him at all so he couldn't have gotten water in his lungs from that. Also no humidity in my room.

Proper temps and everything. I feed him fresh greens in variety everyday and he eats everyday.

Please help I do not want to lose this guy, I love him terribly.
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

the only things that i found on the net in regards to uros and popping noises was that it was a sign of an upper respiratory infection which will most likely need antibiotics. you will have to take him to a vet in order to get medicine. even if he/she is not a herp vet, they might stil be able to help him, perhaps they can consult with a herp vet on the phone or internet. besides that, i have nothing else. i am sorry he is sick and i hope that he can get some medicine. does he have a cage mate? they could be at risk too, but i don't know that for sure. anyway my thoughts are with you all.
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

Triad,

I am so sorry to hear about your Uro. I would definitley get him to a vet ASAP, beg the money from your parents, try to work out a payment schedule with the vet, be creative (but legal, lol). Often times respiratory infections (if that is the problem) are highly contagious, so be careful when going between the cages. Also, if that is the problem, raising the temperatures in the cage can sometimes help too. In addition to vet care though, not instead of it.

Good Luck, and keep us posted!

Elizabeth
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1.0 Uro Archimedes
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

Last night I took the UVB off of Kalypso and put it on the saharans so they would both have extra heat (they already have one but I figured they should have two just in case that helps).

I'm going to be calling the vet we take our dog too (it's time she gets a scheduled appt anyways) to see if he know anything about my animal or what it could be.

I already sent an email to Doug Dix, the man I got Orion from, telling him what all was going on. I did this last night before I even posted on here.

At this point I am trying to get a job and save money for cage upgrades, but now I'm gonna say screw it and if I can find a vet, I will take Orion to him/her and ask for help and see if I can work out a payment plan with them.

Do I need to put Iris in another tank?

The only other available tank we have at my house is a 10 gallon and I know that's not the proper size but I do not want her to get sick also.

Thanks, everybody, for all of your input in helping me get through this tough time.
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

well i hope your vet can help him. let us know how it goes. below is a link of herp vets listed by state, it is not a complete list. perhaps you can see if there is one near you. keep us updated. we don't like it when out reptile friends are sick

http://www.anapsid.org/vets/index.html#vetlist
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

Thanks for the link.

I got an email back from Doug saying it sounds like he has Phneumonia .

This totally sucks.

If he does have it, is there a chance that the female can also get it?

Last night when he was sick he stayed at the other end of the tank but today he's been basking with her like he usually does.

It seems it only is acting up at night.
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

I believe pneumonia can be contagious, depending on the kind, but I am not positive.

You might try keeping the temps in their cage higher than usual at night, it might help him out a little, though hopefully you will be able to get him to a vet today or tomorrow. I would not wait a long long time to get him in. Just to be on the safe side.

Not a fun thing to deal with, but it happens.

Elizabeth
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1.0 Uro Archimedes
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

i am not really sure how it works in the lizard world but my mom had pneumonia a couple times and she always said she felt like she was going to die at night time but always felt so much better during the day. if he has it, it has to be treated, no matter what so don't let his daytime "energy" fool you into thinking he is ok.
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

I'm not.

I'm just wondering if I need to put Iris in a different tank. The only thing is we only have 1 extra tank and it is a standard 10 gallon tank.

I'm gonna see about making a visit or call to the vet tomorrow. I wish I didn't have school, then after school I have to go to the dentist. But if I have to skip the dentist in order to take him to the vet that's fine by me, his health is more important then my teeth.
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

I would not keep her with him if he has phenmonea or resp infection. Why chance her getting sick also.

Put her in whatever you have for now. Buy a cheap rubber maid tub , for emergencies.

I sure hope and pray he will be okay, let us know. But seperate her.
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Eve / PHEve

I think I'm going to buy the rubbermaid tonight after my dentist appt.

All I have right now for them is their 150 day heat bulb and a 150 watt red light bulb. So which one will be ok for Iris if I put her in a rubber maid tub?

I have an extra terrrarium but it is only 10 gallons. But I do have the lid for it.

Any advice would be appreciated at this point in time.

Thanks for all of your support!
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

I just got done reading some stories posted by people who have saharan uromastyx.

Both of which involved, in the end, the uro dying of pneumonia.

One story said it only took 3 days for the pneumonia to take complete control of the saharan's body and for her to die. Even though she was treated by a reputable vet and given antibiotics.

This totally sucks
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

Well, people are more likely to post about the negative outcomes than the positive. Human nature I suppose. I do know that time is very critical in situations like this though. Even proper treatment may not help if it is not administered until too late.

Don't give up just yet Triad, do everything you can. That is the best you can do, and either way he will appreciate it.

As for the lights, it is VERY important that you do not let his temperatures drop. If anything they need to go up, not down. I know money is a concern, but you may need to get another light for the temp cage. It is always good to have a back up anyway!

Good luck, hang in there, and keep us posted.

Elizabeth
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1.0 Uro Archimedes
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

i think sunfox kept isis in a plastic tub so maybe you could contact her to see what she did for the lid and for setting lights on it. also if you want to raise the temps for now, don't worry about fancy lights and just go to wal-mart or home depot and buy their work lamps/clamp lamps, whatever people call them, and a 90 watt flood light. it is much cheaper than pet store prices, which could help since you are going to have a vet bill soon, and they emit alot of heat. since this is a time of emergency and funds are tight, perhaps you could rotate the UVB lights of the healthy lizards so iris does not have to go without while he is healing. it is not ideal, and some people may not agree with me, but i am a poor graduate student and sometimes you have to get creative when emergencies happen
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

I agree, just make sure the clip lamp is rated for the appropriate wattage, and get a floodlight. That should be much cheaper.

Vonnie, I just finished my masters, so I totally hear you on the poor grad student front! People that collect pennies they find on the sidewalk for books and food know how to stretch a dollar!

Elizabeth
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1.0 Uro Archimedes
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

Well after my fun filled trip to the dentist (how sarcastic was that? lol) my mom and I went to Target and picked up a rubber maid container for Iris to be in temporarily.

We then went to Petsmart and got a clamp lamp.

See they have 1 150 watt bulb that's on during the day (along with another lamp, cannot figure out the name of it but it also omits heat and some light so it keeps the cool end at at least 80 degrees) they only have 1 holder designed for the bulb. So I usually take out the "day" bulb and put in the "night" uvb bulb when I go to bed. So I got the clamp lamp so now Iris gets night while Orion gets day. Then tonight I'll switch it so Iris gets day while Orion gets night.

It might seem mean but it's the only way I can get sufficate enough heat to both animals while Orion is healing and making sure Iris, if she did get infected from getting worse, not sick at all.

Also I have a towel as substrate (like a towel you use to dry off on) and then I put a stuffed animal in there so she can climb up on it to bask and so she can cuddle with it. Is this ok?
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

so whatever happened at the vet's? did you get medicine? did they say he had a chance?
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

Well I took a look at the link I was given and called those vets to see if they took reptiles.

Both of them refused my Orion. I can semi-afford the vet. But driving 5 hrs to get there is not possible. Orion cannot go for that long without heat and its getting into the 20's at night now.
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

have you taken him to any vet? he really needs medicine or he is going to die. i don't mean to scare you but this is a dire situation. isn't there anyone who you could borrow the money from and work some kind of repayment back with? do you have anything that you could sell? what about your brother, could he lend you the money? do you have a jar of change you could cash in? i am all out of suggestions and i would really hate to see you lose your lizard
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

See my parents said they would lend me the money and I could pay them back either after I get a job or by cleaning the house.

But the problem is the only vet that could possibly see Orion is over 5 hours away from our house. I called the local ones in Peoria and they said they wouldn't take his case.

So now I need to know how to transport something that needs to stay in 100 degree heat in a car with the weather outside being 40 degrees.
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

Well, you can get adapters that tranform the power from the cigarette lighter to a normal outlet, then you could plug in the light while you drive. Another option is those hunting heat packs, though you have to be careful to not let them come in actual contact with the Uro.

Those would be my two ideas... Is the 5 hour away vet the closest herp vet, or the closest vet period who will take him? If there are closer vets who will take him, you could try to have them hook up via phone with the herp vet to save you the drive...

Good Luck!

Elizabeth
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1.0 Uro Archimedes
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

So far that's the only one who will take Orion's case. Probably because that one's the only one with a feasible amount of knowledge of uromastyx.

I am calling Doug tonight though. He said he could probably tell me whats going on with Orion over the phone because that way he can get more information.

So I'll call around some more today to see if any other place can help out any.

If not then I'll be going to buy heat packs unless Doug says its just a stress reliever.
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

Doug Dix emailed me back and said that it's not contagious, thank goodness.

He said it could be caused by stress from the move, but he came to my house in July so it can't be because of that or because of too cool temps or too hot temps. I upped the temps since then so he can get better and I have also seperated Iris from him just in case it was contagious.

He wants me to call him tonight to figure out what's happening.

Do you guys think it could be because the air conditioning in my house?

I have my parents turn the ac on becuase its waaaaaay hot in my room at night (I've left a thermom. in my room the past week the temp before I go to bed is about 105 and when I get up its still 105 because of all the lights and uvb that's on).

But I've moved stuff around in my room so that no animal is near the vent at all. Orion and Iris are about 10 feet from it.

Do you guys have any thoughts on the matter?
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

i cannot believe that a vet turned down a sick animal. people are so weird sometimes. anyway i could think of some inventive ways to keep him warm but maybe someone else on here would have more practical answer. but just turn the heat on in the car, have someone else drive and just let him sit on your stomach under your shirt. it may not be 100 degrees but it will keep him warm for a 10 round trip ride.
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

I can't think that the AC could cause it unless it is drafting directly into the cage, which you have already thought of and made sure its not... so I doubt that is a problem.
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1.0 Uro Archimedes
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

I sincerely doubt that it could be the air conditioner. But one thing that concerns me about what you said is that the temperature in your room is 105 morning and night. That's bad during the day since they have to have a cool spot around 80 - can there be a cool spot in a cage where the ambient room temp is over 100? Plus it's extra scary for night since they need a cool night period around 65-70 to give their metabolism a break.

Just a thought, anyway. I hope he makes it through ok!!
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Torey
Salem, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx Geyri (Joe and Arthur)
2.0.1 Uromastyx Dispar Maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and new neighbor Spike)
1.2 Anolis Carolinensis (Bowser, Leeloo, and Sprocket)
1.1 African Dwarf Frogs (Bruce and Sheila)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)
And several miscellaneous community fish

Triad you wrote:

“I have my parents turn the ac on because its waaaaaay hot in my room at night (I've left a thermom. in my room the past week the temp before I go to bed is about 105 and when I get up its still 105 because of all the lights and uvb that's on).
Do you guys have any thoughts on the matter?”

If the temperature in your 'room' was 105F due to the heat lamps, then it is a certainty that the coolest part of your gradient was no cooler than 105. I am willing to bet that the cool zone well exceeded 105F due to the proximity of the heat lamps.

Although you have taken steps to remedy this situation, keeping a uromastyx in this high of a temperature gradient for even a week where it does not have the ability to drop its body temperature below these excessively high levels probably took a toll on your uromastyx health. If you have had your uro since July, this has probably taken place for more than a week. Any time a uromastyx is placed in a stressful environment (incorrect food, high or low temperatures, lack of space), their immune system tends to weaken, and they become more susceptible to infections and an overgrowth of organisms and parasites.

The thermometer isn't in the center of my room. And all of the animals tanks are pretty much right next to one another. Hades tank is less then 2 inches away from the saharans.

I took the thermometer out to the refridgerator in our garage today (we put soda in there and it has a habit of freezing the soda in the back) it said the temp in the fridge was around 60*Farenheight. So now I know that the thermometer is broken. I don't know how off it is. But I know its far off enough that the temp in my room couldn't have been 105 now.

I guess I'll be spending some more money getting a new thermometer for my room.

All the vets offices are closed for the day now. So I'm gonna see what Doug has to say on the phone later.

Thanks for all the help guy/gals.
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

Triad,

What about the thermometers in your uros' cages? What temps do they say? Do you have a cool side of 80*F and a warm side of approx 100*F and a basking spot of 120*F?

The best thermometer to read these temps is the indoor/outdoor kind that have a wire with a sensor on the end that can be placed in the different areas of the cage to check the temps. Is this what you've got?

Like others have said, it's VITAL to make sure your temperatures AND temp gradients are perfect.

Good luck with your little guy!
Nicki
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Nicki
I care for 4 Uromastyx and 5 Snakes
Member of OARA (Ottawa Amphibian and Reptile Association)

I am sorry to hear about your sick uro. I don't know how old you are, but judging from your posts, you are probably a teenager. I also don't know where you live in reference to Wisconsin (you mentioned Peoria, IL) but there is a reptile vet in Brookfield Wisconsin about 5 minutes off I-94. These vets work with the reptiles at the Zoo. Just a few more thoughts...you can use a small styrofoam cooler (like the 6 pack one) and put it inside a larger cooler. If you don't have amimal heat packs you can use the handwarmer types in an emergency. Do not let any heat packs come in contact with your animal, monitor temps. As a suggestion for the future, everyone should have an emergency kit for their animals on hand. It should have betadine, antibiotic ointment, vetwrap bandage, gauze squares, peroxide, virosan, bandage scissors, tweezers, q-tips, syringes, 40 hour heat packs, gloves, your vet's numbers and a ready to go styro-lined carrier. I would also invest in a temp gun for around $25, they are invaluable. You should also have extra lights (both heat and UV) in stock. I know it is expensive, but you would be happy to have these items when you need them. Good luck! Hope he recovers quickly.

Pam

good idea. anyway i worked at a pharmacy all throughout high school so i know all those things but virosan, based off two parts of the word it could be like virus sanitizer, but what is it exactly and in what form
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

Virosan (Nolvasan) is a bactericide and virucide all purpose cleaner. It is a liquid concentrate that is diulted with water. I use it all of the time to clean cages, bowls, etc. It is even safe for frog cages. I buy it from Proexotics and there is more information on it on their website. Hope this helps.

Pam

>>I don't know how old you are, but judging from your posts, you are probably a teenager.

I'm 17, I'll be 18 in 35 days on Nov 18. Although I am a freshman in college.

>> I also don't know where you live in reference to Wisconsin (you mentioned Peoria, IL)

I live in a small town about 20 min from Peoria. Wisconsin is only about a 7 hr drive from my town.

But Doug's gonna send me the medicine I need so I won't have to go to the vet.

I'll start saving up for an emergency kit like you suggested.
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish