Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, here's the deal, I work at a petstore in NJ called NJPets and an order of Texas Collared Lizards came in a while ago. One of them came in dark, skinny and lethargic. I don't know who signed and confirmed the order instead of sending them back, but we were stuck with it. So it's in it's enclosure for a couple days, nothing really changes, he's still very skinny and bony. I am a sucker for collared lizards because I already have one and when I saw this one looked near death I was very concerned. So a couple of days ago I took it home and decided to try and treat it to help it get better.
I planned to take it to a vet (because our petstore wouldn't take it to the vet) but I am broke as can be.
Is there anything I can do to help it gain some weight and give him some nutrition? I have been force feeding wax worms and a daily soaking in the sink. I have the UVB & basking light on during the day, and the undertank heater and red heat light on at night, with an overall temp of 80-85 both day and night. My other collared in the same enclosure in doing fine, but I want to help this one.

Is there anything i can personally do to help it? THere are also some bumps on top of it's neck near it's head, like some type of growth, I dunno what it is but it's nasty. I'll try to take some pics but for now is there anything I can do?
Baby food? Anything?

THANKSSSSS

Hi, I'm also in NJ WELCOME ! Glad to have you sorry to hear the collared is not doing so well.

I personally would get the one thats real sick away from your collared that you have had. I read you are housing them together

I wouldn't, if I had no idea what was wrong.
You should always keep a new lizard away from others you have for a short time anyway.
* Especially if you know they are sickly!

Anyway your temps are to low 80 degrees or 85 is to low, Have to have your temps 100 - 105 under the basking light.

And the rest of the tank should be high 80's to 90. During the day. I never heat them at night if my house is heated.

Although with a sick or weak one you can heat alittle at night.
You can try chicken and veggie baby food, grind your worms in the blender with baby food, give with a dropper or empty syringe tube.
Add in some calcuim dust like ya would when you dust bugs.

Or just open and ram crickets and worms down if he can handle it.

You can also get some pedylite, kinda like gator aide. In the baby isle at the grocery store, it will keep his energy up.

You can also buy some parazap , and treat for parasites, probably has worms. As far as the bumps on his neck I have no idea what that is without a pic. Maybe scabs from bites?

I sure hope you can help him out, any thing you need to know , people here will be glad to try and help, Let us know how you do !
-----
____
----
Eve / PHEve

oh that is so terrible that they would not help him. don't your lizards have to be checked out by a vet in your pet stores?
where do you take the collared you have now? maybe you could work something out with the vet?
definitely try to get him in warmer temps and alone. if he does have parasites, he can pass them to your other lizard. if my lizard was that skinny, i would try the baby food just because it is made for easier digestion. it is probably too cold to take him out for natural sunshine, but do you have a good source of UVB on him to help him digest his nutrients properly?
please keep us updated on his condition and really try to get him to the vet. we don't like it when our scaly friends are sick
-----
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 ***