Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My tegu supposedly has a respiratory infection, he came from someone who had no clue what they were doing w/ him, he is about 2 feet long and was in a ten gallon tank w/ hay in it and no heat, well i was putting him back in his cage(i have him now) and right before i set him down he just started quivering, and i went ahead and set him down in the cage he continued quivering for a little longer then stopped, he is very weak also. What do i do?? Vets office is not open now.

You can try the yellow pages and see if there are any emergency vets that have 24 hour coverage. Be aware that if they page someone to come in, it could get pricey and they may not have a reptile specialist on call. I hope your Tegu hangs in there till you can get to a vet. I know with some reptiles, by the time they really start exhibiting symptoms, they're pretty far gone. All I can suggest is to keep him warm and hydrated and try not to stress him too much. I've been in a similar position and you have my sympathy! Good luck!

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Lora

Right now he seems to just be resting, he is in a 55 gallon tall tank and i have a 100watt light bulb in the heat lamp. He has access to water and has gotten in his water, but hasnt dranken anything.

Make sure he has a hide box, and some nice deep substrate to burrow in, this may make him feel more comfortable. Make sure he is well hydrated. It may be worth while to pick up a syringe to make sure he gets some water in him. Good luck with your tegu, they are great animals once they get settled. Probably one of my favorites.
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Since there is more information re: symptoms, it seems that the tegu may have NSHP aka metabolic bone disease. In your previous posting that I replied to you stated that you have UvB on him. I would check that your UvB fluorescent tube or mercury vapor bulb is not more than 6 months old; as the UvB transmission starts to degrade. If you are using a tube, it should be within 12-18 inches from the substrate/MVB should be further depending on the wattage/temps. If you can, give the tegu direct sunlight, that would be the best form of light.

Try to get him/her to a vet ASAP. IF metabolic bone disease is diagnosed, the vet will usually give an injection of calcium glubonate or similar readily metabolized calcium. Hydration is very important, too.

Hope your tegu is able to recover-goodluck.