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not such a merry christmas this year for me because I'm very worried that Sam is impacted. Just yesterday (exactly one year from the day I got her), she stopped eating, and since then she's been on her basking spot ALL OF THE TIME. Even after the lights go out. I took her out yesterday and when she crapped it was very runny and it appeared as though she has some problems with it. She started walking again and then appeared as though she was going to go again. She was pushing really hard but all that came out was liquid with what looked like trace amounts of blood in it. I put her back in her tank to let her continue basking and today pretty much the same thing happened. When she pooped it wasn't solid AT ALL. It was like brown water, and she did the same thing where when she got done she looked like she still had to go, and she started pushing really hard again and couldn't get anything out. Curiously I looked under her and her anus looked wierd. I think I might have actually seen what was blocking it. I don't know what it was though. She gave up after a little bit so I gave her a bath with no success, and just a couple of minutes ago I took her out again. She tried to go again, but all she could get out was liquid. I felt her abdomen a couple of times so far today. Only once did I feel something that seemed out of the ordinary. A hard lump in her abdomen. That was the only time I felt her tummy right when I took her out, before she could go. I think maybe when she goes it gets pushed into the anus, but when she can't pass it it goes right back.

So I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to take the poor girl to the vet, but since it's the holidays there aren't any reptile vets working right now. I think the earliest I could possibly get a hold of anyone is on monday, maybe sunday, and by then the matter would be much worse I think.

Her basking spot is currently 140. I'm wondering if maybe I should leave her basking light on tonight or not?

What I'm wondering is, "Why haven't you gotten her to a vet since she is passing blood?"

I didn't get her to the vet because it was just yesterday and with the way the feces looked yesterday, I assumed parasites (some parasites cause trace amounts of blood in the feces), and since the vet was going to be closing in about an hour at the time, I didn't really have a chance. Had I realized what I realize today (that she is possibly impacted), I would have at least called. Now the vet is closed until monday. She seems to be in good spirits. When she is out, once she stops trying to go, she runs around like normal. She is basking constantly (a sign that she is trying to pass something). She just isn't eating and her stool is looking horrible.

Since today's a holiday no vets office will be open. Best to try to take her on Monday or maybe to an emergency vet clinic that may be open tomorrow.

You should take her to the vets just to be on the safe side. She could be impacted but you will not know unless you get her checked.

Also bask isn't supposed to be 140*F it's supposed to be 120-125*F, that's what everyone says.

Good Luck and I hope sam gets better soon.

Happy HERPY holidays and a happy new year also.
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1.1 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
1.saharan uro- Iris
1.2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
0.2 leo gecko-Kalypso
0.3 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1.0 tarantula-Peter Parker
0.2 dog-cheeka
0.2 zebra finch-beeps
0.2 african gray parrot-keya
1.0 red headed parrot-pancho
0.3 Fish (sorry no names for them)

For questions, comments or updates email is: uromastyx101@yahoo.com

Yes, she will definately be going to the herp vet on monday. She hasn't eaten today either, so of course I'm very worried (what a way to spend the holidays, worried about your pet). If she goes drastically down hill tomorrow I'll take her to an emergency vet, but I'd much rather get her to her normal vet whom I know to be good with reptiles. I had her basking spot at 125-130, and then she started this, so I figured if she is sick it would be better to get her under hotter light (a simulated fever to help fight off whatever is causing this problem, be it impaction or a very bad parasitic infection). She has spent all day underneath it, today, yesterday, and the day before yesterday.

I thought you meant that you had it at 140 at all times. Which of course I do not think is very good.

I know how you feel. Only I'm on the worse end of the worrieing stick becuase Iris, my saharan uro, has pneumonia and probably won't make it to New Years Eve.

I hope Sam gets better, good luck!
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1.1 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
1.saharan uro- Iris
1.2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
0.2 leo gecko-Kalypso
0.3 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1.0 tarantula-Peter Parker
0.2 dog-cheeka
0.2 zebra finch-beeps
0.2 african gray parrot-keya
1.0 red headed parrot-pancho
0.3 Fish (sorry no names for them)

For questions, comments or updates email is: uromastyx101@yahoo.com

we have seen monitors and uros effectively use basking spots well above 160F. i site 120-130 as a MINIMUM temp to have available.

read the animals, if they make use of hotter temps, give them access to hotter temps. if you have a 120F spot, and the animal is under it all the time, that is a signal that it is seeking more heat, and you should raise the temp. to see gravid, sick, and healthy animals all use temps over 150 is very interesting, and can be applied to husbandry and cage setup theory.
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

Yes, usually with a basking spot of 125-135 (which is usually my aim), Sam has a set schedule of eating in the morning, basking till about noon, then usually retiring to a nice hidespot. This fluctuates of course, but I think that and [bleep]ting every day or two shows that it's was a fairly good temp. I think that now I will keep the higher temps though, for obvious reasons.

Sam did poop today, and then she ate a little bit of greens. To me this is a pretty good indication that I'm dealing with a parasitic problem rather than an impaction, which is something I'm happy with. I'll try to get her next fecal to the vet, and then her, for the weigh in. She seems to be doing the right thing though. She's basking constantly in the high heat (this morning it was 145 surface temp), and she's actually starting to show improvement just from that. I would think that maybe in the wild they have certain ways to deal with parasites and stuff like that, and maybe creating a fever is part of it.

I'll keep this updated. I've got some work to do this week (calling all the NY assembly people and all that about the ban...the way to go isn't telling them you hate the ban, it's asking what you can do to get rid of it, and informing them why it's unnecessary). I've also gotta work on my new cages, practice percussion stuff for a couple hours a day, and break in my new .22 magnum. I'll have enough time to keep a good eye on sam though.

I'm going to go watch some episodes of Alf...got the whole first season on DVD. Yes....Alf!

I went into a local reptile shop today and they had some nice baby black throuts. It's amazing to think the dimensions those little guys are going to take on as adults. I could have stayed there all day watching them. A couple were down on the ground walking around, curiously looking at everything around them, especially me and my dad, and another couple were up basking, much more oblivious to everything around them. So that's my incentive to keep pushing (and having other people push) to have this new ban overturned or at least turned into a suitable permit system. Someday I want to raise a black throut monitor. That's also pretty good incentive to keep finding ways to improve my uro's setup. A monitor setup is, I imagine, a lot like a good uro setup, but much larger. I can't even provide enough soil for a uro to really burrow in right now, so I know that a large monitor would be even harder to provide for in that sense. I'm not too worried about it now...I've got my hands full as it is.

Keep us updated on those uros. I can't wait to see some offspring.

I am going to but in and ask Robin a question... Can I use a Holagen 45 watt bulb for a basking spot? My tank is a 75 gal and I use a Zoo-Med 100 watt bulb and that gives me a basking temp of 120.
Thank you
Debs
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The addiction can be dangerous. 1 Uro named Buddy aka Big Boy & 1 Ig named Tiny

sure, i don't see a problem with that. start with the 45 watt, make sure it is a flood. adjust the elevation of your basking spot to get the target temperature that you want : )
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles