Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just don't know what to do about Fella. He just hasn't been the same since here awhile back,when he was feed to much. He stays under his rocks,all day. Hubby thinks his tank temps might be to high. But the thermomater shows 90s. I can't remember the last time he ate. Just to get him out from under the rock,I have to poke him. His hiding spot has several layers to it. Every once in awhile,he'll climb up a littler higher,but never out from under it. He won't even come out to drink. I've been spraying down his hiding spot with water,hoping he'll lick some of it.
But I just saw a pic on another thread,from the4thmonkey,his lizard(i think his name was Hermes)anyhow,that lizard was 5 months old,and twice the size of Fella. I bought Fella back in Aug,he was just a little over 2 inches then. Hes MAYBE growen 2 inches. I've took him about before to try and force him to drink,but that lizard just won't open his mouth.
His sides are shrunk in.
I know yall are going to say to take him to the vet..but I just can't. Hubby lost his job 2 weeks ago,and we've just about used up all our savings.
Do you think he's just wanting to Brumate? He stays asleep everyday all day. Hes not as skinny as I would think he'd be,as long as its been since hes eaten.
I just don't know what to do for him.
Anyhow...any help would be great.

if you want him to drink you could always try taking an old little container and poking a tiny hole in the bottom so it can drip down into the area he is in (ice cubes can do the same thing). i also dampen the sand on one side where my lizards sleep and they usually will burrow down into it for extra moisture at night.
what do you mean the temps say 90? there needs to be a gradient. like 100-105 under the basking light and then the cool end should be around 90.
it is possible that he could be trying to sleep winter away, but will you refresh my memory with what was wrong with him eating too much?
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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 tried the ice cube thing,alls he did was look at the water driping. Well my temp strip is in the cool end. Thats where its showing 90s.
And for the eating to much,my hubby,here awhile back,feed him,without me knowing. Fella got impacted(is that the right word?)Anyhow,it made his back legs crippled(by the way,the last time i actully saw him move,his legs were working.)
I took hubbys advise about it being too hot,and shut one of his lights out,but that still didn't help.
Maybe he is just wanting to sleep. Do you guys think I should just turn his lights off,and not turn them back on for awhile?

i am not sure where you got him from but has he ever been treated for internal parasites? sometimes that can make them lathargic and not hungry.
i am not saying that it is time for force feeding or watering but if you feel it boils down to that, get one of you to hold the lizard in one hand and then use your thumb on the other hand to pull down their lip. (it can also work with one person because i live alone and can do it) i do this when i have to give them medicine and once they taste it they will usually take it on their own. you can also try soaking him in a shallow warm bath (did i say that in the last post?) and usually they will lap at the water.
one year i thought walter was sick all the time because he always wanted to sleep and i would but him under his basking light every morning and as soon as he was warm i would feed him. usually he ate only one cricket and then shortly went back to bed but he never lost weight when he did this
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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 read many times that you shouldn't brumate lizard that is sick or was sick a couple of months before winter.

When my female got sick with MBD, she had a lack of both UVB and calcium. This lasted about 1 onth.

Therefore(*), she refused any cricket that was unpowdered with regular "rep-cal" phosphorus-free vitamins.

Like she knew what made her sick and just make sure by herself that she gets correct food intake.

...
In your case, it may be the same "disease memory". Your lizard know or remember how the food hurt its gastro-intestinal track during impaction.

I suggest :
- De-chlorinated wated
- Smaller bugs (Wingless crickets ...)
- A lot of casesses on the belly
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Sara - Female Eastern Collared (Out of brumation )
30 X 16 X 12 enclosure
Full carpet
UVB 8.0

I wouldn't compare your baby with Hermes. Hermes is a real enthusiatic eater. (That's a nice way of saying big fat pig!) He is about 5.5 months old here. I hope his new family can afford him! But seriously, Cadence is probably a month younger and she has not grown or eaten at anywhere near the rate Hermes has. Cadence does eat, but she is only out and active 3-4 hours a day. She is very reclusive and sleeps a lot compared to the others. When she is awake she is usually semi-hidden. But Cadence is not skinny and I would be worried about your Fella too. I'm sorry you can't go to a vet, but maybe you can force feed some liquids and baby food. I've had good luck pulling the lip on the side of their mouths down to open it, then using a syringe.

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Valerie

We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.
--Martin Luther King, Jr.--

God bless the USA

vrk.photosite.com

I have been through a lot with my collared, Dexter. We've made several trips to the vet and corrected many things and learned a lot. Recently, I learned that the temp gauges on the sides or back of the aquarium aren't worth a whole lot. Best to use a temp gun ($25), but I understand you can't afford so maybe take your heat strip or whatever and just move it around in the aquarium to different spots... just to get a rough idea. Put it on the branch or rock under the basking light and then put it near his water, on the cool side, etc. I thought I had the perfect set up, but once I got the heat gun, I found out that he had hot spots reaching 145 degrees. Way too hot!! The temps on teh cage said 95-110 though. Just keep that in mind is all.

Also, definitely force feed water! My vet just recommended me giving .6 cc's 2x per day of just bottled water. Dexter has kidney damage so .6 cc 2x per day is a lot. Try maybe .6 cc once a day. I hold Dexter in my hand and then move my finger softly but yet firmly on the side of his mouth from front to back. He always opens up. Then I just squirt a little bit in at a time ... maybe .2 cc per time. He could very well be dehydrated. You can also get moss and put it in a little food container box you might have and put it in his tank. IT's called a humidity box. Just a clear Ziplock container (you know... those disposable kind) or something similar and put some moss in it... or maybe even just crumpled up wet paper towel... to save money... and put is half way in the hot part of hte tank and half in the cool. Put just a little hole large enough for him to go in and out... the humidity may help him as well as give him another water source. Make sure when you cut the container to make sure there are no sharp edges when you are done.

I've never done it, but many have... give him baby food... like some dark vegetable variety. I use this food the vet gave me, but again, it is an expense and I'm tring to help so this isn't expensive for you Feed him 1 cc (which is quite a bit more than .6 cc of water) every other day.... on the days you don't give water, feed, and vice versa.

Just some ideas from my experiences. Always feel free to email me as well.
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JIM aka jakeleolizard

1 Collared Lizard -Dexter- DOB 4/23/03
1 Beagle/Pug mix -Teagan- DOB 11/26/03