He checks out!
Mr. Vet says he shows no signs of emaciation, his mouth is picture-perfect (his guess is that he's strange and just likes drinking water sideways for one reason or another, but sees no reason why he won't take food), the eyecap's no big deal, and the "drooling" was more than likely from simply over-drinking after being in the desert for a day.
So yeah, awesome news. I'm keeping him quarantined for 3-4 months or so (IBD n' all), and I'm gonna try some f/t food next week.
Hurrah for Gunthar!
Thanks for all the advice guys. He turned out to be a lot better off than I thought, but the peace of mind of having a vet say so too is a big relief.
Baz
