Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys, I'm trying to help my brother with his tegu. It's stopped feeding. I'm a snake guy, but know little of lizards and their ways, so I haven't been able to help. Here's what I know:
It's a golden tegu about 18 months old and small for it's age.
It hasn't eaten in about three months
It continues to defecate
It hasn't lost a significant amount of weight
It has become much more lethargic
I do not know the temperatures, but my brother says they have not been changed even though it's winter/early spring.
I can't see anything physically wrong with the tegu.
I do not know what kind of lighting he is using.

Since the lizard hasn't lost weight and seems lethargic, could it be trying to brumate or hibernate?
How long can a tegu go without feeding?
Again, I have a great deal of experience with snakes, but little with lizards.
My brother has limited funds and there are no qualified reptile vets in the area he lives, or I would have suggested he seek their counsel.

Any ideas? I'd hate for him to lose his pet.
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Golden tegus (Colombians) don't hibernate like the Argentine B/W, plus this would be the season to emerge. Since it's 18 months old, it should be acclimated to the N Hemisphere (if you're not sure of its origins).

Without any background info...here's what I would say to begin with...

Husbandry is everything in herpetoculture. If a lizard isn't happy with its habitat, then it's going to show it somehow. I keep my Colombian in a suitably sized enclosure with plenty of Cypress mulch for it bury under. I moisten the mulch once a week to keep it humid, but not wet. The basking site is kept at 90-95 degrees with a cooler end of 75-80 degrees. She stays buried a lot, but comes out to bask. Proper UV is a must, and the bulb should be changed every 6 months unless it is a Mercury Vapor in which case it can be changed every year (or longer if you have a UV meter).

I offer my Colombian fruit, but she rarely eats it, she much prefers whole rodents, fish, eggs and 'parts'. She eats 3 times a week until she's full. One time she eats a whole appropriately size rodent. Another time she eats egg or fish. The third time she eats chicken gizzards/livers or ground turkey sprinkled with her vitamins/minerals. I don't feed my tegus in their enclosure. This one eats on paper on the kitchen floor, then poops on it. She has a large water bowl that can drink from and bathe in if she chooses.

Another thing to try for digestive health is deworming and probiotics. Deworming usually requires veterinary assistance for the proper meds, but probiotics such as Benebac or Nutribac can be bought from pet stores. It just takes a sprinkle on the food.

I don't know how long a Colombian can go without food. My Argentines are waking up and look great (fat tails) without having eaten for 4-6 months. It depends on the metabolism of the reptile. Large gators can go for a year, likewise for snakes. I wouldn't recommend it, however. With such limited info, I wonder if the temps are too low for the little guy? It seems that lethargy and small size would initially point to low temps, insufficient UV or calcium, or parasites. Like I said, I would correct the husbandry issues first and then get a fecal check. Giving an animal any meds when they don't have the proper temps to metabolize the chemicals can be harsh on the kidneys.

Just my $.02