Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[Daisyleo]

god bless the poor lil one, i understand it was no real fault of the previous owner but monitor information is readily available on the internet and in books from the library BUT now for helping you, he is definately overweight this will be down to the diet of rodents.

your new plans of rodents once a week is far more suitable and it's also what I use with my own bosc and have done for a while now.
bathing wise ideally if you can fit a tub big enough in his enclosure away from the heat source they will bathe when they want to, mine has a cat litter tray as he is a bit younger than yours and he does often go for a 'swim'

Try and encourage him to chase insects if you can this will aid in losing some of the excess weight he has, I worry that prolonged exposure to the poor diet he has had will have irreversible effects but the main thing is to encourage him to change his ways now and if he will take insects already you have got half of the major work done

his temps really do need to be higher BUT be careful how quick you up them because his temperament will change if you rush it, and you may end up with a really aggressive lizard on your hands

I wish you all the luck you will need and hope he stays a good sweet natured baby for you after the temp rise

[DarrenW]

[lol93]

Hi Darren, and welcome to the forum. Good on you for having a go at getting the wee guy sorted.
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[Scott W]

Hi Darren, certainly doesn't look in proportion. I'd be tempted on putting a nesting site in the viv just in case, also if the appetite has gone I'd get a vet to give it a scan.

Good luck.
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Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

[crocdoc]

Darren, those photos indicate that whatever is happening, it has gone way beyond mere fat deposits. If it were just an obese monitor, the tail base would be much thicker and the hind legs more filled out.


It is either full of eggs or has some other complication, such as the visceral gout Sam mentioned.

How common is it for females to produce eggs in the absence of a male? Very. If she is holding eggs, we don't know how long she's been holding them for (looks like a female, even if eggs aren't the issue, by the way) and you'll need to act very quickly. Put her in an enclosure with a deep dirt substrate, with at least some of the dirt heated to 30C well below the surface. It should be humid enough to hold burrows as well.

She may dump them, but if she doesn't you may want to get her x-rayed to see if eggs are the problem. The vet can try an oxytocin injection, but if it is too late for that they may have to be removed surgically.

If she is holding eggs, you're about to learn why it's so much better to keep them on a natural dirt substrate than on newspaper/astroturf/pine shavings etc.

Let us know how it goes!

[DarrenW]

Well, last night after reading the posts i shot round to the mother in laws and dug a head of soil out her garden - may not be the most ideal by some rules, though if she(?) is egg bound then some soil gotta be better than none i think...

I am just about to take out insurance from Exotic Direct - unless there are any other recomended insurers - and book her into the vets for tomrorrow.

Little caught off guard, there is only so much i can do at this stage as far as her housing goes. I had added some more lamps to bring the temp up - seems to be holding just under 100 at the mo - i have even coated some of the walls with foil to try and get it higher.
I can only put dirt so deep too - so i really dont know what will happen now.

I did have an idea about the soil though, anybody here get your shopping from tesco/asda?? They deliver your goods in big plastic crates. I thought about chopping one end off, filling it and sticking it in the viv at one end. She wont be able to get on top of it, but will be able to bury INTO it. Any good??

I will keep you posted on the situation, though any more suggestions in the meantime, please throw them my way.

[Scott W]

Not sure how big your viv is but a big plastic dustbin, with the lid secured on would be good.

Fill it with moss peat and sand mix, lay it on it's side, then cut a large access hole in the lid. You could also then attach a heat pad to one side to help get the right temps.
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Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

[DarrenW]

Hi Scott,

The viv isn't quite big enough for a dustbin - not without taking up too much room anyway.

The story so far...

I had webster (name may change to miss webster very soon lol) out this evening on the usual sheet. A nice stroll around in circles seem to be enjoyed. I then offered some fresh liver and webster took 2 good sized pieced. I chose to offer liver as it will contain much more protein that your average mouse, and it should be a lot easier to digest happen he/she is consitpated.

An appointment has been made at a local Vet that has a specialist with herps, so hopefully once that has been done we should have answers to many questions.

Depending on the outcome of the appointment will pathe the way for other ideas.

Thanks again for the continued advice. I will let you all know what the score is after tomorrow afternoon.

On a different note - my better half, who wouldn't touch a reptile, has fallen in love with webster....... I can almost see us having another addition to the family soon - once the webster crisis has been dealt with....

[kinkyskink]

Any news on webster, or miss webster mate? Hope all is ok (fingers crossed mate)

[DarrenW]

not yet - Vet appointment is 5:10 - so i'll let you all know...