Sick baby rock monitor

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Sick baby rock monitor

Postby Wolf777 » Wed Apr 28, 2010 8:03 pm

Hey guys long time since I've been online. I found a sick baby Varanus albigularis albigularis today. It was severely dehidrated and was almost dead, it wasn't moving or anything when I found it. I gave him a little water and some egg white with a syringe and he is keeping it down, put him with a heatpad and he is moving his limbs every now and then. He has got a lot more energy since, but is still lying with his eyes closed and without moving too much, almost like it's sleeping or basking. I am miles away from a vet and any tips would be highly appreciated.
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Re: Sick baby rock monitor

Postby Ales » Wed Apr 28, 2010 10:00 pm

Hey

I know nothing about sick lizards but all i can say is good luck.
I think sunlight will help allot.

Hope he does better.
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Re: Sick baby rock monitor

Postby Buck Rogers » Wed Apr 28, 2010 10:06 pm

Where did you find it, at a pet shop or in the wild or did someone have it? Some details could help. If it is dehydrated look for signs like extremely lose skin with no elasticity and the hip bones will be visible. If this is the case keep the humidity very high, as high as 80% with various water bowls. Wild varanus may not always drink out of water bowls and could prefer to drink droplets of the side of the cage. You need to hydrate him first before worrying about feeding as soon as it is properly hydrated it should start feeding.

If it has not started feeding in the next week to two, first thing would be to get it to a vet, if not try a mixture of hills A&D (will need this from a vet), energade and probiotic plain yougurt mixed together in a syringe. Try avoid tubing as much as possible as it will stress it out and make matters worse. If it is really young it will need to eat insects, it is more likely to take crickets than 'meat' but the hydration is the most important part at this point.

Get rid of the heating pad and put in a spot light that will generate about 40 degrees under the hot spot but enough of a gradient so that it can have a cool spot. Varanus need a heat source from above not below. Plenty of hides as well when it is able to move around.

Please post a pic so I can get a better idea of the condition of it.
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Re: Sick baby rock monitor

Postby Wolf777 » Thu Apr 29, 2010 2:56 pm

It stumbled into a classroom at my mom's preschool so it's from the wild, there are tons of them there in the veld next to the school. I can't post a pic at this moment my phone is in for repairs and they gave me a replacement without a camera. But if I posted one you would think it is dead. I hydrated it with a syringe then it's skin became more "tight" but it's just lying there. Will any spot light work? I have the heatpad folded like a hide and I put him under there. The temperature gets to about 30c. I was amazed that it made it through the night, that's how bad he looked. I also think it might have a respiratory infection as it seems as if it is struggling to breathe.
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Re: Sick baby rock monitor

Postby Buck Rogers » Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:42 pm

Has it been struggling to breath since you found it or after you syringed water in its mouth? How certain are you that the water went down the gullet and not down to the lungs? I know what you are doing is trying to help but syringes down reptiles throats can be very dangerous and if it swelling up that doesn't necessarily mean its hydrated, once again it could have gone into the lungs if that's the case the chances are slim it will make it. I know you trying to do the right thing here so its not like I'm trying to come down on you or give you a hard time.

If it stumbled into a class room it should have the strength to be able to drink, I obviously don't know the physical condition and would need to look at it and observe it first hand to decide the correct course of action.

Varanus will get a respiratory infection if they are wet and cold, this can be easily cured if you catch it in time. Depending on the size of your cage you can use anything from a 60 - 80 w spot light globe (Osram), try get the frosted globes. This needs to be at the top of the cage, what are you keeping it in at the moment? You need to hydrate it properly with out it getting cold and wet, misting it so it can drink off the side of the cages, most monitors will respond to drinking like this (except you desert species).

The trick for now is to keep it as warm as possible and well hydrated, you can possibly leave the spot light on for 24 hours, but would recommend getting a red light for night times to keep those temps as high as possible all the time (once again just an Osram brand).

If it is struggling to breath it is a very slim chance of survival, but you might have caught it in time and save its little life. They are very hardy creatures and can endure quite a lot but sometimes there is nothing more that you can do unless you have access to medication - which may not even help.

What is the size of it? Snout to vent and total length?
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Re: Sick baby rock monitor

Postby Wolf777 » Thu Apr 29, 2010 4:25 pm

It's been struggling to breathe since I found it. I thought it was dead but when I picked it up I he moved a bit. Im pretty sure it went down the gullet because I was very carefull and avoided the airway. It also seemed a bit stronger after I hydrated it and let it bask in the sun for a few minutes in my hand. Snout ventral length is 11cm and total length is about 20cm-21cm.
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Re: Sick baby rock monitor

Postby Bernice » Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:19 pm

If he is that badly dehydrated you can soak him in luke warm water (should almost feel cool to your hand or the same temp as your hand), just a shallow tub, or even in the sink, just a few centimeters deep so he doesn't feel the need to try and 'swim'. If he is very weak and 'slouchy' don't leave him! and support his head if he cant hold it up out of the water, he will probably try and drink the water which is good, do this for about 10min every day until he is drinking on his own... dont go the syringe route if you can help it, as this is very stressful for him, see if he wont drink his bath instead :)

Any old spotlight should work the main thing now is keeping him warm! just make sure it doesn't get over 40degC like Buck said...

You can try and tempt him with a little piece of chicken liver... if he is not interested in eating keep up the hydration routine and try again the next day... he should start eating on his own when he is properly hydrated.

Good luck with him! keep us posted!
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Re: Sick baby rock monitor

Postby Wolf777 » Fri Apr 30, 2010 12:14 pm

Update. The little guy is still alive and is moving a bit more(he does'nt seem dead he is moving a limb once in a while), he also defecated. Thanks for all the responses, will keep you guys posted.
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Re: Sick baby rock monitor

Postby Wolf777 » Sun May 02, 2010 11:44 am

Update: The little guy did'nt make it.
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Re: Sick baby rock monitor

Postby Ales » Sun May 02, 2010 3:32 pm

Well you tried your best,he was probably too far gone.
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Re: Sick baby rock monitor

Postby Wolf777 » Sun May 02, 2010 7:29 pm

Thanks for all the replies guys.
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Re: Sick baby rock monitor

Postby Groenslang » Thu May 06, 2010 4:00 pm

That sux! It always is worst when you try your best to help but end up with no results! Well done on you trying to save it!
The future depends on what we do in the present. - Mahatma Gandhi

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