Urgent Sav help please

[buck2003]

Hi, straight to the point, over the weekend i noticed my young sav was staying at the cool end, i checked my temps 82f cool side, 95f warm with elevated basking spots at 120f and 140f.
At feeding time i noticed he was sluggish and wobbly and i thought it was that he just woke up. This hasn't improved and its like his vision is impaired and either hes too weak to hold his head so it appears like he's drunk.
On his own there is no chance hed catch a cricket his aim is off by a lot, so im hand feeding him and even then having to try to stabilize him by supporting his neck/head.
Worried this was a calcium deficiency ive started dusting all crix/locust with nutrobal and crix are gutloaded with mix veg/carrot.

I also gave him a bath yesterday during which time he did a big poop.

Im worried hes had a rapid growth spurt and its caused nurological problems.

Anyone know how to fix this?

regards buck

[Noelle7206]

Re: Urgent Sav help please

Sorry to say I have no experience w/ savs...but what you're describing sounds serious & would certainly send me to the vet w/ him...hope all turns out ok. Keep us posted, maybe someone more savvy* will
chime in here? (*sorry, I couldn't help myself- )

His symptoms sound like he is suffering from over-heating...any way to make the low end even cooler? (keep in mind I don't know what their proper temp. range is, though I do realize they like it warm!)

[Noelle7206]

Re: Urgent Sav help please

If it was a dietary issue, it's not likely to be this sudden. Any chance he's taken a fall? From the care guide in the other thread, the max. temp. should perhaps be 130*??? with a low about 80*?

I do know that animals that are overheated exhibit 'neurological' symptoms...think about heat exhaustion & heat stroke in humans & other critters? How long has he been like this???

[buck2003]

Re: Urgent Sav help please

I do know that animals that are overheated exhibit 'neurological' symptoms...think about heat exhaustion & heat stroke in humans & other critters? How long has he been like this???

It happened overnight really, Friday all was well, Saturday he looked shaky/unsteady, Sunday I was concerned he'd not pooped and looked a lil bloated, and i was concerned he'd not drank so thought a bath would help. it didnt but he still had a good appetite, i dusted his crix but only gave him a few like 10 Monday i did the bath again to help him poop and to help if a lil dehydrated and to my relief he did a big poop with urinate but sadly it made no difference.
Today his walking seems better but he seems to lose control of his head and falls over when he lunges at food.

It doesnt look like hes drank so how can i safely hydrate him?

Thanks for the replies.

[Noelle7206]

Re: Urgent Sav help please

When I rescued a bearded dragon in bad shape (constipated-bloated-& starving from improper diet) it helped him to soak in mildly warm water...I think they absorb some thru skin & but also tend to drink a little while there.

If you dab or drip something on a lizard's mouth, many will lick it off...that's another way to go, maybe? Don't know about savs...?

When I've taken in snakes that were over-exposed to heat-sun, I also added a TINY pinch of electrolytes (from my human formula tablets) to their drinking water. Sadly not all make it though, no matter what.

Still say you ought to consult a vet...it could also be something entirely different...some other serious illness??? or some sort of poisoning-chemical exposure???

[Noelle7206]

Re: Urgent Sav help please

Electrolytes: easier way is to get some Pedialyte from the baby-food aisle at the nearest grocery, DILUTE that, and offer as his drinking water (as already noted). Still don't know for sure if this is related to his
being over-heated, but it may help & shouldn't hurt. Please remember that this forum & any advice herein is not a substitute for a vet that's actually seeing your animal. All the best-

[buck2003]

Re: Urgent Sav help please

Thanks again for the advice/replies, it all helps, though i dont think hes been overheated at anytime.
Today he seemed to walk a lot better, until he tried to focus on food so I called the vet today and explained the situation, about 3:30 today she phoned me back. I explained his symptoms of impaired vision/balance, viv temps 80f cool, 90f hot with elevated basking 125f at this moment and everything he eats (standard brown crickets,locust, Dubai roaches, 3 pinkies, earth worms and lastly he likes boiled egg)
After everything and loads of advise im to keep doing what i am with dusting the crix only now to use calcium dust only 4-5 days a week and Nutrobal the other two days. Keep an eye on the temps and his appetite and if they don't improve or worsen take him there.
She advised me to add another water bowl closer to the warm end to raise the humidity as i've no gauge (next on list)..he immediately drank from that.

In the wild he'd of died by now for sure as without a human to hand feed him and support his head he'd never catch a thing so grown even weaker so everyday is a bonus and hopefully he gets a lil stronger.

I forgot to ask her if crix are the best food for nutrition, anyone here know what's best from the list.

Kind regards Buck

[acephantom903]

Re: Urgent Sav help please

A lot of reptiles like fresh water. Most will drink fresh water as soon as you give it to them. A couple of my local boa keepers will fill up a water bowl and return a couple hours later and it is bone dry. My 9 month old juvenile boa will drink her weight in water roughly every other time I change her water within an hour.

He previously had a water bowl, correct? How often do you change the water?

EDIT: This doesn't sound like dehydration, I was just curious.

[buck2003]

Re: Urgent Sav help please

He previously had a water bowl, correct? How often do you change the water?

Yes lol hes always had water changed daily or more often if he poops or kicks dirt in it lol

As for the cause I've no idea, I've checked the temps which are ok now, and have been previously, I've thought about everything he ate just before this. the last thing other than crix was a boiled egg, he mainly ate the yolk, a few days earlier he ate 2 or 3 dubai roaches, plus crix or a few locust and earth worms. he'd also had 3 pinkies a week before. I've wondered if one of the bugs was sick or something or hurt him internally but they all seemed healthy and had been fed carrot and mixed salad. The roaches had some orange which made me think it'd fermented in his belly hence him looking drunk (i know that sounds foolish)
Ive even wondered if he'd grown too fast and caused nerve damage. as he's really had a growth spurt.

Thanks again I'll post an update

regards buck

[Noelle7206]

Re: Urgent Sav help please

May never know exactly what happened, but I sure hope he makes a complete recovery.

[zamora]

Re: Urgent Sav help please

I know zip, zero, nada about lizards except they are cool. I'm hoping everything works out ok and he recovers for you.

[Pandorasdad]

Re: Urgent Sav help please

I wish I knew anything at all about savanna monitors so I could help. Looks like a trip to a herp vet is in order.

[buck2003]

Re: Urgent Sav help please

Thanks for the replies, he is still with us and has continued to eat twice a day, approx 10 standard crix per meal (sometimes a mix/match with 4th hoppers) mon - fri crix dusted with calcium, sat/sun dusted with nutrobol.
On the advise from here and the vet I've bought some reptoboost which has electrolytes in it mixed at 1 level scoop to 500ml drinking water.

Anyone know how I can get him to drink? if i got a eye dropper or syringe is it easy to get down?

Lastly what main diets best for nutritian? foods i can get him to eat are crix/locust pinkies or boiled egg.

thanks Buck34

[Noelle7206]

Re: Urgent Sav help please

I have no experience with savs, only a bearded dragon, but for any lizard with a significant bite-force you'll NOT want to use an eye-dropper that's glass...& even hard plastic could shatter if he chomps it. You could
use a piece of soft aquarium tubing or a straw perhaps...you know, dip in liquid & hold your finger over the end to retain it while you transfer it to him? You'll have to experiment I guess. I'm glad to know there's a product
called Reptiboost, btw.

Can't advise on diet...keep researching. Find a breeder/seller to ask???

[bcr_229]

Re: Urgent Sav help please

Anyone know how I can get him to drink? if i got a eye dropper or syringe is it easy to get down?

Lastly what main diets best for nutritian? foods i can get him to eat are crix/locust pinkies or boiled egg.

thanks Buck34

Can you dust the boiled egg with a bit of the electrolyte powder? That way your sav won't stop drinking if he doesn't like the taste of it in his water. That's how I give my snakes NutriBAC, I dust a damp f/t feeder with it.