|
new igs
Jun 23, 2004 20:54:18 GMT -8
Post by sylver on Jun 23, 2004 20:54:18 GMT -8
My name is Sylver I live In Ontario Canada. I just got to new iguanas they are 7 mnths old and the size of 4 mnth olds. They went to the vet today the one is on antibiotics for thermal burns on his belly and tail his tail is worrying me. Not sure about maybe gangrene. They were in a cage with heat rocks on regular light bulb and iguana pellets and very few veggies once in a while. They now have uvb lighting no heat rocks a ceramic heat emitter a basking bulb a nice pool of water and fresh colard greens dandilion greens apples grapes etc.also some cat food for protien at the vets suggestion. The vet said his tail would probably fall of but he will grow some of it back wouldn't mind a second opinon but he is the only reptile vet around. I will get some pics posted but would appriciate any advice. thanks
|
|
|
new igs
Jun 23, 2004 23:53:29 GMT -8
Post by URSULA on Jun 23, 2004 23:53:29 GMT -8
|
|
|
new igs
Jun 24, 2004 3:03:40 GMT -8
Post by Tesa on Jun 24, 2004 3:03:40 GMT -8
Hi Sylver. Welcome to Iguana-Zone! It's great that you rescued these babies! Ursula just gave you THE best piece of advice. (altho I see you said he's the only reptile vet around) As herbivores, their kidneys aren't designed to handle "meat". The extra protein will make them grow faster, but as Ursula said, it will damage/ruin the kidneys. With a proper vegetarian diet, they will be fine on protein. The antibiotics **should** take care of any infection in the tail. The burns should be treated with Silvadene. (1% silver sulfa cream) See the following link for a little more info on first aid. webpages.charter.net/tesa64735/New%20First%20Aid%20Kit2.htm Here in the US Silvadene requires a prescription, so you may need to call the vet back and ask for it. Aside from first aid, you are already doing the very best thing for them by providing UVB and a proper diet (after the cat food is removed). They need extra calcium, so push those collards!! (The Calcium to Phosphorus ratio is about 14:1) Here's the link to our food chart. webpages.charter.net/tesa64735/Revised2.htmIt has calcium, phosphorus, protein, iron, and potassium values listed for some of the major food items. Did the vet do a blood panel ? Did he have you take in a fresh poop sample to check for parasites? It sounds as tho you have either had previous experience, or you are researching proper care. (or both) Either way I applaud you for both the rescue itself, and for putting forth the effort to get them healthy! Way to go!!
|
|
|
new igs
Jun 24, 2004 22:36:20 GMT -8
Post by SurvivorSteph on Jun 24, 2004 22:36:20 GMT -8
Welcome to the Zone, Sylver. Ursula and Tesa gave you great advice. Be sure to check out their suggestions, and definitely GET RID OF THE CAT FOOD!
|
|
|
new igs
Jun 27, 2004 10:29:33 GMT -8
Post by sylver on Jun 27, 2004 10:29:33 GMT -8
thanks for the advice they didn't eat the cat food anyway My vet won't amputate his tail he says it will fall off on its own I'm worried he does have dry gangrene and that it may spread the next nearest reptile vet is 100 miles away.I need another vet!!!
|
|
|
new igs
Jun 28, 2004 5:46:50 GMT -8
Post by Tesa on Jun 28, 2004 5:46:50 GMT -8
Is there any way you can post a picture of the tail? Was a tail break involved or is it positively a burn? After a break, the end of the tail and the regrowth looks pretty nasty for awhile. It's possible (I hope) that what you are seeing is normal. When my female injured the tip of her tail (she was trying to whip me ;D) I got good results by applying triple antibiotic ointment and putting bandaids on it. Were you able to get ointment to treat the burns? If you cant get the Silvadene, put the antibiotic ointment on the burns as well as the tail. What size cage do you have them in, and do you have thermometers in both the basking spot and the low temp end of the cage? (I'm worried about whether or not you are running the regular bulb and the CHE simultaneously) Please forgive me if I ask questions that seem offensive. I'm trying to get the best picture I can in order to be helpful. Personally, I would disregard about 90% of what that vet told you. It's so hard to help you in this situation. I'm sorry I can't do a better job. Please keep us updated and provide as much info as possible. We'll do the best we can to help ya....
|
|
|
new igs
Jun 28, 2004 22:14:15 GMT -8
Post by sylver on Jun 28, 2004 22:14:15 GMT -8
ceramic heat emitter is running at night to keep the temp up and bulbs are running during the day yes i have a thermometer at eac end of the cage one in the basking area and one at the bottom on the other side near there little house. the cage is 2ft high by 4 ft long by 20 inches wide if i have pics of the tail and the cage if i could figure out how to get them on here. I'm not sure if the tail is burned or infected from sometthing else or both apparently it was broken but it is most of his tail and i have been using triple antibiotic on it it seems to be getting better i am worried of infection spreading further. I am not offended by any question i appreciate as much help as i can get and if i am doing something wrong i would like to know so i can fix it
|
|
Jay
Full Member
Learn something new everyday.
Posts: 30
|
new igs
Jun 29, 2004 6:17:05 GMT -8
Post by Jay on Jun 29, 2004 6:17:05 GMT -8
It almost looks like the tail was crushed.
|
|
|
new igs
Jun 29, 2004 9:10:49 GMT -8
Post by Tesa on Jun 29, 2004 9:10:49 GMT -8
Hi Sylver I just don't know WHAT to say about that tail. As you said, the picture is very fuzzy, but from what I can tell, not only has it been broken on the end, but the rest of it looks.....well....not good. What type of antibiotic did the vet give? oral or injection? If oral, how many days and did the ig finish the full course? What are the temps in the cage? (it's generally recommended that the temps be raised about 5 degrees during treatment with antibiotics.) As for the house: I see some kind of "stuff" in the bottom that appears to be small particles(?) If so, it needs to be removed. I can't see the UVB light. What type do you have? UVB tubes need to be within about 8 inches of the iguana, otherwise the rays are too "diffused" and it's basically useless. (Are you able to give them access to real sunlight? Thier health depends GREATLY on those UVB rays.)
|
|
|
new igs
Jun 29, 2004 10:17:39 GMT -8
Post by Merlin on Jun 29, 2004 10:17:39 GMT -8
I really can't tell anything from the picture. It is coming across to me very fuzzy and irregular. Can you possible get better pictures, close up of the tail and showing different angles?
I can deal in a few generalities. First I agree with everyone else. You need to feed the cat food to the vet as neither are of any value and in fact both are compromising your iguanas health!
Sorry, end of rant. Incompetant vets are one of my pet peeves!
Does the problem area look and feel dry and solid or soft and mushy? Can you feel any difference in that and the rest of the tail? If the tail has dry gangrene it will as the name implies look dried up and dark and the infection will travel up into the body. If the tail does need to come off then it needs to come off! Waiting for it to fall off on its own is not acceptable as that allows any infection to wear down the iguanas system, make it susceptible to other illnesses. However the determination that it does need to come off is not something any of us or you can determine on a forum. You really need the advice of a qualified vet. I realize that isn't much help in this case.
Have you talked to another vet. Even one not experienced with iguanas, which this one obviously is not, should have no problem conferring, by phone if necessary, with one who actually knows what he's talking about.
As Tesa pointed out being able to expose the iguana to unfiltered sunlight (not passed thru glass or plastic) is a good idea here as well as upping the collards, mustard and turnip greens and and very little fruit. The fruits really is mostly water anyway and is more a treat than anything else.
|
|
|
new igs
Jun 29, 2004 10:26:43 GMT -8
Post by IguanaKing on Jun 29, 2004 10:26:43 GMT -8
Hi Sylver,
The cat food (and possibly the vet) need to go. A small amount of green beans (finely chopped in a food processor, bigger pieces make igs choke) mixed in with the other veggies will give your ig more protein without the damaging effects of cat food. Igs also love the flavor that green beans add to their food and will probably eat more.
I don't know what to think of the tail...It almost looks as if someone did the same thing to the ig that some people do to Dobermans and Rottweilers to get their tails to fall off (wrapped a rubber band around it?). I don't know what advice to offer on that other than definitely looking for a second opinion. Hopefully your new igs have all of their claws still...often the same people who try to purposely remove an igs tail, usually remove the claws too.
As Tesa said, they need to be given a way to get themselves within just a few inches of your UVB light. Also, just like Tesa said, if you're using a particulate substrate, you need to remove that right away. Igs can accidently ingest this type of stuff and its usually fatal. I would recommend using some type of indoor/outdoor carpeting that is relatively cheap so it can be changed often. Most igs can learn how to use a litter box, which you can fill with alfafa pellets (safe for igs to ingest as long as the litter box is kept clean). If your igs learn this, then you won't have to change their substrate as often.
Good luck to you, your igs are lucky to have found you, it looks like you're doing everything you can for them. ;D
Sean
|
|
|
new igs
Jun 29, 2004 11:04:31 GMT -8
Post by Tesa on Jun 29, 2004 11:04:31 GMT -8
Sorry Sean.. I have to disagree with the alfalfa pellets ....if they are ingested, they can cause problems with dehydration. They aren't very sanitary either. A litterpan can be filled with water tho with no safety issues, and virtually no training since igs LIKE pooping in water. ;D aside from a litterpan... the cheapest (and arguably) most effective substrate is newspaper...
|
|
|
new igs
Jun 29, 2004 14:57:06 GMT -8
Post by IguanaKing on Jun 29, 2004 14:57:06 GMT -8
That's ok Tesa ;D, I wasn't aware of the dehydration issue and there are some who regularly include alfafa pellets in their igs' diet. I never thought of using water in the litter box, but I actually haven't used the litter box method for a few years now. I kept moving it closer and closer to the bath tub, and now, Hercules will even break out of his cage to go use the tub...now if I can just get Audrey to do the same, I'll be set.
|
|
|
new igs
Jun 29, 2004 16:35:09 GMT -8
Post by sylver on Jun 29, 2004 16:35:09 GMT -8
the stuff on the floor is repti-bark. Is it safe? the ig is on oral antibiotics and has been for a week he has 2 more weeks to go the tail has lumps throughout it it seems to have been broken in a few places it is dry and brown. i have been looking for another vet in a nearby town to get a second opinion The uvb light is on the ceiling of the cage and it is a repti-glo 5.0 i will move it closer though. the igs poop in the water which i change daily. the temps are running 90 to 100 and they are now getting green beans as well as collards will get mustards as soon as i can get to the other grocery store it is a little further away and i'm on foot. he is missing 2 claws in the front and i take them outside for about half hour to anhour each day when weather permits i am also constructing an outdoor cage for them when i want to sit out in the sun too. along with beginning to build them the cage they will need for later.I was wondering when they should be seperated if at all.if so i'll partion the big cage. i will keep you updated on their conditon. Again thanks for everyones help
|
|
|
new igs
Jun 29, 2004 17:13:18 GMT -8
Post by Tesa on Jun 29, 2004 17:13:18 GMT -8
Contrary to what the packaging says, Reptibark is NOT safe for iguanas. Its just another of those things petstores make a nice profit off of. (They make me so mad!) The temps sound ok as long as that measurement is taken in exactly the spot the iguana is laying. If the thermometer is even a couple of inches away it can make a big difference. At the "center" of where the light is shining, there is usually a spot about the size of a quarter that gets hotter than the surrounding area. Be careful that "the spot" isn't shining directly on the iguana. Unfortunately I can't add anything to the previous advice given on the tail. We'll just have to hope for the best. GREAT that you are making them an outdoor cage! The sun will help them become stonger. Chances are they will need to be seperated eventually. Don't rush into building a big cage for them yet. You have more time to think about that after you get them through the crisis. Keep up the good work! (and dont miss any doses of that antibiotic!)
|
|