Blue Tongue - please help?

[lmp888]

Hi

I;m new to the forum, but the lovely lady who's been providing a lot of advice at our local pet store recommended that this forum had some awesome experts on board. I hope you can help us and would appreciate your advice.

Checking our mature blue tongue today (approx. 3yrs) I noticed his undercarriage does not look well and I don't know what to do - I've rung and made an apt at the vet but they cant see him until tomorrow morning. He's still moving around and eating, but I'm worried.

For background, we haven't had him long, we've actually taken over his care from a friend. Have done a lot of research and tried to do everything by the book, The friend was keeping him on sand and didn't have UVB on him or a heat lamp, just a small underfloor heat mat, with a tiny water bowl. His claws were quite long, and we clipped them successfully (scary, but went amazingly smoothly) because I'd read about this - no issues at all. We swapped over to a coco peat substrate, water bowl big enough for his body, have underfloor heating, UVB light as well as a heat lamp for him to bask under - thermometer in all three spots showing cool, warm and warmer in the right temp range. We've tried all sorts of food, veg, fruit, greens, live mealworms, snails, the reptile food - and finally cat food, which is actually the only thing I've actually seen him eat. Dusting with calcium powder. He is very tame and has been handled a lot since a baby. he's been burrowing quite a lot - i'm figuring he's probably loving being in something more pleasant than sand.

Have attached a photo so you can see what I mean - and any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks Liesel

 

[-Peter]

Its a bacterial infection, the vet will give you whats required but in the meantime put it on clean paper for the time being and soak in a 10% solution of betadine. Do this daily and change the paper daily. Get a smaller water bowl, you don't want it walking into or through the water. For the food, try mixing other items in with the cat food and reducing the cat food or just scent the other food with the catfood.

 

[o-Lara-o]

Just wanted to say good job on adopting the gorgeous boy, give yourself a pat on the back for giving him some help by improving his life. I bet he is absolutely loving the heat lamp! Good luck with him

 

[dragonlover1]

I agree with Peter about the cat food it has too much preservative,try fresh mince meat or chicken mince from the pet food shop,we used to buy it for the dogs and also fed some to the blueys

 

[rockethead]

kangaroo mince is good mixed with fruit and veggs
I use a hand blend to mix green salads, strawberries, peaches, pears, [$4 for 500 grams kangaroo mince] carrots
and any other fruits or veggies I have
I do this and use a couple of ice trays and fill them with the food and in two days I empty the trays and when needed I defrost the food and feed my blue tongues
and I mix multical dust for calcium ,vitamins and minerals

 

[lmp888]

Peter,you were absolutely right, it's a bacterial infection and the I have to give him injections of antibiotics every three days. When you say soak in the betadine solution, do you mean literally soak him, because he prob wont stay still for it! Also, the vet told me to clear out the substrate in case that's the source of the infection (it was a bit moist when it came out), disinfect the tank and instead use recycled paper kitty litter for substrate - what do you think of this?

Good tips re the food guys, thank you. And thanks for the encouragement. Any other tips gladly taken.

- - - Updated - - -

thanks! I'm trying to get it right!

 

[-Peter]

We call it Betadine tea, Its a solution that looks like weak black tea. You use tepid water and hold the lizard in it for about 5 minutes.