Possible compaction in new tegu :/

[SnakeCharmr728]

Hi everyone,
So the adult female that I took in about a week and a half ago... I think she may be compacted... not sure.
The previous owner stated that she hasnt had an appetite and has been really sleepy (for a few weeks) and that he noticed her eating a few small rocks (about half a dime in size) from her bark.

She is indeed sleepy and doesnt have much of an appetite... I have got her to eat a few times for me but very small meals. Like only a bite or two of things. but she sleeps ALOT and she does not come out to bask... She does have a ramp and shelf on her cool side of the cage and she prefers to be there, so its not like shes staying buried... she buries in the night, wakes up in the AM, goes up to her shelf and spends the day there and then buries again at night... She doesn't go to bask on her rock under the basking bulb... So I am not sure if her lack of appetite is due to her possibly being compacted from small rocks??? or because shes sleepy and doesnt allow herself to heat up and bask?

She also has NOT pooped in the week and a half that shes been here.... although she hasnt really ate much to have to poop either? She has let out some urates.
I have been soaking her... I do not notice her drinking from the tub or from her water tub but she may do it without me seeing. She is NOT bloated, straining or showing any signs of discomfort.

I have been soaking her, massaging her tummy (I feel no lumps although I am not sure what Id be feeling for) She gets about an hour or so a day free roam time--- I know when my others get out to roam the exercise gets their bowels moving, that hasnt happened here as I said she hasnt pooped at all...

Any ideas what could be going on??? Should I wait it out another week or so to see if any symptoms change??? Or should I bring her to the vet (which I am a little hesitant to rushing her to a vet if it doesnt seem too serious because its ALOT of $ that I don't have to waste if nothing is wrong) of course if she starts showing more serious signs, she will be going to the vet but I guess I don't feel like its an emergency right now...

Anyone have any ideas or suggestions to try? I have dealt with 1 compaction before but it was obvious so I knew exactly what I was dealing with....
so the mystery in her behavior has me kind of stumped.

[txrepgirl]

I would try to lower the basking temps and see if she would go over there to bask then. If she doesn I would higher the temps again. If she stops basking again then it might be to hot for her. You can try to put her on a dog/ferret harness ( first link ) and take her outside so she can get some natural UVB ( it can work wonders ). Try to give her some chicken baby food so she gets some protein for strenght. Some Pedialyte to make sure she doesn't get dehydrated ( it's good because it has electrolytes in it ). If you want to you can get her some of the carnivore diet ( it will stimulate her appetite. Second link ).

Harness:

http://www.petco.com/product/118757/...t=OnSiteSearch

Carnivore Diet:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...9SIA07606U0196

[laurarfl]

1. Could it be the shelf thing? My tegus like to sit on top of stuff. Maybe she had a shelf under her basking spot previously and prefers it to the rock. Perhaps you could put a heat pad under her on the shelf (?)

2. Is she sharing a cage with Rex? Maybe she doesn't want to bask next to him.

3. Try adding a bit of plain metamucil or fiber therapy to her food to increase fiber content.

[SnakeCharmr728]

Shes in her cage that shes been in all her life, shes always had the shelf thing and nope shes not in with rex.
I'll try the fiber thing... Thanks

[SnakeCharmr728]

Update: Shes a pig now, eats everything! I think she just needed time to adjust to the new home.
She had 2 REALLY disgusting watery diaherria and so of course I panic'ed thinking perhaps she had the bad bacteria in her intestines again or that she was indeed compacted... I gave her some fiber, and waited a week.... all while her activity level and appetite were GREAT. The morning I made the decision to take a fecal sample in to see if she needed to be dewormed, I found a huge clump of fur-poop from that morning... Fecal came back all good and every day since that fur-poop shes pooped daily and normal poops! The fur-poop was like a hanful of fur, way more than what few mice I had fed her in her month or so with me, so obviously it had been building up for awhile with her previous owner and I think the diaherria was what could pass through around it.... she finally passed the fur-poop that was blocking her and all is good!!! YAY! I was so relieved that she was able to do it on her own and that the problem is solved. I would of course taken her into the vet if she had showed ANY signs of distress, but since her appetite and activity level was great I waited it out.... and to top it off, my hubby has really bonded with her, its nice to see that he has his own tegu lol

[txrepgirl]

I'm so happy to hear that all turned out well . Wow, what a relieve. I'm so proud of her. Thank you for the update.