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Thread: Prolapsed tegu

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    China
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    43

    Default Prolapsed tegu

    Ruby just experienced a colon prolapse - it was like a small pink tube about 3 cms long, don't think it was hemipenes (saw the other post about prolapse by txrepgirl).

    We put her into a warm bath and carefully pushed the colon back in, it is in now.

    Ruby is on a diet of minced beef, beef liver, small feeder frogs, two pinkies every week, and occasional superworms (she hadn't eaten superworms for several days prior to the prolapse). Would anyone be able to advise me any change that I can do to her diet to avoid future colon prolapse?

    I'd like to get her to a vet, but in China there are no vets specialising in reptiles.

    Many thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Hi Sgun020. I'm glad the prolapse is back in. Good job . There are many reasons why a Tegu can get a prolapse. The ones I know is if a Tegu is impacted or fell from high up. If you don't mind me asking. Are the feeder frogs alive or dead ( frozen/thawed ) ? I would be careful feeding anything live like frogs, snails, fish that maybe came from a fish store or from outside in the yard. You never know if those animals are sick and pass it on to your Tegu. I always would just get live feeders that are breed just for feeders. You can give him many different foods such as fresh fish filets ( cod, salmon, tuna, cat fish, sardines, smelts ). Chicken/turkey breast or ground up. Beef ( ground up ) or pork. I would cut of all the fat since the fat isn't good for your Tegu's heart. I would feed him some fruits ( berries, mango, grapes ). I would stay away from fruits who are high in acid. Bananas should be given just as a treat every now and then because they are very high in Potassium. You can also give him some different kinds of veggies and hard boiled eggs. I would grind up the shells because the edges are very sharp. If there is something he doesn't like to eat you can get a cheap blender and put everything in the blender. This way he can't pick out just the things he likes. Does he have a water dish/bin in his enclosure so he can drink from it when ever he is thirsty and doesn't get dehydrated ?
    Rich is not how much you have, or where you are going, or what you are.Rich is who you have beside you.

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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
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    China
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    Default

    thanks for your quick reply txrepgirl.

    you mentioned about falling from up high,which reminds me,she did fall from a chair this morning - she was sitting behind me on a chair and she walked over to the edge and fell. the chair is not very high,just the regular armchair. if it is a possible cause,i perhaps should sit somewhere else lower to the ground.

    she eats live frogs that we bought from a shop who breeds them for food,the shop also sells fish,bloodworms,superworms and mealworms. we buy our live supplies from that particular shop,seems ok so far. i will definitely mix fruits and veges into her meat,she is very picky - does not like egg,regardless of how it is cooked or raw.

    a water dish is also provided in her cage,it is big enough for her to soak in but she usually only drinks from it. we soak her every evening,she seems to enjoy the warm baths.

    should i stop the feeding for a day or two after the prolapse? just to be safe,or i can resume feeding straight away?

    thank you.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Central FL
    Posts
    4,349

    Default

    I have read a paper from Phoenix Herpetological Society (author unknown) in which he does not feed for 3 days after to rest the cloaca and colon. Then he mixes Metamucil or a psyllium based product to soften the stool. Here in the US it would be called unflavored Metamucil.

    Is Ruby getting enough calcium supplementation? Low calcium levels affect how muscles work, including muscles of the organs. Other things to watch for are anything that cause her to strain to pass feces: dehydration, parasites, low fiber diet, limited exercise, low basking temps. If the cause cannot be found, then the chance of recurrence is high.
    Laura R (FL)
    1.0.0 Colombian Tegu
    1.4.0 Argentine B&W Tegu
    1.2.0 Red Tegu
    1.2.0 B/WxRed Tegu
    1.0.0 Green Ameiva (yet another teiid)
    7 other lizards
    1 little gator
    3 FL box turtle
    1 Sulcata tortoise
    16 snakes
    5 fuzzy pets
    4 little frogs
    a bunch of creepy bugs
    and a partridge in a pear tree

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    China
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    Default

    thank you for the info laurarfl.

    i did not feed ruby today,she passed stool twice,thankfully everything was fine.

    ruby eats live feeder frogs every second day and pinkies twice a week,i also mix calcium supplement into food that do not have bones. thinking back,i could probably guess why she had rectal prolapse...i might have overfed her...she used to eat 3 times a day,each time until she did not want anymore...i thought it would have been alright since she was looking for more food few hours later.

    and she also could have been dehydrated,though she has her water dish,i have never actually seen her going near it,the water was always very clean when i replace it everyday. so this morning,i personally carried her to the water dish and let her lip touched the water,then she drank...i did it a few times,and she happily drank a lot of water... i can only hope this is not going to be a habit.

    on top of being dehydrated and being overfed,i did not feed veges and fruits,very low fibre diet. i will offer fruits and veges first after 3 days not feeding her.

    reading what i wrote makes me feel awful...to realise i was the cause of her prolapse.hope after i change her diet and habit,her prolapse will not return.

    many thanks for the good advice,much appreciated.

    about metamucil,i could probably buy it online from overseas,i would not trust medicines made in china,it is risky.

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    You are very welcome . Any time. This is what we are here for. If you want to you can give her some stage one ( it's like puree ) baby food. This will give her some protein. You also could mix in some fruit or veggie baby food with it. You also could give her some Pedialyte. This will help her get hydrated. I used the Carnivore diet before when I had to force feed our Tegu ( he had a prolapse, too ). I love this product.

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

    http://pedialyte.com/products
    Rich is not how much you have, or where you are going, or what you are.Rich is who you have beside you.

    Our videos :

    http://www.youtube.com/user/txrepgirl

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    China
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    Just an update from Ruby - yesterday evening she ate bits of grapes (ignoring the bits covered with baby food and veges), and some crickets.

    This morning she ate minced beef mixed with grapes, she seems to like grapes, it's a good sign.

    I'm looking into buying the pedialyte, hard to find the unflavoured one in China.

    Thanks again

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    San Antonio,TX
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    Default

    Your welcome. It's OK if the pedialyte is flavoured . I'm glad that she likes the grapes. Usually they like the sweet fruits like mangoes and berries. Our Leonidas loves lychees. I peel it and take the pit out first. I don't want to tell you what to do but it helps to mix the calcium power into the food and not just sprinkle it on top. It might have a bitter taste. I smelled it and it doesn't smell to good .
    Rich is not how much you have, or where you are going, or what you are.Rich is who you have beside you.

    Our videos :

    http://www.youtube.com/user/txrepgirl

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    China
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    Ah OK then, I can get the flavoured pedialyte, thanks. I might get some mangoes too then, I just hate peeling them (my husband will get jealous again of Ruby, since I pay more attention to her than him >.>).

    Oh yes, I mix the calcium powder into the food, Ruby likes her food slightly wet, so I also put in a bit of water and mix everything together with a spoon.

  10. #10
    Join Date
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    San Antonio,TX
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    If you want to you can get some mixed frozen fruits. Put a little bit in a zip lock bag and put some warm water in it to thaw out the fruit. This way you don't have to peel anything . Then cut them up in small pieces or mash them up with a fork. Then mix it into the food.
    Rich is not how much you have, or where you are going, or what you are.Rich is who you have beside you.

    Our videos :

    http://www.youtube.com/user/txrepgirl

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