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Thread: Swollen lips and bad shed

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    Default Swollen lips and bad shed

    Hello, my Argentine Black and White tegu, Argo, is about 5 or so months old. He has been going through a really bad shed. I've been bathing him daily and misting three times a day but it just gets worse. I have him in an open enclosure now but working on a closed one to keep better control on the humidity. He has lost a nail and half of his finger because of this shed I think. I have a bearded dragon that has lost a couple nails due to humidity problems so I'm not really concerned too much about that. But I'm more concerned with is that Argo has recently developed a swollen lip as it looks. At first j thought it was just dirt and it would go away with this shed but now it is getting worse. He had also been making a weird gulping sound. Hasn't eaten the past two days either. Have to feed him in the enclosure or else he won't eat at all. He eats superworms and I can't get him to eat anything else. He will eat a pinkie once a week but haven't recently since I ran out. I'll put up a pic of his lip and him. I'm about to look up a vet so I can take him if this gets worse. His temps are 110 in basking and about 90-95 in the cool side. As low as 85 in his hide. I have a reptisun 10.0 about 9 inches above him. Please let me know if I'm doing something wrong or something is seriously wrong.
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    Last edited by trombleymat; 12-16-2013 at 10:33 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
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    Massachussettes
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    i dont know anything about his lip, and i wish could help! I can give you some good advice on his shed problem though...

    when i got my tegu Jazz, she had a lot of left over shed from multiple shed's on her whole tail. i gave her baths every day and massaged her tail to help losen the dead shed but nothing gave. her first 2 sheds with me were great (except the tail) due to the daily soaks and massage's. i then applied some mineral oil to her tail (i got this advice from someone on here). i also put some in her bath water and let her soak in it, along with her massage. the tail shed came off within 2 weeks of using the mineral oil and was as thick as a pinky finger nail. the shed came off in little tiny piece's (like finger nails lol). i can only imagine how many sheds she had gone thru like that.

    needless to say, she is doing well now . i purchased the mineral oil at a cvs! you can prob get it at a walmart, walgreens, rite aid, target etc. to help maintain good shedding, you can also mix cod liver oil in some ground turkey (or w/e you use) once or twice a week. adding some seafood into his diet will also help . goodluck to you and your gu, i hope his lip gets better
    youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/subiedude09

    Instagram: subiedude09

    B&W Argentine Tegu: Jazz

    Citrus Hypo Bearded Dragon: Rango

    Sandfire Bearded Dragon: Pyro

  3. #3
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    Mar 2013
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    Springfield, Ohio
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    Thanks a lot. I'll get some mineral oil tomorrow and try it. I've been trying to feed him ground turkey with cod liver oil but he doesn't want anything to do with it. Many patties have gone to waste.

  4. #4
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    Feb 2013
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    oh i just thought of something!!!! my gu had a bad habbit of jumping at the screen top when she was younger in a 40 gal breeder tank. She ended up busting her nose up pretty good and you could clearly see that it was an open wound. i got concerned because i didnt want it to get infected from the mulch or w/e so i brought her to the vet to see if they had any ointment i could use on her nose that wouldnt be harmful to her if she licked it (which she would as soon as i would apply it lol) and her vet prescribed some animal safe ointment to me. it was $10 for a very small tube that i used up in a week (applied twice a day for a week). he also said that i could use "bag balm" that it is animal safe and non toxic. bag balm is an animal vaseline mainly used for cow utters when they get dried out and crack. i did buy the bag balm before going home that day and keep it in the "lizard closet" lol. its worked great and her nose healed up good. the antibiotic ointment i would say worked just alittle better, but the bag balm deff did help and you get a good amount for the $. idk if your gu's lip is infected due to a cut or something, but figuard id let you know about the stuff. its good to have on hand anyways
    youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/subiedude09

    Instagram: subiedude09

    B&W Argentine Tegu: Jazz

    Citrus Hypo Bearded Dragon: Rango

    Sandfire Bearded Dragon: Pyro

  5. #5
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    Mar 2013
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    Springfield, Ohio
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    Hmm, interesting. Might as well try it to be safe.Thanks again.

  6. #6

    Default Swollen lips and bad shed

    From that picture, it looks like something more ominous than simply a bad shed or two. Combined with the decreased appetite and "gulping" sounds, a vet visit is definitely warranted...quickly

    Matt


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  7. #7
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    That's what I figured. I'll call the vet tomorrow and see if they can get me in.

  8. #8
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    Honesty I would take him to the Vet right away and not wait until it gets worse. A bad shed doesn't always have to be from low humidity. It can be from a bad diet and not getting enough of different foods. They don't just need different meats but also fruits and veggies. The cold liver oil is a good idea or just some different fish. I could be wrong but the noise you hear could be a upper respiratory infection. When you mist down the mulch do you sir it up every other day ? So the bottom of the enclosure and the mulch doesn't get to wet. I would upper the basking temps to 115 or a bit more. The swollen lip could be MBD ( metabolic bone disease. Could you gently open his mouth and check for the symptoms mentioned in the last link ? Just to make sure he doesn't have mouth rot or some kind of a infection. What kind of enclosure do you have now ? Here is some information for you to check out if you like. Good luck and please keep us posted. Thank you.

    Shedding problems: http://www.anapsid.org/shedding.html

    Upper respiratory infection: http://www.anapsid.org/rti.html

    MBD : http://www.anapsid.org/mbd.html

    Mouth rot: http://www.anapsid.org/stomatitis.html
    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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  9. #9
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    Argo has a vet visit thursday. Thanks for all the opinions and advice everyone. I raised the temp to 115 in the basking. I mix the mulch about 3 times a week. He is in a 50 gallon aquarium right now. No top. Working on a bigger enclosure that shuts to help keep humidity. I'll try to give him fruits and veggies but he has been very picky with his food. I might try crickets again bc he seemed to like those better and he ate a lot of them. I switched bc my bearded dragon eats super worms.

  10. #10
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    Your welcome. Hope all goes well at the vet. Have you tried giving him some frozen/thawed rodents ? You can put some mixed fruits or veggies into a blender. Then but the food into a syringe ( without a needle ), then stick the syringe into the thawed rodents mouth. Then put the food down the rodents throat. This way he will not taste the fruits or veggies. How do you try to feed him the food ? Do you warm it up ( cook it ), cold (right out of the fridge ) or warm it up with some warm water ( just with some warm/hot ) tap water ? Usually Tegus like hard boiled eggs ( without the shell ). If you want to use the shell I recommend grinding it up because the edges are very sharp.
    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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