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Thread: Hi i'm new here and i need help wit my tegu kan someone pils help me out

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  1. #1
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    Unhappy Hi i'm new here and i need help wit my tegu kan someone pils help me out

    I just buy a tegu and it look like hes having sum muscles problems kuz of the way his body keep on shaking like he have nerve problems
    Last edited by RedDragon123; 09-08-2010 at 03:52 AM.

  2. #2
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    Sep 2007
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    Hi and welcome RedDragon123. I'm sorry your tegu is having a problem. Can you describe a little more? Can you take a film clip and post it?

    Muscle spasms in tegus are often the result a long term lack of UVB light and/or not enough calcium in the diet. You'll see this referred to as MDB (metabolic bone disease). But that's not necessarily what is wrong with your tegu.

    Can you tell us a bit about his setup in his cage, what kind of lighting he has, does he spend any time outdoors? Can you tell us about his diet? Has he had any accidents where he smacked into something real hard?

    How old is he and how long have you had him?

    Also, I know you're new here so I'll just let you know, I think you accidentally hit a wrong button when you were posting, cuz you somehow just sent me a blank PM

  3. #3
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    Orlando fl
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    well, i just bought him, and the owners told me that he is about one year 1/2 . And as for as his diet goes, all i know is that they told me that they being feeding him raw chicken, mice, and ground hamburger beef also raw, i dont know wat kind of light or cage setup they had for him, but i just had him like four days but his muscles still shaking, so im wondering if that can be fixed.
    And as for as the cage i got for him, its a 2x4x4, and i got a uvb light And uva and as for the diet im feeding him cook meat like chicken or ground beef mixed with powder calcium with D3.
    So is there anything i could do to make him get better?

    "ALSO I DONT KNOW IF HI HAD I HYSTORY OF ABUSIVE OWNERS OR IF HE HAD ANY ACCIDENT" :0..

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Hi RedDragon123. Welcome to our Tegu forum family and congrats on your new Tegu. Sounds like he has MBD.How big ( long from snout to tail tip ) is your Tegu. I don't want to be rude but the enclosure sounds to be to small for the Tegu. How old is the UVA/UVB light that you are using for him and what kind is it ? How far away is the UVB from the Tegu ? How ofthen do you use the calcium powder ? I recommend feeding him some frozen/thawed rodents twice a week so he can get some natural calcium from the bones. I don't recommend feeding the Tegu cooked foods unless it's the hard boiled eggs ( cooled down ). I would feed him some frozen/thawed rodents ( feeder rats, chicks, quail, rabbits ). Here are some good infos for you to check out if you like.

    Tegu caresheet :

    http://www.thetegu.com/showthread.ph...Tegu-Caresheet

    Feeder rodents info :

    http://www.rodentpro.com/qpage_articles_01.asp

    Good lighting :

    http://www.petmountain.com/show_prod...tm_term=500002
    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

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Orlando fl
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    HELLO! IM VERY GLAD YOU ANSWER MY QUESTION, ALSO LET ME TELL YOU THAT ALL THE INFORMATION YOU GAVE ME ABOUT HOW TO CARE FOR A TEGU IS EXC.
    NOW FIRST THING YOU ASK ME WAS:
    1-How big ( long from snout to tail tip ) is your Tegu.? WELL HE IS 29" LONG FROM SNOUT TO TAIL.
    2-I don't want to be rude but the enclosure sounds to be to small for the Tegu.? WELL LET ME TELL YOU THAT AT FIRST I GAVE YOU THE WRONG MEASUREMENTS OF HIS CAGE, BUT I DOUBLE CHECKED AND THEY ARE ACTUALLY, 2FT W, 4FT H, AND 6FT L.
    3-How old is the UVA/UVB light that you are using for him and what kind is it ? How far away is the UVB from the Tegu ? THE LIGHT IS A REPTI GLO 5.0 TROPICAL TERRARIUM LAMP. AND ITS BOUT 3 MONTH OLD.
    4-How ofthen do you use the calcium powder ? WELL LIKE I HAD TELL YOU BEFORE I GOT HIM 3 DAYS AGO, AND SO FAR HE HAVENT EAT YET, BUT HIS OWNERS TOLD ME THAT HIS LAST MEAL WAS A PIECE OF GROUND HAMBURGER MEAT (RAW). ALSO IT SEEMS THAT APPARENTLY THEY DIDNT USED TO PUT POWDER CALCIUM IN HIS FOOD OR HAD A UVB LIGHT IN HIS CAGE.

    ** WELL MY QUESTION STILL REMAIN ABOUT IF HIS CONDITION ITS SOMETHING THAT COULD THREAD AGAINST HIS LIFE OR NOT. OR IF THERE IS ANYTHING I COULD DO WITHING MY REACH TO HELP HIM GET BETTER.**

    THANKS, SINCERELY

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    I would get the bulb that has the basking, UVA/UVB all in one. Since Tegus bask a lot he will get more of the UVA/UVB from the bulb then the tube that is one the side of him. If he is still shaking a lot you might have to take him to the vet to get him some liquid calcium. He will absorb this better then the powder. For right now you can put some calcium powder on his food. If you want to you can get a reptile leash ( link below ) and take him outside to get some natural UVB. Trust me the sun works miracles . For right now the enclosure is big enough. Please keep us posted.

    http://www.google.com/products/catal...CAcQ8wIwADgA#p
    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
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    Here is a good article about MBD: http://www.anapsid.org/mbd.html

    You sure came to the right place as a new tegu owner. There are lots of other tegu owners on this site and we learn a lot from sharing our experiences with each other.

    Sorry if some of my suggestions are things you already know, but with a new member I just assume they are learning everything.

    Light: Make sure the UVB light is fresh enough and is the correct height from the tegu. If it's a florescent bulb, the UVB can burn off after 3 months even if the bulb is still emitting light. Floresents need be no more than 12-15 inches from the lizard for the UVB to hit with sufficient intensity. If it is a mercury vapor (MVB) it will hold UV potency for maybe a year, depending on the manufacturer. It can be a little further away, I think about 20 inches (others may correct me). If you have no idea how old the bulb is, just splurge and get a new one. He'll also need lights to heat his basking spot to little over 100 degrees, but it's important to give him space to get away from the hottest part of his cage. The cool side should be in the high 70's by day, a little cooler at night.

    Diet: You are smart to give him calcium D3. The D3 will supplement what his body manufactures from UVB light. D3 helps him absorb calcium into his bones and muscles. The best source of bio-accessible calcium is feeding him whole, dead feeder rodents and baby quail. Not sure how big your guy is but try a young adult mouse (baby mice have a higher fat-to-protein ratio and much less calcium). He will also benefit from having a variety of fresh, ripe fruit (grapes, seeded cherries, berries, cut up melon, etc.) especially red and orange fruits (but not citrus) for the vitamin C and many other nutrients. All foods should be served at room temperature. Personally, I would not advise cooking the meat because it changes the proteins and may be harder for him to digest. Lots of people use raw, lean ground turkey or ground chicken and they are especially good for mixing in fruit to get your tegu to eat his fruit. However, these meats still won't have the calcium he needs. I also suggest you get a good reptile vitamin supplement and use it a couple times a week. Many of these have minerals that may interfere with calcium absorption, so just be sure you don't over-do it.

    Cage: If this is 4ft long x 2 ft wide and 4 ft high, you will need to get him a bigger home fairly soon, and also rig up something to mount the lights lower down for optimum temps and UVB absorption. Even a 4' length X 4' wdth is on the small side. In addition to needing room to stretch out, he needs enough space for that temperature gradient from warmer to cooler.

    These are just some general husbandry tips, some of which speak directly to MBD. However, if it were mine I'd take him to a veterinarian as soon as possible, like within a couple days, to make sure that MDB is even the problem. The vet will want to x-ray him. Here's a link to a thread on this site to help you find a reptile vet in your area: http://www.thetegu.com/showthread.ph...rp-vet-locator
    Last edited by HernandosMom; 09-08-2010 at 06:39 AM. Reason: confusing typos (hey, it's late!)

  8. #8
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    Sep 2010
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    Orlando fl
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    Thank you very much.. are of the thing you suggestion have been helpful to me even if i did already know it may help me out by doing them over.

  9. #9
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    Chesterfield, VA, USA
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    After a year and a half it sounds like MBD where the previous owners didn't have any uva/uvb lights. Otherwise the beef isn't the best idea. Ground turkey with Calcium/D3 is good. I honestly don't know if raw/cooked is better but personally I feed raw so it's easier to eat and it has the fat.

    If your tegu does have MBD it sounds serious so I hope that's not the case. I know taking your tegu out for natural sunlight is good and certain home tanning beds can help (with your vet's recommendation of course).

    On another note, welcome to The Tegu, sorry for the circumstances that brought you here though.
    Money is NOT the root of all evil, LOVE OF MONEY is. Far too many people get that mixed up.


    1.1.0 Blue Tegu - Jabba, Jasmine

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