I need so sav help!

[Tyguy35]

Hello, I have had my save for almost 2 years since he was very tiny. He recently stopped eating and pooping. I took him to a vet and the vet found nothing even when looking at an x Ray he said he found nothing. I can see that my savs belly is getting larger and I can feel something in his stomach. It almost feels long and hard. My sav use to walk around bask sleep walk around bask sleep repeat. He never dug or cared for digging at all. Now since he stopped eating a pooping it's all
He doesn't he's extremely active and digs non stop all day long. What is going on? Right now he's digging a huge hole like he does everyday then he leaves it and digs more. Help please. Here are his X-rays.

[Minkness]

You sure it's a dude? Sounds like egg laying behavior to me...

[ManSlaughter33]

Sounds Like a female Sav?

[Tyguy35]

I'm not sure I'm just use to saying he. I'm assuming girl at this point but I'm worried because X-rays taken 3 days ago have shown nothing and he hasn't eaten in over a week. I'm making a lay box right now. I can feel a clump in his stomach but does not feel like eggs. I feed him a craw fish about 3 weeks ago I'm worried that might be stuck but he has popped after that.

[chairman]

Are you familiar with Correct Savannah Monitor Care (http://savannahmonitor.net/) ? If not then something posted there might help you troubleshoot.

Eggs would show up on an xray so that isn't the issue.

My male sav has never refused food. The only times he's ever seemed unenthusiastic about food were related to a basking temperature drop due to a blown bulb. I'm not home at the moment but I'll see if he's up to getting his belly prodded for a comparison.

If you're concerned about impaction then try letting him go for a swim in warm water in the bathtub. I've heard that gets me things moving.

[Tyguy35]

I will
Have to give him soaks again.
I am familiar with the care I follow everything that is written. He's got great care.

[Tyguy35]

He just changed it was like night and day.

[Tyguy35]

I forgot to mention he she also became really aggressive. Tail whipping hissing etc he hasn't done that since he was a baby.

[chairman]

Hope I didn't offend you, if you're familiar with the site then I'm sure that you're aware of how few exanthematicus get proper care. Frustrating, in part because there aren't going to be a lot of people out there whose monitors have lived long enough to exhibit the behavior that yours is.

My male got puffy when I checked his belly but it was soft from the bottom of his rib cage to his pelvic bone area.

My male has never gone off food or changed his behavior such that I thought he was attempting to roam for a mate. Perhaps because he's my only monitor? Do you have any other monitors, boscs, whitethroats, blackthroats? Maybe smelling either competition or a prospective mate could cause an issue?

Also, even though I control temperature, lighting, and humidity in my collection, several of my animals appear to react to barometric pressure changes. Maybe a weather front is triggering estivation or brumation?

If you post a pic of your monitor from above then the neck/skull structure could help us guess a sex. Or a picture from beneath and behind with the tail lifted. If he's in a "good" mood that'll be a fun pic to take but could aid in sexing as well.

[Tyguy35]

No no of course not. I agree with you in the animals care issues with some owners. Another thing I wanted to add he she is getting fatter and fatter. I'm talking the fact that he was in comparison a pencil and now a beach ball. Also he's been sleeping out in the open. He will get aggressive butbonce I start touching him to feel
His belly he stops. I can try for a photo. I do have a male black throat. They never see each other and they are 4 rooms away.

[murrindindi]

If you post a pic of your monitor from above then the neck/skull structure could help us guess a sex. Or a picture from beneath and behind with the tail lifted. If he's in a "good" mood that'll be a fun pic to take but could aid in sexing as well.

Hi, it would be extremely difficult to spot hemipenal bulges or lack of from beneath with the tail lifted, much better from the side, as when the animal is standing/walking without the tailbase resting on anything as the pic below...

[murrindindi]

I'm not sure I'm just use to saying he. I'm assuming girl at this point but I'm worried because X-rays taken 3 days ago have shown nothing and he hasn't eaten in over a week. I'm making a lay box right now. I can feel a clump in his stomach but does not feel like eggs. I feed him a craw fish about 3 weeks ago I'm worried that might be stuck but he has popped after that.

It`s quite possible there are (or possibly were) eggs in the stomach, and providing a "laybox" should have been done some time ago (even if you weren`t sure of the gender).
Can you post a few photos of the whole enclosure and give details of the conditions? Thanks!

[jarich]

Eggs would not necessarily show up on an xray, depending on the xray. That one doesnt look very high powered, so could easily miss eggs. As all other indications seem to point to egg laying behaviour, that seems like the most likely situation here. I would definitely build a lay box as it seems like your monitor isnt finding what it wants within the enclosure.

[Tyguy35]

Lay box has been made. I never made a lay box because I always thought she was a male. She's been digging in the lay box but no eggs.

[murrindindi]

Lay box has been made. I never made a lay box because I always thought she was a male. She's been digging in the lay box but no eggs.

Sorry to ask again, can you put a few photos up of the whole enclosure and also the "laybox" with details of temps, humidity, type of nesting material (substrate) in the enclosure and the laybox? Thanks!

[Tyguy35]

Yes one second sorry I have been busy with my job. I can't get a full photo of the enclosure it's to big. And my room
Doesn't go back far enough.

[Tyguy35]

I have two enclosures one that's even bigger then this one which he she is in all year normally but I put him her in this enclosure because I can keep a Better eye on this one. Also I can keep this one darker in the lay box area and warmer at the same time.

[Tyguy35]

The lay box didn't post. One sec

[murrindindi]

Thanks for the photos. Unfortunately the ""laybox" is totally unsuitable.
It absolutely MUST be completely opaque, not see through, the idea is to offer somewhere secure ("private" to hide the eggs). The substrate must be almost full to the top and quite firmly tamped down and heated to between approx. 27 to 30c.
A solid wooden box measuring approx. 90L x 60W x 45H (cm) with a hole either in the side or the top just large enough for the animal to squeeze in might be acceptable to her, but as already mentioned, using the whole enclosure floor space is much better (obviously too late for that now).
I think under the circumstances there`s almost no chance the monitor will find a suitable nesting site in time, I would recommend having another xray done asap to determine the development of the eggs, otherwise she may die from reproductive failure which is quite a common occurrence.

[Tyguy35]

I will get it fixed tomorrow. I put that together in a panic. Eggs never showed on the X-ray so I was not sure what to think. I'll get it fixed I love this girl and don't want to lose her

[Tyguy35]

Can surgery fix this?

[jarich]

Yes, you can have the eggs removed and her reproductive organs as well at the same time. This will keep her from developing eggs in the future, thus taking away the risk of future stasis.