Need URGENT help, please!!

[Burium]

Last night we went to feed our cresties. One of them we named Chompers because of the way he would chomp on the babyfood. Well he wasn't doing to good last night. When I went to pick him up, he didn't move or try to get away. Then I accidentally rolled him on his back. Nothing! Didn't even try to right himself. When I picked him up, he stayed in the arms and legs prone position. Didn't move anything. I could balance him on the end of my finger. He still looks the same, I mean I can't see any broken limbs and he doesn't appear to be skinny. He also wouldn't eat last night. He's kind of been a slow starter when it comes to the feeding. It would take a few mins before he would start to eat, he'd have a few licks, and then he was done. Last night nothing. Oh, I also forgot to tell you that I did see a small lump on his right side. And he hasn't pooped. I tried him in a luke warm water bath last night with some gentle massage. Then I put him back in his container. Checked on him this morning and he is still laying in the same spot I put him in last night. He is still alive and breathing. He just doesn't move. What should I do? Sorry about the long post. I'm really worried! :(

Kelly

[HeatherRose]

Hi Kelly.

Can you tell us more about the temps, supplementation or eclosure/setup? This can give a better idea on the cause of this.

Otherwise, get him to a vet as soon as possible. I'm not sure of the herp-vet situation in the netherlands, so if you can't find one right away try supplementing some vitamin D3 and calcium with a syringe mixed with babyfood.

If he's 'floppy' and not moving, if could be the beginning of MBD (metabolic bone disease).

Hope this helps, good luck.

- H.

[Burium]

Temps are room temp, 21 C. We mist everynight. We are using rubbermaid containers with artifical plants. We feed them babyfood mixed with CGD and extra vits, mins, and calcium. We feed every other day. He is "rigid" not moving. I can pick him up from the bottom of his container and he stays in the same position. Arms splayed out like Spiderman scaling a wall. I'll post some pics of him in this state.

Kelly

[Burium]

http://img75.photobucket.com/albums/v229/burium/crested/chompers/IMG_0719.jpg

http://img75.photobucket.com/albums/v229/burium/crested/chompers/IMG_0720.jpg

http://img75.photobucket.com/albums/v229/burium/crested/chompers/IMG_0721.jpg

http://img75.photobucket.com/albums/v229/burium/crested/chompers/IMG_0722.jpg


He's not normally that dark of a color either. He's usually yellow with some orange stripes on his back.

Kelly

[Burium]

Sorry sbout the size. I thought photobucket made them smaller.

Kelly

*edit* fixed them.

[DragnDrop]

This doesn't look good. If he's 'rigid' and not moving, it doesn't sound like he's alive, but you said he's still breathing? In this case it's serious enough that I'd take him to a vet.

In your second picture he certainly looks stiff, not good unless he's in the process of jumping.
If you notice in picture 3 the toes on his right leg are scrunched a bit, and they're still scrunched the same way in the top picture. You'd normally expect his toes to straighten out when he's got his feet in mid-air.

I get the feeling he's either very close to death there, or possibly already gone, and rigor mortis has set in. I'm sorry to say it, I don't mean to be cruel. The only crestie I've ever seen doing the same was already dead. I since reptiles don't breath as often as we do, if I suspect one is dead, I leave it for about 12 hours, time enough for them to show some signs of life.
If he is still breathing, even barely, you really should get him to a vet a.s.a.p.

I'm sorry this is happening to him and you, after all the time you spent looking for cresties.
Sorry.

[sara]

:( That's too bad. If it is still breathing, definitely take him to a vet. Even if you were dealing with something like paralysis it's legs would be moveable... the only situation I can think of would be if he was stuck in a shed, but i've only seen that happen to mistreated hatchlings so I doubt this is the case.
To check if it's still breathing put him on something flat and watch him in profile, you should be able to see his throat move. If he isn't gone yet you should also be able to notice an increase in breathing rate when you pick him up.
I'm sorry to hear about your little guy, in some ways it's even harder when you don't know what happened.