Demon, the Savannah Monitor :D

[DeadlyDesires]

So, i joined today, some of you already know me but for the ones who don't im going to post some pix of my Savannah Monitor, Demon

backstory - when i got him he was very fat and full of parasites. this wasn't not too long ago btw.. he has gone to the vet and gotten dewormed with a shot and was asking to be brought back in a couple weeks for another fecal examination. that is set to be re done here in a few days or so. He wasn't in very good condition when i bought him from the pet store and his bowel movements were nothing but straight black water. when i took a look at him at the store i felt so sorry for him that i had to buy him.. unfortunately they wanted 250 USD for this savannah but somehow i was able to talk them down to 100, this was the lowest they would go (still too much but worth it to save this animal in my opinion) so because my enclosure wasn't quite finished yet he stayed at the pet store.. i bought a box of 24 night crawlers and 1 hopper mouse and fed them all to him that day. well later that night i realized that he was in a tiny 10 gallon tank and i had an open tank at home that was 3ft by 2x2ft and it would be bigger than what he was in at the store so i went back and took him home.. We finished his enclosure the next day. he has been doing well when i got him he was 4 1/2 lbs, haven't weighed him since but he has deff gotten skinnier. he is doing well and starting to come out of his shell. Anyway, enough rambling for me, sorry, i will post some pix of him.. (if some show him fat those are more than likely pix from the first day i got him) also.. excuse the water dish in some of the pix, it is DEFF cleaned out everyday lol he likes to trample through it..

This is the day i bought him (still at the pet store)
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130206_172830_zpsa8fe103c.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130206_172808_zpscd71ca53.jpg
His colors are what drew me to him.. hes is gorgeous.
Pay no attention to the yellow hands if you see them, it is the flash on my camera he is perfectly fine, i promise ;)
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130206_214940_zpse96596d7.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130206_150846_zpsd56e8b57.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130206_150901_zps7493ea4e.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130206_150910_zps0d441368.jpg

[DeadlyDesires]

these are pictures from the night i brought him home.. i tried to get pix of him on the floor in my kitchen but as soon as he hit the floor he took off running lol so bathtub it was..

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130206_215128_zpsb15e17d3.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130206_215153_zpsf04cca78.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130206_215226_zpse4ea7236.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130206_215230_zpsd8108e85.jpg

These few are from when i first introduced him to his enclosure.. he wasn't a very happy lizard at this moment.. lol

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130207_210757_zpse9c5fc5e.jpg
you can clearly see how fat he was..
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130207_210912_zps2c7d2153.jpghttp://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130207_211336_zps1d8def66.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130208_101928_zps127d6511.jpg

[DeadlyDesires]

His first hole he dug.. (half hole lol) didn't quite make a burrow
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130208_191023_zps2e6fbf95.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130210_203209_zps7e8c442b.jpg

These were pictures i took of him at the vet when i took him in to get the shot for worms.. he had Pin, Hook, and Round worms.. Hopefully they are all gone now i will know in a few days..

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130211_105816_zps88c1b9dc.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130211_105920_zpsba94cb23.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130211_105938_zps76fbe622.jpg

[DeadlyDesires]

This is the first time i got pics of feeding him.. he is just starting to lose weight in these pics. he doesn't look fat but believe me he was very fat still.
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130212_154218_zps0a9cadd8.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130212_154227_zpsc41914cb.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130212_154229_zpsf4f76420.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130213_152125_zps1326a4f0.jpg

Random pix now. he loves this little hide.. its a wiccar basket that i put sealer on and he crawls in there and digs in the dirt.
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130215_183237_zps79a201ab.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130215_183252_zpsa7209c4f.jpg

[DeadlyDesires]

Sorry about the foggyness through the window, This is the first and only burrow he has dug.
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130216_142705_zpsdfef57d2.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130216_150537_zps50f3ab93.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130216_150610_zpsb314266e.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130216_150617_zpsb4fab4bf.jpg

[DeadlyDesires]

ok so these are the most recent pictures now.. they were taken, 2-3 days ago, can't really remember.. But he loves his shrimp and Worms.. Everything i feed him is 100% organic and parasite free. Shrimp has shells and tails on them as well..
You can DEFF tell now that he is starting to thin out like a monitor should look :D this is very exciting for me :D


I love this picture by the way
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130220_134307_zpsa577cee5.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130220_1343410_zps1af21aab.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130220_1343411_zpsbbb81934.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130220_134708_zps7d88695e.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130220_1347080_zpsb5a09bc6.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130220_134721_zps976942cd.jpg

[DeadlyDesires]

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130220_134724_zps9c924918.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130220_134746_zpsde46d9c2.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130220_1347460_zps19c1bd95.jpg

Thanks for looking :D If you have any questions, feel free to ask, i will answer them to the best of my knowledge :D

[Lankyrob]

Looks like you have done a great job, keep the pics coming :)

[DeadlyDesires]

Thanks, he still has some diarrhea, i was told it could be from the fish and night crawlers as that is all he is getting right now.. and some roaches here and there.. I didnt wanna feed him rodents yet because he was sooo overweight i wanted him to lose it pretty quickly so i stuck with low fat high calcium things for him.. But since he is getting skinnier im going to lay off the shirmp and crawlers a little and start throwing in some more rodents into his diet to see if i can get his stool more firm.. he is still a work in progress, getting better little by litter :D

[alessia55]

Demon looks great. I think he will do well in your care. :)

[Rakoladycz]

When offering the shrimp you can leave the heads on. A shrimp with no head is not a whole prey item. You may not be loosing much, but no reason to be loosing any at all. Whole shrimp are usually quite a bit cheaper than the de headed.

[marvelfreak]

22730

Nice looking Sav. This is how everybody intro thread should be full of pictures.:):):)

[infernalis]

When offering the shrimp you can leave the heads on. A shrimp with no head is not a whole prey item. You may not be loosing much, but no reason to be loosing any at all. Whole shrimp are usually quite a bit cheaper than the de headed.


same problem I have here Randy, no one sells them with the heads on.

[alessia55]

same problem I have here Randy, no one sells them with the heads on.

Have you checked fishing stores? Here they sell whole shrimp with head shell and tails as bait.

[infernalis]

Have you checked fishing stores? Here they sell whole shrimp with head shell and tails as bait.

If you live in a coastal area Alessia, no inland bait shops sell shrimp.

If I still lived in Florida, My lizards would get a heap of shrimp every day, all you need is a big umbrella net.

[fuzzhc]

same problem I have here Randy, no one sells them with the heads on.

One of the supermarkets near me sells them with the heads on, theyre pre cooked though. Take it this wouldnt be good for them?

[infernalis]

It would not be bad for them.

Not sure what nutrients would be lost from cooking though.

[fuzzhc]

Cheers. Gonna buy some later :D

[DeadlyDesires]

yea, i can't find any where here that still has the heads on just tails and shells.

[DeadlyDesires]

22730

Nice looking Sav. This is how everybody intro thread should be full of pictures.:):):)

lol Ty, I love him already, he's got the coolest personality and hes a pissy little guy:unhappy: but he will calm down over time no doubt about that lol until then he can get as mad as he wants, doesn't bother me :P, i just measured him a few days ago.. hes shedding like crazy so ill have to measure again soon but he was roughly 13 inches snout to vent and 17 snout to tail so can't wait for him to get bigger :D
Thats basicaly all the pics i've got of him lol i thought it would be way to much, ill post more as i take them :yes:

[infernalis]

Cheers. Gonna buy some later :D

Make sure there is NO sodium tripolyphosphate on them, it will be listed on the label.

[Pirarucu]

Good looking sav and cage!

[DeadlyDesires]

Good looking sav and cage!

thank you very much :D i'm trying to keep him happy and healthy..
well.. as happy as they get lol..

[Aaron_S]

All this talk of shrimp makes me want some for no real reason. You guys suck.

By the way, Wayne, have you looked into buying larger prawns? They generally have everything in tact but may be too costly. They are larger than shrimp though.

[Corey209]

All this talk of shrimp makes me want some for no real reason. You guys suck.

By the way, Wayne, have you looked into buying larger prawns? They generally have everything in tact but may be too costly. They are larger than shrimp though.

I had bacon wrapped shrimp covered in melted cheese earlier, was pretty good.

[DeadlyDesires]

I had bacon wrapped shrimp covered in melted cheese earlier, was pretty good.


lol this doesn't really sound appealing..

[Corey209]

lol this doesn't really sound appealing..

It's delicious.

[infernalis]

All this talk of shrimp makes me want some for no real reason. You guys suck.

By the way, Wayne, have you looked into buying larger prawns? They generally have everything in tact but may be too costly. They are larger than shrimp though.

Sadly, the price I pay for remote living, there are NO Asian or specialty foods markets for well over 100 miles in any direction.

If I had one nearby, I would have a freezer full of crayfish, little blue crabs and whole prawns.

[Aaron_S]

Sadly, the price I pay for remote living, there are NO Asian or specialty foods markets for well over 100 miles in any direction.

If I had one nearby, I would have a freezer full of crayfish, little blue crabs and whole prawns.

What about shipping?

Check online grocery stores like grocerygateway.com if they still exist.

[KORBIN5895]

Hey Wayne. Would you be interested in mall and crabs?

[infernalis]

Hey Wayne. Would you be interested in mall and crabs?

confused about mall?

[KORBIN5895]

Small sand crabs....

[DeadlyDesires]

we can feed crabs? lol

[infernalis]

of course, they slay crabs.

[DeadlyDesires]

interesting... there is a soul korean market up the road from me.. maybe ill pop in there someday and see what they have.. they are probably closed today..

[Pirarucu]

of course, they slay crabs.Like little armored knights, come to be eaten by the dragons. LOL.

[KORBIN5895]

Like little armored knights, come to be eaten by the dragons. LOL.

That's hilarious!

[DeadlyDesires]

lol thats funny

[jhinton6932]

If you live in a coastal area Alessia, no inland bait shops sell shrimp.

If I still lived in Florida, My lizards would get a heap of shrimp every day, all you need is a big umbrella net.


very true, or the time to go out and actually catch shrim :?

[DeadlyDesires]

Update.. pics...

hes gotten skinnier.. starting to look like a normal sav monitor :D just gotta get the rest of him better now that we got the weight under control..

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130306_162215_zpsc36a506e.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130305_004549_zps94ff6e8a.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130305_004527_zps55c39f00.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130309_211103_zps783bb7a0.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130310_005519_zps51698836.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130310_005928_zps2b82c3ed.jpg



Here is a video i took today.. i have removed the hides in his enclosure so you could see the video better.. i wont ever do that again.. it was a pain in the butt.. not my smartest decision ever but its a learning process i guess, and im not good at the whole "record your monitor eating" thing so bare with the crappy video lol...

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/th_20130310_165015_zps96f4e281.jpg (http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130310_165015_zps96f4e281.mp4)

The rat babies are dusted with calcium, yes, i know its not needed but he was sick when i got him so im covering everything i can to make sure he gets better, i also give him multivitamins as well.. couldn't hurt right?

[Pirarucu]

LOL. Funny watching the puff of dust when he chomped down.

[DeadlyDesires]

LOL. Funny watching the puff of dust when he chomped down.

he was all hissing at me.. im like why are you hissing at me? im feeding you..
he deff looked like he was snorting for a while after this video.. had white stuff all over his mouth..

[infernalis]

I like what I am seeing. Looking good Deadly..

[DeadlyDesires]

I like what I am seeing. Looking good Deadly..


Thanks wayne :D

[Lankyrob]

Just a question for my future reference, when you provide a shelf like that for your savs do you have to worry about them falling off the edge? Would worry if the shelf was say six foot off the floor rather than one foot?

Thanks :)

[Pirarucu]

Just a question for my future reference, when you provide a shelf like that for your savs do you have to worry about them falling off the edge? Would worry if the shelf was say six foot off the floor rather than one foot?

Thanks :)They leap from trees without injury in the wild, so they should be alright. I'd still try to make sure they don't fall onto pointed rocks or logs though.

[jarich]

Not criticizing, but just curious if you are planning to put the dirt up to the edge of the ledges eventually?

[Pirarucu]

Not criticizing, but just curious if you are planning to put the dirt up to the edge of the ledges eventually?I was wondering the same. He can clearly get up there alright.

[DeadlyDesires]

Just a question for my future reference, when you provide a shelf like that for your savs do you have to worry about them falling off the edge? Would worry if the shelf was say six foot off the floor rather than one foot?

Thanks :)

I never really worried... he jumps off the edge all the time.. it less than a foot from the dirt.

[DeadlyDesires]

Not criticizing, but just curious if you are planning to put the dirt up to the edge of the ledges eventually?


the dirt dept is almost 2 feet. i measured it when i was putting it back in. So i could, yes, but if your concern is him getting up there i have a hide that sits under those steps usually and he can climb on those and crawl up if he wants but he chooses to do it this way for some reason, he has never used the rocks to get closer for easier climbing.. I have considered it just to give him more dirt to play in but other than that i dont really see any need he doesn't have any problems climbing up and down.. that was my concern when we built it and my man said he would make it longer later if we see that it becomes a problem but he runs up them its kinda crazy.

[DeadlyDesires]

They leap from trees without injury in the wild, so they should be alright. I'd still try to make sure they don't fall onto pointed rocks or logs though.

nope nothing hard for him to fall on if he falls off.. i leave under the steps alone he likes to hide behind them on both sides and digs over there so i have nothing back there.

[DeadlyDesires]

i will probably add more dirt to cover all the way to the bottom of the shelf which will burry some of the steps but that was my original plan anyway. i was actually going to do it when i was putting his enclosure back together but we didnt have enough money to go buy more dirt and stuff so we just left it as is.

[DeadlyDesires]

so i have some more pictures of him today when i let him run around outside of the enclosure... he is about 2ft long now!.. im excited.. however, he is still overweight, not sure what to do at this point, hes got heat, humidity and isn't fed a diet that is fatty so still trying to figure out how to get him to lose more weight, he IS losing weight (his belly doesn't drag anymore) but just not enough yet, losing very slow. any suggestions would be nice.. but here are some pictures.

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130403_165332_zps303d8472.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130403_165348_zps404406a1.jpg

i was watching, and his belly does NOT drag anymore which means he IS losing weight just not very fast.

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130403_165355_zpsa6742aab.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130403_165421_zpscf2c39d1.jpg

2ft it is!... maybe a little longer actually...

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130403_165454_zpsd7fde500.jpg

ps. he was trying to eat the tape measure in this pic lol and started hissing at it... it was funny.

[Pirarucu]

Rapid weight loss isn't really very healthy.. Let him lose the fat at the pace he is now, he's fine.

[smy_749]

we can feed crabs? lol

They don't eat crabs in the wild obviously, (there are no crabs in the savannah), but other species basically live on mollusks (dumerils, the indicus complex prob good examples). And I know they aren't exactly the same, but from what I've learned here, in general, if one species of varanid can eat it, most of the other ones can as well. With the exception of fruit ;)

[DeadlyDesires]

Rapid weight loss isn't really very healthy.. Let him lose the fat at the pace he is now, he's fine.


ok, i just wanna make sure im not keeping him fat lol...

[DeadlyDesires]

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130415_132346_zpscca5a591.jpg


new picture of the week. Just woke up and turned on the lights and hes coming out of his hole to say hello :D

[mygabriella]

aww Hes soooo cute!!! He was a chunker!! Whoa momma! haha. I love all the pictures! I cant wait until mine is that big :)

[DeadlyDesires]

aww Hes soooo cute!!! He was a chunker!! Whoa momma! haha. I love all the pictures! I cant wait until mine is that big :)


he still is lol, its a work in progress, he is losing slowly which is the best way i guess... lol they are awesome creatures! i love him very much :D hisses and all :D

[moshirimon]

Beautiful monitor. Love the enclosure and all. Also that wasnt a bad video at all lol! Looks like a rewarding little guy to keep. I dream to own one of these one day lol. How does the poop smell lol!

[DeadlyDesires]

Beautiful monitor. Love the enclosure and all. Also that wasnt a bad video at all lol! Looks like a rewarding little guy to keep. I dream to own one of these one day lol. How does the poop smell lol!


horrid lol... i can smell it if its fresh and i just open the cage, after that the smell goes away though lol.. but its deff wrose than any other animal i've ever owned.. even snakes :P

[moshirimon]

Lol I can only imagine with a diet that varied and at that size. Foul ssmellng poop is the main thing that drives me away from some animals hhahah

[DeadlyDesires]

Lol I can only imagine with a diet that varied and at that size. Foul ssmellng poop is the main thing that drives me away from some animals hhahah


lol.. you get used to it, dealing with the poop is not so bad once you get attached to the lizard :P hes great.

[moshirimon]

I still have not found any poop that compares to bearded dragon poop..

Its just unusually foul for an animal of that size, even compared to iguanas and tegus I have worked with.

[DeadlyDesires]

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130509_190606_zps7065eb83.jpg


lol he looks super fat in this pic lmfao :D

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130507_142654_zps27a43a2d.jpg (http://s1309.photobucket.com/user/cynthia_mitchell/media/20130507_142654_zps27a43a2d.jpg.html)
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130429_141431_zps76f4d667.jpg

[smy_749]

Make one like this. Just tie another piece of whatever your using. One loop is not going to do much

http://www.arcatapet.com/fullsize/1519.jpg

And if your flood lights are touching in the basking pic, you may want to seperate them. They get pretty hot..not worth having a bulb explode or something.

[boosh96]

He's so beautiful. I wish I had the resources and stuff to keep a Savannah monitor. How's his temperament?

[Pirarucu]

Looking good, not surprised that the harness didn't work though, LOL...

[DeadlyDesires]

Make one like this. Just tie another piece of whatever your using. One loop is not going to do much

http://www.arcatapet.com/fullsize/1519.jpg

And if your flood lights are touching in the basking pic, you may want to seperate them. They get pretty hot..not worth having a bulb explode or something.


nah, they're not touching.. almost lol.. but i made sure there was space between them.. and i can rotate them out more if i need to as well. thanks for the link ill look into it.. i did have something around his neck but it still didnt work he slipped out of it pretty quickly i snapped that picture just before i brought him inside cause he almost got free.. he wouldnt keep still

[DeadlyDesires]

He's so beautiful. I wish I had the resources and stuff to keep a Savannah monitor. How's his temperament?


hes more on the chill side for a savannah, has been since i got him.. he attacks things like his water sprayer and tongs and stuff but never attacks my hands when i put them in the cage just hisses at me and puffs out usually runs into his hole. hes better than he was when i got him so there's progress lol..

[DeadlyDesires]

Looking good, not surprised that the harness didn't work though, LOL...


yea, for some reason i didnt think he woudl go crazy once i got him outside because when i let him roam around the house for a few minutes hes more chill about it but as soon as he hit the pavement he took off..

[Pirarucu]

yea, for some reason i didnt think he woudl go crazy once i got him outside because when i let him roam around the house for a few minutes hes more chill about it but as soon as he hit the pavement he took off..They're smart animals, they won't run unless they have somewhere to run to.

[DeadlyDesires]

They're smart animals, they won't run unless they have somewhere to run to.


yup, i found that out lol...

[murrindindi]

Hi, if those are recent pics he`s looking in very nice condition, well done!
I`d like to ask if you`ve thought of going into business making those harnesses?
























If yes, I wouldn`t bother....... :D

[smy_749]

I didn't mean using the materials, etc. etc. and making that harness. Just that design with a lop infront of the legs, and a lop behind the legs, connected with that top piece. You could just purchase that style at petco anyways ....

[jarich]

Love that first picture. Mine is always doing the same.

[DeadlyDesires]

Hi, if those are recent pics he`s looking in very nice condition, well done!
I`d like to ask if you`ve thought of going into business making those harnesses?
























If yes, I wouldn`t bother....... :D

Yes they are recent the first one was taken the day i posted it the outside one was taken 2 weeks ago i think it was a nice day outside and the ground temps were reading 112 and was about 75 outside so i figured he would like it.
lmfao... no, it was a horrible fail and wont ever be done again lmfao he almost got loose and i was not happy about it so it went in the trash, i actually did plan on buying one at petsmart once it started warming up i just made something fast that i thought would work for a few mins while i took him out but sadly, it didnt lol...

and to Jarich, everytime i open his cage door and tap on the inside wall he will come running out of his borrow and do this because he wants food lol.. and sometimes when hes hungry and its time to feed him, its like he knows lol.. :D smart lil fella :P

[DeadlyDesires]

Well he still has diarrhea so hes got a vet visit today more than likely going to have them do some blood work to check make sure nothing is wrong internally, im hoping for the best and that his previous owner didn't screw him up and whatever is wrong is reversible. I will take some pictures of him at the vet and keep everyone updated on him, nothing seems out of the ordinary with him hes acts/eats normal just the diarrhea nightmare that i need to get sorted out. :D wish us luck!

[Mark Taylor]

Good luck:)

[DeadlyDesires]

thanks!!!!!!!

[DeadlyDesires]

ok so the trip to the vet went well he did take a little nip of her finger though lol!... he has lost around 1 lb which is great!! currently at 3 1/2 lbs *ish* still needs to lose more but hes getting there... they started him on another round of De-wormer and i am waiting to hear results of blood test they said about 3-5 days, i paid for the most expensive one which checked for everything!! i want to make SURE he gets better. i have a few pics ill post in a minute he wasn't very happy at all lol..

[DeadlyDesires]

yes that is a guinea pig harness lol its all the store had that fit him and it fits well so it works! lmfao...



http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130513_171041_zpsaf7fe963.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130513_171051_zps947ecd51.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130513_171056_zpsfc2cda44.jpg

[Pirarucu]

My concern is that it looks like all he would need to do to escape would be to tuck his front legs against his body and push with his back legs..
He's looking good though, keep it up!

[DeadlyDesires]

My concern is that it looks like all he would need to do to escape would be to tuck his front legs against his body and push with his back legs..
He's looking good though, keep it up!


thanks!,

he can't get out of that harness he tried at the vet office when they were drawing blood...

[Mark Taylor]

Glad it went well and that harness is made for him lol.

[NextMorph]

Nice pics! :) Glad to hear you're being responsible and taking him to the vet when he needs it. :) Also.. that harness looks like it was meant for him. Hahaha.

[Pirarucu]

thanks!,

he can't get out of that harness he tried at the vet office when they were drawing blood...Alright, that's good then. Either way I'd still be a bit cautious with him, especially if you take him outside with it.

[DeadlyDesires]

Alright, that's good then. Either way I'd still be a bit cautious with him, especially if you take him outside with it.


oh, most deff, i let him run around ouside the vet and sit in the sun it was a hot day and we had no issues so i think we are good, it will expand as he grows as well so thats good, i deff keep an eye on him, lol dont need a run away lizard! especially with how much money i've spent on him so far :P ... he is very loved!

[DeadlyDesires]

they poked his poor tail for the blood draw :( poor guy, keeping an eye on it to make sure the area doesnt' getting infected or anything... hes doing well today, i opened the door and tapped on the inside of his cage and he came running out of his hole like usual for some food so doesn't seem affected by the visit yesterday. :D

[DeadlyDesires]

well that was fast! test results came back normal... they said everything looks fine which is great!!! so its just worms that didnt go away the first time.. they said it should be good this time he is on pancur one dose every 10 days up to 3 doses they said if that doesn't work they are going to re-check stool for any kind of bacterial infection but she said she is sure its just worms that weren't eliminated with first round of treatment im looking forward to getting him healthy and worm free so he can live happily i know its gotta be uncomfortable.

[DeadlyDesires]

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130901_191539_zps2fcc5269.jpg (http://s1309.photobucket.com/user/cynthia_mitchell/media/20130901_191539_zps2fcc5269.jpg.html)
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130901_191557_zps4c4e763c.jpg (http://s1309.photobucket.com/user/cynthia_mitchell/media/20130901_191557_zps4c4e763c.jpg.html)
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130901_191602_zps51679433.jpg (http://s1309.photobucket.com/user/cynthia_mitchell/media/20130901_191602_zps51679433.jpg.html)

[formica]

how did u persuade him to wear that? haha I think i'd get allot of abuse from mine if i tried

[DeadlyDesires]

hes on the chill side most of the time.. only hissed and stuff when i first got him.

[Aaron_S]

well that was fast! test results came back normal... they said everything looks fine which is great!!! so its just worms that didnt go away the first time.. they said it should be good this time he is on pancur one dose every 10 days up to 3 doses they said if that doesn't work they are going to re-check stool for any kind of bacterial infection but she said she is sure its just worms that weren't eliminated with first round of treatment im looking forward to getting him healthy and worm free so he can live happily i know its gotta be uncomfortable.

This may be a really good read for you...

Monitor Lizard Forums - parasites (http://www.varanustalk.com/forum/index.php?pageid=parasites)

[DeadlyDesires]

This may be a really good read for you...

Monitor Lizard Forums - parasites (http://www.varanustalk.com/forum/index.php?pageid=parasites)

Thanks Aaron,

it was an very interesting read, unfortunately he still has diarrhea and I don't really konw what else to do.. he acts/eats normal and all the tests say hes fine so im kinda at a loss to try and fix something that nobody can find wrong...

[Aaron_S]

Thanks Aaron,

it was an very interesting read, unfortunately he still has diarrhea and I don't really konw what else to do.. he acts/eats normal and all the tests say hes fine so im kinda at a loss to try and fix something that nobody can find wrong...

Maybe you should double check over everything because there's a chance you could be doing something wrong.

[infernalis]

what is the current basking temp? how is it measured? have you double checked with a second thermometer?

[Kimmie]

I use a ferret harness for my tegu works great :)

[formica]

long term diarrhea would be a major concern, its massively dehydrating for any animal, did the vet give you any electrolytes for him?

as humidity and dehydration are linked in Savs, i'd personally be extra cautious about allowing him to roam outside of his enclosure, where the temps and humidity are no doubt significantly lower than he needs, personally Id be keeping him very hot and very humid (80%) until some time after the diarrhea clears up - i know that many on here will say he shouldnt be out of his enclosure at all unless u live somewhere hot and humid

[infernalis]

during the entire course of the illness, I would jack up temps and keep the lizard in it's enclosure with minimal interaction.

The coldest spot in the cage I would allow is 80 degrees (F) and offer basking at 150-160.

Monitors "self medicate" by elevating core temperatures beyond their normal comfort zone. (Compare to a fever)

[murrindindi]

Hi, is the monitor still on medication, if yes, that may be what`s causing the "diarrhoea"?
You should NOT increase the rh to 80% throughout the enclosure, so long as there are similarly high levels in the cooler hides/burrows, it`s fine.

[infernalis]

Hi, is the monitor still on medication, if yes, that may be what`s causing the "diarrhoea"?
You should NOT increase the rh to 80% throughout the enclosure, so long as there are similarly high levels in the cooler hides/burrows, it`s fine.

Stefan is right, we should not ever remove the options of choice from the monitor. We can push those options to the extreme, and if the lizard wants the extremes, it can voluntarily chose to use them.

[formica]

as long as the basking area is at the right temperature, the enclosure will have dry areas

I dont think forcing the monitor to choose between cool and humid, or hot and dry, is correct? which is what is being implied - despite numerous threads saying otherwise

[varanus_mad]

This is going to sound daft could you post a pic up of his scat? Ta

[varanus_mad]

as long as the basking area is at the right temperature, the enclosure will have dry areas

I dont think forcing the monitor to choose between cool and humid, or hot and dry, is correct? which is what is being implied - despite numerous threads saying otherwise

Bob on... Under normal circs yes... But if its sick... They need all the help they can get cooling right down at night time is not going to help the animal at all...

[DeadlyDesires]

what is the current basking temp? how is it measured? have you double checked with a second thermometer?

temps are at 90 hot side, 80's cool side. checked with a ir temp gun daily. still have the thermometers on the sides of the tank. yea i have moved them and placed them in my snake tanks to match temps they are working properly. his basking temp sits at 130 at night i turn everything off and temps drop to low 70's cool side and 79 hot side.

[DeadlyDesires]

the humidity in the tank is sitting at 76% right now.. haven't added any water to it in about a month. need to. i will take a picture of his scat next time he goes he likes to go in this little corner under the steps and its hard to get to lol.. i usually clean it up as well. i have rechecked and double checked everything.. thats why im at a loss.. a stephan, no hes not on meds anymore. been off for a while... i've considered the mice i feed may have parasites or whatever, but my snakes get the same rodents and they are perfectly fine.

[infernalis]

I doubt any parasites are in your rodents.

[DeadlyDesires]

I doubt any parasites are in your rodents.

lol, i assure you, i've thought of everything... he eats like nothing else lol... hes active digs his holes and scales the cage all the time.. you would never know he was ill until you saw his poop... and test results say hes fine.. ill prob do another fecal smear again for the 3rd time jus to make sure.

[formica]

bump the basking spot upto 150+?

did the vet do blood tests for kidney function?

is he eating 60% insects, 40% mice? wondering if something might be missing from his diet, have you tried him on closer to 100% insect diet?

[DeadlyDesires]

its not that stuff... hes been this way since i purchased him about 6 months ago. when i first got him his basking spot stayed at 145 for months and it made no difference.

[formica]

what does he eat? There must be a reason for it, at 6months i'd be very concerned, dehydration is a very real risk with diarrhea

must be something wrong somewhere, if his environment is within spec, then you need to consider his diet, some progressive gastric problems can take weeks to months to clear up, and some do significant damage which can lead to serious intolerance's to certain foods, gluten is a common one, and a difficult one to remove from the food chain

I have no idea what conditions of this kind can afflict monitors, but personally I'd start investigating by stripping back his diet to a single highly nutritious item, like dubia roaches, with a multivitamin suppliment or good balanced gutload, and monitor him for 2 months, if there is no change, switch to a different food, and repeat until something changes

..hopefully there is something obvious that people with more experience can suggest

[murrindindi]

its not that stuff... hes been this way since i purchased him about 6 months ago. when i first got him his basking spot stayed at 145 for months and it made no difference.


Hi, the surface temp @ around 145f at the basking site is fine, raising it will NOT have any effect if the monitor does have diarrhoea, I`m not sure why this was suggested in the first place, though I agree that if there is a health problem elevating the AMBIENT temps somewhat, especially in the cooler areas 24/7 for a time might help (not letting it below approx. 80f as Wayne first suggested).
I too would like a pic of fresh faeces if you can get one, I`d also like to ask why you describe it as "diarrhoea" (not that I`m doubting it may be), just that they can have quite loose stools at times, depending on what they`ve eaten.

[DeadlyDesires]

Diarrhea as when i first got him it was straight black water.. now its more brown but still runny not solid. and as for the ambient temps. i keep them over 80 during the day unless its at night you suggest keeping the lights on 24/7? to keep it above 80? i also have a heat emitter i can turn on at night instead of the lights to help keep the heat up, i use it in the winter.

[DeadlyDesires]

a picture, as requested.

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/cynthia_mitchell/20130916_231833_zpsa1e0d620.jpg (http://s1309.photobucket.com/user/cynthia_mitchell/media/20130916_231833_zpsa1e0d620.jpg.html)