New Sub-forum Suggestion

[Pareeeee]

Just a suggestion, saw this on another forum and thought it was a good idea.

The "Emergency" sub-forum, for those who need urgent help with their sick or injured reptile, with a sticky with instructions/template such as:

Photo of reptile and enclosure (if at all possible!)
Species:
Warm side temps:
Cool side temps:
Humidity %:
Gender:
Age (if known):
Type of enclosure:
Substrate:
Last ate:
Last shed:
Last defecation:

[SpOoKy]

I see this just becoming a...
"Emergency! I NEED HELP FAST!!! my snake hasnt eaten in 11 days, what do I do???

[Pareeeee]

I see this just becoming a...
"Emergency! I NEED HELP FAST!!! my snake hasnt eaten in 11 days, what do I do???

Haha! Well info about snakes not eating could go in the sticky of this hypothetical sub-forum.

[reptimama]

Most of the time in these Emergency forums all that gets posted in reply is take the animal to a vet. I've rarely seen any real helpful posts in them.

[blindfireak40]

Most of the time in these Emergency forums all that gets posted in reply is take the animal to a vet. I've rarely seen any real helpful posts in them.

And oftentimes, insufficient information is provided on the part of the concerned owner; in This situation a default response is "better safe than sorry, take it in". I think the idea of a template is really great. It would save a lot of time currently spent waiting for the OP to respond to the queries regarding husbandry.

At least that holds true for our slice of the internet. Not sure what your experiences are, but that's the theme I've noticed here.

[SnakeyJay]

Telling someone to take an animal to the vet IS helpful.. A lot of new keepers don't realise that the little signs they're seeing are caused by a bigger problem. Usually there's not much more to be said as were not there in person, not vets and can't prescribe meds or run tests.

[Chu'Wuti]

I belong to another forum--chameleonforums dot com--and they have a "Health Clinic" forum that actually works quite well, so I, too, think this is a good idea. They have a specific set of questions that will help a distressed owner give adequate detail regarding an ailing herp. And I just realized we probably want to change the word "reptile" to "herp"! I already changed it from chameleon to snake to reptile . . . sigh.

I have taken the liberty of adapting their set of questions to our more general use and combined it with Pareeeee's suggestions above to increase the information obtained. See what you think:

__________________


Reptile & Husbandry Info:
Your reptile - The species, sex, and age of your reptile. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your reptile?
Feeding - What are you feeding your reptile? What amount? What is the schedule? When was its last feeding?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. When did it last defecate? Has this reptile ever been tested for parasites?


Enclosure Info:
Enclosure Type & Size - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Substrate - What kind of substrate are you using? How often do you replace it or clean the enclosure?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?


History - Any previous information about your reptile that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

Photo of reptile and enclosure (if at all possible!)

__________________