pics

[Creep]

ok, so i finally figured out how to get those pics to my computer. sorry if they're shabby, i'm not much of a photographer.

she's avoiding the mice and just eating insects... but at least she's eating. i get the feeling she was not eating mice at all.

http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a559/monitorcreeper/IMAG0582_zps4ba62013.jpg
http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a559/monitorcreeper/IMAG0573_zps04d660e6.jpg
http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a559/monitorcreeper/IMAG0574_zps371b57e3.jpg
http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a559/monitorcreeper/IMAG0576_zps5720a45e.jpg
http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a559/monitorcreeper/IMAG0584_zps22df92da.jpg
http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a559/monitorcreeper/IMAG0240_zps0288a1b5.jpg
http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a559/monitorcreeper/IMAG0570-2_zps53121888.jpg

[smy_749]

Shes not lookin so hot mate. I'm not sure how well that basking stack will work if its glass or plexi? May be hard to grip and choose layers to bask in. Also is the top screen?

Have you seen her eat the insects with your own eyes, if shes avoiding the mice im afraid she may be spilling the insects from the dish while roaming, leading you to believe she ate. you can also try organic shrimp, petstore silversides, and a vet appt seems due.

Best of luck and hope she has a speedy recovery

[AjaMichelle]

I agree with the above ^^^

Whew! she's looking rough! How deep is your substrate? This enclosure doesn't look very practical. It looks like you need to maximize humidity and security, take out a lot of the decorations that aren't contributing to humidity and security, and check your basking spot surface temperature.

Can you take a photo standing in front of it encompassing the whole enclosure?
It's hard to see what's going on...

[Creep]

aja we've already been through all of that in previous threads, and some of those are plant material for humidity purposes, which is at 80% as previously mentioned, i had not sprayed yet when those pics were taken. all of that information is fine ans has been checked over by other members. our concern right now is her eating and fattening up for obvious reasons.


yeah, now you see why i was so furious they would send me an animal in such poor shape. the stack was kinda the wife's idea, she said wood just absorbs moisture, but thinking about it now that may be better. i can always remake it.

also, for the insects, the first time i mentioned it i had been gone all day. the pic with her near the bowl i'd just put out insects, walked out, and walked back in a minute later to find her there eating everything but he mouse. she stopped to look at me.

edit: oh, and the screen top? yes, i put a wet towel over unused areas and also cover up the other ends to keep in humidity.

[infernalis]

Wood will not absorb moisture in a basking stack. The heat of the basking lamps drives away any moisture.

[smy_749]

You want to make sure you see her eating with your own eyes. If shes eating and basking she might turn around just fine. Towel is ok for now, but if you go to home depot , they have precut plexi. Judging by your basking stack you can do some handy work, so make a plexi top or glass. Does a better job. substrate doesnt have to be redic like it does for savannahs. Id suggest getting alot more vertical climbing, alot more fake leaf cover on the branches, and just more hides all around. Keep us posted

[smy_749]

Also , even if it does absorb on the bottom shelves, who cares. Let it rot , he isnt housed in the stack and moist would towards the bottom can be replaced. Dont nail it together or anything. Just try to make a natural 'wood pile' feel like you might see in the wild. Doesnt need 20 layers , maybe 5 ...

[murrindindi]

Hi, you need to cover the top with something other than a towel, thin plywood (sealed with several coats of polyurethane varnish) or plexiglass/similar. If you`re having to do frequent spraying it means the humidity must be falling quite low on a regular basis.
From the small area I can see I don`t have concerns about the decorations, but you need a "proper" basking site, that means something that will hold the heat (a flat, firmly fixed stone, a wooden stack), this needs to be done immediately.
The monitor is very thin (many of them are when they come in), hopefully he/she will pick up quite quickly. Again, a faecal check at least needs to be done (I understand it might be difficult to find fresh faeces).
If you aren`t already, I advise using a multi vitamin/mineral supplement perhaps 3 x weekly.

[lady_bug87]

Your concern can't JUST be the appetite. If the conditions aren't right the appetite won't be either

My understanding of varanids is you fix one and the other fixes itself

[Creep]

got the plywood, i'll go look for that varnish you're talking about and make a new one. also got custom cut plexiglass to make a new cover. my concern, though, is will the heat lamps burn/melt the plexiglass where it's sitting or will i need to cut out holes for the lamps to sit over?

i am covering the insects in multivitamin+calcium powder.

i spray once a day or every other day. the humidity doesn't drop too quickly, it's just i know some reptiles will drink droplets off decorations, plant life, etc, so if she wants that option i want her to have that option. she has drank from the pond, i saw her, so i guess i could stop misting every now and then.

i'd thought i saw some poop earlier but it was just how the sunlight was shining in, so i was a little bummed... if i don't see some soon i may just take her to the vet, but i do worry about stressing her out with a trip... she has only been here for a week today, i don't even think that's long enough to properly acclimate and, during that time period, i've been shuffling things around in the enclosure to fix the things you all pointed out, so that probably didn't help any in her acclimation...

edit: also, for glass as a possible top, doesn't high heat cause glass to crack?

[AjaMichelle]

all of that information is fine and has been checked over by other members. our concern right now is her eating and fattening up for obvious reasons.

The concern is most definitely her eating and fattening up for obvious reasons, and as LadyBug mentioned, that's directly related to her environment.

What I'm seeing is a big, open, see-through box, lacking a lot of hiding spots. The back and side panes look see-through, and it doesn't look like she can navigate through the enclosure without being seen, along with a number of other changes that need to be made already mentioned by the other members.

[murrindindi]

Yes, you'll definitely need to cut holes for the heat bulbs, make sure they are quite tight otherwise the humidity and heat will escape, and you cannot use glass for the top, it`s either wood. metal or plexi. I didn`t realise the bulbs were outside, it`s far from ideal, much better to have them inside so you have a "self contained" environment. The more info you offer the less acceptable the enclosure appears to be at this time?
You are correct in that making these changes while the animal is in there is not the best option but it must be done, the monitor needs supportive conditions right now, all these things should have been in place before he/she arrived (but it`s good you`re listening and acting on the advise).
Can you get a pic of the whole enclosure?

[Creep]

so they need to be inside, with the monitor?... i knda feel that's a bit unsafe, can't she burn herself on them?

also, i did see her eat. i've been sneaking in recently instea of just walking in and taking lttle peaks from a hole in the curtain that's infront of the enclosure(i have a curtain about a foot away from her enclosure that's attached to the ceiling). the back and sides are not see through at all, i can assure you. i can only see in through the front and top of the enclosure, which i don't loom over the top, i'm inclined to believe that's worse to do.

what do you meant by self contained?

also, i removed some larger items to hide under and around, and some other caves to hide in because she kept getting inside those items, they're hollow inside. i don't really think it's good for her to be inside the decorations. is it alright or should they be sealed up?

[infernalis]

I agree, heat, humidity & hides.... appetite should certainly follow.

[smy_749]

This is what Murr is referring too with bulbs in the enclosure

http://www.chompersite.com/LF/bulbs.jpg

And no, she won't burn herself because 1.) shes not that stupid most of the time 2.) if she jumps up to touch them, which she may, the contact won't last long enough to cause a serious burn since the lights will sway and she will fall back down. Just like when you touch something hot and take your hand away quickly and are unburned.

Yes you need to cut holes in the plexi, wood may be easier however and provide more security that she can't be seen from above.

If she can get back out, then going in is not an issue. Its an issue for you because oyu will probably never see her, but if theres no risk of getting stuck, don't take it out. Like I said, I like to just lay logs, bark, hollow logs etc. because there is no risk unlike the extremely overpriced plastic sharp edge petco rubbish with paint that wears off over time.

with regards to the eating, if you would like to be certain shes eating. Get a very large water section, (rubbermaid or something) and put a smaller tupperwear inside the water , then your insects in there. If they escape they will drown, if they were eaten you won't find anything. And she will still eat the drown insects when she finds them if shes feeding.

Edit: Looking at the link I sent, I believe now that it is infact Infernalis's link, just want to give credit where its due.

[Creep]

ah, ok then, thanks. i did actually see her eat the superworms i'd put out for her, though, they weren't thrown out, but i can put some in a container in the water, too.

[Pirarucu]

Fix the enclosure and she will do well. Having a proper enclosure comes before food, period.
That skinniness looks to me like a result of dehydration more than just not eating enough..

[Creep]

Fix the enclosure and she will do well. Having a proper enclosure comes before food, period.
That skinniness looks to me like a result of dehydration more than just not eating enough..

possibly.. i know the first thing she did after arriving from outback and going in her enclosure was take a huge drink of water. they said she may of been dehydrated from the shipping, but, as far as i know, it takes more than just 12 - 14 hours to become really dehydrated, does it not? it just makes me really wonder how they treat their reptiles, if they even provide them anything.

[smy_749]

possibly.. i know the first thing she did after arriving from outback and going in her enclosure was take a huge drink of water. they said she may of been dehydrated from the shipping, but, as far as i know, it takes more than just 12 - 14 hours to become really dehydrated, does it not? it just makes me really wonder how they treat their reptiles, if they even provide them anything.

They are imports, and his facility is only one stop on the journey. Although I obviously don't agree with it, when you receive as many animals as he probably does from over seas, its not realistic financially for a business to house each one in a large enclosure with whatever substrate and check temps etc. etc. We are talking hundreds of animals and they will only be with him for a few weeks or so before they are sold, so he probably doesn't see why he should bother. If some of them die, its ok because he already raised the price way past what he purchased them for, to cover losses and still make profit. Soooooo, they just throw them all in a bin or a tank together with basic bark and some heat usually.

[Creep]

wow... that's really sad.. i heard none of that in any of the reviews i saw for them, even the bad ones.

[smy_749]

wow... that's really sad.. i heard none of that in any of the reviews i saw for them, even the bad ones.

I didn't mean that for just him, I meant it for most big names who receive lots of imports, even pet shops....They are just holding tanks until the animals are sold

[Pirarucu]

possibly.. i know the first thing she did after arriving from outback and going in her enclosure was take a huge drink of water. they said she may of been dehydrated from the shipping, but, as far as i know, it takes more than just 12 - 14 hours to become really dehydrated, does it not? it just makes me really wonder how they treat their reptiles, if they even provide them anything.Having that skinny of a tail and a somewhat acceptable body mass tells me dehydration and possibly(probably) underheating as well. That's the body lacking the ability to effectively process the food it's being given, not so much a lack of food. As soon as she's heated and hydrated, she'll bounce back very quickly.