Savannah Hip problem? Peculiar gait...

Vattica · 08-12-02, 10:58 AM

Ok, background first:
12" Savannah, had him since he hatched, 5.0 UV lights, 100 ish degrees bask temps, eats insects only : crix, silk, butter, meal, super/zoophobas, and wax worms, grasshoppers, moths - whatever else I can catch. He wont eat anything that doesnt move- I am out of ideas. He tends to get bored easily, so I let him out frequently, vary his diet, and change around his cage once a month or so, adding and subtracting things to make it interesting.

Sebastian has been nothing but the epitome of fantastic health and vitality until about a week ago (dont know if this is related, but thought I'd include it) he has started to look bored and just lays flopped all over everything in really bizarre positions (even more so than usual), refuses to eat anything but zoophobas worms and large crickets, and he has also been extremely agressive, I was just LOOKING at him the other day and he got all worked up and pissy over it.

Anyhow, the real problem (noticed yesterday) is that when he walks, his hips are moving in an unusual way, almost as if he is limping. Usually the hips move in that swing/sway rhythm, now it starts normal, one side sways, then the other instead of swinging back, does a sort of circle...this is very diffucult to explain. It is almost as if he limps on that leg...what could this be? It apparently causes him no pain, he continues to meander around as usual, and has no problems catching crix, but I still worry about it. I tend to think it an injury of some sort since it is a sudden thing, (I cant see how he could have possibly injured himself) but he doesnt appear to be in pain- any ideas?

Leah

NiagaraReptiles · 08-12-02, 11:12 AM

What are you keeping it in?
What vitimam supplement are you using?
Does it have access to humidity?

....and I'll limit it to just those 3 questions for now

JonK

Vattica · 08-13-02, 11:20 AM

Sebastian lives in a 20 or 30 (cant remember) gallon tank until his new one is built...(now how to get the hubby to actually FINISH it!) We have the frame thus far and are planning an enormous (8-10 ft long) wire/wood and plexiglass cage (sound ok?) I am using herptivite for a vit. supplement, 2x/mo. I feel this is plenty because I gutload all of the bugs for my chams and the nutritional content of them seems to agree w/ the needs of the monitor.

Once in a while I spray him, and he seems to enjoy it, but for his main source of humidity he has a nice big bowl to swim around in. And boy does he swim! He loves that thing. He likes to swim in the shallow end of the bathtub too... Reading about them says they need very little humidity - should I be spraying him? Humidity in our home is pretty high because of the chams, so I dont feel like spraying is necessary.

Oh, by the way, I got him to eat a piece of turkey yesterday - that in itself is amazing. He wont eat anything that doesnt move.

Leah

Linds · 08-13-02, 03:04 PM

You need to be dusting with a calcium supplement at least every other feeding. Vitamin supplements arent always necessary, as long as the insects ahve been properly gutloaded, but calcium supplements are very very important for insectivores and herbivores. It sounds as though he has a deficiency.

Vattica · 08-13-02, 04:05 PM

As I said before - I gutload (CA is included in that) and supplement CA 2x a week...deficiencies do not normally develop sudden problems like this; they are a slower process with more gradual results. Like I said above, he was fine one day, and walking funny the next. My guess is it is an injury, we'll have to see I guess. He seems to be perking up some though.

Linds: I LOVE your up close and personal snake shot, that is an awesome pic. That snake looks like his eyeballs are going to pop out of his head.

Leah

Dom · 08-13-02, 04:24 PM

It seems like it could d be an injury but what i would do is try to get him to eat Whole animals like small pinkies and fuzzies .. I personally dont add any vitamins or supplemnts to my sav's (there carnivores and almost full grown) but on young ones it may be nesesary ..

If this happenned all of a sudden I doubt it would be a calcium defeciency .. just my oppinion .. vet care may by needed..

best of luck to you .

Let us know the outcome

Dom

NiagaraReptiles · 08-14-02, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Vattica
Sebastian lives in a 20 or 30 (cant remember) gallon tank until his new one is built...(now how to get the hubby to actually FINISH it!) We have the frame thus far and are planning an enormous (8-10 ft long) wire/wood and plexiglass cage (sound ok?) I am using herptivite for a vit. supplement, 2x/mo. I feel this is plenty because I gutload all of the bugs for my chams and the nutritional content of them seems to agree w/ the needs of the monitor.

A twenty gallon would be much too small for a 12" sav. At least a 3 foot tank/enclosure should be provided at this point in time. Just as a thought about your 'cage in progress', you may want to forget about the screen and just build it without ventalation and add vents when finished. I likely won't need more than a normal sized floor vent. Too much ventalation causes problems retaining temps (thus less effficient = higher electricity bills, and dehydration).
If you are feeding an insect diet, supplements should be used at every feeding for a growing monitor. A properly kept Sav could grow from hatchling size to adult size (3-4') in less than a year. There is no harm with monitors of over supplementing, but can have severe long term effects if under supplemented.

Once in a while I spray him, and he seems to enjoy it, but for his main source of humidity he has a nice big bowl to swim around in. And boy does he swim! He loves that thing. He likes to swim in the shallow end of the bathtub too... Reading about them says they need very little humidity - should I be spraying him? Humidity in our home is pretty high because of the chams, so I dont feel like spraying is necessary.

Spraying or watering the substrate will be neccisary, but how often will depend on other areas of your husbandry.
A heathly, adequately kept Savannah Monitor will never soak in water. If your monitor is doing this, it's likely dehydrated. In their natural range most never even see water. They are a burrowing species and get/retain moisture by retreating to a humid burrow. An adult Sav will readily make use of 24" inches of 'useable' substrate (I recommend dirt). The substrate should not remain wet, but just moist enough to hold a burrow. Providing your monitor with this allows it wo be a monitor the only way it knows how.

Oh, by the way, I got him to eat a piece of turkey yesterday - that in itself is amazing. He wont eat anything that doesnt move.

Leah

Turkey hasn't been prooven to be harmful to monitors, but it also hasn't prooven to be benificial. I recommend a whole prey item diet of insects and appropriately sized rodents as a juvenile, and they do very well on an all rodent diet as adults (providing the rodents are of good quality).

I have no idea what is making your monitor walk differently than it was, and no one here can tell you either. If you're not sure and have the best interest of your monitor in mind, take it to a vet.

Best wishes,

JonK