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 #1292423


VivPab
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 Desert Horned toad lizard not eating

my horned toad isnt eating at all; he wont eat his ants nor his crickets please help
05/24/07  01:49pm

 #1297740


Phrynosoma_Texas_FS3
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   Message To: VivPab   In reference to Message Id: 1292423


 Desert Horned toad lizard not eating

read my caresheet in this forum

and then I’m gonna need a lot more information....like your set up, temps, last time he ate and what, where you got him, and when, etc etc etc.



05/29/07  10:36am

 #1300836


VivPab
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   Message To: Phrynosoma_Texas_FS3   In reference to Message Id: 1297740


 Desert Horned toad lizard not eating

i’ve read your caresheet before...my set up consists of crushed walnut as substrate, a hiding spot, a stick to climb on digital temp measuring both temp and humidity...temps ranges from cool (77) to very warm (101) apparently he ate ants and crickets two days ago, but before that it was awhile. I got him last yr at a reptile show in my area...he was doing fine with eating crickets, and his ants, i also gave him fruit and some lettuce, and celery. I hope i didn’t harm him in doing so but he ate that and he ate afterwards too. These guys are very rare to find info on and i was kinda going with info for bearded dragons since i own them and have had very good experiences with them. I know they are two different species and am pretty much kicking myself in the @$$ for giving him stuff that i don’t know if he can have. I have an emergency mal nutrition kit and was wondering if i should try this on him; one of my beardies didn’t want to eat anymore and i gave him 2 doses and few days later he ate for me, crickets, pellets. We were warned when we first got him that this may happen, but we thought we’d do well and now after almost a yr of having him with us he doesnt want to eat. we mist him as well
05/31/07  08:31pm

 #1303918


Phrynosoma_Texas_FS3
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   Message To: VivPab   In reference to Message Id: 1300836


 Desert Horned toad lizard not eating

He actually ATE the fruit and veggies? No, that’s not part of their normal diet, though I have heard reports ( only 2 ) of a HL eating plant matter. Stay away from anything other than ants right now if you can. If you must use crickets use small, I mean small ones. He may be weak and sick and he needs to be nursed back with as little stress on vital systems as possible. Crickets, mealworms, etc. will slow down his metabolism and use up water stores. Make sure he is hydrated well and keep a dish around in case he wishes to bask in it. Boost the temps under the basking area to at least 105-110*.

What do you mean "pellets"? What kind? That could be dangerous ( impaction ).

And get RID of the walnut substrate. Buy some playbox sterilized sand from Home Depot etc. The walnut may be retaining to much humidity, breeding pathogens and causing him respiratory trouble. Depending on the grade, it could also cause a fatal impaction if he has ingested too much of it.

What are the typical humidity readings?

I use Flukers repta aid sometimes, but that is ONLY with a severely emaciated and sick reptile. If he is in need of this, it means he needs force feeding and that’s a bad thing. As long as he will eat on his own, you should not need to use a force feeding mix. You can also do them harm and cause a stomatitis infection from prying on the mouth to open it if you are not careful, and there’s also a danger of aspirating him on the mix if he doesn’t close his glottis. I can hook you up with harvester ants if you don’t have a source, and if you can’t afford a vet he needs to get to someone who can get him back to health pretty fast, before he turns for the worse. I took in 4 sick DHLs a few months ago shipped to me by someone in Idaho. They got sick within 4 or 5 months of captivity and they couldn’t afford the vet visit. I treated them with antibiotics for a couple weeks and was able to get them back to health. Worst case scenario, if he is really sick and there are no reptile vets in your area that know anything about HLs, you can express him to me and I’ll see if I can save him. If so I will ship him back. I just want them to live.

Tell me as much as you can about his other activities or symptoms.
Do you have UVB lighting? What kind?
How much were you feeding him normally and of what?
Is he burrowing at all, or sleeping above the substrate?
Does he sit during the day with eyes closed?
Does he have elevated upper body posture? ( pushing himself up on his front legs ) and labored breathing? ( visible deep breaths and mouth held agape )



06/03/07  08:09am

 #1308635


VivPab
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   Message To: Phrynosoma_Texas_FS3   In reference to Message Id: 1303918


 Desert Horned toad lizard not eating

the pellets are bearded dragon pellets (didn’t give them to him)he burrows some days and other days he doesn’t; i get him harvester ants and he still has some i gave him the reptiaid and he actually lapped it up and have given it to him for 3 days he seems to be in a better mood, i rose his temps as well but will also get rid of the substrate. I will continue to keep you posted as i am readjusting everything for him. Again he looks a lil bit better but still needs my help (and yours of course)
06/06/07  06:42pm

 #1311990


VivPab
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   Message To: VivPab   In reference to Message Id: 1308635


 Desert Horned toad lizard not eating

well he keeps popping in and out of okness...he does sit there a lot of the day with his eyes closed. I fear i am losing him and unfortunatley the vet i have isn’t very familiar with horned toads. If i could really take you up on your offer on taking care of my guy please let me know and tell me where to send him to
06/09/07  08:27pm

 #1312243


Phrynosoma_Texas_FS3
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   Message To: VivPab   In reference to Message Id: 1311990


 Desert Horned toad lizard not eating

Horned Lizards can be treated pretty much the same as an Iguana when it comes to medicine, since they are related. But sometimes a vet doesn’t want to fool with them.

email me at phrynosoma_texas@yahoo and we can arrange something. He will have to go express though to ensure next day. This time of year it’s getting to hot to send a herp by priority or slower mail.
And the soner the better, because with Horned Lizards, they go downhill pretty fast. A matter of days usually from the time you see these symptoms.

I have everything you could have on hand outside of a vets office: Baytril and Tetracycline injectable antibiotics, tranquilizers, feeding tubes, force feeding formulas, a nebulizer for treating deep respiratory infections, and on and on. Two crash carts full of med gear. If you get him to me fast enough and he isn’t in too bad shape, I can probably save him.



06/10/07  12:28am

 #1321312


VivPab
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   Message To: Phrynosoma_Texas_FS3   In reference to Message Id: 1312243


 Desert Horned toad lizard not eating

thank you very much for trying to help me but the same day that i asked; he passed. i was warned when i first got him; but i thought i could do it; he lasted a decent amount of time considering what they told me at the reptile show; i don’t know if i could handle these guys if i tried again; they are awesome guys but i don’t know if i could have one considering this loss, i followed everything i was told; i gave him ants on a regular basis i and from one day to the next, he starts going downhill, i dunno; awesome guys but dont think i can hack it though
06/16/07  11:14pm

 #1322127


Phrynosoma_Texas_FS3
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   Message To: VivPab   In reference to Message Id: 1321312


 Desert Horned toad lizard not eating

I’m so sorry to hear that. They do go downhill fast and sometimes even I can’t save them.
Just yesterday I lost my prized male Regal Horned Lizard "Saguaro". He was healthy the week before and has been very hardy for the last 3 years. Even with all my knowledge and equipment, I couldn’t save him. He died in my hands while I was trying to intubate his airway and give him epinephrine to rescucitate him. He had stuggled strongly for a week, undergoing respiratory breathing treatments with a nebulizer, antibiotics, probiotics, IV fluids and amino acids, tube feeding, etc. He suffered from pulminary adema, hypovolemia and low blood pressure, and he didn’t even have the blood volume as such a small creature for the vet to take enough blood to give me a workup. I was conducting a broad spectrum therapy in the blind to treat everything from infection, to renal failure and metabolic imbalances such as acidosis, and hyper or hypokalemia caused by failing organs; which tied my hands to go to far in any one direction without upsetting other conditions. Just minutes before he died I helped him to pass urate crystals which should have been a good sign that his kidneys were still working to some degree, but it was too late. I will have to perform a necropsy to see what I can learn about why he died.

I have saved several of them, but I have lost a few too, and it’s very hard when you lose one. His mate "Solace" knows that something is the matter. Those two showed me a lot of things about their social behavior I don’t think many people knew about Horned Lizards before. They were always together.

Just a few days before he died, we learned that Solace may be gravid. I hope she is; so that his line won’t end with his passing.






06/17/07  06:11pm

 #1346701


VivPab
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   Message To: Phrynosoma_Texas_FS3   In reference to Message Id: 1322127


 Desert Horned toad lizard not eating

i’m sorry to hear about your loss; beautiful pics you submitted. Good luck with your girl and again i want to thank you
07/05/07  01:13pm


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