Copyright - Martin Rimmel
Health / Sicknesses
Thermo Regulation
Respiratory Infections (RI)
Treatment
Cuts, Burns, and Abrasions
Worms, Ticks and Mites
Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)
The Veterinarian
- Reptiles do lose moisture by breathing dry air, but this is intentionally done in order to lower body temperature particularly in the brain. This is done by normal breathing, panting, and by taking prolonged breaths with a gaping mouth. These breaths cause moisture in the airway to evaporate which lowers the body temperature. This is done only when the animal has warmed past their threshold. When the body temperature of the reptile reaches excessive levels the animal will start respiratory cooling, however if dehydrated the reptile will not start respiratory cooling until higher body temperatures are reached. The more severe the dehydration the higher the temperature the reptile will endure before starting respiratory cooling. In some cases this can be lethal by the reptile overheating. The start of this is the animal acting strangely, spasms, and elevated heart rate. In short, yes reptiles (savannah monitors) do lose moisture by evaporation, but this is necessary for them to regulate body temperature and in particular temperature of the brain.
Respiratory Infections (RI)
- Symptoms include listlessness, weight loss due to decreased appetite, swollen or bloated body, gasping, open mouth breathing, often with audible exhalations when in an advanced state. Wheezing may be heard, or clicking noises when breathing. Bubbly, stringy or sheeting mucous appears in the mouth. The head may be held in a raised position to facilitate breathing.
- When you notice signs of a respiratory infection, not only must you evaluate and correct the environmental problems, but you must take the reptile to a reptile veterinarian* to be evaluated for systemic antibiotic therapy and possibly fluid and nutritional support. If the reptile does not respond to environmental correction and the antibiotic therapy a culture and sensitivity test should be done to determine exactly what the organism(s) is and the best antibiotic to combat it. The sample is easily taken by the vet in the form of a choanal swab or, in more difficult cases, a lung washing. In rare cases the infection may be due to a fungal infection, which requires different medications than bacterial infections.
- *Not all veterinarians are familiar with reptiles and even more specifically monitors. It is vital to make sure any vet you choose knows about monitors specifically. There have been many deaths caused by improper vet treatments.
Treatment
- Treating a respiratory infection requires two things: An immediate evaluation of the day and night temperatures in the reptile's enclosure, with additional heat sources added or broken/malfunctioning equipment replaced, and the attention of a reptile vet who will evaluate the reptile for systemic antibiotics and fluid replacement. In addition, if the reptile has cagemates or lives in a room where he is in line-of-site of other reptiles or household pets an overall psychosocial evaluation needs to be made.
- Reptile with respiratory infections should be kept in draft-free but well-ventilated enclosures maintained at the species' day time temperature gradient both during the day and at night. For reptiles who require a hotter basking area, the basking area temperatures do not need to be provided at night, but the higher overall gradient does. This will not only enable the reptile's own immune system to function better, but increases the efficacy of the antibiotics.
Cuts, Burns, and Abrasions
- The leading causes for burns, wounds and abrasions are from lights being too close, lights being too strong, heavy items falling on the monitor (rocks, bricks, etc), and other animals attacking the monitor.
- Treating a wound on a lizard is not as easy as one may think. It still involves the basics, such as cleaning and disinfecting the wound, applying ointment, and bandaging. However it is hard to keep a bandage on a lizard. Bandaging may require creativity. Latex may be used on lizard tails. Liquid and spray bandage products are available for lizards who consistently soak off their bandages and on a reptile whose defect is so extensive that bandaging is not possible. Also keep in mind that water will not help the wound and may prolong healing because it loosens the wound whereas you want it to scab over. Therefore, you should prevent a wounded and bandaged Savannah Monitor from soaking in water. To help facilitate recovery one should maintain high temperatures, good nutrition and keep the lizard's wound and habitat clean. If infection sets in and gets serious you will want to see a veterinarian because if untreated an infection can lead to worse problems and maybe even death.
Worms, Ticks and Mites
- Savannah Monitors can be affected by parasites, both internal and external. Symptoms of internal parasites include loss of appetite, bloating, vomiting, sudden weight loss, sluggish movements, and constipation. Internal parasites should be treated by a veterinarian who will generally prescribe a regimen of oral or injected medication. Mites are external parasites that often afflict Savannah Monitors. They are tiny (a few millimeters in diameter) and difficult to spot. Mites will attach themselves to your pet, bore through his skin, and suck his blood. If many mites are present they can work together and quickly drain a significant amount of blood, causing a lack of appetite in your pet and a weakening of his immune system. Because of the severity of the consequences of mites if you think your pet is infected you will need to act quickly.
- There are three ways to rid your Savannah Monitor of mites. Thoroughly bathe him, paying particular attention to the eyes, nostrils, vents, and skin folds, and housing him in a separate terrarium while you clean his home. When cleaning the terrarium dispose of the substrate, any live plants, and other furnishings that are able to be thrown away. Any items that are kept should be wrapped in aluminum foil and placed in the oven at 275°F for two to three hours. Next, soak the terrarium in a bleach solution, letting it soak for 18 to 24 hours. Then, thoroughly rinse it and air it out.
- Another method Savannah Monitor owners use to rid their pet of mites is to dip him in cooking oil (vegetable, olive, etc.). Dip him quickly, making sure his whole body is covered. Soak up any oil that remains on him using a towel. Then, place him in a separate terrarium and clean the tank as detailed above.
- One final option is to take your pet to the veterinarian. She will prescribe a mite killer that will usually need to be sprayed on both the monitor and his terrarium. This treatment should soon eradicate all mites from your pet and his home.
Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)
- Metabolic Bone Disease refers to the inability of the body to properly materialize bone. It is caused by a lack of required nutrients or a disease that prevents the body from absorbing nutrients correctly. MBD is the result of mismanagement of diet, environment, or both. Metabolic Bone Disease is generally caused by too little calcium, too much phosphorus, too little or too much vitamin D3, too little ultraviolet light, too little protein or a combination of these factors. Less common Metabolic Bone Disease is caused by disease of the kidneys, liver, small intestine, or of the parathyroid or thyroid glands, or some other related organ dysfunction.
- There are many forms of Metabolic Bone Disease and all of these diseases cause severe problems in the bones. Metabolic Bone Disease may result in soft, swollen, thin, weak, brittle, deformed, or any other kind of unhealthy bone. Other effects of Metabolic Bone Disease include lameness, partial paralysis, death, and painful movement.
- Treatment in most cases (other than those resulting from other diseases) are changes in the animal's diet and environment. Switch to the proper foods, provide better lighting, and take better care of your lizard. Unfortunately if your lizard has metabolic bone disease because of an organ dysfunction, You can not reverse the damage you can only stop it from further damage.
The Veterinarian
- Find out how often they are available to see your reptiles.
- Some vets only see reptiles one or two days a week because there is much less demand for those services. Others might only have appointments once or twice a month. Try to find a veterinarian who is available on a regular basis. You never know when something will come up and you don't want to have to wait to get treatment in an emergency.
- Determine what kind of experience they have.
- If a vet has never actually worked with a lizard, snake, or tortoise how will they know what to look for in an examination? Some veterinarians keep reptiles themselves so have a good understanding of them. Others have worked with reptiles for years in their practice. These are the kinds of vets you want to look for. It's important to locate a veterinarian who not only knows reptiles but monitors specifically. Just because they handle snakes and other smaller lizards does not mean they are knowledgeable with monitors.
- Find out if the vet and their office are close to your home.
- Just like with most things, you will want your veterinarian to be conveniently located near home. This may be difficult to find, however, as not all veterinary offices see exotic animals. But take the time to contact all of the vets in your nearby area to determine where you can go and how far you'll have to travel to get there.
- Determine what reptiles the vet sees.
- While most veterinarians will see any breed of cat or dog the same can't be said of reptiles. Some vets will only work with small lizards and snakes, while others will also see large snakes or tortoises. It may be more difficult to find a veterinarian who will work with aggressive species, or snakes bigger than eight feet long. It is important to clarify up front what reptiles a vet will work with so there aren't any surprises later.
Copyright - Martin Rimmel