Whats wrong with him...?

Question

i just got my lizard Snack 2 weeks ago...

and i have followed everything the lady told me...like how much to feed him....water...habitat..everything..

but something is wrong with him...he is not eating his crickets..and at night while he's sleeping their biting at him...

i found what i think is blood on him this morning when i went in to turn his light on..

there is also something wrong with his tail...the scales are all screwed up..

in multiple spots...the one that is on the lower part of his tail i think is shedding...but the other spot right by his butt just looks like a wound..

i don't know what to think...i am only 16 and never had a lizard before..

i have tried calling a million vets...and no one seems to be open..

can some one please help before anything else happens to Snack...

Answer 1

First off - the crickets are feeding on the lizard if there is no other food source in there for them.  You need to let him eat all he can, and leave them in there for: 1/2 hr. if he's a baby, or 1-2 hr. if he's grown, then remove any insects he hasn't eaten, so they don't attack; bite; feed on, or aggravate him.

You have so many things going on right now - the lady who told you how to take care of "Snack" didn't do a very good job, because right now - he is BEING a snack!

It would help if we knew what kind of lizard Snack is, and how old he is, too.

Snack may be in very serious trouble.  He might need the care of a vet at this point in time, if the crickets have chewed him up badly, and it sure does sound like they have!

If you don't already have one, for a qualified reptile/exotics vet in the city of your state, contact  Ã¢Â€Âœherpetologicalsocieties.com“ and they can recommend one.

I'm going to paste a recipe to gut load the crickets for feeding your lizard.  I'll also paste a few links at the bottom which are for Leopard Geckos.  One has a section on injuries and common ailments.  You can peek that out, to see if there is anything you can to to help the animal until you can get it to a vet.  But please note my disclaimer:

--Though these sites list the use of play/repti sand, I STRONGLY DISAGREE with this.  The number one killer of Leos is impaction by sand or a loose substrate, which leads to costly vet bills, and even death.  Consult your reptile veterinarian for their opinion.--

For now though, be sure it has proper heat, and is NOT on sand.  It should be on clean paper towels, and change them daily, to reduce risk of infection.  Remove the crickets, and be sure to give it a moisture hide (one of the gecko sites will tell you how to make one).  Make sure its water bowl is cleaned daily, and give it fresh declorinated water.

GUT LOADING CRICKETS for REPTILES:

The number one problem:

Dried up and malnourished pet store crickets and mealworms. These food items are essentially useless. A dehydrated and unfed cricket contains almost no nutrients at all; refrigerated mealworms are even worse. A lot of the variety in nutrients found in wild insects is actually in the stomach content - usually plant material. We need to duplicate this to provide the best for our reptiles; without the risk of illness/disease/parasites which can result from feeding our pets wild insects.

Please note that wax worms, while fattening, are not nutritious.  Young geckos can eat small silk and phoenix worms, as well.

Basic Dry/Staple Cricket Food:

Equal amounts of dry Iguana food, dry dog food, chick starter mash, oatmeal (you can add dry baby food wheat/rye/barley, etc. as well; even shredded wheat - no sugar).

Grind these items together.  Place in a small lid/bowl for the crickets to eat.  Store the unused portion in the refrigerator or freezer, until needed.

Supplement daily with one of the following: sweet potato, bananas, zucchini, oranges, carrots, strawberries, assorted squashes (acorn, yellow, etc.), grapefruit, green beans, apples, kale, spinach, cactus pads, and just about any other nutritious item you can think of (do not use white/yellow potatoes - these are starchy and only good if used as a moisture source during shipping, and NEVER use Avocado - it's poisonous to most animals).

Provide the dry food and kale at all times (kale is readily available during the winter months, too), rotating the other food items through in succession. The key is variety, and to provide an assortment of varying nutrients. What you are trying to do is offer your reptiles crickets with guts 'loaded' with fresh foodstuffs.

The crickets should be gut loaded for 1-2 days prior to offering them to your reptiles.

Also, provide fresh clean water in a lid/bowl, adding a sponge or folded paper towel to prevent drowning.

  

Don't offer more crickets than the reptile(s) will consume within: 1.) a few hours if it’s a lizard, salamander, frog/toad, or 2.) a few minutes, if it’s a water turtle, so you know the crickets will still be full of the good stuff when eaten.

The crickets should be dusted (shaken in a plastic bag gently to coat them) with vitamins (keep these refrigerated) and calcium D3 powder 2-4 times a week, depending on the age of the reptile.

Be sure to remove any uneaten crickets so that they do not soil your pet's environment/water or bother your pet, once it is full.  Crickets CAN turn the table - and feast upon your pet! Or aggravate them, causing stress and even cessation of eating.

Also be sure the crickets are the correct size for the reptile.  The cricket should be the same size long as the reptile’s head is wide (about the space between the lizards’ eyes).

Get him to the vet as soon as you can, and I sure hope the lit guy will be right as rain again soon.

I hope this has been helpful.

Answer 2

ok first of all you need to get all the crickets out of his cage NOW!! i kow this  cause i had a garter snake and the crickets in his cage literally ate his head ok. now the crickets WILL EAT YOU'RE LIZARD.so go buy a seperate cage to feed him in and once a day put him and 1"ONE"!! only one cricket in there with him so he can eat itr but you have to get the crickets out right now.his scales r probably messed up from the crickets eating at it.after you get them out go to ur nearest pet store and get some reptile wound aid if you have a local petco they should have it and after you get it quickly get home and take care of ur lizard b4 it dies like my old snake johny!!!