Sav Emergency!

[spix14]

Long story short, neighbors were getting rid of their sav, hubby is a softy, so here I am with a sav, and he's in bad shape. His tail tip is constricted from a retained shed, to the point where it looks as though it is going to fall off...you can actually see it sunken in where the skin is squeezing it. He also has a strange looking tick next to his vent, probably about the size of this---O---and it has weird little gold spots on it. Is this a normal tick? I'm thinking wild caught, but none of my animals have had a tick in their lives, so I haven't a clue what they look like. He soaking right now in an attempt to help get the shed off, is there anything else I can do? And how do I remove the tick? I can get him to a vet on Monday, but what can I do in the meantime?

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[owen.richards]

i am not sure about reptiles, but i know to remove ticks from humans, you light a match, blow it out, and while its still hot, press it on the ticks back. And yes, it is probably safe to assume its WC

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	Wild caught wild caught

[spix14]

Oh, I'm sure he is wild caught. *grumbles* Here's a couple of pics.
The tick...

The tail...

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[Arra]

I wouldn't try the lighted match thing, that can release some fluids. Just get a pair of fine-point tweezers and get as close as you can to the tick and where he joins the skin of the Sav. Then you apply even pressure as you pull backwards, do not twist the tick or pull up/down, just straight back.

I haven't lost a head yet doing that.

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[_Sam_]

bump.

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[haloedsatan]

I rescued an iggy with a tail like that. Just to save you some worry, youre going to lose that part of the tail. Just apply mineral oil to it for a few days (or maybe it's different with Savs, I dont know I dont have one), or whatever you use for moisture with savs, I'm sure someone can answer that. The tail will eventually "break" off. It will probably be connected still by a few strands of whatever is left underneath. Feel free to clip the broken end off carefully with a pair of small scissors and give him a little stub tail. My iggy was about 6 ft when I got him and he's about 5'10" now if you get my point. Anyway, for the tick I cant comment, for the tail, just wait for it to break after moisturizing it for a few days. It only took mine 3 days after I got him before it came off. In the future pay attention to the tail when he sheds (as I'm sure you will) to make sure he's shedding properly. Hope all goes well.

I'd get you a pic of my iggy's tail but he's asleep.

	Iguana Iguana

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[spix14]

We got the tick off...found a page online that said to put a blob of vasilene on it and wait for the tick to back out, which he did after about 5 minutes. We nabbed him, squished him, and stuck him in a baggie...thinking about taking him with us to the vet monday so the vet can ID him, I haven't a clue what kind he is and he sure doesn't look like any of the ones that we have here (from what google images tells me, anyway). I soaked him for a bit, but haven't messed with his tail because I'm too worried about doing something wrong. I'm pretty sure he will lose it...is it better to just wait it out, or should I have the vet go ahead and amputate it?

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[zsanorah]

im not an authority nor do i know anything whatsoever about savs..
BUT i would seriously conceder having the vet amputate it as it will be done in a sterile environment, under anesthesia and by a qualified professional. You can also ask your vet his/her advice.

[haloedsatan]

In all honesty I dont think the vet would amputate it. I mean, I'm not a vet, but as easy as my iggy's tail was to moisturize and fall off, I dont see why the vet would take it off. If you asked the vet to take it off he/she might, but I dont know how much it would cost you. If the vet would do it for free i'd say go for it. However, I would wait for it to come off itself. Reason being if the vet clips it too far from the live end of the tail, you still have some dead tail and possibly some more constriction later on. When My iggy's constricted dead tail broke off (after I moisturized it) it broke off right to the live end (that had healed underneath). All that remained were litterally two threads of something holding it together. I clipped it myself, and that was the end of it. I'd ask the vet about it since you'll be there, but if you dont I wouldnt worry.

	Iguana Iguana

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[crocdoc]

It's hard to see the tail because it's out of focus, but if it isn't dead you may be able to save it. Soak the sav (give it a piece of wood to rest its head and forequarters on, with its tail still in the water) and then try to get the edge of the stuck shed with your fingernail, careful not to scrape away scales. Keep applying unscented hand moisturiser, or mineral oil, to it daily if the soaking doesn't work

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[spix14]

Well a bit of the stuck shed came off near where it was constricted (looked like about 4 or 5 sheds worth) and the tissue underneath looks pink...that's a good sign, right? I don't want to mess with it, and there's still more that needs to come off, but it looks as though it can at least get a bit more bloodflow to the tail than before.


And yea, the pics suck, but I just wanted to give everyone a general idea of what I was dealing with.

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[razeraze]

Please let us know what the vet says, from what I could make out it looks like the vet may amputate the tail. But as crocdoc said the picture is not very clear. I have seen a sav with a constricted tail, that led to necrosis and had to be amputated so the quicker you can get it to the vet the better. The necrotic pictures were nasty all the vertebrae in the damaged tail were exposed because the skin and scales rotted off. Now this may not happen but it is important you know it has happened to another Sav.

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[spix14]

He's off to the vet tomorrow if I can get an appointment, if not then tuesday. It looks as though (and I will try to get pics up later today that are more clear) he has healthy skin underneath where the shed came off. He doesn't have any vertebrae showing, it just looks as though he is missing the scales and is down to pink skin. I'll know more once the vet sees him, but it seems I may have gotten him in time...but then I have no experience with this sort of thing. At this point I am a bit more worried about the parasite load he is probably carrying, given that he is almost surely wild caught. He ate a couple of crickets last night, which I guess is good...he refuses to come out of hiding today, but after the night he had I suppose I can't blame him.

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[DRZRider]

he refuses to come out of hiding today, but after the night he had I suppose I can't blame him.

I am impressed. Most people that get a monitor want to hold it and tame it immediately. You seem to actually care for the monitor and are trying to do what is best for it. Good Job.

Keep us updated.

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[spix14]

Just thought I would pop in with a quick update-vet appointment is set for tomorrow at noon, and the little guy seems to be doing well-he took a few crickets and a fuzzy mouse for me last night! I've also seen him out exploring his cage a bit. He's got some weight gaining to do though, he's thinner than I thought he was due to being puffed out during the tick and soak ordeal. Should I take a fecal in to the vet, or can he get a stool sample from him on his own? I asked the vet's receptionist, and she said they'd call me back (doc was with a patient at the time) but I'm a bit impatient.

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[DRZRider]

Take a sample with you top the vet if possible.

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[morti]

Take a fecal with you. No creature that I have ever met enjoys having a tiny spoon shoved up their rectum.

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[spix14]

Originally Posted by morti

Take a fecal with you. No creature that I have ever met enjoys having a tiny spoon shoved up their rectum.

LOL! Thanks for that visual. I suppose the poor guy's been through enough without all that.

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[vfoerster]

Hopefully all goes well and you will be able to get what you need and do what you need to get him healthy. I wish you all the luck in the world.

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