savannah monitor

[wiseupgurl2012]

I just aquired a 4ft. monitor from someone who could not care for it any more, he has a really large sore on his back foot , does anyone have any info on how to help me heal him. I have never seen anything like this before and we dont have an exotic vet. in our town and have no transport to the town where there is one.

[wolfy-hound]

Could you post a pic of the sore? Also, what enclosure you have him in with the temps and such.

As basics, clean it(no hydroperoxide) and put neosporin(NOT with pain relief, only use the plain!)on it. Keep him on newspapers or clean bedding if the wound is bad.

A vet would be best. You should definitely find access to a vet, in case you need one, same as if you had a dog or cat.

[wiseupgurl2012]

If not peroxide is epsom salt okay to use he is always in the bath tub for hydration. I have only had him for a week and he was severly dehydrated and covered in prior sheds. I am going to post a pick of his foot when my husband gets home. The cage he came in is wood and he only had a heat rock. I am looking into purchasing him a glass tank. im having difficuly finding one for a lizard his size. There are no vets in my county that will treat ,they consider his bread as dangerous and aggressive. I am at a loss here.

[Dana C]

Even though you don't have a vet locally that usually treats reptiles, you can google up a list of reptile vets for any state. Provide your vet with the contact information so he or she can find out what suitable antibiotics are available or call them your self.
In the absence of infection, I think woolfy-hound is on the mark with the neosporin.

[Dana C]

I just read this: silvadene® is a soft, white, water-miscible cream containing the antimicrobial agent silver sulfadiazine. This bactericidal cream is effective against a broad range of both gram positive and gram negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as some of the yeasts. Silvadene® is easily applied with a cotton tipped swab or other applicator. A dressing is not necessary unless the area being treated is in a location where the cream may be rubbed off. Otherwise, the cream will last for two to three days before a new application is required.
The link to the site is: http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com....jsp?id=567299

It is interesting to note that the article goes on to say,"To date there have been very few pharmacokinetic studies published in reptiles, and with only limited numbers of antibiotics. So far, all of the studies have been done in snakes, turtles and crocodilians. There have been no pharmacokinetic studies done in lizards."

[infernalis]

Hello, I am glad you joined a forum. I have done a lot of work with and own Savannah Monitors.

First of all on your list, please do not purchase any aquarium type tanks, This will only further your Monitors languishing, This animal needs to be caged in a minimum 8 foot wide, 4 feet tall, 4 feet front to back tightly sealed enclosure that can hold about 18 inches to 24 inches of soil that will hold a burrow.

Savannah Monitors live down in holes like a woodchuck does, this is how they conserve humidity and prevent dehydration.

I have prepared some informational web sites with a lot of input from Daniel Bennett (A field biologist who has studied them in the wild) and You will find a lot of what you need right in there.

Hopefully, it is not already too late, as deep dehydration alters blood chemistry and leads to internal organ failure.

I just hope you are ready to take on the responsibility you just inherited, because proper maintenance of any varanid is not cheap or easy.

However the good news is, once you have the environment up to par, they are wonderful healers, Daniel found a wild Sav in Africa that had lost it's entire tail, and healed without any medicine.

Good luck, and stick around, I'd love nothing more than help you turn this into a success story for us all.

The links and pictures will follow in my next post..

[infernalis]

links...........

http://www.varanus.us/

http://www.savannahmonitor.co/

http://www.varanus.us/mice/

A good Savannah Monitor Cage....





standing 10 feet back from the enclosure..

[Dana C]

Wow, I love your set up! I really like the tongue and groove pine on the front. It looks like the supports are rough sawed 4x4's. Is that what they are?

[infernalis]

Wow, I love your set up! I really like the tongue and groove pine on the front. It looks like the supports are rough sawed 4x4's. Is that what they are?

doubled up 2x6 so each spar is 4 inches x 6 inches.



I also insulated it like a house to keep in the heat and reduce energy costs..

[wolfy-hound]

^ Him. He knows what he's talking about. If you want a sav that lives, follow his advice. Esp, no tanks. And don't soak him in salt water, that could dehydrate him, OR even kill him if he drank some of it. The ointment would be better.