Need Help with Savannah Monitor

My sister owns the Savannah monitor, not me, so I'm posting up this for her to look back at once I get some answers. She is very concerned. Her Savannah monitor used to eat like a pig, now he's just refusing everything. He also seems to be getting lazier, so I'm thinking he's going into brumation. The temps stay in the 90s during the day, and he does bask. He is in shed as well.

He is housed in a 20 gallon enclosure (he's still a baby). He has a UVB and basking bulb, large enough water dish for him to fit in, hide, basking log, and Cypress Mulch for a substrate. His diet consists of mainly crickets (dusted with Calcium powder) and fuzzy mice. Everyday we feed him as many crickets as he will eat, and if he is still hungry we feed him fuzzy mice. We feed him once a day, though as much as he can eat until he refuses. The water dish is changed daily, and whenever he defecates it is cleaned up immediately. We also feed him ground turkey once a week. We've tried feeding him mealworms and superworms but he doesn't like neither. He will SOMETIMES eat the superworms, but he'll only take one. We mist his enclosure to keep the Cypress from drying out, and to keep the humidity where it should be.

We did get him from LLLReptile at the reptile expo, the same day I got my Beardie. Last week we noticed these very white bugs on him, but I'm not sure if it came from the Cypress or it came with him. I do have some stuff to get rid of this bug if it happens to be an external parasite. His poop is normally solid as well.

So, not sure if it has anything to do with husbandry or maybe those bugs. I'm thinking he's going into brumation since he is refusing food and mostly inactive.

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

My sister owns the Savannah monitor, not me, so I'm posting up this for her to look back at once I get some answers. She is very concerned. Her Savannah monitor used to eat like a pig, now he's just refusing everything. He also seems to be getting lazier, so I'm thinking he's going into brumation. The temps stay in the 90s during the day, and he does bask. He is in shed as well.

He is housed in a 20 gallon enclosure (he's still a baby). He has a UVB and basking bulb, large enough water dish for him to fit in, hide, basking log, and Cypress Mulch for a substrate. His diet consists of mainly crickets (dusted with Calcium powder) and fuzzy mice. Everyday we feed him as many crickets as he will eat, and if he is still hungry we feed him fuzzy mice. We feed him once a day, though as much as he can eat until he refuses. The water dish is changed daily, and whenever he defecates it is cleaned up immediately. We also feed him ground turkey once a week. We've tried feeding him mealworms and superworms but he doesn't like neither. He will SOMETIMES eat the superworms, but he'll only take one. We mist his enclosure to keep the Cypress from drying out, and to keep the humidity where it should be.

We did get him from LLLReptile at the reptile expo, the same day I got my Beardie. Last week we noticed these very white bugs on him, but I'm not sure if it came from the Cypress or it came with him. I do have some stuff to get rid of this bug if it happens to be an external parasite. His poop is normally solid as well.

So, not sure if it has anything to do with husbandry or maybe those bugs. I'm thinking he's going into brumation since he is refusing food and mostly inactive.

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No third person.

I doubt he's brumating. 99.9% of Savannahs are imported. There's is a good chance it has some intestinal parasites. They will usually be fine, but sometimes they need to be treated with Flagyl and Panacur. "Bush babies" (babies caught in wild and not hatched on farm) are more likely to have parasites, although they can do well. Unfortunately, it looks like you're gonna need a Vet visit.

Savannahs like it hot though, I like to keep the whole cage fairly warm. Do you have a heat pad underneath the cage for the night? I would keep a red bulb on at night also. Baby monitors need to be kept warm all the time. They can survive if not, but they do best when kept hot 24/7 until they have some good size on them.

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Originally Posted by Big Gunns

No third person.

I doubt he's brumating. 99.9% of Savannahs are imported. There's is a good chance it has some intestinal parasites. They will usually be fine, but sometimes they need to be treated with Flagyl and Panacur. "Bush babies" (babies caught in wild and not hatched on farm) are more likely to have parasites, although they can do well. Unfortunately, it looks like you're gonna need a Vet visit.

Savannahs like it hot though, I like to keep the whole cage fairly warm. Do you have a heat pad underneath the cage for the night? I would keep a red bulb on at night also. Baby monitors need to be kept warm all the time. They can survive if not, but they do best when kept hot 24/7 until they have some good size on them.

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Yeah I told my sister she may need a vet visit. We don't use a heat pad, but I do happen to have an red infrared heat bulb available (75 watt). I could let her use that for now, but then I would have to find some way to heat up my Leopard gecko:rolleyes:

For size comparison, he's probably about as long as my Bearded Dragon, from tip of the nose to the tail. Do you know what those small, white bugs could be?

It could be from the substrate...you see them in Aspen all the time, and I see bugs in Cypress sometimes also. You could cook the Cypress before you put him in it. You do need to kill them whatever they are. If you keep the Monitor warmer 24/7 he may snap out of it. When did she buy him?

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Originally Posted by Big Gunns

It could be from the substrate...you see them in Aspen all the time, and I see bugs in Cypress sometimes also. You could cook the Cypress before you put him in it. You do need to kill them whatever they are. If you keep the Monitor warmer 24/7 he may snap out of it. When did she buy him?

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She bought him on Novmeber 14. He's been doing so well but all of a sudden one week he just stopped taking food. I'm gonna try to get him as warm as possible, and if that doesn't help I'll get some feces and have my sister take the Sav to the vet. I can try to get some pics of him tonight, I'm supposed to go over there and try to feed him.

A ceramic heat emitter is better than a red bulb at night. They do stay kinda active with a red bulb sometimes. Black light can be better.

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Originally Posted by Big Gunns

A ceramic heat emitter is better than a red bulb at night. They do stay kinda active with a red bulb sometimes. Black light can be better.

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I can try the black light. Are the blue night bulbs fine too, or will the monitor be just as active as when under a red bulb?

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

I can try the black light. Are the blue night bulbs fine too, or will the monitor be just as active as when under a red bulb?

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Yeah, they can be active with a red bulb, BG shouldn't have suggested it.(bad BG) although in a large cage it's not that bad(BG has used them). The night bulb will work for yah.:gj:

If she only got him a month ago at that size, he was probably a recent import. She probably should have him treated. She is gonna need to boost the temps 24/7 for now though. They like it HOT!!!!!

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Originally Posted by Big Gunns

Yeah, they can be active with a red bulb, BG shouldn't have suggested it.(bad BG) although in a large cage it's not that bad(BG has used them). The night bulb will work for yah.:gj:

If she only got him a month ago at that size, he was probably a recent import. She probably should have him treated. She is gonna need to boost the temps 24/7 for now though. They like it HOT!!!!!

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Okay will do. I'll show her this thread too when I see her later. What temps should I try getting up to? The temps will normally be around 90F, if not maybe even higher.

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

Okay will do. I'll show her this thread too when I see her later. What temps should I try getting up to? The temps will normally be around 90F, if not maybe even higher.

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Try and keep the cool end in the low to mid 80's, but you can get the hot end over 110/120. You must keep it warm at night though for now. I still think it's gonna need a dewormer.