Savannah monitor rescue

[AlexisFitzy]

Oh no I'm so sorry I followed the thread all the way and was really rooting for the little guy..


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[Eavlynn]

Thank Fraido and Alexis. I did what I could and the little dude put up a good fight. He had an RI that I didn't pick up on until yesterday, and by then it was too late. There was too much damage for him to recover. At least his suffering is over, I just wish I could have found him earlier.

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[Albert Clark]

Kudos to you for the attempts! Proper husbandry is crucial for all these animals but some just aren't as forgiving as others. We all learned a lesson and are better prepared to deal with the next case. Sorry for the loss.

[Eavlynn]

I'm hoping there isn't a next case. I never intended to take in a monitor, but when I saw him, I knew I had to give him a better chance at life. I'll likely never go out and purchase a monitor of any sort, but I'll also never turn a blind eye to an animal in need. I've done over a dozen rescues and only 2 were to the point that they couldn't bounce back from it.

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[Skiploder]

Kudos to you for the attempts! Proper husbandry is crucial for all these animals but some just aren't as forgiving as others. We all learned a lesson and are better prepared to deal with the next case. Sorry for the loss.

Varanids - almost more than any other reptile - need to have their husbandry parameters religiously met.

They need HOT basking spots in order to support proper metabolic and renal functions. Most people do not keep them anywhere near hot enough.

They need humidity to prevent dehydration. I'm not talking about soaks or pedialyte or misting. I'm talking about burrows that - through allowing them to breathe moist air - ensure and maintain proper hydration.

They need to be allowed to feel secure.

Once those requirements are met, they will eat and thrive.

When rehabbing an improperly kept varanid, these three things need to be provided. No food, no handling - just a HOT basking spot, a deep substrate capable of supporting the proper humidity and security.

[Eavlynn]

Skiploder- should I have avoided handling even to give him Pedialyte mixed with water for hydration? From what I read, severe hydration needed the moist substrate and burrows coupled with drinking. He never drank willingly from a bowl. I'd like to know as much as possible about monitor care, not because I intend to seek one out, but in case I'm in a similar situation with a rescue. It's better to have knowledge and not need it, then to need it and not have it.

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[Skiploder]

Skiploder- should I have avoided handling even to give him Pedialyte mixed with water for hydration? From what I read, severe hydration needed the moist substrate and burrows coupled with drinking. He never drank willingly from a bowl. I'd like to know as much as possible about monitor care, not because I intend to seek one out, but in case I'm in a similar situation with a rescue. It's better to have knowledge and not need it, then to need it and not have it.

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jclaiborne already answered your question on page 1.

Without proper humidity in the enclosure, supplemental hydration is a waste of time - the animal is losing moisture through every breath. They need moisture in the air to stay properly hydrated.

While i don't rescue varanids anymore, when I did, I never gave them supplemental hydration. They went straight into a stock tank with a 2' deep damp, diggable substrate. I made sure the humidity was correct and that the hot spot was properly hot. I did not even look at the animal for a week.

Dehydration in varanids leads to gout and it's a slow, process. That baby you rescued probably had a host of issues too boot - internal parasites, stress, dehydration.

Handling reptiles induces stress and stress negatively impacts the immune system - which will put an already sick animal a foot further into the grave. Giving the animal chance means eliminating stressors.