good luck with her! I hope she makes it!

The fact that the lizard is licking the food is a good sign. It is much preferrable to trying to force feed her. But you aren't out of the woods yet! You say that the previous owners only had a 60 watt bulb in a sixty gallon tank! That is most likely a big part of the problem. It was too cold for the lizard to digest its food. As for heat yes they like it warm! Collared lizards are native to my area and our summers are HOT! We have several weeks of high nineties to even low 100's, air temperature, and imagine what it is like on the rocky areas where collareds frequent.
Make sure that there is also a cool space in one end of the tank where she can go to cool off. This is going to be touchy in a ten gallon tank. Try piling up some flat stones in the end with the basking area, The closer to the light the pile of stones reaches the hotter it will be.
Just make sure the stones can't fall.

__________________
Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

I stacked up a few pieces of slate (wonderful wonderful rock! I love how flat it is) In the corner and she took right to it. She is actually moving around and took live food today. She ate 4 wax worms. She would have eaten more but I didn't want to risk over feeding her and having her throw up again (this is how I got stuck with her to begin with!) I'm beingining to feel more and more optimistic. How do Collared lizards generally get their hydration? I'm still giving her pedialyte from the dropper because she refused to acknowledge her water dish, even when I put her feet in it.

__________________

"What is now proven was once only imagined." - William Blake

~*~Lacey~*~

My Photos

That is excellent news! Still not out of the woods but it sounds like she's getting stronger, and it's great that she's taken some live food. She obviously wants to live.

Collards don't drink too much water, due to where they originate.. we like to leave a bowl of fresh water in their tank all the time so they can choose to drink when they want. Some care sheets recommend giving water a couple of times a week, but I think the lizard should be able to drink when it wants. They get a lot of water from their food. At this time though, due to how poorly the collard is, keep dropping water on her nose and mist her occasionally for her to drink - they can be more inclined to drink droplets than from a bowl, but don't let the enclosure get humid.

Good luck

__________________
"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

Hello,

The hydrated pics looks so much better than the originals. Glad to see that she is eating again. Hopefully everything continues to go well! keep us posted.

__________________

Great news, she's eating on her own now, and I came home today to find her half way into her water dish lapping up as much as she could get her little mouth on. I think she just discovered that it was there. I"ve got a mix of water and pedialyte in the dish, is that okay? I'm glad she found it on her own, I only hand fed her once today because she seems to be getting the hang of doing things on her own again. ALSO she left a nice "present" on my bed sheets while I had her out to feed her this morning, I took it to work and did a float on it, and it came back negative for parasites. Things keep on looking up more and more. Next step is to do some serious educating of the owners...I think I may just lock them in a cold garage for a day or two with out any food or water and only provide them with copies of the care sheet as entertainment. That or I can just yell at them, on would be more effective, but one also is criminal...The things i'd think about doing for a little lizard!

__________________

"What is now proven was once only imagined." - William Blake

~*~Lacey~*~

My Photos

That is such great news! I'm so glad she is eating and drinking on her own - pedialite is like a probiotic right?, or not? If so it shouldn't do her any harm, and if it's what I think it is it will be helping her digestive system. But since she is now starting to eat on her own she is obviously doing well and will be getting the nutrients she needs. Are you using calcium and multi-vitamins on the food? And how's the temperature now?

I'm so glad things are looking up - keep posting updates and updated pics if you can! Your idea for your "friends" sounds like a good one to me.. hmm a new way to educate those people who neglect and abuse animals, i like it!

__________________
"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

Pedialyte is not the same thing as a probiotic. Pedialyte is for infants and children that are becoming dehydrated due to vomiting or diarrhea. It contains sugars and electrolytes and as such is great for what it is being used for in the case of this lizard.

Moshpitrockchick it sounds like your little one may be recovering. Personally I have my doubts that, being in your situation, I would return it to the people who almost killed it!

__________________
Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Hello,

I was just thinking the same thing Merlin. I was under the assumption that she got it because it was on deaths door. I didn't realize this was a rehab and return. I wouldn't be returning that reptile. If the owners weren't willing to do the research to care for it in the first place, they certainly don't deserve to have it after you took all the necassary steps to get it back to health! (THEY could have done that themselves. Instead, they passed that buck on to you and they expect to get it back??)

If you are going to return it, it should come with a housing,feeding,float,and care bill! Also add into that the research and any funds you spent on housing it correctly.

I say a bill for $400-$500 might give them some understanding of what you did.

__________________

I definitely agree with Merlin and Rich. I would not return to original owners, do whats in the animals best interest and returning him/her would not be the case.

__________________
MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!