I'm gonna be honest and say that my monitor isn't growing nearly as much as I would like him to in fact, he's gotten skinny. That being said, I have been making sure I that meet his required humidity, enclosure(for his size anyways), temperature, and nutrition requirements. He eats his fill of calcium dusted crickets every day and gets a hopper once a week. Has the proper humidity like I said (around 75-80 percent).

He likes to relieve himself when I pick him up, which is typical, but today I noticed his stool looked discolored and greenish. Could parasites cause him to become so skinny, I have pics of him from four weeks back where he looked a lot fatter, and he was under the same living conditions.







He's being fed EVERY day and he is eating and behaving normally, I just don't know what to do about his lack of weight gain, I know for a fact that he has increased in overall length, but not fat to body proportions.


Should I take him to my petshop (surprisingly they actually do have some medical herp knowledge)? Or am I doing something wrong? He hasn't looked this skinny since the whole getting loose and running around my house for three weeks incident.

I had some extra time so I figured I'd ask on here before I obligated myself to the vet or petshop.

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ginko tutors in basic math just ask paris hilton

obsoleta lindheimeri(texas ratsnake)
varanus nilocticus(nile monitor)
Sternotherus odoratus(musk turtle)
pagona minor(2)(bearded dragons breeding pair)

It is very possible he has parasites. I am assuming he is a wild caught monitor and most wild caught reptiles are loaded with parasites. With how you described his symptoms I would suggest a vet visit. Best of luck.

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Ken
" The United States Marine Corps......sure we are a department of the Navy,,,,,,we're the MENS department "

I would definitely take him and a stool sample to the vet. It could be parasites which would be why he isn't gaining.

**edit** Ken typed faster than me for once

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MARSHA

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

I've had him since late June -early July of last year though... wouldn't the parasites have popped up earlier than that? You're probably right about him being wild caught though, I did purchase him from a petshop and not a breeder after all... stupid me. *begins the badgering task of asking mother to call vet*

__________________
ginko tutors in basic math just ask paris hilton

obsoleta lindheimeri(texas ratsnake)
varanus nilocticus(nile monitor)
Sternotherus odoratus(musk turtle)
pagona minor(2)(bearded dragons breeding pair)

If it has been that long it might not be parasites from the wild......not to mean he does not have parasites. If he is eating as usual without weight gain I would highly recommend a vet trip, whether parasites or not, something is not correct. Your temps and humidity seem fine. What type of substrate are you using ?

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Ken
" The United States Marine Corps......sure we are a department of the Navy,,,,,,we're the MENS department "

Eating but not gaining weight, discolored stools, sounds like a parasite problem to me as well.
The parasites could have been present all along but some type of stress (like his escape adventure when he did not have the proper temps etc, allowed them to gain a foothold and multiply. It doesn't matter that the petshop has " some medical herp knowledge". When there is a possible medical problem take him to a vet.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Vet it is, are there any "over the counter" parasite treatments I can order if it turns out he does have parasites? Fortunately I have no problems with giving shots and the like.

__________________
ginko tutors in basic math just ask paris hilton

obsoleta lindheimeri(texas ratsnake)
varanus nilocticus(nile monitor)
Sternotherus odoratus(musk turtle)
pagona minor(2)(bearded dragons breeding pair)

Dont think so Grim, most of treatments needed for internal parasites are all prescription.

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MARSHA

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

Going back a bit on the conversation, looking skinny might not mean anything at all if he's getting bigger. One of my Bearded Dragons had that skinny look but his weight had tripled in 3 months.
Are you basing your statements on actual weight readings or just visual clues?

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Wish list: Blue Tongue Skinks and Uruplatus =)

Visually, he looks fairly skinny to me, I've never had monitors before this guy, but usually I can tell when a herp looks skinny, I know he's gotten bigger because I've compared pics of his head next to my hand from earlier compared to now.

edit: took some more pics

Maybe it's just me, does he look skinny to you guys? Or am I being paranoid?
He had a stool today and it didn't look discolored, it looked perfectly normal.

__________________
ginko tutors in basic math just ask paris hilton

obsoleta lindheimeri(texas ratsnake)
varanus nilocticus(nile monitor)
Sternotherus odoratus(musk turtle)
pagona minor(2)(bearded dragons breeding pair)