Post vet appointment worries

[KarrieRee]

Yes you can feed both the dubias and crickets carrots
I would take the log piece of decor and put it under your basking light - and move the hide piece under the UVB -- you need the distance for your decor directly under your UVB 12-15 inches for a T 5 -- I am assuming you have a T 5 - that log piece is gonna give him different temps - make sure you take temps on different spots of where he can sit -so you dont get temps too high - like at the top of the log its gonna be hotter than at the bottom of it - does he lay on it? Here is a pic of my Zen

Hiccup and Blaze both have the basic same set up and the log piece in the back is from Petsmart - its a resin material - they both utilize this piece of decor in many ways - you can lay it different ways in the tank - I have found the way its in there now is the best - they sit lay and stand against it - sleep under it use it as a head rest etc........... it is amazing to watch them and the way they use it --
Karrie

 

[Teach88790]

Here he is currently. I just set up the thermostat, and I just need to figure out where to place the probe. I will try to order a log like the one you have. I do have a piece that I took out of his tank because I didn’t think he could lay comfortably on it. I’ll attach a pic. I will switch the big rock hide to the other side What about the other log hide I have in there. Should I take it out? He doesn’t ever go under it just sometimes sits on top.

his current setup (took this just now)

a log that I removed because I didn’t think he could bask comfortably on it.

Should I take out the rock? I used to use it for basking, but I worried it would get too hot so I moved it to the cool side.

Sorry about sooo many questions. I appreciate your help so much.

 

[KarrieRee]

The bottom log pic looks almost like the piece from Petsmart except its not flat on the long piece -- this is the piece that I have its now Thrive it was a ALL Living Things brand at one time
https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/habitats-and-decor/habitat-decor/thrive-driftwood-reptile-decor-54734.html?cgid=500116
You can put the hide on the cool side - mine are similar - Blaze and Hiccup sit inside w/ their heads poked out on some days - or Blaze will sit in the doorway of it -- rocks tend to heat up so if it was getting too hot its good you moved it -- you can leave the probe under the lamp if you want or set it there every so often to get a temp just to check it - you can also invest in a infrared heat gun as well - they can be bought at your local home improvement store for around $20 or so - it does not haft to be an expensive one - I use all 3 thermometers digital - infrared and stick on for ambient temps - the infrared is good for spot checking temps around the tank - so hes not using the log hide? Is he using the platform hide?
Karrie

 

[Teach88790]

I have an infrared gun, but I kept constantly checking and adjusting temps all day. This is why I purchased the thermostat, so it could regulate without me doing it manually so often. It has been so hot here lately.

So I rearranged some things - putting the big rock hide on the right and the log he likes to bask on the left, and have a little good news! He just ate a cricket and a super worm! He still hasn’t eaten any greens though :/

this is another hide that I have and he rarely uses it to go under. He will sit on top sometimes. This is the one I asked about taking out of the tank.

 

[KarrieRee]

Ok so I would use one dish for food - take your worms and add them to the salad --- he needs to be eating his greens too - use super worms meal worms horn worms silk worms - worms will get him to the salad bowl -- the pic of the hide did not post -
Karrie

 

[Teach88790]

Ok. I just added the super worms to his salad bowl. I really need a better bowl for his salad. I currently have a water bowl, which he never drinks from (it’s the brown one). Do I need the same type for his food so the worms can’t escape?

Here is his current setup. I taped the probe to the wall and set the thermostat for 90. I’m going to see if that gets his basking temps high enough.

Also, his uvb is a t5 reptisun. Is it a good distance from his basking spot, or should it be lower?

I’m going to order some other worms. (Which would you recommend I try first?)

 

[CooperDragon]

If the probe doesn't get the temps you want, try running the wire under the hammock and zip tie it to the end or center of the hammock to get a reading there. Then you can set a thermostat to 100-105 and let it go without having to adjust for distance from the basking spot.

The T5 looks good. about 12-14'' above the basking zone is about right.

black soldier fly larvae are a good option to add. So are silk worms when you can find them. I like to offer horn worms now and then as well. For the smaller worms like black soldier fly larvae, a curved bowl can be helpful to prevent escape.

 

[KarrieRee]

Ok so Cooperdragon jumped in to help -- -- try some super worms they are easy to find - meal worms - silk worms are another staple feeder - and horn worms are good too - they grow really fast I will post some websites and you shop for them -- you will need a glass or ceramic dish so they cant get out -- I like this set up better -- see how he does w/ it and go from there --
http://www.dubiaroaches.com they have good worms and good roaches they currently not shipping them but you can get worms
http://www.reptilianarts.com very nice silk worms and nice super worms too --- I order in bulk like 50 and they come small and you will need to get food to feed them and clean containers out daily
http://www.coastalsilkworms.com
http://www.mulberryfarms.com they are spendy on shipping
http://www.hornworms.com I just ordered from these people and have not gotten my order yet and its not shipping till Aug and shipping is good --
http://www.joshsfrogs.com I have not ordered from these people but others on here have
http://www.abdragons.com have not ordered from them either
http://www.ladysilkworm.com/live-silkworms-raised-on-leaves.html I just ordered silk worms from here and have not gotten them yet --
See what you can find --- and go from there
Karrie

 

[CooperDragon]

And a good source for black soldier fly larvae is https://symtonbsf.com/collections/live-black-soldier-fly-larvae/products/large-feeding-grade-grubs

 

[AHBD]

Your tank does look very nice and aside from being a bit thin, your bot looks good. But wow,I can't believe the vet has him on antibiotics " just in case ." No antibiotic should ever be given to a human or animal until there's a diagnosis of some kind. Soaking him is not necessary, once every couple days for 10 minutes is fine. I'm guessing that your temps. actually may be too high and that caused the lethargy. Keep dripping the water on his snout and reduce the baths to every few days. Ask the vet for specific diagnosis because what they are doing is bad practice. So far you may have wasted money there.

 

[Teach88790]

Your tank does look very nice and aside from being a bit thin, your bot looks good. But wow,I can't believe the vet has him on antibiotics " just in case ." No antibiotic should ever be given to a human or animal until there's a diagnosis of some kind. Soaking him is not necessary, once every couple days for 10 minutes is fine. I'm guessing that your temps. actually may be too high and that caused the lethargy. Keep dripping the water on his snout and reduce the baths to every few days. Ask the vet for specific diagnosis because what they are doing is bad practice. So far you may have wasted money there.

The antibiotics were only $11, but they were expensive on everything else. They did bloodwork, 1 x-ray, fecal exam, and wellness exam, and it cost $294. He also wanted to do some virus or viral? test, but I asked him to wait and see what the results of everything else were.

 

[Teach88790]

Is it bad to give him a bath every day if he is dehydrated and trying to shed?

Also, which of these is better?

 

[AHBD]

Soaking does not hydrate them unless they're drinking. Long soaks can contribute to scale rot or at least discomfort. Yeah I don't mean to be a downer, really hate to see a good number of vets give unnecessary treatment and whether it costs a little or a lot is just part of the problem. Antibiotics are harmful to any creature when not needed. Do you know how long before you hear from the vet ? Is Rudy eating anything else yet ? They do seem to love superworms. Both of those supplements are good, use only 2-3 X a week, very lightly.

 

[Teach88790]

Soaking does not hydrate them unless they're drinking. Long soaks can contribute to scale rot or at least discomfort. Yeah I don't mean to be a downer, really hate to see a good number of vets give unnecessary treatment and whether it costs a little or a lot is just part of the problem. Antibiotics are harmful to any creature when not needed. Do you know how long before you hear from the vet ? Is Rudy eating anything else yet ? They do seem to love superworms. Both of those supplements are good, use only 2-3 X a week, very lightly.

So maybe soak every couple of days?
I just spoke with the vet. He didn’t see anything major in his bloodwork except possible dehydration. He did recommend continuing the antibiotic because one of his white cell counts is a little high. He said to keep his humidity around 50% to help with hydration. How can I raise humidity if it’s less than that? I also need a recommendation for a good hygrometer. I currently have these but I don’t know how accurate that are.

Veanic 4-Pack Mini Digital Electronic Temperature Humidity Meters Gauge Indoor Thermometer Hygrometer LCD Display Fahrenheit (℉) for Humidors, Greenhouse, Garden, Cellar, Fridge, Closet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GNMKYCZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XfFeFb47SKRYR

 

[KarrieRee]

Not sure on the hygrometer- I know there is a way to test them and re-calibrate them look at this website and go from there https://www.cheaphumidors.com/blogs/hygrometer-information/humidor-setup-how-to-calibrate-your-hygrometer
I would not soak unless absolutely necessary -- I would use a spray bottle and mist him --
Place a water dish on the hot side of his tank - what is your humidity running during the nite time? Blaze is currently shedding his tail its white at the moment so I have been spraying him and his tail every couple of days --- today I sprayed him and noticed at the very tip of his tail maybe a 1/4 of an inch he was wagging it -- :lol: I have never seen him do that before -- maybe he enjoyed the spray I dont know :lol: -- I just thought it was funny!
Karrie