Illness/Sickness: Yellow blotch and now no open eyes

I have a tiger sal. She's some where around 9 - 13 yrs old. I've had her for 9 years for sure though. A few months ago she developed an odd yellow blotch on her side - she's a uniform grey w/black splotches - so the yellow really stands out.

I fed them 3 days ago and today I noticed her on the beach in her viv - unhappy. Thats the only way to describe it. Despondent. I sat looking at her and I realized her eyes are tightly closed. I watched and watched and watched and finally I poured a cup of water through the screen on top of her and she didn't open her eyes or snap at the unexpected rainfall like she normally does. She just ducked her head and took it.

She gets fed gut loaded crickets, bait earthworms - no not the green ones. She's never been ill in all these years and I'm rather attached to her. A DECENT reptile vet is 250 miles away or more. I don't have the greatest camera but if anyone needs a pic I can do my best. Or if you need more info please ask.

Sharon

this is a picture I snapped. Hopefully you can enlarge it to see the detail.

Sharon

Hi Sharon
I keep tigers but have not experienced this in any of my animals. From the photo, the coloration does not appear to be associated with an external lesion. The closing of the eyes, would give me pause for concern. Your animal is getting up in years.

One thing caught my eye in your post. You mentioned that she was on 'the beach in her viv' might you elaborate on her enclosure?

I keep calling the poor thing "she" its a "he". Never really had much cause to flip him upside down! : ) He has a 40 gl viv w/a 3 gl "pond". The rest is organic dirt, smooth river rock and some plants. I have to renew the plants now and then but nothing much has changed in the past 5 years. 5 years ago I moved him from a 20gl to this 40 gl. Same rocks, soil everything.

The pond has smooth river rock in it also and a couple of pieces of slate on the Plexi beach for grip.

I found a pic of the viv when it was new.

If a vet is out of the question, the only other thing I might suggest is to set up a hospital tank...and see if any changes might occur. A smaller viv, using moistened (spring or declorinated water) white paper toweling as a substrate and moistened crumpled paper toweling as hides....with toweling changed daily. Keep the viv in a very cool area and away from light. Is the sal still eating?

LOL the 40 is wasted on him - he never leaves the beach area much, unless he gets caught up in chasing down the odd cricket or two. He dug out a cave under it - I figure the water on top of him keeps him as cool as he likes and the plexi gives us viewing options. But I worry about how the change in housing might stress him out if I were to move him to a hosp. tank. I'll think about.

Yeah I had hubby pick up some crickets yesterday and when one ran into the side of his mouth - he snagged it without opening his eyes. Later I checked and he did have his eyes open but not fully.

I tried to watch him eat but eventually the humans in my house started demanding I feed them too! Geesh! LOL.

And on top of it all - 9 - 13 years is a guesstimate and a bad one, lol since he is FOR SURE 11 yrs old. I got the Sal when my son was 2 and he's 13 now and the sal was about this size when I got him. So its anyones guess how old it was. The woman in the petshop wasn't sure how old he was - she got him from someone locally.

So at least he's opened his eyes. I cleaned the pond again for good measure - just incase. And currently seems to be holding his own, but when I looked at the photo of him in the viv from a few years ago - seems like maybe he's lost some weight. To bad I didn't have the good scale way back when that I do now. :: sigh ::

Sharon

Well, 13 years is a good run. It could be that he's just at the end of his life span.

Other than that, I can't really give much advice, other than keep the tank meticulously clean, and keep offering food. You may want to try some fatty foods to see if his weight will increase. Pinky mice and waxworms are generally available and will work well.

Could anything have got in and stung or bit him the yellow patch seems to have a darker patch in the middle.

GAH! Ok I loused up the Quote feature ...

Ian - I was never sure what caused the yellow spot. It did sort of look like a wound but it wasn't "open". You know like you or I might skin our knee? There is missing skin, this didn't seem to have that. So I let it go - figuring maybe it was more like a bruise. It didn't smell any different than the rest of him. LOL yeah I sniffed him. Checking for decay or maybe a fungal smell.

Kaysie - I tried pinkies on him years ago - he would have nothing to do with them. LOL maybe I'll uh smash up some earth worms and smear them all over the unfortunate pinky and see if he'll accept one that way! No one down here sells wax worms - I'll call my local petshop though and see if they can get some in. OOOHHH Or my mother (gawd she'll love this) is coming this weekend - I call Tucson and see if the one and only reptile shop up there carries them and she can bring them down to me!! LOL and while she's at it, some live black worms for the newts.....

However - IF he is at the end of his lifespan - what am I looking for? Sprouting tumors? While I had him out - I gave a good feel and he seemed perfectly smooth. What is a good form of euthanasia if I get the feeling he is suffering - I wouldn't want to prolong that.

Thanks for the tips!

Sharon

I just thought if it was possible that some sort of spider or wasp had got in his viv and stung him (dont know what sort of critters you have there) then he would be out of sorts for a while. Have you tried keeping him in the fridge for a while on bringing him back out it may spur his appitite on.

rigsby said:

I just thought if it was possible that some sort of spider or wasp had got in his viv and stung him (dont know what sort of critters you have there) then he would be out of sorts for a while. Have you tried keeping him in the fridge for a while on bringing him back out it may spur his appitite on.

Click to expand...

I seriously doubt it. Half the top is a sheet of glass with NO gaps and the other half is a very wire screen. But when I cleaned out the pond the other day, I pulled dead leaves off the plants and lifted up all the detritus on the floor and had a good look around, nothing that isn't supposed to be there. Good idea though!

Sharon