Website created by: Kristin and Lauren, Veterinary Technician students at Sheridan College
What can make my tegu sick?
Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)
The tegu in the picture to the left is suffering from a case of MBD and was also not kept at a proper humidity level (note how he has no toes). MBD is a common illness in reptiles when they are lacking the proper amounts of calcium with vitamin D3 and are not getting proper UVB exposure. All three of these components must be present in their lives because they use the UBV to synthesize the D3 which then helps them to absorb calcium into their bodies. You must provide the right amounts of each (when you buy a good quality commercial calcium with vitamin D3 powder it will tell you the proper amount) because if you give too much or too little, either can cause problems. When a reptile gets MBD their bones are literally turning into jelly which, as I'm sure you can imagine, is a very painful and fatal process that will result in death if not taken care of right away.
Other common problems
One of the other most common problems in the reptile keeping world is poor humidity levels which can result in a stuck shed. A stuck shed can occur when a reptile is in the process of shedding their skin and it gets stuck. This can then cause the skin to tighten around parts of the body and literally make them fall off. Some of the areas you will usually see this are toes and tips of tails and sometimes, in severe cases, whole feet can come off. Ensuring your tegu has a very moist hide box, overall humidity levels of 75 to 90 percent, and giving them a warm soak once or twice a month will make sure your tegu is able to keep all of its body parts and have healthy skin. You must also make sure they receive a healthy dose of carotene (from vegetables) to prevent infections or parasites on the skin or in the body. Parasites and infections may also be caused by poor hygiene so ensure that you spot clean the enclosure every day and fully change the substrate at a minimum of once every month.