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Barrie has a bit of a crisis happening right now.
I am not sure how to explain it without running into our censorship program. Male reptiles have two male parts(not the testicles) where mammals have one. They have them internally at the base of the tail.  For some reason Barrie has externalized one of them and it has prolapsed. It was covered in dirt and now that I have hosed him off it is quite swollen. It won't go back like that and it is too dirty anyhow. It might never go back. Years ago Earl the corn snake had the same problem and he survived and went on to be a father.  

I don't know how things are going to work out. Right now I have him soaking in water which I will need to keep changing. I have to get him clean first. He already feels better now that he is partly cleaned up. 

I don't think he is going back in his tank tonight so I better set up a "hospital" tank for him.
I cleaned out Barrie's tank and made it a hospital tank. He is big and  he needs the room. I have him on clean paper towel which I can change as soon as it gets dirty.

I soaked Barrie and changed the water and then soaked and changed a couple more times. He definitely feels better and there is some improvement. There is still a lot that could go wrong. In the short term if he tears something he could bleed. Long term he could develop an infection. His body is able to deal with this as long as I keep him clean. I think things can't go back to normal, but reptiles can "drop off" body parts that are in trouble.


I know someone is going to suggest a veterinarian. Most vets would have no idea what the problem in or how to deal with it. I am consulting an experienced reptile breeder. This breeder has dealt with these issues before. A vet would want to amputate and that would almost certainly be fatal. Sometimes nature, with some experienced help can do more. 
I am worried because Barrie is an older lizard and this could be the beginning of the end. He also could make a good recovery and be his old self again. It will take a while.
I have given Barrie another soak in clean water and cleaned up his tank again. He is now resting. He is not any worse, so I think that he will recover in his own way. The poor guy is not feeling good, but he is resting quietly. He is not anxious like he was last night. Being a reptile, it will take weeks before I will know if he is going to be alright. Infection is always a risk. That is where I can help. I just have to clean him a lot.

He is an older lizard, but he his a big strong guy. I am hopeful that he will be alright.
Major improvement! The swelling came down and I was able to properly wash the area. There was dirt that I couldn't get at because of the swelling. There is a chance that he might come out of this intact. He is certainly going to feel more comfortable right now. I am soaking him again and cleaning his tank. He should be able to sleep comfortably. 

This is now more of a situation than an emergency. I do have to make sure he doesn't develop an infection. So he gets cleaned two or three times a day until I feel sure he is safe.

I am starting to feel like Barrie really could get back to his old self.
Sorry to read about these problems. I hope Barrie's condition continues to improve.
This morning Barrie was deep asleep and he was lying in a relaxed position. That is a good sign. He is feeling comfortable. 
He still has some healing to do, but he is a big lizard and I think he is strong enough to recover. He probably won't eat anything for the next couple of weeks so he will need to draw on his reserves. As soon as he is eating again I will need to fatten him up again for winter when he eats less often. 

It is just good to see him relaxed. I know he had a couple of very bad days and he is probably very tired. He has been so good about letting me help him. Barrie is such a sweetie. Heart
I am sorry I missed this before.
Poor Barrie. I am glad to hear he is improving. Keeping the area clean is probably the best idea, and it seems to be working.
I understand about vets and exotic species.Many don't understand them. It is not always easy to find a really good "Exotic" vet. Not only that but a vet visit is extremely stressful for some.

Are you using a saline solution? Or just clean water? Salt water is good at preventing and treating infection.
Herbal remedies might also be useful if you need them. Plantain can be made into a tea which you could bathe the area with. Echinacea Angustifolia root can be brought to the boil in a pan, steeped 15 minutes, strained then cooled to make a tea which can be used as a lotion. That is brilliant at treating any infection of any kind, anywhere, is suitable for most animals....but I don't know about reptiles (possibly okay.) I don't know how you could check that, whether there will be some mention of it online? You never know.

Anyway it is very good to hear Barrie is a lot better already. He might not need anything else except what you are doing. I hope he will go from strength to strength now.
Barrie is sleeping comfortably again. I have him on a clean towel and I have folded up a smaller towel for him rest on. His Hemipenes will have to dry up and then drop off. I can use Polysporin antibiotic ointment, but only around the base of it. The rest needs to dry up as soon as possible. The big danger now is infection. If I can keep him clean enough and nothing infects he should recover. 
Earl the corn snake had the same problem and he recovered and went on to father children. When he died later it was unrelated causes. Earl was probably 20 years old.

We use clean water with reptiles. I think salt would be bad for their skin and they do drink the water they bath in and that would be dangerous. I don't think a reptile kidneys could handle salt. It is not part of their normal diet.
I would be careful of any herbal products for the same reason. Reptiles are sensitive. They don't eat herbs and most don't eat plants.

Reptile vets are rare and a vet would want to amputate. I have been on the reptile forums and one guy had his snake to the vet for the same problem and the vet amputated right away. The snake died. It was predictable.  This is one time where nature should be allowed to move at a natural pace and the body should be allowed to heal in its own way.

He knows I am here and he just opened his eyes so I gave him a bit of a back rub and massage. He always likes that. He will go back to sleep soon. Smiley63
(08-27-2017, 04:54 PM)Catherine Wrote: [ -> ]I have been on the reptile forums and one guy had his snake to the vet for the same problem and the vet amputated right away. The snake died. It was predictable.
Then surely that is a gap in their training? Should vets not be trained for treating all types of farm and domestic animals, not just mammals?
Quote:Then surely that is a gap in their training? Should vets not be trained for treating all types of farm and domestic animals, not just mammals?
It is a gap in their training, but most vets would never see a Tegu lizard of any kind in their lives. Mostly they wouldn't see reptiles of any kind.  However in this case it probably was a "reptile" vet. Being a doctor, the vet would immediately want a medical/surgical solution. They just didn't take into account the trauma of the surgery and the anesthetic. I would trust an experienced reptile breeder over a vet any day. The breeder has actual experience living with and handling the reptiles. Reptile metabolisms are so different from mammals. 
 
I don't necessarily trust human doctors either. I balance their advice against common sense. I have been prescribed medications(that I wisely didn't take) that would have done more harm that the original problem(which went away on its own).
I had one gall bladder attack in 1979 and they wanted to do surgery, but in almost 40 years I have never had another attack.
I am better for not having had the surgery. I am glad I waited. 

Barrie is not out of danger yet, but I got him to eat a small snack this morning. If he will eat it will help him to recover.
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