Wild Bluey sick, not eating or drinking

[wowmel]

Hi all,

Need some advice, we are taking care of a wild blue tongue we found early saturday morning, and need some help to help him.

We saw him on Friday night on our driveway around 7pm and thought he would go home soon, when returned home at about 1am Saturday morning and he was still there, we check on him and he was very cold, so we put him in a shoe box with a towel to keep him warm until the morning assuming he would warm up and go back to where he lives. We went to check if he was still there at about 10:30am and he hadn't budged, so we called wires, who got us in contact with our local fawna, who had stuff on this weekend so couldn't help us, and told us to go to the vet, he was about to close, quickly looked over him saw nothing and sent us home saying nothing is wrong and that it was sometime normal for them to hang out on a cold driveway at 1 am.

So now we are taking care of him until we can go to a wildlife vet on Monday. He does really move alot, and breaths very lightly, he won't eat or drink and barely opens his eyes. Late last night we spotted some ticks on him which we got out, but he is still the same today. I put out some mashed banana this morning and he hasn't touched it, and the water is at the same level. We bath him a lukewarm bath to try and hydrate him a bit and attempted to get him to drink with a dropper, but he wasn't interested.

We have never had a lizard as a pet, so we are doing the best we can with what we have got, which isn't much, so I we don't have any special lights or enclosures or food.

Does anyone have any advice of what we can do to help him, will take him to get vet help in the morning. Or any ideas what the symptoms might lead to, we have got the ticks in a container to show the vet.

I don't want to see him suffer.

Thanks Mel

 

[danandgaye]

let him go

 

[damian83]

its illegal to catch ANY wild reptile (or protected animal) massive fines, your not even suppose to move them out of the way, wires or rspca or a relocator could have taken it if you have have called them
+1 to dan, you should have just let him go

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as much as you think your doing the right thing

 

[wowmel]

We haven't caught him, he was on our drive way, we called wires, they sent us to Fawna, as we thought they would help and come and get him, but they told us they couldn't help and to take him to the vet, we took him to the vet and he didn't help. So now we have to wait till Monday to get help. I don't plan on keeping him, we are just trying to get him help. We tried to let him go, but hours later, he hadn't budged, he won't move.

 

[danandgaye]

we are not saying u caught him mel...you have done the right thing as a human with a heart ...but unfortunately as damian said even touching him is illegal in the eyes of the law as stupid as it is ...find some local bushland and let him go ...whatever happens either way is mother nature !

 

[damian83]

yes sorry, wasnt having a go at you, should have been clearer in how i worded it.
the law (not that they enforce it by the amount of blungeoned snakes on facebook) basically says if you move or kill you can be fined / prosecuted etc
unfortunately even us keepers are unable to even care for wild animals unless we get permitted but working for a carer agency or something similar

 

[csmlg]

I think you have done the right thing for him! I would have done the same thing. And have done in the past! Wires an fawna can't be every where all the time! If we were close to u we would happily lend you what you needed. Redlands qld .May be try a hot water bottle under the towel in the shoe box, it just can't go ice cold, which is a pain. And make Shute he gets sun light, but keep bathing him to hydrate if he not drinking. Best of luck! Keep us posted.

 

[damian83]

maybe a desk lamp with a 40w bulb above him to shine a bit of heat ONTO him so you dont cook his belly, depending on what you have him in

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but definately see the vet, or you should really release him

 

[wowmel]

Thanks all.

Thanks csmlg, I fully understand that Fawna is full of great volunteers that can't always be everywhere, my sister works with rspca and some other in Darwin and helps animals back to health, so I have lots of respect for what they do to help all animals.

He is having a bit of sun time now, might try a hot water bottle when we bring him in.

I've never seen a Bluey in such a bad state, and I'm a bit frustrated at the vet for not giving him the time to help him. I have talked to another vet that will be open tomorrow and he is more than happy to help him.

Will try and keep you updated.

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maybe a desk lamp with a 40w bulb above him to shine a bit of heat ONTO him so you dont cook his belly, depending on what you have him in

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but definately see the vet, or you should really release him

We have a desk lamp that is a bit hotter than an average one, but have it high enough so it doesn't burn him.

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Oh and we have him in a plastic storage container with the lid off, with some cake racks on top to keep him safe.

 

[PythonLegs]

There's probably a reason he's in such a bad state. Natural causes, and all that..