Impaction occurs when there is an obstruction in your ackie’s digestive tract. Although usually associated with large-particle substrate and other foreign bodies, it can also be food-related.
Symptoms
- lack of appetite
- no poo
- straining
- lethargy
- partial paralysis in hind legs
Cause
- accidental ingestion of a large, non-food related object
- dehydration
- low basking temperatures
- insufficient UVB/vitamin D
- obesity
- high parasite load
Treatment
Contrary to popular myth, impaction is not caused by substrates like sand (although large substrates like wood chips or substrates that swell in water like coconut fiber do present this risk). In most cases, it is actually a symptom of a larger problem such as illness or poor husbandry, and you can read more on that subject here.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take impaction seriously. If you think your ackie monitor is impacted, re-evaluate your husbandry with the ReptiFiles Ackie Monitor Care Guide and make an appointment with an experienced reptile veterinarian for examination.
More ackie monitor health topics:
- Egg Binding
- Egg Cycling
- Gout
- Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)
- Mites
- Obesity
- Parasites
- Prolapse
- Respiratory Infection
- Sexing
- Shedding