Sick Cuban Knight Anole

Question
QUESTION: We have a female Cuban Knight Anole. She is about 3 years old. Last year she laid an egg. She is not feeling well and quit eating worms (meal worms, heads removed; earthworms) yesterday. She ate a little mango today. She looks brown and seems very lethargic. We are looking into taking her to a vet, but she does not like being handled. I found a very strange looking feces with mealworm skins. It was very large. Are there any common ailments/remedies I should check for? Do you think a trip to the vet would be too stressful?

ANSWER: I think it is likely that she will not make it if you don't take her to a vet promptly.  The shells in her droppings indicate her digestive system isn't working properly, and the lethargy is a sign of serious illness.

You should also check your husbandry--remember that UVB fluorescent lights must be replaced every 6 months in order to be effective.  Temperatures should also be carefully checked using an indoor/outdoor thermometer with a remote probe (not a stick-on dial type, as they can be inaccurate up to 30F).  Hydration is quite important as well--take care that humidity is correct, and mist often, especially if she does not drink from a bowl.

It is not possible for someone, even a veterinarian (which I am not) to diagnose her online.  Her symptoms are general symptoms of severe illness, and could be caused by a variety of things, from infection to parasites, nutritional deficiency, etc.  A veterinarian will need to diagnose her.  The faster she receives treatment, the more likely she will survive.  If treatment is delayed, she probably will not.  By the time a reptile shows outward signs of illness, they are extremely ill--they instinctively hide illness for as long as possible, as it makes them a target for predators.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Shempa (our Cuban Knight Anole) is feeling better today. When I woke up this morning she had laid an egg! She ate quite a few wax worms and mango and drank water out of a bowl for the first time. She is acting like herself. Her color is still a little brown, but she is looking around and is alert. We have found a good reptile specialist that is fairly close by.
We use the Zoo med 5.0 UVB bulbs and they are supposed to be good for a year. Are they really only good for 6 months or does it vary by brand?

Answer
Aha, that may have been the reason for her loss of appetite!  You may want to be sure she has a good nesting place--a box with moist peat moss, for example.  Females can retain eggs if there's no suitable place to lay them, even if they are infertile--that is stressful and can lead to egg binding.

It may be that you can safely observe her now that the mystery is solved, and just be sure that she's back to her old self...if she shows any further signs of lethargy or loss of appetite, wisk her off to a vet.

The ZooMed bulbs are supposed to be good for a year, but after 6 months the UVB output is less than half of what it is when they are new--which isn't very much UVB.  They also throw UVB only about 6 to 8 inches from the bulb, efficiently.  

If your anole loves mango, you should try Repashy crested gecko diet for her (mix it with mango first if she's not sure of it).  It's far more nutritious than fruit alone, and could really boost her diet.  I'm using it as a primary diet for my mourning geckos and Lygodactylus geckos, which also like sweet stuff.