Sick Green Anoles

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I have 2 Green Anoles who are really sick...
My Female (Belle) is having some kind of skin problem I think.
I noticed a little bit ago that her belly looks as though it is peeling...but it's not peeling as a whole...it's peeling in like little sections,which makes her belly look really rough...Since she was still eating and drinking fine and was really green I thought it might be that she is just have a little trouble shedding,and thought I'd just keep an eye on her to see if she has the same problem again...But it never went away...and now she get's  black spots around her sides and at the base of her tail.My younger sister thought my other lizards were picking on her..If that was the case wouldn't we see them in the act? Also sometimes the black spots will have a little spot in the center which looks like dried skin..but she doesn't always get the black spots.
Just every now and then and normally at night.She will also get looks like sores all over her and her back feet swell and sometimes turn to a purple or dark blue.She still eats fine and is active although not as active as she use to be...

I also have a Male (Beast) which is having problems...But his is his eyes,they are really swollen and look as though they have a crust on them...I don't know if he can see or not,he never eats anything,and he normally stays in the same place for the most part. I got Belle and Beast at the same time from the same Petsmart I have only had them for 3 or 4 months and they both started getting sick at the same time...I feed them mostly Crickets and mealworms on occasion. They both also have swollen lips the right side of Beasts and all around Belles..Do they have the same thing or something different?
And what can I do to help them without going to the vet?...I also have a new baby green anole who just hatched yesterday...can the baby catch what they have? Thanks,Ashley

ANSWER: Hello Ashley,

Do you have any pictures of your anoles?  I love green anoles, they are so beautiful.
Do you leave crickets in the tank with them for extended periods?  They can inflict terrible bites on them.
Is the baby in with the adults?

What type of UVB lighting are you using right now?
What is the humidity in the tank reading & what are the temperatures in the tank?  
What is the type of substrate you are using for the bottom of the tank?

It sounds like they are having some trouble with shedding.  Are you supplementing them with calcium several times per week right now?

Let me know how they are doing.
Tracie

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


Sick baby   QUESTION: I Try to only give them what they will eat...although on occasion their will be one in there till the next morning...but there will be only one...and they'll end up eating them by lunch.

The baby is in a smaller plastic tank that I put in the bigger tank at night.(Belle and Beast tank)
I have a compact UVB light....although I can't remember what the brand is and the watts.
I also have Zoo Med 50 watt UVA heating light.
The humidity is normally at 50-60 and the temperatures are around 80-90.
I use fine coconut bark with New Zealand Sphagnum Moss under it.
I cover their crickets with calcium at least once a week.

I forgot to mention that they are swollen around their colons.

Belle is the one on the ground and Beast is in the plant.

ANSWER: Hello Ashley,

Poor Beast, his color doesn't look good at all.  

Try to get the humidity up to around 70-80% if possible, they are very tropical species.  
Are you using a digital probe or a temp gun to measure their temps?  The basking temperatures of 80-90 are fine & you will need a cooler end of around 78-82.  
You could bump the basking temperatures to 95 if you wanted to.  
I would increase the calcium supplementation to 3 times per week, to help also.  You can use a small dish in the tank & put some calcium powder in it.  
The compact/coil light, which brand is it?  It should say somewhere on the base. I would turn that light off, they have been known to be hazardous to their eyes & health.  Try getting the Reptisun 5 or 10 tube bulb instead & use it alongside of the basking spot/light for them.
Are they eating the substrate possibly?  That would cause severe impaction.  I would take the loose coconut bark substrate out in case they are eating that.  
When they go to the bathroom, do you notice if it is normal sized?

Let me know how they are doing.

Tracie  

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


Poor Belle   QUESTION: I will try and get their humidity up.
I use a Exo Terra thermometer set http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/detailed_image.cfm?pCatId=9767&large=/imag

I will try and give them more calcium although I think it will be more of a challenge since they both have stopped eating..:/
I have tried to hand feed them but they still won't eat.
Even when they were healthy they never opened their mouths to me..(even Beast) which I fear may cause me trying to hand feed them even harder.
Is there anything I can do to make them more willing to eat?

Belle has gotten worse and she doesn't move that much and when she does she looks like and older person...
In the picture Belle is brown but she has turned green since them but still has all the makes and soars.
even though the baby is in a different tank is he/she in any danger?

I don't think they are eating the coconut bark...even when they catch the crickets they barely have any coconut on them (the crickets) if at all..and I also have a long tailed lizard in with my green anoles and he is doing fine..

I'm not sure which brand the compact/coil is for sure. since I got it like a year or so ago...but I think it's Exo Terra? Maybe?

which light? the UVA or the UVB?
If UVA,they were sick before I got it,I got it a couple days ago.
which may not help them get better.
Either way though, I will try and replace it ASAP.

From what I can tell,when they go to the bathroom it looks normal.
they both also have those soars around their mouths.Belle's worse then Beasts.

Answer
Hello Ashley,

The sores, could they be getting bitten by crickets?  Do you leave crickets in the tank with them?  
If you are using an Exoterra Reptiglo compact/coil light, then it is not very strong & it doesn't emit very much UVB.  They could be having some calcium or other nutritional deficiency issue.  The compact/coil lights can be harmful to the eyes but I don't know if that would be it or not, gauging on how long this has been going on.
The basking light is the UVA light.  It just needs to be a regular basking light to help get the temperatures to a range of 88-90 or so on the hot spot area.
The UVA or regular basking light wont make sick.
Do you have any antibiotic ointment that you can put on the affected area on the mouth?

Have you tried just dripping the food onto the end of their nose to see if they will lick the food off?
Let me know how they are doing.

Tracie