No UVB for a few days?

[christineacero]

One of my babies definitely has an RI and is not doing too great right now. I moved her into a small tank with some sticks and an artificial plant and i put a 60w incandescent bulb in one of my ballasts to try and dry out his lungs. The problem is, I don't have enough ballasts right now to have a heat bulb AND a uvb bulb. My thoughts were to keep him in there for a few days with the heat bulb and see if he recovers. Would it be okay for him to be without UVB for a few days?

 

[CarlC]

With the temps you are having I would keep it outside. Place the cage in an area that is going to get morning sun only and mist a few times during the day. The sun and fresh air will really help.

Carl

 

[ataraxia]

Hi, you wont be able to dry his lungs out by heat. It is actually the opposite of what i would personally do. You want to maintain good humidity with good airflow. You want to thin the mucous/infection rather than making in thicker. They cant cough it up so they will be swallowing a lot of it.

Like stated above, i would try to get the little outside as much as you can. The humidity/fresh air outside will be better than being inside.

Good luck.

 

[christineacero]

thanks for the info guys. I don't have a screen cage that I could put him in outside, so would a small aquarium be too hot for him with a screen top? I was thinking of bringing him outside, but it has been ridiculously hot here...like almost 40 degrees celsius! I thought that would be much too hot. This is okay for sternfeldi to be out when its that hot?

 

[christineacero]

actually, i have screening downstairs in the basement. I could rig up one of those temporary tube-like enclosures for him while hes outside. I'm in college again now so I'm terrified of leaving him outside unsupervised...

 

[CarlC]

For your next 7 days I don't see your temps forecasted to be over 27.

Making a tube with the screen you have should work. Even if you can only get the little one out while you are home its still better then being inside.

Carl

 

[christineacero]

ill see if i can rig something up for him tomorrow when I get home and get him out for a few hours. My husband will be home, but he'll be sleeping all day after working overnights, or I'd get him to watch the little guy. So around 27 degrees isn't too hot for them?

 

[dacrazycanadian]

To what extent is the RI; how bad is it? Has a vet been seen yet to receive a culture and sensitivity exam? And I always used high humidity, steam showers for my guys RI..

 

[CarlC]

27c is not to hot. If proper precautions are taken like position of cages relative to sun exposure and being able to provide long fine mistings they can tolerate higher temps for short periods.

Carl