Advice for baby leopard

[leopardorgreek]

Hey guys,
I have recently posted about a decision I was trying to make about adding a third leopard to my group. Well I was thinking about it I visited a local pet shop and seen a tiny hatchling. After talking to the owner about it and seeing him I could see he wasn't doing well. Soft shell (plastron was like wet paper towel) and they where feeding him the zoomed fruit mix and forest diet only. He was super dehydrated and dying. After a long talk and showing post from this forum I convinced the owner that he was killing him and the owner agreed to let me have him and care for him. So that being said, I have looked all up and down this forum and condensing information to best help the little guy.

He is in a 36x18x12 exoterra with tinfoil on the top, the temperature ranges from 80F to 86F ( I am worried about giving him a basking spot because of how dehydrated he is). The humidity never dips below 80 and he weighs 30g. I have had him for 2 days and already the shell and plastron are harder. Another problem is he doesn't move around at all and eyes are always shut. he can open them but doesn't leave them open for long.

Here is what I have been doing;
daily carrot soak for 30 minutes, I put him under the MVB to keep it warm and to get the UVB rays in (I'm in Canada so can't go outside yet)
food always available, but hasn't eaten in front of me yet (not sure if he has eaten at all)
also added calcium powder to the soak

Any advice or tips will be greatly appreciated, I am open to any comments that will help this baby so don't be afraid to tell me I am doing something wrong.

Thanks in advance

 

[leopardorgreek]

also is paper towel or coir better for substrate right now, I feel like he is having a hard time moving in the coir

 

[leopardorgreek]

Anything?? carrot soaks look like they are working but still doesn't move around a lot

 

[jsheffield]

Maybe some opuntia cactus, shredded finely so he can eat it ... and maybe an additional soak each day in warm water.

Nice of you to help this guy out ... Good luck!

Jamie

 

[Lyn W]

Maybe @Yvonne G or @Tom can help you.
He may need slightly warmer temps if he is a sick baby but see what the more experienced among us say. It could be he is just adjusting to his new home and been spoiled with eating the wrong foods
Have you searched for something like 'sick leopard' to see what that throws up?
Good save!

 

[Lyn W]

The caresheets will help you with temps and diet etc

 

[leopardorgreek]

Maybe some opuntia cactus, shredded finely so he can eat it ... and maybe an additional soak each day in warm water.

Nice of you to help this guy out ... Good luck!

Jamie

Opuntia is impossible to find in Canada, at least for me. I been looking for enticing foods I think I'm gonna try shredded cucumber. The extra soak is something I will add to his routine. Thanks for the tip

 

[leopardorgreek]

Maybe @Yvonne G or @Tom can help you.
He may need slightly warmer temps if he is a sick baby but see what the more experienced among us say. It could be he is just adjusting to his new home and been spoiled with eating the wrong foods
Have you searched for something like 'sick leopard' to see what that throws up?
Good save!

I will try warmer temps and keep searching for more help on here, thanks for the advice

 

[Tom]

He needs a basking area to warm up, or he can't function. Daily soaks and high humidity will prevent dehydration.

Paper towels are dangerous and too dry. Coir is too messy. Use fine grade orchid bark and keep it warm and damp.

 

[leopardorgreek]

He needs a basking area to warm up, or he can't function. Daily soaks and high humidity will prevent dehydration.

Paper towels are dangerous and too dry. Coir is too messy. Use fine grade orchid bark and keep it warm and damp.

thanks I will switch that now, how big of an enclosure should I have him in, from reading here I feel the 36x18 foot print is too big. He doesn't move much during the day but I find him in a different spots at night, but only like a foot radius. The basking light might be to far?

 

[Tom]

thanks I will switch that now, how big of an enclosure should I have him in, from reading here I feel the 36x18 foot print is too big. He doesn't move much during the day but I find him in a different spots at night, but only like a foot radius. The basking light might be to far?

36x18 is the smallest I would use. You want them to be able to move away from the basking area. They move around as needed to regulate their body temperature. This is why one ambient temp with no basking area doesn't work well for this species.