crickets, ground turkey and with some, boiled eggs.  mine would never turn down a slice of raw steak.  try soaking in warm water for about a half hr a couple times a wk.  should help w the dehydration

I know droplets of unflavoured Pedialyte can help with Bearded Dragons - is same safe for a Monitor?  If it is, then it's worth a try to help rehydrate the little girl.

I was told mealworms had more fat than crickets.. My Sav is picky and spoiled (also a rescue) and will only take them off tongs (they wiggle more that way)... But, while turkey and eggs are an ok treat for them (while I say that.. I would feed it to get it to eat!), the insects are a better first choice.  Fish is an option, if you haven't tried it.

Good luck! Rescues can be harder than some people may think.. Hang in there, though :)

Do you know if she has been wormed, or has worms? That could be one reason why she is so skinny. 

Vet didn't check, or even mention parasites?

No he felt her belly and looked in her mouth and gave her a B-12 shot to help her appitite. If he did I d not know how he did it unless it was by palpation rather then a test.

I've never seen a sav turn down a hard-boiled egg. See if you can stimulate her appetite that way. Hornworms are another option, I've never seen ANY reptile turn down one of those. Also, they're super high in nutrients in addition to being a bright green super-attractive prey item. You can order them online (I recommend Great Lakes Hornworm, google them!), and they'll be here by the end of the week. It will beef her up and boost her energy in no time. 

Is she readily taking the Repti-Boost? If you're still set on syringe feeding, meaning, she's still not going after anything else, I'd ask your vet for Carnivore Care. It's a little more nutritionally balanced than Repti-Boost, and I've had amazing results using that with rescues. Though, since you're saying the vet didn't even try to get a fecal to check for the presence of ova/parasites/trichamonids/etc, I'd be marginally concerned about their credibility in terms of reptiles. Did he even offer the test? Palpating the belly is nice and all and helpful in many situations, but isn't a definitive diagnostic tool for GI infections. 

Emily's right. A few drops of unflavored pedialyte in warm bath every day for a while couldn't hurt. Most savs readily hang out in the water, so it shouldn't stress her out too badly. Believe it or not, a few drops of raw honey in the bath can help boost immune support and fight off bacteria, which may be a nice interim prophylaxis while she's gaining strength. It has inherent antimicrobial properties - but don't overdo it! You should be able to find the proper dilutions for both the pedialyte and the honey online. 

Good luck, and kudos to you for taking on a rescue of this magnitude. We love our rescue savs here! :-) ...my Peanut came from a rescue, and Osiris is Shannin's rescue. We're here to help how we can! 

You might read about how they can crush a whole egg... that's a grown Sav.  Even Osiris can't (or won't) do it.  He is also picky about how much whites he eats.. and generally wants the yolk- and quick!!  Then, he will take his time picking at the whites.  I'd chop some up for your lil one.. see what works.

Hornworms.. hmm? Never heard of them... Learn somethin' new everyday :)

You can also try roaches, which have more "good stuff" than crickets or mealworms.  I second the thoughts of soaking, pedialyte, and a second-opinion from another vet.  Parasites are definately a concern, as is the continued lack of appetite.  Good luck with the little one!!  I hope he pulls through for you and starts eating on his own.  Also, for the amount you are feeding, I can't quite picture 5cc's in comparison to size, but I think it's what I might feed.  Has he been defecating for you?  With all that going in, something should be coming out (even if it's small for what you expect), and maybe you can just take a sample in to the vet an request a fecal for parasites either from the vet you saw, or another vet if you find one. 

I soak Osiris once a week... he loves it, and it's a recommendation from Pro Exotics even for healthy Savs.  He has a dish tub in his enclosure that is large enough for him to get into and submurge and do a full turn... he does that several times a day on his own.  There has been a huge, noticable change in his health since the addition of the tub.

I second the fecal sample... and worry about the specialization of the vet.  I'd also get a second opinion...

"moderately undernourished" and no fecal sample? 

That poor thing looks to be in terrible shape, neglect or parasites will do that and with that species, the latter is certainly a concern. Your vet phoned it in, IMO.

Second the motion for Carnivore Care. I'd mix it with extra fluids at first to bring your kiddo's system back online gradually. Excessive feeding will cause soft stool, which will leach more fluids from it's system, so be careful with your hand feeding. Sub-q fluids or soaking would be a really good idea, hydration looks to be more important than feeding at this point. Feeding a dehydrated animal will cause it to pull fluid from it's cells do digest, believe it or not, so make sure it's properly hydrated before you get to crazy with the feedings.

By the looks of it, I'll be surprised if it's still with us by weekend. Do your best, but realize that once their systems start to shut down, it's very difficult to get them back. Even if the little creature did test positive for parasites, you don't want to deworm in that condition, so get it back on track and take a fecal sample in for a proper diagnosis.

wow, i'd try a different vet...and get a fecal test done!! Poor lizard!

Sadly, Julie's right - systemic organ failure is pretty much irreversibile. Hopefully you're able to get this little one back up and running before it's too late, but, it may be already. She's also right about making sure you're EXTRA diligent with hydration prior to and during feeding, and definitely don't feed too much. The little monitor's tiny shrunken tummy can't handle that much food, and she'll likely regurgitate. Regurgitation wastes a ton of natural metabolic fluids, and will only make her even more dehydrated and wreak even more havoc on her vital systems.

A second opinion from a better veterinarian is crucial - they'll be able ot provide subcutaneous fluids/electrolytes, the fastest and most effective way to rehydrate.

::sigh:: the person who allowed this critter to get like this should probably be injured. severely. Julie, still have access to those alligator snappers?

I'm with Stephanie .. injury is due.  Everytime I look at this poor baby, I go love Osiris a lil..

I am curious.... What is in the food dish in the picture?

happy to hear that its eating again.   :)

I would go for making a mushy protien glop that has plenty of moisture for this little one. Dice liver and add boiled egg yolk and make it almost soup. Feed in a flat bottom dish with high sides so it can grab the mush. You can also use Repashy's Meat Pie, make it like Jello. I do 1/4 cup of powder to 1 cup of water to make a small batch, it sets up and you can dice it nice and small. The Beanfarm carries it.

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Well greate she is very healthy and in good sprits! I took her to a diffrenet vet and he confirmed what the previous vet had said. See her new pictures!!!