Vet performs tiny surgery on baby lizard born with exposed heart

A one-week-old lizard has become one of the smallest patients to undergo surgery at a Queensland vet surgery after it was born with an exposed heart.

A one-week-old lizard has become one of the smallest patients to undergo surgery at a Queensland vet clinic.

The spiny-tailed monitor named Stitch found himself at The Unusual Pet Vets at Jindalee after he was born with an exposed heart, covered by only a thin membrane.

Despite weighing just 4g when he was presented for surgery in March, Stitch held a big place in owner Tim Kelly’s heart.

Dr Josh Llinas performs surgery on Stitch, the spiny-tailed monitor. Photo: The Unusual Pet Vets

He has become one of a dozen reptiles who found a home at Mr Kelly’s Caboolture property.

“I panicked when I first saw his exposed heart because I’d never seen anything like it before and when I contacted Dr Josh he said it was very rare,” Mr kelly said.

Tim Kelly with Stitch the six week old Ridge Tail Monitor pictured in Caboolture. Image: Josh Woning

“A lot of breeders might have put him to sleep but I think every animal deserves to have a life.

“He’s a little bit special and he absolutely isn’t going anywhere.”

Stitch the spiny-tailed monitor immediately after surgery and at a later check up. Photo: The Unusual Pet Vets

Vet surgeon Dr Josh Llinas anaesthetised the little hatchling before elevating his skin from the edging of the muscles and suturing it together.

Stitch was running around as normal the next day and had completely healed by his check up in early April.

Mr Kelly was expecting the intricate surgery to near $1000 but he was pleasantly surprised to fork out just a few hundred dollars.

Stitch the spiny-tailed monitor underwent surgery at one week old. Photo: The Unusual Pet Vets

Dr Llinas said every case was different.

“Surgeries vary based on difficulty and in this case it wasn’t too difficult. He was just small,” Mr Llinas said.

“The hardest part was maintaining an amount of anaesthetics that was safe.”

Dr Josh Llinas performs life saving surgery on Stitch the spiny-tailed monitor. Photo: The Unusual Pet Vets

Stitch has been one of Dr Llinas’s smaller patients but surprisingly not the tiniest.

That title went to a 06.g fish who had its eye removed.

The Unusual Pet Vets has treated “everything” from scorpions to stingrays and rhinoceros iguanas.

Dr Llinas said he was warmed to see that people cared enough about tiny and unusual creatures to bring them in for crucial care.

“Spiny-tail monitors are certainly good pets,” he said.

“They are a moderate size with a placid nature and while they require conditioning to get them used to being pets, they do really well.”

Stitch is expected to live a normal life.