Hi Guys,
I have a bearded dragon that is 5 and a half years old that in December was diagnosed with a broken back that had fused vertebrae and nerve damage (his back feet spasm anytime he is moved or moves and sometimes his front feet spasm as well).
Now, I brought him in because he was extremely lethargic and had a decreased appetite, more then once I actually had to poke him to make sure he wasn't dead (he spent most days laying around not moving with his eyes closed). I'm ashamed to say this went on a whole lot longer then it should have (around a year) mostly because I've read stories about beardies going down for 8 months to a year. But one morning I tried putting him in a bath and he actually moved (if you want to call it that) it was pathetic, super weak and shaky, I had enough and took him to the vet where they did an x-ray and found an old break.
I've had Sasha since he was 3 month's old and at no time did he ever have any type of trauma, so this is something the vet said he was either born with or happened before I brought him home (you can actually feel the curve in his spine where it is broken and I have always felt that one spot but never thought anything of it because he was always fine). The vet says that it's just gotten worse over time because he's a big guy (not fat just large) and its just something that degrades over time, he wasn't sure if he was in pain or if something else was going on so he sent me home with some metacam which I've been giving Sasha ever since.
Sasha will NOT eat unless I hand feed him, it's too hard and too much effort for him and he needs to eat with his medication. With in a few hours of giving him his first dose of this stuff he perked up a fair amount, while he won't move for food I fed him some crickets and he was watching them run around the tank super interested in them and wanting to eat them, he ate better then he had in a year. It's been about a month on the metacam now and hes doing ok.
Here's my actual issue:
Is he suffering? I'm struggling with wondering if this is what's right for him or what's right for me.
He doesn't move, when I try to take him out of his tank (I take him out on a towel so that there is very minimal movement or pressure points to his spine) he just closes his eyes and is totally uninterested in being outside of his tank. He literally sits in the same spot all day, everyday. Sometimes he just digs with his front legs and he'll sit there for at least 15 minutes digging with his front legs (which are just scraping at glass).
I've seen him try to walk. It's heart breaking, he can't stand up properly and he's super shaky.
He can't feed himself. And he seems uninterested in life.
So it leaves me wondering. Is his life one he actually enjoys? Staring at a wall all day everyday....
He is at least more alert now. His eye's are open and he looks around, but he doesn't want to leave the tank and he doesn't move. I just don't know what to do, if he's suffering or if he needs more time or even if it's just the weather making him less interested in everything.
Thanks for reading guys....
I have a bearded dragon that is 5 and a half years old that in December was diagnosed with a broken back that had fused vertebrae and nerve damage (his back feet spasm anytime he is moved or moves and sometimes his front feet spasm as well).
Now, I brought him in because he was extremely lethargic and had a decreased appetite, more then once I actually had to poke him to make sure he wasn't dead (he spent most days laying around not moving with his eyes closed). I'm ashamed to say this went on a whole lot longer then it should have (around a year) mostly because I've read stories about beardies going down for 8 months to a year. But one morning I tried putting him in a bath and he actually moved (if you want to call it that) it was pathetic, super weak and shaky, I had enough and took him to the vet where they did an x-ray and found an old break.
I've had Sasha since he was 3 month's old and at no time did he ever have any type of trauma, so this is something the vet said he was either born with or happened before I brought him home (you can actually feel the curve in his spine where it is broken and I have always felt that one spot but never thought anything of it because he was always fine). The vet says that it's just gotten worse over time because he's a big guy (not fat just large) and its just something that degrades over time, he wasn't sure if he was in pain or if something else was going on so he sent me home with some metacam which I've been giving Sasha ever since.
Sasha will NOT eat unless I hand feed him, it's too hard and too much effort for him and he needs to eat with his medication. With in a few hours of giving him his first dose of this stuff he perked up a fair amount, while he won't move for food I fed him some crickets and he was watching them run around the tank super interested in them and wanting to eat them, he ate better then he had in a year. It's been about a month on the metacam now and hes doing ok.
Here's my actual issue:
Is he suffering? I'm struggling with wondering if this is what's right for him or what's right for me.
He doesn't move, when I try to take him out of his tank (I take him out on a towel so that there is very minimal movement or pressure points to his spine) he just closes his eyes and is totally uninterested in being outside of his tank. He literally sits in the same spot all day, everyday. Sometimes he just digs with his front legs and he'll sit there for at least 15 minutes digging with his front legs (which are just scraping at glass).
I've seen him try to walk. It's heart breaking, he can't stand up properly and he's super shaky.
He can't feed himself. And he seems uninterested in life.
So it leaves me wondering. Is his life one he actually enjoys? Staring at a wall all day everyday....
He is at least more alert now. His eye's are open and he looks around, but he doesn't want to leave the tank and he doesn't move. I just don't know what to do, if he's suffering or if he needs more time or even if it's just the weather making him less interested in everything.
Thanks for reading guys....