Hi,
I don't really know where to start, we've had our bearded dragon (our first ever) Trevor, for well over a year, and he is about 3 now. We really love him and he is lovely, but over the last few months he has been acting weird. I located an exotics and reptile vet and I took him first time about 5 months ago because he completely stopped eating his vegetables. This was after me and my husband went away for a week and my parents looked after him (they have their own bearded dragon too but they were kept in separate rooms). They checked him over, even gave him a heart scan and everything came up clear.
He has continued to be reluctant with his veggies since then. I have tried offering him many different things with no interest. I know he doesn't like us watching when he eats too, I've only ever seen him eat veggies when he doesn't think we're looking. Anyway, he was still acting weird, going through phases of not eating at all, an almost constant black beard and one point, and hiding in the shade. I took him back to the vet with a fecal sample which I get the day before and put in the fridge. I have since read that you shouldn't but fecal samples in the fridge, just a cool place. But they said the parasite level was slightly higher then average, but still within the average threshold so gave us some Avipro to bath him in for a while.
Over christmas we bought him a new 6ft viv. I will be entirely honest (yell at me if you have to, I want to know what I'm doing wrong) I have been moving his tank decor around trying to figure out the perfect set up for him.
About 2 weeks ago now I noticed his tongue starting to look a little paler pink the normal. I called the vet the next day and brought him in the day after. They took a blood test (it was a Saturday when it was taken). At this time he was eating but only super worms (not many veggies again, wouldn't eat silks, wouldn't eat calci worms, wouldn't eat crickets or locusts which I was alright with because I hate how they jump). I forced myself over my stupid fear of roaches in the house and ordered 30 Dubia roaches. He at 2 pretty quick and went for a 3rd but when he missed twice, he kind of gave up interest. This was on Wednesday 8th March and that was the last thing hes eaten to this day.
On that same Wednesday I got a phone call for results, which confirmed he was anemic and his protein levels were a little low dispite eating protein with no problems at this point. I have never noticed blood in his poo (and I've been inspecting it for months, convinced he was ill!) and no blood anywhere else (I would have freaked the **** out if I had found blood!). The vet believes that it is coccidia and we picked up anti biotics that same day to begin treating for it, and took home a small container to bring in his next poo to test it for sure. He poos about once a week at the best of times, and only ever in the bath, rarely in his tank. On Friday he pooed whilst I was giving him a probiotic bath, it fell apart immediately and I rushed to grab the little container to catch it in! It was all mixed in with water and was probably a terrible sample but with him not eating and a rare pooer anyway I took it in just in case they can use it to test, and promised to bring in a better one when he does it.
Today marks the last day of this course of antibiotic treatment, he has been having daily baths. He hates me, displaying a black beard when I go to his tank, but he is still happy around my husband. He has not eaten a thing for 7 days now and I am stressing out. He is still alert but here is a list of the things that are up with him at this very point.
He hides in the shade, ALL THE TIME. We have to put him under his basking light, where he stays for a little while, then hides in the shade again. He is cold a lot of the time now because of this. We have to place him in his light!
When I removed his hide, he just lies down and sleeps a lot, rather then basking.
Not eating veggies, super worms or dubia.
I have not been able to give him calcium for a week now as a result, I have seen his head twice ever so slightly on occassion. He previously had MBD before we got him, one of his hind legs cant fully straighten as a result but he walks fine on it and had it checked by the vet on his second visit.
Tongue is still white. I don't know how long it would take for it to start to pinken again if the reason for his anemia is parasites whilst on anti biotics.
He closes one of his eyes a lot now, the same eye. I brought this up with the vet when he was last there and she didn't seem concerned at the time, his eye looked fine, but when I ring her (she is back in tomorrow) I will bring all of this up.
Husbandry
Tank: 6ft x 20in deep x 25in high.
Lighting: T5 12% Arcadia UVB mounted in a Slimline canopy 54w, stretches almost the entire length of vivarium. 100w Spotlight basking bulb to far right of tank.
Temperatures: Hot side 35c (95f), cool side 27.5c (81.5f). I use thermometers with probes, one located in the cool and one located on the warm. The temp gun, I've just used to check (I normally use it to check temp of bath water for Trevor) hot point on wood basking spot is around 43c (110f). That is too hot. I didn't think the wood would be so hot.
Substrate: Non adhesive luxury vinyl tile in a slightly textured dark grey. Interlocking so no gaps.
Food: Annoyingly, mostly superworms. Tried other proteins, no interest other then most recently 2 dubia roaches which he seemed keen on, before we started him on antibiotics. Veg is mostly rocket (the only thing I've seen him eat) and I provide butternut squash, but I don't think hes ever eaten any. Annoyingly fussy and stubborn, and I'm probably doing something wrong to not be able to break that from him.
Supplements: Vetark Calci-dust on most feedings, Exo Terra Multi Vitamin once or twice a week.
Medication right now: 15ml Sulfatrim daily. Bathing daily with Vetark Avipro. I don't feel like he is getting enough Pro biotics but I don't know. I am bathing him in a baby bath, shallow depth water (that his vent is submerged) and I have been using about 3 or more scoops of Avipro and bathing him for around 20mins. The water get cold fast. I've tried dripping water on his nose (which has worked in the past, he has even drank from a spoon, his water bowl, or water cupped in our hand in the past. Right now, nothing!)
I think thats everything. I am sorry this is such a mammoth post. I thought I would see if anyone has any ideas or experience of anemia in a Bearded Dragon, if anti biotics are to blame for his total loss of appetite and full on lethargy or what.
I thank you so much in advance. I don't mind being told off if I'm doing something horribly wrong, I just want Trevor to be well and happy again. I hate seeing him like this.
I don't really know where to start, we've had our bearded dragon (our first ever) Trevor, for well over a year, and he is about 3 now. We really love him and he is lovely, but over the last few months he has been acting weird. I located an exotics and reptile vet and I took him first time about 5 months ago because he completely stopped eating his vegetables. This was after me and my husband went away for a week and my parents looked after him (they have their own bearded dragon too but they were kept in separate rooms). They checked him over, even gave him a heart scan and everything came up clear.
He has continued to be reluctant with his veggies since then. I have tried offering him many different things with no interest. I know he doesn't like us watching when he eats too, I've only ever seen him eat veggies when he doesn't think we're looking. Anyway, he was still acting weird, going through phases of not eating at all, an almost constant black beard and one point, and hiding in the shade. I took him back to the vet with a fecal sample which I get the day before and put in the fridge. I have since read that you shouldn't but fecal samples in the fridge, just a cool place. But they said the parasite level was slightly higher then average, but still within the average threshold so gave us some Avipro to bath him in for a while.
Over christmas we bought him a new 6ft viv. I will be entirely honest (yell at me if you have to, I want to know what I'm doing wrong) I have been moving his tank decor around trying to figure out the perfect set up for him.
About 2 weeks ago now I noticed his tongue starting to look a little paler pink the normal. I called the vet the next day and brought him in the day after. They took a blood test (it was a Saturday when it was taken). At this time he was eating but only super worms (not many veggies again, wouldn't eat silks, wouldn't eat calci worms, wouldn't eat crickets or locusts which I was alright with because I hate how they jump). I forced myself over my stupid fear of roaches in the house and ordered 30 Dubia roaches. He at 2 pretty quick and went for a 3rd but when he missed twice, he kind of gave up interest. This was on Wednesday 8th March and that was the last thing hes eaten to this day.
On that same Wednesday I got a phone call for results, which confirmed he was anemic and his protein levels were a little low dispite eating protein with no problems at this point. I have never noticed blood in his poo (and I've been inspecting it for months, convinced he was ill!) and no blood anywhere else (I would have freaked the **** out if I had found blood!). The vet believes that it is coccidia and we picked up anti biotics that same day to begin treating for it, and took home a small container to bring in his next poo to test it for sure. He poos about once a week at the best of times, and only ever in the bath, rarely in his tank. On Friday he pooed whilst I was giving him a probiotic bath, it fell apart immediately and I rushed to grab the little container to catch it in! It was all mixed in with water and was probably a terrible sample but with him not eating and a rare pooer anyway I took it in just in case they can use it to test, and promised to bring in a better one when he does it.
Today marks the last day of this course of antibiotic treatment, he has been having daily baths. He hates me, displaying a black beard when I go to his tank, but he is still happy around my husband. He has not eaten a thing for 7 days now and I am stressing out. He is still alert but here is a list of the things that are up with him at this very point.
He hides in the shade, ALL THE TIME. We have to put him under his basking light, where he stays for a little while, then hides in the shade again. He is cold a lot of the time now because of this. We have to place him in his light!
When I removed his hide, he just lies down and sleeps a lot, rather then basking.
Not eating veggies, super worms or dubia.
I have not been able to give him calcium for a week now as a result, I have seen his head twice ever so slightly on occassion. He previously had MBD before we got him, one of his hind legs cant fully straighten as a result but he walks fine on it and had it checked by the vet on his second visit.
Tongue is still white. I don't know how long it would take for it to start to pinken again if the reason for his anemia is parasites whilst on anti biotics.
He closes one of his eyes a lot now, the same eye. I brought this up with the vet when he was last there and she didn't seem concerned at the time, his eye looked fine, but when I ring her (she is back in tomorrow) I will bring all of this up.
Husbandry
Tank: 6ft x 20in deep x 25in high.
Lighting: T5 12% Arcadia UVB mounted in a Slimline canopy 54w, stretches almost the entire length of vivarium. 100w Spotlight basking bulb to far right of tank.
Temperatures: Hot side 35c (95f), cool side 27.5c (81.5f). I use thermometers with probes, one located in the cool and one located on the warm. The temp gun, I've just used to check (I normally use it to check temp of bath water for Trevor) hot point on wood basking spot is around 43c (110f). That is too hot. I didn't think the wood would be so hot.
Substrate: Non adhesive luxury vinyl tile in a slightly textured dark grey. Interlocking so no gaps.
Food: Annoyingly, mostly superworms. Tried other proteins, no interest other then most recently 2 dubia roaches which he seemed keen on, before we started him on antibiotics. Veg is mostly rocket (the only thing I've seen him eat) and I provide butternut squash, but I don't think hes ever eaten any. Annoyingly fussy and stubborn, and I'm probably doing something wrong to not be able to break that from him.
Supplements: Vetark Calci-dust on most feedings, Exo Terra Multi Vitamin once or twice a week.
Medication right now: 15ml Sulfatrim daily. Bathing daily with Vetark Avipro. I don't feel like he is getting enough Pro biotics but I don't know. I am bathing him in a baby bath, shallow depth water (that his vent is submerged) and I have been using about 3 or more scoops of Avipro and bathing him for around 20mins. The water get cold fast. I've tried dripping water on his nose (which has worked in the past, he has even drank from a spoon, his water bowl, or water cupped in our hand in the past. Right now, nothing!)
I think thats everything. I am sorry this is such a mammoth post. I thought I would see if anyone has any ideas or experience of anemia in a Bearded Dragon, if anti biotics are to blame for his total loss of appetite and full on lethargy or what.
I thank you so much in advance. I don't mind being told off if I'm doing something horribly wrong, I just want Trevor to be well and happy again. I hate seeing him like this.
