Extreme picky eating, weight loss. Very worried.

This all started when Caesar stopped eating due to antibiotics to help with pinworms and coccidia.
It's been almost three months now

I've tried many different pro-biotics with only some improvement. He has been only interested in the red Flukers pellets from the pet store. He has also had some red pepper and the very occasional hornworm.

When I coax him to eat, he becomes very unhappy, and I really do not want to force food into him.

I spoke with the vet who prescribed his antibiotics and said he was completely normal and that he only needed the pellets to survive (even the bottle said it was to be supplemented with vegetables). Another two vets from two different offices told me that he is physically healthy (took x-rays and blood work) and that all I had to do was starve him into eating!

I really need advice asap.

Before meds:


2.5 months after finishing meds:

Have you tried dripping water on his nose, and when he's lapping up putting in thin slices of squash? This is the only way I get greens in when they're on meds. How's he for livefood? Does he show any interest or completely ignore it?

I'd recommend not using addictive foods such as waxworms, as this could create a whole other problem.

Keep up with the probiotics. In the UK we use acidophilus +. Approx half a capsule daily.

If I slip any type of food into his mouth while he is licking up water, he becomes very unhappy: beard black and violently shaking his head in an attempt to get the food out.

He shows almost no interest in any live food. I've tried crickets, hornworms, dubias, waxworms.
I've only had slight success with hornworms. He's eaten two.

He has been off the antibiotics since early-mid April

What about Reptaid? I think I saw in that big Reptaid thread on this board that it could help beardies get their appetite back to normal after antibiotics.

Quick question, you said he had pinworms and coccidia, but antibiotics will not treat pinworms, he would need an antiparasitic medication. What antibiotic and/or any other meds has he been on recently, for how long, and is he still taking them? Is your vet that prescribed antibiotics for parasites a certified Reptile vet? Has he ever seen a certified Reptile vet? Or just "exotics" vets that see reptiles?

He doesn't look well at all to me, I don't know what vet would say he looks healthy... Although I don't know what vet would only prescribe an antibiotic for parasites and worms either...He looks thin, yes, but he also looks sick. Pale, sunken eyes, tired looking, etc. Those meds are very hard on their systems, but if he was only given an antibiotic for the coccidia, like Baytril, and no antiparasitic, he would probably still have the pinworms, which will progressively make him more and more sick, starving him of nutrients, ruining his appetite, and eventually killing him if not treated with an antiparasitic medication....

I feel so stupid saying he was on antibiotics. He was on an antiparasitic. The vet was a certified reptile vet. He even had a post meds fecal test which came back clear.

I am currently looking for another vet to take him to but most in my area refuse to treat reptiles, and even less are certified.

Do you have any advice I can do until I can find someone certified enough?

Sorry that your poor beardie [ and you ] are going through this. Sad to say that the vet saying your dragon only needs the pellets to be healthy....not a very experienced with reptiles. I wonder if he gave incorrect dosage or type of meds. What were the brand names ? Some dragons are better off with a low count of parasites than being treated at times.

For coccidia, most vets use Albon [ very common ] and some use toltrazuril or ponazuril.

Ahhh, okay, that makes a lot more sense, lol. Okay, let's start over...Yeah I agree that any vet that said he can live on commercial pellets has little to no personal experience with Beardies. They typically don't like those pellets, and if they do eat them they don't eat nearly enough of them to sustain life, hence your guy that is pretty skinny. Beardies that age need live protein, lots of it. If his lack of appetite started when he was put on the antiparasitic meds I'm not surprised, those meds are very hard on them, but probiotics typically get their gastrointestinal systems working and feeling better again.

He had blood work? Do you have the results of the blood work for us to see? The problem here is we don't know if he's sick and not eating from the antiparasitic meds or from another illness, Infection, etc. If the follow-up fecal was negative then we can rule out parasites and worms, but he could have a bacterial infection, fungal infection, virus, or his system could just be ripped up. What probiotics have you tried, and how often? Is he still on any? Did you try soy yogurt?

Ahhh, okay, that makes a lot more sense, lol. Okay, let's start over...Yeah I agree that any vet that said he can live on commercial pellets has little to no personal experience with Beardies. They typically don't like those pellets, and if they do eat them they don't eat nearly enough of them to sustain life, hence your guy that is pretty skinny. Beardies that age need live protein, lots of it. If his lack of appetite started when he was put on the antiparasitic meds I'm not surprised, those meds are very hard on them, but probiotics typically get their gastrointestinal systems working and feeling better again.

He had blood work? Do you have the results of the blood work for us to see? The problem here is we don't know if he's sick and not eating from the antiparasitic meds or from another illness, Infection, etc. If the follow-up fecal was negative then we can rule out parasites and worms, but he could have a bacterial infection, fungal infection, virus, or his system could just be ripped up. What probiotics have you tried, and how often? Is he still on any? Did you try soy yogurt?

Good and bad news.

I am absolutely FURIOUS with the vet who I went to for Caesar's treatment. They refused to give me any information regarding the medication, x-ray, or blood test. I spent hours arguing with them over my right to see the results and get copies of his chart.
I am never going there again. I would say who they are in an attempt to save someone else the trouble, but there is now an investigation being held against them.

GOOD NEWS
Since trying the soy yogurt, Caesar has been eating Hornworms, red pepper, and dandelion greens. I hope he keeps it up as I try to find another certified reptile vet.

Yes, best to avoid them and yes you have the right to the medical history and even copies of everything including Xrays !

Glad to hear that he's eating though, very good news indeed !