Runny Nose & Not Pooping

Hi Everyone!

My youngest beardie stopped pooping about a week and a half ago. I've been giving him baths and smoothies to help which has shown a TINY bit of improvement over the weekend. Now, he's back to not pooping and he has a watery substance running out of his nose. (I noticed it when I was giving him apple sauce tonight to try and help him poop.) I'm very worried because he's been lethargic on top of it and has spent most of the past week and a half to two weeks hiding in his cave which is extremely unusual for him. His front foot is also swollen, though he keeps using it and it doesn't seem to bother him.

He's in a 40 gallon tank with tile and shelf liner as the bottom. He's got a 100 watt basking bulb that is close to his basking spot, as well as a Reptisun 10.0 fluorescent tube that was recently replaced. Temp on the high side usually runs around 100-110 degrees and the cool side is in the low 90s. I've been taking him outside the past couple of days after bath time to try and help him soak up the sun.

As far as diet before he stopped pooping, I was doing the appropriate size dubia roaches and BSF. His FAVORITE is the BSL though.

I was worried about a month ago about possible MBD, since he was seeming a little sluggish and not sprinting across his cage like he did. I took him to the vet here who "specializes in reptiles" (referred by PETCO & PETSMART because he's the only one in the area who sees exotics). Not that it's important at all but the vet was in his 60s and could barely hold my baby beardie. Said he looked fine and there was nothing that he was concerned about.

The only thing that I can think of is to book an appointment with my old vet, (the one who finally figured out what was wrong with my first beardie) but he's over 2 hours away from me and I don't know that that long of a drive with Mycroft not feeling well is a great idea.

SO, if you guys could provide any help or insight on how to help him feel better and get back to his crazy self, I would super appreciate it!

Sounds like you need to find a more competent vet , even if it means a longer drive to get to them.

Runny nose is often indicative of either a URI or worse , the dragon has aspirated some water while in the bath.

I suggest :
>> keep him warm 24/7 (about 32 deg C (the POBT for a bearded dragon is 36 deg C, the preferred optimum temperature zone (POTZ) is 24-32ºC. ref https://exoticpetvetblog.wordpress.com/ ... -reptiles/
>> crucial while being treated for RI to keep reptile in it's POTZ.
>> remove substrate , replace with paper toweling
>> F10 everything each day - if his nose is running , that mucus is loaded with virus and bacteria and there is a strong risk of reinfecting it's by having physical contact with soiled objects
>> make a bed / basking spot him that's go enough slope that his bum is higher than his head when head's sleeping (will help any aspirate liquid drain from the lung , and the warm viv overnight will help
a) boost his immune system
b) dry his lungs
>> make an appointment with ANOTHER HERP/REPTILE VET
>> ignore advise given by the pet shop staff (99.9% of the time they are clueless and their advise is bad).

If you can get hold of a nebulizing kit , and a 10L - 14L tub with an airtight lid, it is a good idea until you can find a GOOD reptile vet to do daily F10 Nebulisations see this for how : viewtopic.php?f=45&t=232783

Seems there are a number issues that need to be addressed by a GOOD vet. Sore infected leg, impaction (?), RI.

Thank you so much for all of the information, King! I was really SUPER concerned when I saw water coming out of his nose, especially on top of all his other issues. My poor baby.

I'm going to get his tank rearranged with paper towel bedding and a new basking spot for him to bask/sleep in so it can help.

Just a couple of questions that I have reading over your response:

-If the POTZ temp is 24-32C (which translates to roughly 75.2-89.6 F), do I reduce the wattage on his basking bulb to make it cooler for him? I can also use a heat emitter for night time to help keep it that temp, correct?
-How do I boost his immune system? I know that Vitamin C works GREAT for humans, but I'm not sure if I can give it to him without poisoning him and that's not something I'm willing to risk. He's had a hard enough life already. (Petsmart was going to put him down because they couldn't get him to eat.)
-Drying his lungs. Will the bed/basking spot take care of that, or does the nebulizing kit also help? I'll get him whatever he needs to get better, I just want to make sure I understand exactly what he needs in order to do that.
-The best reptile vet I know of in the area is 2 hours away. If I get a "Hot Hands" mobile heat pack and lay it under a light blanket/towel, will he be alright to make a roughly 4.5-5 hour round trip?
-As he spends most of his time in his cave, and tends to end up sleeping in there, is it okay to take it out?
-Should I reduce the size of his tank for now? Not sure if that will help anything except for possibly encourage him to stay in the sloped basking spot/bed.

Thank you so much!!! I'll put those changes into action ASAP!!

We have a nebulizer kit and disinfectant stuff getting delivered tomorrow, and a vet appointment set up for Monday morning. I'm going to have doc do a thorough examination and address all of the issues I've listed on here. Hopefully we can get it all settled and he'll be back on the bath of healthy again.

Got home this afternoon and checked on him. He's pooped and it doesn't look like there is any more liquid running out of his nose, which is strange to me because it was flowing like a faucet last night. That being said, he is very inactive but aware of his surroundings. I'm still taking him to the vet on Monday because I still have concerns but do you think that he still needs to undergo nebulizer treatments twice a day if there is no liquid present?

Also, debating what to about feeding him. I'm not sure if he's 100% over the case of impaction and don't want to risk giving him food that could contribute to it. Any suggestions?

Hello,

So sorry your boy isn't doing well!
Do you feel he is still a bit impacted? You can continue to give slurries, along with some of the
sugar free applesauce. If you wanted to add some canned or fresh pumpkin in with the slurry
with a drop or two of olive or coconut oil that may help to pass through anything else that may
need to move through.
If he isn't showing anymore runny nose, you could get by with one nebulizing treatment daily, for
about 15 minutes or so. Definitely keep him a little warmer overnight, if possible. Around 80 is
always good. The hot hands would be fine as long as you had a towel in between him & the hot
hands so he doesn't get too hot.
How often do you give calcium for him? Is the one foot the only swollen area on him?
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

EsmeraldasMother":801beufe said:

Got home this afternoon and checked on him. He's pooped and it doesn't look like there is any more liquid running out of his nose, which is strange to me because it was flowing like a faucet last night. That being said, he is very inactive but aware of his surroundings. I'm still taking him to the vet on Monday because I still have concerns but do you think that he still needs to undergo nebulizer treatments twice a day if there is no liquid present?

Also, debating what to about feeding him. I'm not sure if he's 100% over the case of impaction and don't want to risk giving him food that could contribute to it. Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

Good that he did a poo, but more may yet to come (?) , can you feel any hard lumps in the tummy ?

Maybe the warmth did the job drying out his lungs. Lethargy is always a concern in a lizard.

Wet liquid foods for now as suggested. The F10 nebulization is worth continuing daily , as well as keeping him warm 24/7 for now and letting him rest AMAP.

Hope he comes good , but suspect something serious going on that needs vet treatment/meds.

I would press for cultures because an upper respiratory infection doesn't just go away, and he may need an antibiotic, an antifungal, or both. Upper respiratory infections are often just treated without doing any testing at all (meaning a culture and sensitivity), and just prescribed a broad-spectrum antibiotic. The problem with that is that often beardies acquire upper respiratory infections that are not bacterial but rather fungal, or both, and a broad-spectrum antibiotic like Baytril will not help with the fungal infection at all. You may be dealing with Aspergillus, so you don't want to mess with that. I highly recommend doing nebulizer treatments instead of oral meds, the nebulizer treatments are very efficient and seem to completely get rid of upper respiratory infections without the issues that oral meds present, such as a long-term loss of appetite and lethargy. Also, if he is given ANY oral meds at all, you'll want to give him daily probiotics to keep his tummy settled and keep the normal, healthy bacteria that he needs in his gastrointestinal tract present in the correct numbers, as most strong antibiotics tend to wipe out all normal gastrointestinal flora, and then they end up with a yeast infection on top of the upper respiratory infection.

Also, while he's sick the higher temps are a must, but just as an FYI, you should have his Cool Side temperature down between 75-80 degrees so that he always has a place to go that is considerably cooler than the Hot Side and the main basking spot. Temps that are too hot are just as bad as temps that are too cold, especially if it's the Cool Side of his tank, because he has no refuge to cool down, and this can also cause constant lethargy and loss of appetite, just like we don't feel like doing anything or eating anything if we've been in the heat all day. Having his Cool Side in the 99's is way too hot, it should always be between 75-80 degrees (as I said, while he's dealing with an upper respiratory infection this is different).

There is one semi-hard spot in his belly, so I'll just be sticking with slurries until I can be 10000% sure he's past the impaction. Going to make sure to continue keeping his tank warm 24/7 as well. I give him calcium powder about once a week, though he gets BSFL roughly 2x a week. Yes, his foot is literally the only part of him that's swollen. I think he's underweight, though I am trying my best to fix that without adding fatty foods in. To be fair though, he's gained weight since I adopted him. Petsmart was going to put him down because they were keeping him in less than 5 gallon tank and he wouldn't eat.

Definitely going to push for cultures, because the first vet I took him to refused to do cultures. If they decide that oral meds are a must, where would I be able to find the probiotic for him?

Just got the nebulizer kit in less than an hour ago but I'm having difficulties finding a 10-14 gallon airtight container. Since he is small, would it be acceptable to go with something smaller than a 10 gallon tank?

Will post a photo of him, as well as his swollen foot.

Overall, he seems to be doing better than he was last night. He's a little bit more active right now and he still has a dry nose. Hasn't pooped yet today but his activity levels are a lot better than they have been recently.

These were taken yesterday when I took him outside for some time in the sun.

Hello,

He is a little one. So the front left hand/wrist is swollen? It looks like the front right one is also, or is that just the angle of the picture?
I am sure he enjoyed the outdoor time!
How is he doing today?
Since he is so young, he will need calcium 4-5 days per week to support his bones & neurological
system. The probiotics can be found at the health food store or online. You can look for a non
dairy acidophiliz or a non dairy soy yogurt either plain or flavored.
That is a good idea to continue with the softer foods until you are sure he isn't impacted. Cultures
are very helpful when trying to determine fungal or bacterial infections. I hope he starts to feeling
better. Keep us posted on him.

Tracie

Can add much other than :

since he's obviously in shed, the swelling in the hands may fluid buildup prior to the hands shedding.

and

try 0.2-0.3 ml olive oil given every 2 or 3 days (orally by small syringe) , this usually helps my gang get it moving.

You can use a plastic tub with a lid for the nebulizer, and use duct tape to seal around the hose. And I'll once again add that please, he needs his feeders dusted in Calcium powder at least 5 times a week and multivitamin powder 3 times a week, even on the BSFL. If he's only getting Calcium once a week he will most likely develop a calcium deficiency and MBD, it's a must during their first year of life to have Calcium pretty much every day. Even BSFL need to be dusted, regardless of what they say, as only the very dark BSFL contain enough Calcium to compensate for no powder. So at least 5 times a week.

Thanks for all the help!

So, first of all, hot hands with a soft towel is a huge success. Or at least it was for Mycroft. I wrapped him up in a very soft hand towel and 2 "Hot Hands" packets prior to leaving the house yesterday morning. He spent most of the 2+ hour drive looking around and laying on top of the lumps where the packs were. Tried to move him a couple of times, just to make sure he wasn't getting too hot and he immediately went back on the lumps and stayed there.

His nose is completely cleared up but the doctor gave him some Baytril in his "Super Shot". Also gave me a small plastic test tube with Baytril in it just to make sure that it's fully gone. He's to have 1 drop a day until it's completely gone. I do need to give him a probiotic with this, correct? How much of the non dairy soy yogurt do I give him since he's so small?

Regarding his hands, his front right one is swollen and the wrist on his left is starting to swell. This combined with the fact that he was super flat on the table (though was holding his head up as high as he could get it), made the vet concerned about MBD. To treat that, he gave Mycroft what he calls is his "Super Shot". It was calcium combined with vitamins (and as stated above, Baytril). There's a reason he calls it his "Super Shot"! Not long after my baby got the shot, he was up and RUNNING across the table!! Gives me hope that he'll go back to eating crickets once we get everything back on track.

We'll be going back in a month for a recheck, though I'm not afraid to call him back and get another appointment if we need it. I want to make sure that Mycroft gets past this completely, and preferably ASAP. I can only imagine how miserable he's felt this past week.

Since he's got the starting stages of MBD, is there such a thing as TOO much calcium? The vet said I need to "make sure ALL of his food looks like cooked chicken" prior to him eating it. That being said, I feed him 2x a day. Ellen said 5x a week but based on the vet's recommendation, I would be giving it to him 10x a week. I don't want to poison him with calcium or anything, but I also don't want to give him too little to get back on his feet.

Doc did mention that he needs UVA/UVB (which is not something new to me). I've got him on the Reptisun T8 10.0 bulb with the reflector in the hood. Is it okay to stick with this one or should I switch to Arcadia? I've heard wonderful things on here about Arcadia UVB bulbs but I've never had one before and want to make sure he's got the best.

He spent most of the afternoon yesterday basking, or curled up under his ramp. The vet confirmed that he's 100% past his impaction, so he ate actual food last night for the first time in over a week. He didn't eat very much, though I don't blame him.

When I checked on him this morning (about 45 minutes after the lights came on), he was curled up in the corner with his head tucked between the wall of the tank and his cave. He wasn't super active but that's fairly normal for him. He doesn't like to get up in the mornings!

Overall, I'd say he's better than he was when I originally posted this.