Ozziesmom7917
Member
I have a 7.5 yr old (we got him last January and we're told he was 6) male bearded dragon who refuses to eat veggies but ate crickets and super worms with calcium supplement and always a variety of fresh fruit and veg and a water dish ( he's never used). Everything was normal... he's always been a bit lazy but about a month ago it finally clued in that he hadn't pooped in about a month. I went to the pet store for advice and was told to give applesauce/ worms covered in olive oil and to bathe him in warm water while gentle massaging his belly. I also made a vet appointment. He had a large bm in the bath the night before I took him to the vet. At the vets, they told me he looked to be in great condition but may have a bacterial infection in his mouth so prescribed antibiotics. I gave him the antibiotics and he seemed to get worse...more lethargic and and still not pooping and eating less. I brought him back, they gave me lactulose and a calcium supplement. Gave him that along with critical care food by syringe. He continued to deteriorate. Brought him back a third time and they did an x-ray. X-ray showed something but they couldn't tell what...could be a gas bubble, could be cancer. He also had developed diarrhea at this point so he was prescribed an antibiotic for two weeks in case of parasites in his digestive tract. Now he doesn't eat at all, avoids his basking area ( his tank has been discussed with the pet store and the vet and they both said it is perfect for him) he now has a black beard all the time and when I bathe him he thrashes around trying to get out and almost his whole body goes black. He seems to be breathing more heavily since we've been forcing stuff down his throat but he isn't raspy and there is no snot in his nose or mouth. The vet is currently looking to find someone that will do an ultrasound on him to find out if what they saw on the x-ray is cancer or something that can be fixed. I'm feeling awful. I don't want to put him to sleep if it's something that can be fixed but I also don't want him suffering if it's cancer. It seems the more treatment we give him the worse he gets. He is now also on a probiotic and the diahrrea has stopped. I'm wondering if he is just black bearded because he's angry about having stuff shoved down his throat daily and maybe he's not eating because his mouth is sore from the hard syringes? I just don't know what to do. I don't want him to die. Does anyone have any idea what may be going on with him. Should I hold out another week or have him put down? Any help is appreciated.