Sorry if this is long...
Care info: 40 gal breeder tank, reptisun t8 mounted under screen, basking spot: 98-105, cool side 75-78 f.
Our beardie, ViVi, went into what I assumed was a partial brumation several months ago. She would nap and hang out in her hide mostly, but would come out and bask and eat. This went on for probably a few weeks.
After that she went back to normal for a week or two, and then just dramatically went down hill. Stopped eating almost entirely, would only eat an occassional bug, no greens. Was very lethargic and just wasn't doing anything. I thought maybe her UVB wasn't sufficient so I bought a new bulb and swapped it. I went to our local reptile shop and bought some different feeders thinking she may be bored with her crickets/mealworms/bsfl. She ate a hornworm here and there but thats it. So of course, now I'm worried and fully aware something is wrong. I was bathing her daily cause she has never drank water either from a bowl or in the bath. I noticed after 5-10 minutes in the bath she would start twitching one of her legs and sort of spazzing. And I noticed her front legs seemed a little swollen.
Took her to the vet on 4-28, vet said that she has early MBD he thinks, and possibly parasites. We adopted her last November from our local reptile shop, they estimated at that time that she was 1-1.5 years old. So we have no idea about her care from her original owner. I didn't have a stool sample since she hasn't been eating, but he gave her a general dewormer and sent us home with liquid calcium.
The first few days after the vet, she seemed a little more active and alert and was eating a bit better. Then she just started getting progressively worse again. She basks, but she basically just looks asleep all day. She'll go into her hide, and back to her basking spot but that's it. She keeps her eyes closed 80% of the time. I legitimately thought she was on deaths door the night before last. I have given her her calcium every day since the vet, I've been syringe feeding her baby food squash, and green beans with a bit of apple. She eats a little bit, but not alot.
So I called the vet yesterday and explained the situation, he basically just said that it could take up to 6 months to see improvement from the MBD. Is this accurate? Her only real symptom was the twitching, she doesn't have any visible deformities.
I do still need to take a stool sample for a fecal, I'm waiting for her to go so I can do that. I'm just at a loss here. I don't know if thats all thats going on, or if there's more I can do. I've never owned a reptile, so I'm a fish out of water with this. I believe her husbandry is correct based on my own research when we got her. She is my teenage sons pet, but of course we all know how that goes and I am the one taking care of this. I do fully intend on getting her a bigger tank, but with her being ill, and then the pandemic I've held off on that for the time being. If anyone can offer me some insight or advice I would really appreciate it.
Care info: 40 gal breeder tank, reptisun t8 mounted under screen, basking spot: 98-105, cool side 75-78 f.
Our beardie, ViVi, went into what I assumed was a partial brumation several months ago. She would nap and hang out in her hide mostly, but would come out and bask and eat. This went on for probably a few weeks.
After that she went back to normal for a week or two, and then just dramatically went down hill. Stopped eating almost entirely, would only eat an occassional bug, no greens. Was very lethargic and just wasn't doing anything. I thought maybe her UVB wasn't sufficient so I bought a new bulb and swapped it. I went to our local reptile shop and bought some different feeders thinking she may be bored with her crickets/mealworms/bsfl. She ate a hornworm here and there but thats it. So of course, now I'm worried and fully aware something is wrong. I was bathing her daily cause she has never drank water either from a bowl or in the bath. I noticed after 5-10 minutes in the bath she would start twitching one of her legs and sort of spazzing. And I noticed her front legs seemed a little swollen.
Took her to the vet on 4-28, vet said that she has early MBD he thinks, and possibly parasites. We adopted her last November from our local reptile shop, they estimated at that time that she was 1-1.5 years old. So we have no idea about her care from her original owner. I didn't have a stool sample since she hasn't been eating, but he gave her a general dewormer and sent us home with liquid calcium.
The first few days after the vet, she seemed a little more active and alert and was eating a bit better. Then she just started getting progressively worse again. She basks, but she basically just looks asleep all day. She'll go into her hide, and back to her basking spot but that's it. She keeps her eyes closed 80% of the time. I legitimately thought she was on deaths door the night before last. I have given her her calcium every day since the vet, I've been syringe feeding her baby food squash, and green beans with a bit of apple. She eats a little bit, but not alot.
So I called the vet yesterday and explained the situation, he basically just said that it could take up to 6 months to see improvement from the MBD. Is this accurate? Her only real symptom was the twitching, she doesn't have any visible deformities.
I do still need to take a stool sample for a fecal, I'm waiting for her to go so I can do that. I'm just at a loss here. I don't know if thats all thats going on, or if there's more I can do. I've never owned a reptile, so I'm a fish out of water with this. I believe her husbandry is correct based on my own research when we got her. She is my teenage sons pet, but of course we all know how that goes and I am the one taking care of this. I do fully intend on getting her a bigger tank, but with her being ill, and then the pandemic I've held off on that for the time being. If anyone can offer me some insight or advice I would really appreciate it.