Pale, lethargic, black beard

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Hi all, I have been lurking since we got Captain Spikes (3 yrs) at the end of March. We have cleaned up his habitat & diet & he is being treated for gout. His last bloodwork & fecal were good in May.
Starting last week he has a full time black beard and his color is sometimes very pale. He has always been very low energy but this last week he is practically comatose. I can force feed him but he hasn’t eaten willingly in 10 days. Our vet is out until Aug 17 though I did ask her office to let her know he was ill. Any ideas on something I could do in the meantime? We are really concerned.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
What are you using for a UVB --- no coils they are inadequate--- how old is the UVB? What are his basking temps and how are you taking them ? No stick ons----- what size tank is he in?
Karrie
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
And the placement of the UVB is where- if you have a fine screen like a screen door it should be in tank approx 12-15 inches directly above basking decor- has he been checked for parasites? If he's got real runny and smelly poop like enough to drive your from the room that would be a good sign--
Karrie
 

CaptainSpikes

Member
Original Poster
The UVB runs the length of the tank and there is no screen, so it is about 20” from the floor & 13” from his highest place to lay.

He hasn’t been checked for parasites since June, but was ok then. For the last few days he has had a lot of little white poops, or weird slimy ones but they don’t seem to be crazy smelly, lol.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Ok so lighting of UVB is good --- what is he on for meds for the gout and how much is he on? Black beard means hes in distress or pain - is he all swollen up now ? Can you post pics of him so Tracie shes our vet tech and AHBD can look at him---
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ click on XIMG at the top of the message box then click on the pic to post
Karrie
 

CaptainSpikes

Member
Original Poster
He has taken .15 ml of Allopurinol daily since April 24. The swelling in his arms was severe and both are remarkably better. I am attaching a pic from today and one from about 10 days ago.
109026-2733896370.jpg
109026-5329202595.jpg
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
So in the last 10 days he has gone to pale lethargic and black beard?? Can you post a pic of his tank? The swelling is still down? He looked good in the pic on top and the bottom not so good - can you post a pic of him now please
Karrie
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
What insect are/were you feeding for a staple feeder? Dubias are high in protein so if your feeding those please find a different one- like silk worms- but we need to find out what is going on w/ the black beard --- lethargic behavior --- all this info is going to help Tracie and AHBD--
Karrie
 

CaptainSpikes

Member
Original Poster
He exclusively ate Dubias when we got him and came with a colony, but he lost interest and I was glad because of the protein/gout. We have tried crickets, bsfl, & superworms. Swelling is still down in his arms. The pics posted the healthy one first, sorry about that. The sad one is today. Here is his house & current position.
109026-6177958408.jpg
109026-6161699039.jpg
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Hi there, I'm really sorry to see Captain Spikes looking so very ill. :( It is possible that he's suffering side effects from the long use of Allopurinol which can cause both liver + kidney problems as well as others. When was the last time he had bloodwork done ? That would show his liver + kidney function. I would stop the meds. ASAP and try to get extra hydration in him if possible. I'm wishing the best for your big boy ! He is pretty critical right now.
 

CaptainSpikes

Member
Original Poster
His last blood check was June 6. I will stop the meds immediately and try to keep him hydrated. He is such a good boy, we are just devastated. Thanks for the advice and well wishes.
 
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