dragonkat13
New member
hi, I am new here. I am new to forums honestly. But let me get to the point.
New bearded dragon parent and I got him Wed. October 28th, so just a little over a week he has been with me. Originally he was a petsmart baby. He is only 9 grams, maybe 2 months old no more than 3.
He has the proper setup, I had some issues with getting the temps right but they quickly were regulated. he didn't show interest in food when I got him home, nor for the first week...then all of a sudden he wanted crickets and was eating. SO I thought it was just a new home and stress for the reason he wasn't wanting to eat. I tried everything I could think of that first week, without stressing him out too much.
On Wednesday he ate crickets. The 4th. Thursday afternoon/evening...I kept hearing a cricket like chirp and realized it was him, opening his mouth and doing it. Like he was choking. I was worried he had a URI immediately....I got him into the vet the next day at a very amazing exotic care hospital in Raleigh. He had a fecal, xrays and they showed signs of bacteria in the fecal, so he is on metronidazole .2 ccs every 48 hours. Then his lungs showed inflammation and they verified it was a URI and not any other abnormality.... he is on baytril and meloxicam both, also .2 ccs every 48 hours. They also have me feeding him OXBOW critical care diet, .2 cc's every 8 hours.
yesterday he was at least able to hold his own and bask, he kept his eyes shut and today he has been on the bottom of the tank ether propping himself vertically against the glass and sleeping, or laying on his little towel I put in there for him. He is lifeless mostly and while no longer making that chirping cough, he is opening his mouth often gasping. I am not sure what else I can do, or if there is little hope. I am here hoping for advice, your stories, and just some comfort. I am very upset by this and I think honestly he was sick when I got him, but since I thought he was just adjusting to a new home....I didn't recognize it as such. I do think I heard him making that chirping sound a couple days after getting him home. But I can't be sure as I didn't see it.
His basking was 105-110 and his cool side did drop to 70 but I have been keeping it to 80-85 right now. He also has a UVB of course and I am going to try to give him a little pedialyte.
thank you guys for any help, little Ollie says thank you also.
New bearded dragon parent and I got him Wed. October 28th, so just a little over a week he has been with me. Originally he was a petsmart baby. He is only 9 grams, maybe 2 months old no more than 3.
He has the proper setup, I had some issues with getting the temps right but they quickly were regulated. he didn't show interest in food when I got him home, nor for the first week...then all of a sudden he wanted crickets and was eating. SO I thought it was just a new home and stress for the reason he wasn't wanting to eat. I tried everything I could think of that first week, without stressing him out too much.
On Wednesday he ate crickets. The 4th. Thursday afternoon/evening...I kept hearing a cricket like chirp and realized it was him, opening his mouth and doing it. Like he was choking. I was worried he had a URI immediately....I got him into the vet the next day at a very amazing exotic care hospital in Raleigh. He had a fecal, xrays and they showed signs of bacteria in the fecal, so he is on metronidazole .2 ccs every 48 hours. Then his lungs showed inflammation and they verified it was a URI and not any other abnormality.... he is on baytril and meloxicam both, also .2 ccs every 48 hours. They also have me feeding him OXBOW critical care diet, .2 cc's every 8 hours.
yesterday he was at least able to hold his own and bask, he kept his eyes shut and today he has been on the bottom of the tank ether propping himself vertically against the glass and sleeping, or laying on his little towel I put in there for him. He is lifeless mostly and while no longer making that chirping cough, he is opening his mouth often gasping. I am not sure what else I can do, or if there is little hope. I am here hoping for advice, your stories, and just some comfort. I am very upset by this and I think honestly he was sick when I got him, but since I thought he was just adjusting to a new home....I didn't recognize it as such. I do think I heard him making that chirping sound a couple days after getting him home. But I can't be sure as I didn't see it.
His basking was 105-110 and his cool side did drop to 70 but I have been keeping it to 80-85 right now. He also has a UVB of course and I am going to try to give him a little pedialyte.
thank you guys for any help, little Ollie says thank you also.
