Sick bearded dragon and I can't figure it out

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Birdy

Hatchling Member
Hey all,
My beardie Lyra has gone down hill rapidly in the last 4 days. Today she has mostly been limp and holding her head only here and there, she drank water and ate 3 superworms at least. She still has bright colors and no black-beard. I'm really really worried that she's dying.
Backstory:
Lyra is a 5 year old female bearded dragon. Over the last 3 months has had this burping/pushing air out with a sick sound. Like she's trying to throw up or something. She brumated somewhat in the middle of October and threw up some undigested leaves. I thought because she hadn't been basking she just didn't digest it. Shortly after she stopped brumating and then, she started the forced exhalation. I thought potentially an URI so I added lights in late November to try to help her in the early stages. It has only gotten worse. She hasn't had mucus bubbles, I did do colloidal silver in a nebulizer yesterday but that seems to have made her worse. Her apatite has decreased especially and only readily eats supers. She'll drink by syringe. Her weight I noticed seemed to be going down and her fat is disappearing. Her fat pads flat and her tail bony. Her main belly still looks ok though. She has not been constantly black-bearding and has had bright colors which has been confusing for me. I have palpated her and feel something hard close above her vent that I noticed in December. I palpated her again today and noticed a part of her stomach looks distended and the hard thing is still there. I have no idea what that could be, I keep a close eye on her whenever I take her out there's small possibility it could be a foreign object but she's still pooping. She poops small poops everyday and about a week ago had a larger more diarrhea poop. I've thought through URI, gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas, impaction, egg bound, all the things that seem to fit the most. The ones that seem to match the most is the gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas, and URI she may have both.
40 gallon tank
100 under both lights in the middle is 88 at night 73
Shelf liner
Fed every day to every other day
Diet dandelion greens, blueberries, mixed veggies, superworms, it has been harder to find good food.
She weighed 415 last year in March, now she weighs 341, I already did the math she has lost 74 grams. :(
I would be happy to take her to a vet, but with Covid it's not at the top of our list.
Any thoughts or ideas is appreciated.
Kelly
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
What are you using for a UVB? Brand and bulb coil or tube and where in the tank is it? How are you taking basking temps ? NO stick ons they are inaccurate ------------ these two things I have asked about are the most important thing in that tank
 

Birdy

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Reptisun Zoo med t5 just changed 2 weeks ago. And a temp gun. And I have two other beardies with the exact same setup and diet and they are doing very well. It’s not environment I wish it was though. The lights are on a timer and are white UVA as well. I have CHE on for at night since she’s sick.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I suggest you get her into the vet--- here is a website to find a reptile vet--- DO NOT let them do a enema-- take a fecal in if you can but please No ENEMAS--
www.arav.org
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello Kelly,

How is Lyra doing today, any improvements at all?
Since the nebulizer treatments seem to be making her worse, I would hold off on those
for now. Just keep her a little warmer overnight to help boost her immune system right
now.
Are you able to get food into her, using a syringe or plastic dropper? Or is she eating
her greens & some superworms? She has definitely lost some weight which I don't like.
It sounds like she could possibly be impacted but if there has been some hardness in a
certain area then maybe enlarged kidney, a stone or a tumor perhaps. That is so hard to
be able to determine.
You mentioned her beard is dark but the rest of her colors are good?

Tracie
 

Birdy

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
UPDATE:
Lyra has been improving. The bump in her belly seems to be getting smaller. She'll eat applesauce by syringe, and has been fighting me quite a bit while trying to feed her lol. Yes she has had mostly bright colors with an occasional black beard. Lyra hasn't black-bearded in a few days now.
Thank you,
Kelly
 
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