zeusmama1999
Member
Hi all!
I'm new to posting on this forum though I have used it very often throughout being a relatively new beardie owner.
To provide some background, I got Zeus in February of this year, I was told he was 6 months old so he would currently be around one. When I got him, he was very active and slightly underweight. I was new to beardies, and didnt even think to ask about his past or his diet. Easy to say I have learned more in the past six months from articles than my entire college career (exaggeration). Anyway, I nursed him back to health to where he got to a healthy weight around 8 months old. About a month and a half ago, I noticed the tiniest bit blood in his stool. I called the vet and got him in a week later where they did a fecal on him. Results came back fine, with just a few parasites that, I guess, live in beards naturally, but there can be an excess of them. I knew he was overweight at that time (he had quite the belly on him since I fed him so much due to concern of his previous weight) and was told he needs to go on a strict all greens diet. The vet sent me home and said to call back if the blood continues. I obeyed the vet, only gave him a variety of dusted greens - collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion leaves, kale, carrots, and tried strawberries at times. He would rarely touch them. I let him go on a hunger strike for about two weeks, then gave him and fed him a fat hornworm. Thereafter, I began to force feed him greens. Doing this stressed him out, so I was only able to do a few leaves. I even tried the Repashy beardie buffet. He didn't eat it on his own, so I force fed a little bit of this as well. He had another bloody stool, so I called the vet and they put him on ronidazole for 10 days. Eight days into the medication, he had ANOTHER bloody stool, so I took him back in. He had lost about 35 grams from not eating and he had blood work done. She had also sent us home with the critical care formula since he hadn't been eating. I was syringe feeding him only the critical care for about six days. During this time, he had a large stool pass and there was, finally, no blood! Also during this time, he got several long baths, one of which he drank the most water I've seen him drink in a while. I offered him some greens after I got home from work one day and he ate a couple of leaves so fast its like the starvation caught up with him. He also ate them so fast he seemed like he was going to throw them up, so I figured I would stop there for the night. The next day, I syringed fed him less critical care and offered super worms, he ate three on his own. Long story short, he has gotten his appetite back for the most part and his stools have been normal besides a little on the watery side. The blood results came back a week later and his vet said his wbc count is extremely high and 93% of those cells were lymphocytes. She said he might have ADV or cancer...though cancer was not AS likely since the shape or size of the cells were not unusual. I took him to a different vet yesterday for another opinion and was hoping to test for ADV. The vet discouraged me from testing him since, for one, it would be over $500, and his appetite was back and his stools were looking good (they did another fecal yesterday and it came back normal). I learned that with ADV, beards can live a long healthy life with proper care and treatment, but I'm not sure how to manage besides switching to critical care when he loses his appetite. I am going to get Zeus bee pollen and milk thistle since I have heard many good things about them too. My concern is, even though he is eating, he prefers to hide all day to the point where he gets cold, he does not like basking, and isn't drinking water as much. I brought this up to the vet, and he didn't really have a good answer for me. He just said he's very happy to hear his appetite is growing and that his stools are looking good. Zeus also has not been showing any serious signs of ADV besides previous loss of appetite and lethargy only while in his tank. He does not seize, stargaze, twitch, roll, or anything like that. He is a very strong little boy. I take him out everyday and let him free roam or we'll stare out the window together. But It's the strangest thing, he seems so sickly and ill while in his tank but will run around when out of it. He still tries to find a spot to hide while outside of the tank, but it takes about five/ten minutes or so for him to get to that point. He has plenty of stuff inside of his tank too... Take today for example, I got home from work and immediately went to check on him like I always do, he was laying next to his heat rock but not on it, body limp, and tired eyes, like not all the way open. I picked him up and he wasn't super cold, but not near as warm as he should be. I'm just so lost on what to do or how to handle this situation. Too back animals can't communicate how they're feeling
Tank and beardie info:
Tank size: 40 gal
Basking spot: Around 95-100
Cool side: 82, but I have a heating rock on this side since this is where he likes to hide, so I put there in hopes of keeping him warm
UVB: linear Reptisun 10.0 UVB
Husbandry: he has a grass mat on one side and sand mat on the other, several fake plants, hammock where he should be basking and a hanging circular net with vines around it. I took his hide out since he would spend all day in there and not get heat or UVB. I tried to engulf the heat rock with fake plants so he would at least feel like he were hiding, but he still gets UVB while being on the rock.
Diet: Used to be heavy in insects and offered greens/carrots a couple times a week. Most days they would be dusted with calcium. Of course, I switched his diet when his weight was an issue.
I'd like to add that I have a veiled chameleon who has been absolutely thriving. I moved a month ago and they are in separate rooms as of right now, but before, their cages were right next to each other with about a foot or two in between them (the side walls were covered so they couldn't see each other). I only bring this up because ADV is extremely contagious. My Cham is very healthy and is around a year old as well. I would think that if Zeus has ADV, then my Cham would as well, but I for sure know my cham is perfectly healthy.
I've read that people have beat ADV before even though it's said there is no cure. I'm wondering if I assume this is ADV like the vet had mentioned or if it could be something else... Any insight and advice is very appreciated!! I have cried over my baby boy several times especially on his bad days. It's crazy how a little four legged creature can mean so much!
Thanks a bunch,
Maquel
I'm new to posting on this forum though I have used it very often throughout being a relatively new beardie owner.
To provide some background, I got Zeus in February of this year, I was told he was 6 months old so he would currently be around one. When I got him, he was very active and slightly underweight. I was new to beardies, and didnt even think to ask about his past or his diet. Easy to say I have learned more in the past six months from articles than my entire college career (exaggeration). Anyway, I nursed him back to health to where he got to a healthy weight around 8 months old. About a month and a half ago, I noticed the tiniest bit blood in his stool. I called the vet and got him in a week later where they did a fecal on him. Results came back fine, with just a few parasites that, I guess, live in beards naturally, but there can be an excess of them. I knew he was overweight at that time (he had quite the belly on him since I fed him so much due to concern of his previous weight) and was told he needs to go on a strict all greens diet. The vet sent me home and said to call back if the blood continues. I obeyed the vet, only gave him a variety of dusted greens - collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion leaves, kale, carrots, and tried strawberries at times. He would rarely touch them. I let him go on a hunger strike for about two weeks, then gave him and fed him a fat hornworm. Thereafter, I began to force feed him greens. Doing this stressed him out, so I was only able to do a few leaves. I even tried the Repashy beardie buffet. He didn't eat it on his own, so I force fed a little bit of this as well. He had another bloody stool, so I called the vet and they put him on ronidazole for 10 days. Eight days into the medication, he had ANOTHER bloody stool, so I took him back in. He had lost about 35 grams from not eating and he had blood work done. She had also sent us home with the critical care formula since he hadn't been eating. I was syringe feeding him only the critical care for about six days. During this time, he had a large stool pass and there was, finally, no blood! Also during this time, he got several long baths, one of which he drank the most water I've seen him drink in a while. I offered him some greens after I got home from work one day and he ate a couple of leaves so fast its like the starvation caught up with him. He also ate them so fast he seemed like he was going to throw them up, so I figured I would stop there for the night. The next day, I syringed fed him less critical care and offered super worms, he ate three on his own. Long story short, he has gotten his appetite back for the most part and his stools have been normal besides a little on the watery side. The blood results came back a week later and his vet said his wbc count is extremely high and 93% of those cells were lymphocytes. She said he might have ADV or cancer...though cancer was not AS likely since the shape or size of the cells were not unusual. I took him to a different vet yesterday for another opinion and was hoping to test for ADV. The vet discouraged me from testing him since, for one, it would be over $500, and his appetite was back and his stools were looking good (they did another fecal yesterday and it came back normal). I learned that with ADV, beards can live a long healthy life with proper care and treatment, but I'm not sure how to manage besides switching to critical care when he loses his appetite. I am going to get Zeus bee pollen and milk thistle since I have heard many good things about them too. My concern is, even though he is eating, he prefers to hide all day to the point where he gets cold, he does not like basking, and isn't drinking water as much. I brought this up to the vet, and he didn't really have a good answer for me. He just said he's very happy to hear his appetite is growing and that his stools are looking good. Zeus also has not been showing any serious signs of ADV besides previous loss of appetite and lethargy only while in his tank. He does not seize, stargaze, twitch, roll, or anything like that. He is a very strong little boy. I take him out everyday and let him free roam or we'll stare out the window together. But It's the strangest thing, he seems so sickly and ill while in his tank but will run around when out of it. He still tries to find a spot to hide while outside of the tank, but it takes about five/ten minutes or so for him to get to that point. He has plenty of stuff inside of his tank too... Take today for example, I got home from work and immediately went to check on him like I always do, he was laying next to his heat rock but not on it, body limp, and tired eyes, like not all the way open. I picked him up and he wasn't super cold, but not near as warm as he should be. I'm just so lost on what to do or how to handle this situation. Too back animals can't communicate how they're feeling
Tank and beardie info:
Tank size: 40 gal
Basking spot: Around 95-100
Cool side: 82, but I have a heating rock on this side since this is where he likes to hide, so I put there in hopes of keeping him warm
UVB: linear Reptisun 10.0 UVB
Husbandry: he has a grass mat on one side and sand mat on the other, several fake plants, hammock where he should be basking and a hanging circular net with vines around it. I took his hide out since he would spend all day in there and not get heat or UVB. I tried to engulf the heat rock with fake plants so he would at least feel like he were hiding, but he still gets UVB while being on the rock.
Diet: Used to be heavy in insects and offered greens/carrots a couple times a week. Most days they would be dusted with calcium. Of course, I switched his diet when his weight was an issue.
I'd like to add that I have a veiled chameleon who has been absolutely thriving. I moved a month ago and they are in separate rooms as of right now, but before, their cages were right next to each other with about a foot or two in between them (the side walls were covered so they couldn't see each other). I only bring this up because ADV is extremely contagious. My Cham is very healthy and is around a year old as well. I would think that if Zeus has ADV, then my Cham would as well, but I for sure know my cham is perfectly healthy.
I've read that people have beat ADV before even though it's said there is no cure. I'm wondering if I assume this is ADV like the vet had mentioned or if it could be something else... Any insight and advice is very appreciated!! I have cried over my baby boy several times especially on his bad days. It's crazy how a little four legged creature can mean so much!
Thanks a bunch,
Maquel