Good News!!

Recently I was SO happy to find out that my two rescue beardies, Lotus & Monster, tested negative for Adenovirus! I've been through a lot with these girls (parasites galore, not eating, getting pooped on all the time, stress, stress, stress) so it was a really nice relief to finally have a test come back clear.

I know this could go in the "Health" or "Infectious Diseases" sections, so I understand if it gets moved - but I wanted to get the encouragement out there for others to get their dragons tested as well for the sake of research. There's not enough known about Adenovirus at the moment, but we can all help by getting our dragons tested yearly to gather more data. Although there is currently no known cure for Adenovirus, it also hasn't been proven that it can't go away eventually. If your dragon tests positive, there are a few things you can do to maximize their lives and make them more comfortable as well. I got my dragons tested through Tracie, and I highly recommend others do the same. Visit here for more info >>> http://www.thepats.info/ or PM Tracie (Drache613). It's only $18... very much worth it to be informed of an important aspect of your dragon's health status and to contribute to research that could help future dragons too! :study:

Congratz on the tests coming back clear!
I always wonder about the Adenovirus but wasn't aware there was a test for it that could be done on a living dragon.

What exactly does the test involve? Im interested in getting my Norbert tested.
Also, what can you do for your beardie if they come back positive, and how can you prevent other dragons from contracting it.

Katie007":2pku84tw said:

Congratz on the tests coming back clear!
I always wonder about the Adenovirus but wasn't aware there was a test for it that could be done on a living dragon.

What exactly does the test involve? Im interested in getting my Norbert tested.
Also, what can you do for your beardie if they come back positive, and how can you prevent other dragons from contracting it.

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Thanks! If I'm right, the test being performed on live dragons is a fairly new development. In order to test, all I had to do was 1. Contact Tracie to send you the forms to fill out and test swabs 2. Print and fill out the forms 3. Swipe a fresh fecal sample from your dragon with the test swab 3. Mail the forms and test swabs back to Tracie along with an $18 money order made out to the lab 4. Wait for Tracie to send you a PDF email attachment with the results ...it's all super easy! The test swabs are even small enough to fit in regular legal sized envelopes for snail mail, so you don't have to worry about shipping hassle/expense.

If your beardie does test positive, there are a few things you can do such as treatment with serrapeptase and a special diet to promote good organ health. Adenovirus can cause organ failure, especially in the liver, so you would possibly want to get blood panels done on your dragon a bit more regularly to monitor these things. It seems like Adenovirus also suppresses the immune system, so being extra careful to avoid exposure to bacteria, parasites, etc. may also help extend an Adeno-positive dragon's lifespan as they could be more seriously affected by illnesses which other dragons could fight off fairly easily.

Right now, I believe Adenovirus is thought to be spread by bodily fluids and it's very difficult to kill. Any Adeno-positive dragons should not come into contact with negative dragons, and sharing surfaces should be avoided as much as possible. Adenovirus also seems to be pretty easily spread from a mother dragon to her clutch during egg laying, although that's not always the case. A 10% ammonia/water solution plus steaming should be used as your best defense for sanitizing surfaces which have been exposed to Adenovirus, but it's best not to chance it and avoid your dragon crossing paths with any such surfaces altogether if possible. Very thorough hand-washing and sanitizing should always be practiced when going from handling one dragon to handling another.

Do any members with Adeno-positive beardies have any thoughts to share?

Im scared to find out. If theres a test on live dragons thats pretty inexpensive, why don't any breeders test for it?

I'd be very interested to hear other people's experiences with the Adenovirus too.

Katie007":2wuq5wq5 said:

Im scared to find out. If theres a test on live dragons thats pretty inexpensive, why don't any breeders test for it?

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That's a good question, but unfortunately I think you also answered it when you said you're scared to find out. I think that's a lot of people's mentality, especially breeders... it's hard to blame them on some levels, b/c just think of the weight of that burden. A lot of people don't test b/c they think there's nothing you can do about it. But it's not necessarily a death sentence - Adeno positive beardies can live fairly long lives, I've heard of them living up to 9 yrs or so if I remember correctly. There ARE things you can do to make an Adeno beardie's life more comfortable and maximized the fullest extent. My main reasons for wanting to test were 1. Research purposes, and 2. I have two dragons, so if one of them had it I would really want to know so I could prevent my other one from getting it.

Whatever people decide to do is their own personal choice, but I highly encourage it if only for research to help the future of bearded dragons!

I agree. Im going to PM Tracie about the forms and swabs. Im planning on getting a second dragon at some point, so it would definitely be important to know if Norbert is positive.

And about the breeders. I understand that it would be a huge burden, and Im not really mad that they don't test because I understand that positive results could be an end to their business...but on the other hand, it seems like if they started testing for it, and one of their breeders came back positive, they could stop breeding him/her, and take the precautions to protect their others, which would really end up cutting down on the spread of the virus. And even though it would initially cost them more money, I know I would pay extra for a dragon if he came tested and cleared of Adeno from the breeder.

Katie007":wr4rok2s said:

...but on the other hand, it seems like if they started testing for it, and one of their breeders came back positive, they could stop breeding him/her, and take the precautions to protect their others, which would really end up cutting down on the spread of the virus. And even though it would initially cost them more money, I know I would pay extra for a dragon if he came tested and cleared of Adeno from the breeder.

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Agreed... unfortunately it would be a huge investment and possibly even a massive inventory loss for some breeders, but I think it would be best in the long run. To be fair, that's easy for me to say because I'm not those breeders and I wouldn't be the one dealing with all that, but all in all it just seems better for the greater good of dragons in general. Some breeders may tell you that all dragons have Adenovirus or will get it eventually, but that's obviously not true as lots of dragons test negative and magic fairy viruses don't just pop up out of nowhere for no reason lol. Just my opinion, I'm no expert of course - but even the experts don't agree on this stuff.

I can definitely understand why they don't, its just a shame. :? But it doesn't really seem like theres a solution that wouldn't end up putting people out of business. Hopefully by getting our dragons tested and participating in research we can help stop the spread of the virus and someday there will be a cure for it. Im sure with more research it'll happen.

Hello,

Great news Christina, they are both negative! Thanks for testing!
I am relying on keepers to educate others & help me with information relay & maybe in the future more breeders will begin to test.
This is by far, the most affordable test that they can do. All I want is for healthier stock to be produced so the die off rates will decrease!
This will help everyone, so new keepers will not have to lose their little dragons from this virus.


Tracie

Drache613":3ybwwd1h said:

I am relying on keepers to educate others & help me with information relay

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Working on it! LOL on Friday I called up one of the first vets I went to with the girls (I was not comfortable with their lack of knowledge specific to beardies if you remember). One of the vet techs who they call "The Reptile Guy" answered the phone and I spent over half an hour explaining Adenovirus to him & telling him about the lab they could use to test, symptoms, and so on. I won't get into the lecture he got about Yellow Fungus (which no one there had ever even heard of) and the necessity of using probiotics with medication. Thankfully he's a cool guy and very open & enthusiastic about learning new things that can help reptiles. Another person educated, only a few billion to go!