Blackenedsabbath
Hatchling Member
Hi everyone,
My beardie went for his first check up today (slightly delayed, I know, but I finally found a trustworthy reptile vet). It was mainly to deal with an on and off eye watering problem he has been having for a few months. The vet believes it is due to stuck shed, and suggested I try to up his hydration levels and said it should clear up on its own. (He checked for an infection and said there is no inflammation or other signs of infection).
When he checked Pancake's heart rate, he said it sounds irregular which could either be due to heart parasites or low hydration levels. If he had heart parasites would he be as hyper as he typically is? I feel horrible. Since I first adopted Pancake he has been *SO PICKY* with drinking water. He used to have a bathing bowl in his tank, but he would do absolutely nothing except sit in his bowl all day (even when moved to the cooler side of his tank). So, I changed to dripping water on his nose, but unless I give him water immediately after he eats or while he is basking, he will refuse to drink (i.e. swatting me away with his feet or shaking the droplets off his head). Nor will he drink in the bath. The vet suggested putting a smaller sized water bowl in his tank, and soaking him twice a day to make sure he's hydrated. The vet placed him in a tub of water to see if he would drink any, but to no avail. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep his hydration levels up? I looked at the Exo Terra Big Dripper system, has anyone used it before? If I put some fruit juice into his water bowl will that entice him??
Secondly, although Pancake has gained a decent amount of weight from when I first adopted him, he seems to have trouble gaining additional weight. He currently weighs 277g, and is 16" long. The vet suggested upping his feedings to 3 times a day, and gave me herbivore critical care (10mL/day) to see if he is able to gain weight and keep it on. Ideally he said Pancake should weigh an additional 100g. They also said to start feeding him lettuce and dandelions from outside, which I'm now totally confused about since on here (and in the nutrition chart I use) lettuce is typically viewed as having no nutritional value, and the farm field behind my house is sprayed with pesticides so I don't feel comfortable with picking dandelions to feed him at all. :/
In 2 weeks the vet said he will check his stool for parasites, but he first wants to see if his hydration levels and potential weight gain will resolve anything.
I'm sorry if this post is kind of all over the place, I just feel like a terrible owner right now. Pancake is also not happy at all about his vet visit Overall, how can I get him to drink more water? Would the lettuce maybe assist with hydration?
P.S. His vet assistant was also pushing that I replace the tile substrate with reptile carpet or outdoor carpetting, as she said having tile is unsanitary and too cold. I thought tile was one of the best substrates due to how simple it is to clean? The tiles are spot cleaned daily, and I pull the tiles out of his tank and wash them thoroughly and underneath them every week. During the day the tiles on the warm side of his tank measure 84F - 90F. During the night he has a heating pad under his favourite sleeping spot. I'm questioning all of Pancake's care and I'm worried I'm doing it wrong.
My beardie went for his first check up today (slightly delayed, I know, but I finally found a trustworthy reptile vet). It was mainly to deal with an on and off eye watering problem he has been having for a few months. The vet believes it is due to stuck shed, and suggested I try to up his hydration levels and said it should clear up on its own. (He checked for an infection and said there is no inflammation or other signs of infection).
When he checked Pancake's heart rate, he said it sounds irregular which could either be due to heart parasites or low hydration levels. If he had heart parasites would he be as hyper as he typically is? I feel horrible. Since I first adopted Pancake he has been *SO PICKY* with drinking water. He used to have a bathing bowl in his tank, but he would do absolutely nothing except sit in his bowl all day (even when moved to the cooler side of his tank). So, I changed to dripping water on his nose, but unless I give him water immediately after he eats or while he is basking, he will refuse to drink (i.e. swatting me away with his feet or shaking the droplets off his head). Nor will he drink in the bath. The vet suggested putting a smaller sized water bowl in his tank, and soaking him twice a day to make sure he's hydrated. The vet placed him in a tub of water to see if he would drink any, but to no avail. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep his hydration levels up? I looked at the Exo Terra Big Dripper system, has anyone used it before? If I put some fruit juice into his water bowl will that entice him??
Secondly, although Pancake has gained a decent amount of weight from when I first adopted him, he seems to have trouble gaining additional weight. He currently weighs 277g, and is 16" long. The vet suggested upping his feedings to 3 times a day, and gave me herbivore critical care (10mL/day) to see if he is able to gain weight and keep it on. Ideally he said Pancake should weigh an additional 100g. They also said to start feeding him lettuce and dandelions from outside, which I'm now totally confused about since on here (and in the nutrition chart I use) lettuce is typically viewed as having no nutritional value, and the farm field behind my house is sprayed with pesticides so I don't feel comfortable with picking dandelions to feed him at all. :/
In 2 weeks the vet said he will check his stool for parasites, but he first wants to see if his hydration levels and potential weight gain will resolve anything.
I'm sorry if this post is kind of all over the place, I just feel like a terrible owner right now. Pancake is also not happy at all about his vet visit Overall, how can I get him to drink more water? Would the lettuce maybe assist with hydration?
P.S. His vet assistant was also pushing that I replace the tile substrate with reptile carpet or outdoor carpetting, as she said having tile is unsanitary and too cold. I thought tile was one of the best substrates due to how simple it is to clean? The tiles are spot cleaned daily, and I pull the tiles out of his tank and wash them thoroughly and underneath them every week. During the day the tiles on the warm side of his tank measure 84F - 90F. During the night he has a heating pad under his favourite sleeping spot. I'm questioning all of Pancake's care and I'm worried I'm doing it wrong.