Atadenovirus Positive :( -

I just got the results from the fecal swab testing and my boy Konner is positive for Atadenovirus.

I have been paranoid about him since day one as he was my first beardie. He has been kind of sickly at times and sleeps/rests a lot. Recently he has been more alert and he takes an interest in the things going on outside of the Viv. I am still getting him used to be handled without being skittish.

I posted a question before about the setup for my new beardie Kaden, but now I am worried because Kaden could be positive also. I got Kaden from a breeder not a pet store. They have not been allowed to come in contact with each other, but I think I have accidentally done things that may have put Kaden at risk. I used the water bowl that I used for Konner when I got Kaden ( I cleaned it with bleach thoroughly), I also have potentially cross contaminated them by using the feeding tongs for both of them. I would wipe them off with hand sanitizer before use. My hands and arms are dried out from all of the washing and hand sanitizer I use each time I even walk by their cages! I realize now that that was probably a huge mistake.

I will be so upset if Kaden is positive from something I have done. I will never know if it was me or where I got him from now if he does test positive. I know that I have done all I can do to keep quarantine but I worry about those little things I didn't take into account. I know that he did not have worms or parasites because he was delivered to me by mail the same day I had a Vet appointment with Konner so I took him also. He got a clean bill of health!!

I am going crazy waiting for the results to come back tomorrow. I have to thank the people on this board for all of the good information and advice. Especially Tracie because I looked at your website and information and went to the lab in Texas to have their samples tested.
My vet didn't know I had that fecal test done until I told her tonight the results. She had a blood test submitted for Konner that we are waiting to hear back about.

If Kaden is Negative I don't know what I will do. I know that sounds crazy, I want him to be negative but It is a big responsibility to have a positive baby and a negative one and I know I will be hyperparanoid about infecting Kaden.

I could use some advice right about now! It really hit home when the vet asked me what I want to do now about Konner . I have bought most everything I have read about that I would need to take care of him. I just don't know how much of what I have to use or how often.
I don't know if there is a character limit for these posts so I'll post about my set up and supplies for Konner in a separate post right after this.

Jacqui

Konner's Stuff. Here's what I have just tell me what I need to do to address his health proactively.

Vivarium Set-up
20L glass tank. Slide out mesh top.
Full length Reptisun 10.0 UVB tube light laid on top of the mesh. (He is able to get up to 4 inches from the light and will spend a lot of time there laying on his hammock.)
60 watt Ceramic heater.
150 watt Repti Basking Spot light (ZooMed) – He is able to get up to 5 inches close to this heat source.
110-115 degrees on the hot side with 80-85 on the cooler side during the day. The humidity is very low around 10% (The ceramic heated stays on and has the Viv 90-95 degrees on the warm side and 70-80 degrees on the cooler side.) This is measured by a digital infrared thermometer. Also there are dial temperature and humidity gages on the hot side and cool side.
The lights are on a timer and go on at 9am and off at 10pm.
The setup has a substrate of Reptile carpet or paper towels there is a shallow water dish that stays in the Viv at all times.

He was bought from Petsmart 12/14/13 and they did not know his hatch date. My vet is putting his hatch date around 10/1/13. He is about 9 inches and weighs 20 grams as of 3/19/14 at the last vet visit.
Because he was not eating well previously (we thought he had Atadenovirus but he hadn’t been tested at that time. Another vet surmised it from the symptoms he was having, diarrhea, not eating, lethargic, etc. He had not always been that way when I first got him from the Pet store he was very active. I had him a few weeks and he started to go downhill.)
The supplements I bought when I bought him:
Rep-Cal Herpivite with Beta Carotene
Flukers Calcium with D3

The current Vet gave me these supplements for him:
Mazuri Reptile/Amphibian gel (its powdered it can go on greens or in the syringe mixed with the Oxbow)
Oxbow Carnivore Care (powdered to mix with water and feed by syringe) .3ml daily
Liquid Calcium Glubionate (NeoCalglucon) .01 ml daily

Food he has been presented and sometimes eats (we’re still trying new things):
Dandelion, Mustard, Collard greens. Some peas, Endive, small amounts of Carrot, Butternut squash
Strawberries, some mango, blueberries, apples.

Insects he has been presented and eats:
Crickets (no more), Mealworms (no more), Waxworms (rarely and only when he wouldn’t eat anything), Butterworms, Hornworms, Phoenix worms, Dubia Roaches.

In reading what has been written about supplemental needs for ADV pos Beardies, I have Colloidal Silver (MesoSilver 30ppm), Manuka Honey 16+, Milk Thistle (175mg - 80% Silymarin and 150mg Blessed Thistle), Reptaid, Serrapeptase (40,000 units), and Bee Pollen.

He appears dehydrated sometimes, and I have been forgetting to bathe him, but I do spray him several times a day and get him to drink from a syringe at times. He has been having a good poop on his own everyday. When he would get too dehydrated in the past I would do the bath with water and Pedyalite. Or give him a syringe with some water and pedyalite. He has only shed once since Ive had him. I was so happy when he finally did. It was a couple of weeks ago and he felt much better afterwards. When he gets bathed I do it every other day.

I just want to know what I can do with what I have to make sure I am on top of his medical needs. I am really scared especially of him getting hepatitis.

Thanks

So I have the news Kaden tested negative. Now I have to figure out how to raise a negative baby and a positive Juvenile.
Has anyone got this combination as pets, not as a breeder. How to you deal with the issue of handling them - I know that I have to sanitize everything but can they get the virus from my clothes? If I have one sitting on my arm or touching my clothes do I have to change clothes in between handling them? Or am I making too big a deal out of this??

Hello Jaqui,

I am sorry you have an Adeno positive dragon. How is he doing?
What supplements are you giving him? If you need help with any supplemental schedule let me know.

Be careful with handling & always wash your hands before & after. How do you clean out the tank?


Tracie

Thanks Tracie,
I am confused now. I used the lab RAL for the first testing but when I got the testing back from my Vet she said he was negative. She sent the blood work out to University of Maryland. they did EM and PCR testing. I am now sending his blood work out to University of Florida. My baby is too small to get blood from so I am going to resend a fecal sample to RAL to have another test done. I am very confused. I am still keeping everything separate and doing like you said washing and washing between each handling.

I'm not sure what to think. The testing my vet initially did was $60 now the testing at Florida will be $200.
We shall see.

Right now there is this cleaner I have which is called SuperScrub by Fluckers but since he may be positive I am going to switch to a bleach solution. What is the best thing to kill the ADV?

Oh and I switched to the Reptisun bulbs I didn't want to take a chance.

Hello Jaqui,

That is confusing!
Please review again for me. When did you initially test & with whom, the lab in Dallas, correct & he was positive?
Then, your vet tested where & he was negative?
If he is less than 100 grams, then he is too small for a blood draw as they can't get enough volume for a blood test.
A diluted bleach solution will kill the adeno & steaming will kill it also, when steamed at a high enough temperature.
For now, just continue with keeping everything clean in between handling, etc. I am sorry you are having so much trouble right now.
How are your dragons doing now?

Tracie