How........

How does a Beardie contract things like horn worm, pinworm, coccidia, etc, in captivity?
How long do beardies tend to go on with these problems before they either A) have obvious symptoms, B)beat it naturally, C)change their behaviors like eating/sleeping/basking etc... or D) Die?
How can we (or is there a way) to tell what ailment our beardies have WITHOUT a costly trip to the vet?

I'm assuming they can go for a pretty long time, at least that's the impression I'm getting from the vet that I took Stripes to, coupled with the day-late phone call he was supposed to make YESTERDAY... He took some blood work, results being Calcium/Red+White Cells/Uric Acid etc... are all "Normal". With stripes sick however, i would expect a professional to be just that: PROFESSIONAL, and timely with return calls.
Anywho... He told me to call him in a week...so, around next monday... if she doesn't improve.

She's not eating on her own, I have to force-feed her with a syringe with this mix from Ox Bow... She eats it. She seems to even gobble it up, but the force-feeding bugs her, I can tell. After she's done being force-fed, I have to give her water from a separate syringe... and i think because of syringes she turns her head and won't drink right away. She eventually does, but with my work schedule i'm worried I can't give her enough water...

She pooped the first two days after the force-feed eating. Not so much yesterday or today, even after a long bath this evening.

Ok. The paranoia is over... but I'm so worried for my beardie i just want to see her back to herself again- hunting crickets, LUNGING at superworms, and exploring during her visits outside her tank. Any/all help is great

How does a Beardie contract things like horn worm, pinworm, coccidia, etc, in captivity?
How long do beardies tend to go on with these problems before they either A) have obvious symptoms, B)beat it naturally, C)change their behaviors like eating/sleeping/basking etc... or D) Die?
How can we (or is there a way) to tell what ailment our beardies have WITHOUT a costly trip to the vet?

Click to expand...

Hornworms are a feeder not parasite. Pinworms and coccidia can develop from eating contaminated feeders such as crickets. Coccidia can also develop from being stressed. Coccidia and pinworms are normally found in the intestines, but it they show up in a fecal, they have to many. They can lower their own coccidia counts but not pinworms as they have lifecycles. Usually if they have another parasite with coccidia, it's that parasite that is causing the coccidia levels to rise. Clear the body of say "pinworms" and your dragon maybe able to clear the coccidia without the harsh meds.

For me, I have had mine for close to 3 years so all I have to do is look at them to know they are not feeling well. I do my own fecals now. I just call the vet and tell them if I see something.

Are you treating your dragon for parasites? If so, have you used any probiotics? I use Benebac.

Do you still offer him feeders and salad even though you are syringing him? You may be surprised and he eats on his own even though you are syringing him.

I hope Stripes starts to feel better.



My vet always calls back when he has a break, whether it's the same day or next. If it is an emergency, he calls right away.

Update on stripes...

She's starting to show a little more energy now that she's being force-fed through the syringe. I do leave a little turnip greens with her and try to see if she eats. She's not eating on her own, and I think I need (some help) to come up with a plan to get her to self-feed again. I think she's not liking the fact that I'm up at 5:30/6am and i'm not back til around 4/4:30pm... Yet, she's not showing any signs of stress.
I brought a sample to the vet for testing last night, and they called back this morning to tell me that the fecal came back negative for parasites and bacteria, but made no mention of the red "stuff" in her poop. I guess the color is more pink, but i'm not sure if it's blood or if it's just a color that results in digestion between the urates and the feces.
Maybe she's just sympathetically stressed for her owner- I just started (a month) a new job and my routine has been unfortunately altered due to my commute. I always make sure that Stripes eats before I think about making my own lunch (I'm a teacher, and there's food within spit of my school). My other thought is that I'm going to set up a home for her in my office at school- but I haven't checked with my principals yet, so I'm not sure if it'll fly, though it would be nice to have the company for the drive up the Jerz Turnpike...
How do you do your own fecals? I've poked around a few times with a paperclip and a q-tip a couple times (the poop, not her).
I'd assume you have a microscope- where did you get it? How much?
In all honesty, I'd like to learn as much about EVERYTHING about beardies, so I can make few trips to the vet, aside from major emergencies.

No antibiotics yet... no Probiotics or benebac yet... where can i get it? would it help even if she has no parasites/bacteria?

What about some repta-aid? Her tests all came back "normal" so...what next?

How old is your bearded dragon? If he is an adult it might just be slowing down for the winter. There is an article on this site for brumation. I have one that hardly eats and naps all day that is 2-1/2 y/o. My other one is the same age and is pigging out and acting like it is spring time. Some dragons sleep for weeks to months at a time.

I learned to do fecals from a friend. I started with a toy microscope and then last winter ordered a vet microscope on Ebay. I have a great vet that all I have to do is call him if I see something but I haven't had to deal with parasites in quite a long while.

When mine go off food I use a plastic disposable spoon and they will eat off of it. I don't use syringes as getting my male's mouth open when he don't want it open is very hard. And if I do, he bites the tips off the syringe.

Eh, the worst stripes really does is play the ol' turn the head and give the eye... if i move in too quick sometimes she'll give a little hiss to tell me she doesn't want it yet. Hasn't bit the syringe, and will eat and drink from them as long as i don't get it all over her... she's so vain, such a drama queen sometimes...

Maybe it is just a brumation. It has gotten colder here, and though she isn't ALWAYS sleeping, she does just lounge in the same spot... all day. I've made sure to not leave her with any crickets in the tank, just so in her defenseless posture in the corner she doesn't get bit/stressed out. I suppose the best course of action is to let her do her thing, and eat what she will eat until i notice a change (?) She's been gaining weight since she's been on the vet food it seems. I get a week off next week so I'll get to watch and see if she's sleeping during the day or if she's just lounging being lazy.