Black beard

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Drache613

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Hello,

That's great he is done with the antibiotics now! Hopefully he will stop black bearding soon.
I hope the probiotics make it soon, they are in Canada now.
Let us know how he is doing!

Tracie
 

sweetiepie9

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I'm glad to meet another Canadian, anything we buy from the States takes longer because of the border, it seems to crawl through that to get to you, but now that the package is in Canada, will be soon.
 

Drache613

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Hello,

Let us know how he is doing!
I see you received your package so let me know if you have any questions. :D
I hope he is feeling better now.

Tracie
 

jessiepa

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I live in Ontario Canada. I am waiting on the light fixture to arrive so I can mount his UVB inside his viv. I receive bee pollen probiotics. How do I give him the probiotics? He is still not eating on his own and I force feed worms and he will eat if forced. Yesterday we force fed sweet peppers , carrots and his greens along with his bugs. He is not black beard as much now and sometimes will sport his Cheetos beard that I love so much. Him being sick have brought my son and I closer to him. I never thought I could love a lizard as much as I love this little man. He loves exploring but it is so cold here I don't leave him out long. Once his UVB is inside I hope he starts eating on his own again.
 

sweetiepie9

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It's amazing how much we get to love our dragons. Not black bearding is a showing that he's feeling better. As for the probiotic, I give Imp, my youngest, 1 ml per day and it has helped his digestion greatly. He's one that fights being fed bugs and greens, but I persevere. He's almost finished his meds for worms, a month after that I take him and a fecal in for a check up, but because he won't eat on his own (and seems healthy) and is almost 1 1/2 yrs old, I think I'll get blood work and an xray done to see what's going on with his innards.

I'm so glad to hear that he's improving and that caring for him has brought you and your son closer together. It's also nice to have another Canadian on our forum.

Sprinkle the bee pollen on his food, see if that helps him eat it. Bee pollen is such a wonderful substance, it's full of good things, 98 to be exact and helps unhealthy beardies a great deal. I found this on the internet, it explains a bit more:
Vitamins: Provitamin A, B-1 Thiamin, B-2 Riboflavin, B-3 Nancin, B-5, B-6 Pyridoxine, B-12 (cyanocobalamine), Pantothenic acid, Vitamin C, F, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin H, Vitamin K, Vitamin PP, Folic Acid, Choline, Inositol, Rutin.

Minerals: Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Iron, Copper, Iodine, Zinc, Sulfur, Sodium, Chlorine, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Selenium, Boron, Silica, and Titanium.

Other: Amino Acid, Carbohydrates, Fatty Acids, Enzymes & Co-Enzymes, Fats.

Bee Pollen contains at least 22 amino acids, 18 vitamins, 25 minerals, 59 trace elements, 11 enzymes or co-enzymes, 14 fatty acids, 11 carbohydrates and approximately 25 % protein. Bee pollen is extremely rich in carotenes, which are metabolic precursors of vitamin A. It is also high In B complex and vitamins C, D, E and Lecithin. Bee pollen contains over 50 % more protein than beef, yet its fat content is very low. It is also an excellent vegetarian source of protein typically possessing more of the essential amino acids, pound for pound, than animal proteins like meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Daily use of pollen also ensures an intake of the more obscure, yet essential trace minerals that may be lacking from commercially grown produce and are often not included in vitamin mineral supplements. Most of us are unaware that the nutrients supplied by cooked fruits, vegetables and meats are not considered fresh because their enzymes have been exposed to high heat. Even taking a multivitamin can't offer the superior nutrient array of raw and fresh food.

Hope that helps! It was interesting to read.
 

jessiepa

Member
Original Poster
How go I give him probiotics? Do I give him pure? My dragon is 1lb and a half 22 inches long. How much do I give him. Thank you for your help
 

Drache613

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Hello,

That's great you started using the bee pollen now, it is very helpful for them.
Just use a small pinch in with any supplemental food you may be giving him, or you can mix it with water as well. Using a syringe is usually pretty easy to feed them that way, too.
How is he doing?

Tracie
 

jessiepa

Member
Original Poster
He is not losing anymore weight. Still not eating on his own. We still have to force feed him his food. Will be starting his probiotics today. Where would I buy a scale to weigh him? What do I look for when buying one?
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Jess, when this all started how long was he impacted before you got treatment and how many enemas did he have, I think you mentioned several ? Those could do a number on him + added stress could knock his appetite out. At 22 " and almost 700 grams he's really very large, so losing 20-30 grams is not anything to worry about. A large dragon can be 20 grams lighter after a poo. I'd cut the baths down to once a week if he doesn't like them [ they don't do anything for him unless he drinks ] and force feeding to no more than every other day. If he's that big and active he will start eating again when he gets hungry, just like he ate the hornworms a couple weeks ago.

But this may all have started or been made worse by multiple enemas that upset his system. A large dragon can go without a poo for 3 weeks at a time and only need natural laxatives.....I don't know if that might have been the case here, maybe he needed one but multiple enemas will cause G.I upset and lots of stress so he could have stopped eating because of that but should start on his own again in time. :)
 

sweetiepie9

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Retired Moderator
The bee pollen will help a great deal and I agree with AHBD about the enemas. Now he can just relax from all that and get into a better routine. The probiotics will help a great deal and should be given daily, on their own, in the morning before he eats. It's a great probiotic, I give it to my youngest Imp and it's helped his digestion a great deal. As for baths, I've never believed in one a week, 3 a week would be better as he will soak in water through his skin. Eating every 2nd day will give him digestive system a break, too, he needs to heal. He'll eat on his own eventually, too.

You've done a great job with him, getting rid of that impaction has helped alot, but he needs time to just be himself. Snuggles as much as possible with help him, too. I've found that Gabriel always feels better with a snuggle at the end of the day. He's got an aneurysm that can't be fixed but he's still with me, gets his Serrepeptase every day and that helps, too.

Let me know how it goes with the probiotic and adding bee pollen to his slurries. You might find he'll feel better much faster than without them.
 

jessiepa

Member
Original Poster
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I have put his UVB inside. Is that ok? Vet said he is too small. He lost too much weight he I'd 630gr now maybe less cause I haven't weight him. He use to be much bigger. He started to eat less in November and by Christmas he stopped eating completely. She gave him 2 or 3 enemas altogether. In a week span. He was always a good eater. Ate anything I gave him. He wasn't fussy. I will feed every two days and see if that works. Just noticed his calcium is more than a year past it's expiration date. I must've bought it expired cause I bought it 9 months ago.
 

sweetiepie9

BD.org Sicko
Retired Moderator
Oh dear, I've taught myself to always check expiry dates. Because he's lost so much weight, I'd feed him every day, he needs the nutrition. And having the UVB inside the tank is the best thing for your boy. You might find he has a better appetite soon, plus more energy.
 

jessiepa

Member
Original Poster
He has dropped some more weight. Not happy with that. Like I said earlier The vet still think he might have some more impaction left or he thinks he is still impacted and won't eat. My sons friend's dragon is doing the same as my Freddie. Yes I hope by putting his UVB might help. I might have to bring him for blood work and X rays if this keeps up. It will cost a lot and would like to avoid it but I might not have a choice
 

sweetiepie9

BD.org Sicko
Retired Moderator
I have 5 dragons, 1 female and 4 males and I have to feed most of them. Cierra will eat if I offer her the bowl, but otherwise it's hand feeding for the whole crew. Imp, my youngest, at 1 1/2 yrs old, fights me for every single bug and piece of green, but I persevere. He's going to the vet in April, he had parasites and not sure if they're gone, plus want to see if there's an issue with his digestive tract. Mind you, he eats the bug once forced into his mouth, the others just open their mouths for their bugs, but they won't eat out of dishes anymore. So it's not that unusual. When you do get food into him, does he poop? Then he probably doesn't have any impaction anymore. As I said, I recommend you hand feed him daily, even if it's a slurry. I sure feel that he got all the impaction out, as he would be straining when he poops. Is he doing that? It's not uncommon for dragons to lose their appetite during the winter months, either. Castiel, my 2 yr old, used to eat fine out of his dishes, then he brumated for 3 mo and now he has to be hand fed. So I just go with the flow and feed them all before I go to work every 2nd day. Imp I try to get something in him every day. I still don't get why he fights eating...sigh...
 
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