First post— long-time lurker.
We have had several beardies, but we are having trouble with our 7 year-old alpha male, Kevin.
Set up: slate floor 3.5 foot tank, plus supervised roaming time. Grew up with a reptisun 10 18” bulb and ceramic heat bulb. Currently he has a high quality mercury bulb for uvb/heat. Boulders for 6” uvb/basking access and a hide.
Diet: BSl, earthworms and superworms once he was big enough- crickets gave him the poops- beardy healthy greens and veg. Temps range from 85-95 hot side 80-75 cool side. We are in Southern California, so I rarely need night heating. Dust his food w/ repti-cal daily, multivitamin once a week.
He’s always been super active, hilarious and dominant. Symptoms started with dragging/limping one leg. I thought it was maybe an injured leg, but he seemed otherwise just fine. It turned pretty quickly and he started having stiff joints and a lot of trouble getting around. He could no longer hunt, so I hand feed everything, plus water. His appetite is still very good. No signs of pain.
I took him to the vet. She ran a blood panel and stool check. She said he was basically healthy: no parasites, super hydrated, healthy weight, uric avid normal, calcium a little high, all organ function good, but his white blood cell count was a little high. She suggested he might absorb liquid calcium better and that we might try an antibiotic and a pain reliever to see if he improved. I gave him probiotics after his treatment. He seemed to improve for a while, but I wasn’t sure if it was the spring that made him more active. I switched to calci-blast and give serrapeptase every day because they seem to make him feel better.
Now he seems to be worse, I’m taking him to the vet next week, but he is periodically gaping without respiratory distress, it looks like he barfed a little water this morning and his belly is bloated. He almost always poops in his bath, but not for a day or so. He has some stress marks on his belly today. I’ve also noticed that he started liking cooler temps about 2 months ago. He seems to get hot really easily. He doesn’t like to be touched at the base of his tail, but again, no black beard or real sign of pain, but it’s hard to tell. He definitely doesn’t feel great, he’s hunching and grumpy. Is it his kidneys maybe?
Does anyone have any insight? I’ve searched the forums for a similar set of symptoms that are not gout or MBD. He’s able to move his limbs but his muscles are super weak and he’s very stiff. I love him very much, too much to keep him in pain just so I don’t have to lose him. I’m fine with hand-feeding etc. if he won’t get better, but I would love to see him his old self or at least less miserable. Thanks for all of your posts over the years!
We have had several beardies, but we are having trouble with our 7 year-old alpha male, Kevin.
Set up: slate floor 3.5 foot tank, plus supervised roaming time. Grew up with a reptisun 10 18” bulb and ceramic heat bulb. Currently he has a high quality mercury bulb for uvb/heat. Boulders for 6” uvb/basking access and a hide.
Diet: BSl, earthworms and superworms once he was big enough- crickets gave him the poops- beardy healthy greens and veg. Temps range from 85-95 hot side 80-75 cool side. We are in Southern California, so I rarely need night heating. Dust his food w/ repti-cal daily, multivitamin once a week.
He’s always been super active, hilarious and dominant. Symptoms started with dragging/limping one leg. I thought it was maybe an injured leg, but he seemed otherwise just fine. It turned pretty quickly and he started having stiff joints and a lot of trouble getting around. He could no longer hunt, so I hand feed everything, plus water. His appetite is still very good. No signs of pain.
I took him to the vet. She ran a blood panel and stool check. She said he was basically healthy: no parasites, super hydrated, healthy weight, uric avid normal, calcium a little high, all organ function good, but his white blood cell count was a little high. She suggested he might absorb liquid calcium better and that we might try an antibiotic and a pain reliever to see if he improved. I gave him probiotics after his treatment. He seemed to improve for a while, but I wasn’t sure if it was the spring that made him more active. I switched to calci-blast and give serrapeptase every day because they seem to make him feel better.
Now he seems to be worse, I’m taking him to the vet next week, but he is periodically gaping without respiratory distress, it looks like he barfed a little water this morning and his belly is bloated. He almost always poops in his bath, but not for a day or so. He has some stress marks on his belly today. I’ve also noticed that he started liking cooler temps about 2 months ago. He seems to get hot really easily. He doesn’t like to be touched at the base of his tail, but again, no black beard or real sign of pain, but it’s hard to tell. He definitely doesn’t feel great, he’s hunching and grumpy. Is it his kidneys maybe?
Does anyone have any insight? I’ve searched the forums for a similar set of symptoms that are not gout or MBD. He’s able to move his limbs but his muscles are super weak and he’s very stiff. I love him very much, too much to keep him in pain just so I don’t have to lose him. I’m fine with hand-feeding etc. if he won’t get better, but I would love to see him his old self or at least less miserable. Thanks for all of your posts over the years!