Diagnosed with RI: Recommendations Welcomed to Help Him

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Kait98

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My beardie, Sypress, was taken into the vet on Friday (10/19) for symptoms of a RI. He wasn't eating and kept doing what seemed like hiccups for probably this whole year so far but I didn't think anything of it. Then Thursday night it looked like he was beginning to either seize or was just suffocating and trying to get air. The vet I took him to isn't a specialists but she treated both Sypress and my female beardie, Nina, for parasites a couple years back. She prescribed him a dose of 0.07% of enrofloxacin for 21 days and 20 CC of Hills Urgent Care Diet A/D a week. I'm still waiting on his probiotics to come in so I can start giving him that with his meds. Also, he's been experiencing slight head tremors when he tries to walk. Could this be a sign that I need to give him more calcium and D3? He seems to be trying to breath and he's very alert and is still pooping but is so weak. He seems to making more noises and is still sort of hiccuping as the medicine is hoping trying to help him. I just hope he isn't suffering from pneumonia... I have him sleeping with me at night on a heating pad (I know I probably should just keep him in his tank but he is so affectionate and he seems to really need the attention...) He also seems to being knowing when he's too hot and manages to get off his heat rock (I hope that's a good sign). I'm going to try and mix a 1/2tsp of his Reptivite in some water in an oral syringe and feed it too him later after I feed him.

His setup is a 36x18x18 aquarium with an Arcadia T5 High Output 12% UVB bulb along with a 6.5k daylight bulb. I also just have a regular clear light bulb for his heat lamp and a 100w ceramic heater (though I'm going to get him a 150w for the winter). He's usually anywhere from 12-15 inches away from his UVB and about 10 inches from his heat. His basking rock is usually anywhere from 104-115 degrees F with the air temps being in the low to mid 90s. His cool side is usually in the low 80s (which is why I want to get him a slightly stronger wattage ceramic bulb).

I would love any additional advice that anyone can give to help keep him more comfortable. If he doesn't improve by the end of this week coming up then I'm going to try and schedule him an appointment to see the closest vet I can find that has experience in reptiles (Dr. Edward Bennett at All Pet Animal Hospital).
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Hi there, sorry to hear about how sick Sypress is. It will be harder to treat now that it's chronic so the best thing to do is find a real specialist. Try Dr. Wagner in the Pitt. area ? Here's his info :

http://www.drbobwagner.com/about/

At this point your beardie may need to have throat cultures done to see exactly which med. to prescribe. Possibly even nebulization. But this Doc would be the one to go to.
The CHE will keep your tank the right temp. sat night, and best for Sypress to sleep in the tank. Best wishes !!
 

Kait98

Member
Original Poster
Hi, thanks for the recommendation! :) I took him back to my vet because I was worried the enrofloxacin was making him worse. The doc took x-rays (which didn't show any fluids or anything wrong) she also took blood from him. Both are being sent out to a lab and an expert to run tests and look over the x-rays. In the meantime she put him on a different medication called ceftazidime (which she showed me how to inject into him) that I have to give him every 3 days for the rest of this week and then next week. She injected him while in the office yesterday and by the evening his eyes were finally open and he was actually wanting to eat a small amount of his urgent care food. Today he's doing so much better (still weak from not eating and some weight loss but he's over 600 grams so I'm not worried). He's still alert and looks so much happier (no more black beard)!
 
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