So sorry to hear about your sick little dragon. I just wanted to ask if you've tried Oxbow critical care for feeding. I had success feeding that to my dragon when she was sick. You can get the vegetarian diet, I got vegetarian and carnivore and mixed the two. There are insectivore powdered diets out there, but I believe they need to be prescribed by a vet. You can also add your calcium powder and/or vitamin powder to the critical care or the veggie slurry you mentioned. I unfortunately don't know how to help with the pneumonia, but getting good nutrition might give him the strength he needs to fight this off. All the best to you and your little guy.
Hello and thanks for your concern. I have tried Oxbow Critical Care, and have used it a lot. I decided to not use it this time though. I bought a Magic Bullet specifically for my dragons. I have another dragon at home, that needs to be supplemented her veggies in slurry format, otherwise she would eat barely any. So for him, I make a new slurry weekly. Whatever veg I use for salad, and my dubias and or supers in the Bullet. This week he is getting, endive, green cabbage, celery tops, carrot, acorn squash with 6 dubia and a pinch of bee pollen blended to perfection. I sprinkle the vitamins (calcium/multi) in when required at feeding. I just though that fresh weekly since I had the resources would be better than packaged, prepared foods. Not that there is anything wrong with critical care at all, and I am not entirely opposed to using it, and will likely use again in the future.
How are things going this evening? I am so sorry that he is having such a hard time right now.
Does he seem to be doing better after discontinuing the tramadol in the mornings?
I do think you are doing absolutely everything you can for him right now! Just continue to do the
nebulizing treatments right now. Hopefully without the use of the tramadol, he will start to feel a
lot better. I feel horrible for him.
Yes, you can use F10, saline water or distilled water, mixed with a medication for nebulizing.
How long has he been on the Ceftz now?
Ok, so I wanted to wait a couple of days before posting to ensure what I was seeing was correct. I may have had a little break through
I discontinued the Tramadol in the morning, and assumed that that was making him lethargic. It really was. The day I took him off he literally leaped into my hands. He has been leaping from my hands to his viv daily now. But he does not move around his viv much preferring to bask, sometimes very vertical. I use the Tramadol in the evening, mostly to help with sleep. I will use this until I notice that the
black beard is gone for good.
He has been on Ceftazadime IM injections since the beginning of December, my other dragon was on Ceft. for a long, long time (2.5 months). I do not want to treat him more than he needs, but even before that horrible vet trip he still had signs of RI, and so I do believe he should definitely be on the Ceft for a while longer. He was also given Metronidazole, on January 2nd, after his horrible vet visit, so he is still on this as well, but he was only given 7 doses of this.
I have as of January 7 increased the F10 sessions to three times a day, 20 minutes per session. He gets a little bothered by being in his chamber (I can actually tell now, more on that later), but I know it is helping him, at the very least it should be loosening that very, thick, mucus so deep in his lungs. I do find that he is lighter in beard color after these treatments. So despite the high humidity it causes for those sessions I am going to continue, and I will cut down the 3 times a day treatments, when I notice a non-vertical stance, and somewhat normal respiration.
Now for the good news, on Monday morning I saw the first sign of a somewhat happy dragon. In the morning his beard was so light, just slightly grey to the outer edges. It did turn black later, but after his F10 treatment, again was lighter, and then again went darker. Fingers crossed, on Tuesday morning, he was light again
, got a little darker in the day, but he was not the jet black that he had been for the last week. Thank goodness. On Tuesday, he was mostly light bearded, some grey, but so much better that before. Today, he was completely normal! A normal dragon this morning...holy miracle! So this is how I know he is little angry at his chamber, as this morning, when I removed him from his treatment, he was light grey...light grey!!! Which toned down when he was in his viv. He does go through spurts now of dark and light. Which is so much better than jet black extending to his chest (at least this is what I tell myself). So we are not out of any woods yet, we are definitely still in a forest, but I am so happy, hopeful, and a little calmer now that I see some normalcy of color. I honestly did not think this was going to happen, and really expected a dying dragon. I hate to say this, but last week I bough him a box just in case. However, I do know that his situation is still critical, and I know that he still needs loads of care. I know that this could still end up bad. But I am going to fight right along with him for as long as he lets me. I will keep you posted.
One question: Does anyone know how these guys get rid of the mucus if they cannot cough? I swab whatever I can from his mouth twice a day, but he will not sit inclined downward, he will not sleep on a downward incline either, so he is not able to drain any mucus from his mouth that way.