To euthenize or not?

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kbryant

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Hi guys,
I'm new to this forum and am hoping to get some advice. We adopted a beardie from a rescue group about 5 years ago. He was around 6 or 7 years old, which would make him 11 or 12 now. He's never been a good eater, esp with veggies. In fact, he's only eaten greens once that I know of! We normally feed him roaches, and have bred and raised them for him, but eventually like everything else we feed him, he stopped eating them. We still feed him smaller ones on occasion, but he doesn't eat often. A couple years back, I fed him super worms for several months before I found out that they are more of a "treat" than a staple. He gained weight, and ended up getting infested with parasites. The "exotic" vet I took him to, gave him 5x the amount of fluid he was supposed to have, and basically he almost drowned! It was a stressful time, and I had to give him antibiotic shots for about 2 weeks, and syringe feed him critical care. (which I've also given him other times too, when I can't get him to eat.) He eventually got better, poor guy! Although we've had him for 5 years, I still question whether or not he's in "brumation" because sometimes it's a couple of weeks, and other times it's a month or two at a time. He goes through these phases for several days or weeks at a time where he won't eat or drink, and won't come out of his hide. He's doing it again, and it always stresses me out. He can go several days without eating and normally and won't take food when offered. I take him out at least once a week for a bath, (and hopefully a drink too.) I question whether or not it might just be time to euthenize him.....it's so sad to think of because we've really learned to love our little "Munch" a lot. It's so hard to know if he's suffering since these guys disguise it! During the time he almost died, he turned very pale, and had a really black beard...if he's dying, shouldn't his color look more like that? These decisions are always so hard, but I've only ever had to do this with my dogs and although it's super hard, I can better tell when they are really sick and ready to go. I really need some advice that will give me piece of mind! Thank you!
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Wow not sure on this --- what kind of lighting do you have in the tank? I know you said he is old and it could be just that but I had to ask - usually lighting plays a role in their behavior and eating - its kind of a rule it out thing --
Karrie
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
So the Reptisun UVB is it a tube or coil? Black heat lamp is that a emitter or a colored bulb?
Karrie
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Congratulations on having an older dragon, there are not many of them around.
Usually if they are ill or not feeling well, their coloring will be off, yes. That isn't always the
case but a good determiner of their wellness & how they are feeling.
Do you have any pictures of him along with your tank setup we could see also? Seeing his
physical condition will help us see what type of condition he is, what his fat pads look like, etc.
I usually recommend euthanizing as the last resort unless they are greatly suffering, etc.
We can only suggest help & advice but ultimately you know him the best . He will let you know
when it's his time. It is never ever easy having to even think about these types of things, let alone
act on them.

Tracie
 
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