Liapera
Member
Hi all,
I know I am new here, but I am a helper in a bearded dragon discord server. The death of one of our member's 4-year old male dragon has prompted me to find a place online I can document these symptoms and his potential gout causes for others. I am not a medical expert, though I have many years experience researching and caring for BDs. Please chime in if you'd like to.
He was in a 40 gallon tank, His basking temps were 105-110F and he had a new reptisun 10 UVB as of a few months prior to death. Weight was around 290-300 grams.
Here are some symptoms he discussed around August 2018 (10 month before death):
-Unusually bad smelling poops
-had multiple issues contracting worm parasites (vet visits and medication cleared each time)
-refused to eat any fresh foods besides blueberries and strawberries (2 blueberries a day for food on average) difficulty getting him to eat feeders as well.
-feeders were mealworms & crickets fed cricket cubes, spag squash, carrots, lettuce
-no access to dubias and BD refused BSFL.
-potentially had been fed vetark critical care formulas in the past.
-seemed to be a runt with some growth stunting and poor appetite. seemed otherwise healthy.
February 2018 (4 month before death):
-user states that once a year, his beardie has a foul smelling poop with "oblong egg shaped" objects in the poop, accompanied by a small amount of blood.
Early June 2019 symptoms (1 month before death):
-first symptom was consistent lethargy
-multiple poops a day
-left leg stops working, resulting in a strange walk/ walking strangely
-pain when certain areas were touched
-persistent darkening of the body
-still pooping regularly
video of strange walking here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mi7t5axlprckn54/VID_20190613_162212.mp4?dl=0
xray from the vet seemed normal:
At this time he was feeding "a 50:50 mix of emeraid carnivore + omnivore"
Late June 2019 symptoms:
-refusing/ vomiting food and only occasionally drinking water, vet recommended "gatorade baths to improve hydration"
-more lethargy. vet gave metacam+tramadol, then later metacam+gabapentin, that apparently made him even more lethargic
-begins to show signs of paralysis, numbness, weakness. doesn't respond to being lifted, etc.
-still mentally there and eye tracking
-still pooping though smaller poops
-permanent black bearding
-dehydration
-sunken eyes
-limb swelling
-walking further diminished to squirming, or refusing to move
-vet finally gets back bloodwork showing symptoms of poor kidney function
After showing these symptoms, his beardie passed away about two days after. The vet called back and told him there were "gout crystals all through his abdomen related to renal disease."
My opinions on what might have happened:
-Possibly had poor kidney function from birth and possibly other problems which made gout and parasites more of an issue than for average BDs.
-Mix of omnivore and carnivore diet possibly had far too much protein for a BD, causing gout.
-Suggestion of baths for hydration actually caused dehydration due to the belief that baths would supplement some hydration, causing less hydration, and put more strain on the kidneys.
My suggestions:
-If you ever see blood in stool, you should always bring to the vet for blood and fecal testing.
-If your beardie is consistently having parasite problems, get a vet to check if another problem is wearing down your beardie's immune system.
-Watch your BD's protein intake. Roaches store uric acid and can become gout risks, and though other insects don't store it as much, it's good to know how to balance diet for BDs and feeders. A good article I found on this: https://dubiaroachdepot.com/guidance/dubia-roaches-dietary-protein
-If you suspect a kidney problem, start on a low protein diet and increase your hydration asap.
I hope this helps and if you have anything to add or discuss please do add it. I really just hoped to archive this somewhere if anyone was looking for more information about gout problems. I think this person did everything they could and he was a caring owner with experience not only with BDs but other reptiles. The later symptoms were just very confusing as it seemed to resemble possibly MBD or impaction.
Thank you to OJ and rest in peace- I hope this information will help other beardies.
I know I am new here, but I am a helper in a bearded dragon discord server. The death of one of our member's 4-year old male dragon has prompted me to find a place online I can document these symptoms and his potential gout causes for others. I am not a medical expert, though I have many years experience researching and caring for BDs. Please chime in if you'd like to.
He was in a 40 gallon tank, His basking temps were 105-110F and he had a new reptisun 10 UVB as of a few months prior to death. Weight was around 290-300 grams.
Here are some symptoms he discussed around August 2018 (10 month before death):
-Unusually bad smelling poops
-had multiple issues contracting worm parasites (vet visits and medication cleared each time)
-refused to eat any fresh foods besides blueberries and strawberries (2 blueberries a day for food on average) difficulty getting him to eat feeders as well.
-feeders were mealworms & crickets fed cricket cubes, spag squash, carrots, lettuce
-no access to dubias and BD refused BSFL.
-potentially had been fed vetark critical care formulas in the past.
-seemed to be a runt with some growth stunting and poor appetite. seemed otherwise healthy.
February 2018 (4 month before death):
-user states that once a year, his beardie has a foul smelling poop with "oblong egg shaped" objects in the poop, accompanied by a small amount of blood.
Early June 2019 symptoms (1 month before death):
-first symptom was consistent lethargy
-multiple poops a day
-left leg stops working, resulting in a strange walk/ walking strangely
-pain when certain areas were touched
-persistent darkening of the body
-still pooping regularly
video of strange walking here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mi7t5axlprckn54/VID_20190613_162212.mp4?dl=0
xray from the vet seemed normal:
At this time he was feeding "a 50:50 mix of emeraid carnivore + omnivore"
Late June 2019 symptoms:
-refusing/ vomiting food and only occasionally drinking water, vet recommended "gatorade baths to improve hydration"
-more lethargy. vet gave metacam+tramadol, then later metacam+gabapentin, that apparently made him even more lethargic
-begins to show signs of paralysis, numbness, weakness. doesn't respond to being lifted, etc.
-still mentally there and eye tracking
-still pooping though smaller poops
-permanent black bearding
-dehydration
-sunken eyes
-limb swelling
-walking further diminished to squirming, or refusing to move
-vet finally gets back bloodwork showing symptoms of poor kidney function
After showing these symptoms, his beardie passed away about two days after. The vet called back and told him there were "gout crystals all through his abdomen related to renal disease."
My opinions on what might have happened:
-Possibly had poor kidney function from birth and possibly other problems which made gout and parasites more of an issue than for average BDs.
-Mix of omnivore and carnivore diet possibly had far too much protein for a BD, causing gout.
-Suggestion of baths for hydration actually caused dehydration due to the belief that baths would supplement some hydration, causing less hydration, and put more strain on the kidneys.
My suggestions:
-If you ever see blood in stool, you should always bring to the vet for blood and fecal testing.
-If your beardie is consistently having parasite problems, get a vet to check if another problem is wearing down your beardie's immune system.
-Watch your BD's protein intake. Roaches store uric acid and can become gout risks, and though other insects don't store it as much, it's good to know how to balance diet for BDs and feeders. A good article I found on this: https://dubiaroachdepot.com/guidance/dubia-roaches-dietary-protein
-If you suspect a kidney problem, start on a low protein diet and increase your hydration asap.
I hope this helps and if you have anything to add or discuss please do add it. I really just hoped to archive this somewhere if anyone was looking for more information about gout problems. I think this person did everything they could and he was a caring owner with experience not only with BDs but other reptiles. The later symptoms were just very confusing as it seemed to resemble possibly MBD or impaction.
Thank you to OJ and rest in peace- I hope this information will help other beardies.