Bearded dragon accumulating fluid in abdomen

Haku is white one on the right. When they draw out fluid he is actually very skinny. 345g. Thursday they drew out 60 cc of fluid so he lost 60 g of weight that was all fluid. The vet doesn’t say the beardie in question (white )is overweight.

Oh , 60 grams is a lot . Where did you get Haku, is he a witblit or zero morph ?

I got him from a breeder in California. He is a leather dunner hypo zero. So my vet thinks he is unhealthy because of his genetics ....

That's a possibility. Does Haku drink a lot ? Some people use dandelion and parsley as diuretics but I don't know how or if they are effective.

Do dragons' kidneys mimic humans in that if there is an issue with them people have to have dialysis? That's the first thing I thought of when I read about the fluid, but I know next to nothing about dragons.

He doesn’t really drink a lot. No. Because he is on twice a day diuretic I give him some water if he wants it so he won’t get dehydrated.
His kidneys and liver were normal per labs.

I'm not a beardie vet or a vet at all- but im a registered nurse with a little experience in heart problems for people. Management of heart failure in people typically is ongoing diuretics and fluid restriction, it's a life long balancing act with ups and downs

I'm not sure if its the same in dragons but if it works like it does in people then i can offer maybe a bit of conservative advice: it's not going to necessarily be cured, but it can be managed long term without having to constantly aspirated fluid; it does seem like a possibility that he may have a poor heart due to genetics, possibly a "lazy heart" maybe ?

I dont think you will have to euthanize him if he's thriving otherwise, just try to keep careful limit on fluids and diet. A hopeful outcome can be that he can just be on oral diuretics and stricter diet long term. I would also weigh him a couple times week to keep track of the fluctuations as this could indicate increase of the fluid.

Try to monitor the behaviour, appetite, and weight week to week and see if you can get a good balance ongoing. Keep a diary and perhaps discuss with your vet ongoing over the next few months to see if you can sustain a fair baseline for him just by these patterns and adjustments in his diet/intake

if he has healthy liver and kidneys then he shouldn't have issues with ongoing diuretics for a little while but perhaps with enough time and tweaking he can wean off those too

Thank you cuttlefishh and Karrie and AHBD- you guys are the best for replying.
We will keep trying the meds - cuttlefishh I do keep a journal of his weights. No matter what I feed him or not feed him he always steadily gains fluid weight despite diuretics or enalapril or pimodendan. Used to be on spironolactone but that didn’t do much.

angie9029":8351mqp7 said:

Thank you cuttlefishh and Karrie and AHBD- you guys are the best for replying.
We will keep trying the meds - cuttlefishh I do keep a journal of his weights. No matter what I feed him or not feed him he always steadily gains fluid weight despite diuretics or enalapril or pimodendan. Used to be on spironolactone but that didn’t do much.

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It's extremely challenging because beardies dont really urinate straight fluid the same way we do.. I would keep him on just a few dubias a couple times a week; some insects have more fluid content than others, definitely no fatty insects. For greens keep those at a small amount a day. Try to get him exercise as often as possible to encourage his heart to work through it.

I know its tough because there isn't a lot to work with in seeing whats actually going on in his heart like there is in humans. But id say if his condition Is stable then it's worth trying a conservative approach with meds, he might reach a sustainable baseline as he grows since he's still juvenile

This sounds like good info from Cuttlefish. I wish your sweet Haku the best possible outcome !

Hello,

How is your sweet boy doing?
I agree, there is no reason to put him down unless he is suffering. Genetics do play a huge
role in their overall health I completely agree. The AST
There are a lot of reptiles that have health conditions that need to be managed so he shouldn't
be any different. Keeping him on a sensible diet, with low fat, etc should help immensely.
Bearded dragons lack a loop of henle which is why they process water differently than humans.
They hold water & it reuptakes & then is excreted in solid form.
Dandelion is good for using as a natural diuretic & is safe to be used routinely.
I would try to keep his fat levels down to a minimum as much as you can.
He is a really nice looking dragon though, I'm sorry he is having so much trouble. He has been
tested for Adeno or not?

Keep us posted on him!
Tracie

Thank you Tracie and everyone else. You guys are so supportive and sweet. He certainly has the zest to fight and to live. I will support him for as long as it takes.
Will try to adjust the diet and greens.
Thank you! Will keep you guys posted on his progress.