Twixiesmom
Member
Hello everyone,
I really need some advice and reassurance. I have a strong and rather healthy 10 month old bearded dragon by the name of Twix. I owned a few Rankin dragons in the past so I am quite familiar with their needs (heating, husbandry etc.. I'll get into the details of his set up in a bit).
Long story short, Twix has a partial blockage due to a large cricket he ate. I took him to the vet a week ago and she did an xray and prescribed lactulose .15ml per day. The vet sounded confident that he was going to pass it because he is still eating and is pooping and is alert so he isn't fully blocked and is not vomiting or couching or gaping as if he's in pain.
So to backtrack a bit, early February, Twix appetite decreased. I thought he was possibly wanting to brumate plus perhaps feeling hormonal because of his age (he was about 8 1/2 months back then). I took him to one vet after a few weeks, who examined him and said he felt a lump and his solution was to cut him right open and charge me 4K for it. Needless to say, I freaked out. He didn't perform an xray or ultrasound and said it was a waste of money to do so because in the end, the lump would have to come out. So he said monitor for a few weeks and let me know. But yeah he flat out said it was likely a tumor and we had to do surgery ASAP.
Twix started perking up a about two weeks later and I took him to a different vet because he still wasn't eating insects but was eating baby food and pooping but the lump was still there. I described his set up to her ( 38 long tank by 24 high and 24 deep, mat instead of substrate, basking temps around 42 to 43 degrees Celsius and cool side around 27 Celsius, when he wants to take a break of basking, he hangs out in the middle of the tank) she said the set up was good and that she did an xray and saw a partial blockage in his stomach but didn't sound too alarmed. She asked me if he was eating and the poor thing, he looks at food with such ferocious appetite but is not inclined to eat because his belly is full.. but i said yeah he eats out of my hand and i feed him purees and baby food. She prescribed the lactulose which I've been giving him since Saturday but he didn't poop the blockage out yet! He is pooping though but what I've been feeding him which is pumpkin puree (freshly steamed pumpkin that I make for my baby boo), pureed prunes and frozen packed BSFL that I thaw out, rinse and hand feed him.
Anyways, so more background details, Twix wasn't eating for the first two weeks of February, was feeling sleepier, sleeping in longer hours in the morning and wanting to sleep earlier and that lasted up until his first vet visit. So I had some Emercare and was syringe feeding him that. He was eating it and pooping some big ones (that was before the first freak told me to cut him open, Ive been syringe feeding him because he wasn't fully brumating and lost a bit of weight and wasn't his usual bright orange but looking paler so I decided to syringe feed him by dripp8ng on his nose and he'd like it up) I did more research and came across info about baby food on your forum, so I started to feed him baby food ( sweet potato with chicken and peas, he'd eats a good quantity and poops it but still, the lump was present) so that's when I took him to the second vet which was last week.
So here i am now. Sorry for being all over the place but I feel like my brain is scattered. I feel worried everyone...I left a message earlier tonight for the vet to call me back and I plan on asking her what I should do next, if lactulose will eventually soften that cricket(s) and I want to ask her more questions, which I didn't last time such as what can break down chitin, I know it's super hard to digest if even digestible, but if it's indeed a large insect stuck in there (my two other Rankins hated crickets so I fed them BSFL which I was planning to feed Twix once temperature became more favorable to get them shipped, which would be around now... but stupid me fed him crickets that could have been too hard for him to digest and now my baby boo has one stuck in his belly and its not coming out) I also want to know if there are different laxatives or if I should just be patient and it will eventually pass by using lactulose. I am really kicking myself because of this.
I've been giving him daily warm baths, feed him frozen packed BSFL (he eats about 10 or so, he just snaps them out of my hand then stops, he then has some pureed pumpkin or pureed prunes, he's eating ok considering his situation, he's always been drinking lots of water from the dripper daily and still does, he's very alert, his beard is a little blackish, mostly turns blacker after he eats for a little while but then gets less black just a little around the edges, he runs around and is strong, he is not limp nor dragging his legs or walking funny, and when the last vet checked him she told me his lungs and heart both sounded good. She also said he has excellent bone density. But that darn lump is still there and its driving me insane!!
I read on your threads the dangers of enemas so I'm afraid and nervous if laxatives don't work would that or surgery be my last options? I'm thinking, no, it can't be so I am turning to you for some advice. I am waiting for my vet to call back and will let you know what she recommends but based on what I've been reading, a lot of you are seasoned and experienced bearded dragon owners so I'd be comforted to get your input as well based on what you've dealt with. I don't want to put Twix in danger in any shape or form I love him with all of my heart and cannot take the death of another beloved reptile. My two Rankins passed due to old age, I got them at 3 and they lived until they were about 7 (which is apparently long for those little critters) and I got Twix shortly afterwards because I couldn't live with the heartbreak and beardies live longer and are hardier especially when properly taken care of, but now, I made a huge mistake because I thought well he's eating them and he's fine but should have mixed with softer worms like silkies, hornworms etc.. which I have been swearing to do each night as soon as he gets better but my lack of experience caused him a blockage and I'm hurting and worried sick. He went from a big eater who also LOVED his greens (collar, mustard greens, spring mix, sometimes kale and chard, etc..)to barely eating because of this blockage.
My apologies for the long disorganized post but please...any advice to help me and Twix would be appreciated. Let me know if you need more details, he's 16 inches and approx 280 grams so he's not skinny but not where he should be due to this. I did a fecal when he was about 5 months old and he was in the clear. I appreciate your time and help. God bless you.
I really need some advice and reassurance. I have a strong and rather healthy 10 month old bearded dragon by the name of Twix. I owned a few Rankin dragons in the past so I am quite familiar with their needs (heating, husbandry etc.. I'll get into the details of his set up in a bit).
Long story short, Twix has a partial blockage due to a large cricket he ate. I took him to the vet a week ago and she did an xray and prescribed lactulose .15ml per day. The vet sounded confident that he was going to pass it because he is still eating and is pooping and is alert so he isn't fully blocked and is not vomiting or couching or gaping as if he's in pain.
So to backtrack a bit, early February, Twix appetite decreased. I thought he was possibly wanting to brumate plus perhaps feeling hormonal because of his age (he was about 8 1/2 months back then). I took him to one vet after a few weeks, who examined him and said he felt a lump and his solution was to cut him right open and charge me 4K for it. Needless to say, I freaked out. He didn't perform an xray or ultrasound and said it was a waste of money to do so because in the end, the lump would have to come out. So he said monitor for a few weeks and let me know. But yeah he flat out said it was likely a tumor and we had to do surgery ASAP.
Twix started perking up a about two weeks later and I took him to a different vet because he still wasn't eating insects but was eating baby food and pooping but the lump was still there. I described his set up to her ( 38 long tank by 24 high and 24 deep, mat instead of substrate, basking temps around 42 to 43 degrees Celsius and cool side around 27 Celsius, when he wants to take a break of basking, he hangs out in the middle of the tank) she said the set up was good and that she did an xray and saw a partial blockage in his stomach but didn't sound too alarmed. She asked me if he was eating and the poor thing, he looks at food with such ferocious appetite but is not inclined to eat because his belly is full.. but i said yeah he eats out of my hand and i feed him purees and baby food. She prescribed the lactulose which I've been giving him since Saturday but he didn't poop the blockage out yet! He is pooping though but what I've been feeding him which is pumpkin puree (freshly steamed pumpkin that I make for my baby boo), pureed prunes and frozen packed BSFL that I thaw out, rinse and hand feed him.
Anyways, so more background details, Twix wasn't eating for the first two weeks of February, was feeling sleepier, sleeping in longer hours in the morning and wanting to sleep earlier and that lasted up until his first vet visit. So I had some Emercare and was syringe feeding him that. He was eating it and pooping some big ones (that was before the first freak told me to cut him open, Ive been syringe feeding him because he wasn't fully brumating and lost a bit of weight and wasn't his usual bright orange but looking paler so I decided to syringe feed him by dripp8ng on his nose and he'd like it up) I did more research and came across info about baby food on your forum, so I started to feed him baby food ( sweet potato with chicken and peas, he'd eats a good quantity and poops it but still, the lump was present) so that's when I took him to the second vet which was last week.
So here i am now. Sorry for being all over the place but I feel like my brain is scattered. I feel worried everyone...I left a message earlier tonight for the vet to call me back and I plan on asking her what I should do next, if lactulose will eventually soften that cricket(s) and I want to ask her more questions, which I didn't last time such as what can break down chitin, I know it's super hard to digest if even digestible, but if it's indeed a large insect stuck in there (my two other Rankins hated crickets so I fed them BSFL which I was planning to feed Twix once temperature became more favorable to get them shipped, which would be around now... but stupid me fed him crickets that could have been too hard for him to digest and now my baby boo has one stuck in his belly and its not coming out) I also want to know if there are different laxatives or if I should just be patient and it will eventually pass by using lactulose. I am really kicking myself because of this.
I've been giving him daily warm baths, feed him frozen packed BSFL (he eats about 10 or so, he just snaps them out of my hand then stops, he then has some pureed pumpkin or pureed prunes, he's eating ok considering his situation, he's always been drinking lots of water from the dripper daily and still does, he's very alert, his beard is a little blackish, mostly turns blacker after he eats for a little while but then gets less black just a little around the edges, he runs around and is strong, he is not limp nor dragging his legs or walking funny, and when the last vet checked him she told me his lungs and heart both sounded good. She also said he has excellent bone density. But that darn lump is still there and its driving me insane!!
I read on your threads the dangers of enemas so I'm afraid and nervous if laxatives don't work would that or surgery be my last options? I'm thinking, no, it can't be so I am turning to you for some advice. I am waiting for my vet to call back and will let you know what she recommends but based on what I've been reading, a lot of you are seasoned and experienced bearded dragon owners so I'd be comforted to get your input as well based on what you've dealt with. I don't want to put Twix in danger in any shape or form I love him with all of my heart and cannot take the death of another beloved reptile. My two Rankins passed due to old age, I got them at 3 and they lived until they were about 7 (which is apparently long for those little critters) and I got Twix shortly afterwards because I couldn't live with the heartbreak and beardies live longer and are hardier especially when properly taken care of, but now, I made a huge mistake because I thought well he's eating them and he's fine but should have mixed with softer worms like silkies, hornworms etc.. which I have been swearing to do each night as soon as he gets better but my lack of experience caused him a blockage and I'm hurting and worried sick. He went from a big eater who also LOVED his greens (collar, mustard greens, spring mix, sometimes kale and chard, etc..)to barely eating because of this blockage.
My apologies for the long disorganized post but please...any advice to help me and Twix would be appreciated. Let me know if you need more details, he's 16 inches and approx 280 grams so he's not skinny but not where he should be due to this. I did a fecal when he was about 5 months old and he was in the clear. I appreciate your time and help. God bless you.