Beardie w/Coccidia needs help

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Spikeyboo

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My SpikeyBoo has coccidia. She’s on third day of antibiotics along with 15 min baths daily, using dropper to put water in her mouth and putting droplets of water down her back, and giving her pure purée chicken dog food from the vet and using a syringe to feed her. I just added pure pumpkin purée last night. I change her area daily to prevent contamination. Furthermore No signs of improvement. She had water diarrhea yesterday just once. Wondering if anyone has been through this before and your berdie recovered? She’s 6 yrs old. Wondering if it’s best to euthanize her, I don’t want her suffering. She’s basically motionless with an occasional open and close of the mouth, moves her head left to right and puffs her beard a little bit. Her poop had some form to it today but still mushy like, at least it’s not water like yesterday.

Unfortunately last week when I got home I saw that she pooped in her water bowl, something she’s never done and a week later here we are. She must have drank her water after she pooped in it.

If it’s her time I’m ok with it, I just don’t want to prolong her life if she’s suffering and if death is inevitable. If you can share your experience I’d appreciate it.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Sorry your girl has coccidia, that can definitely be stressful them.
Which antibiotic or medication is she on, & what is the strength of the solution & her dose?
I can doube check that for you if you need.
Did she start to become worse after starting the antibiotics? I hope that they haven't over
dosed her. For now, I would recommend taking her water bowl out of her tank since she is
not feeling optimal. Are you keeping her warm at night, to help boost her immune system?
I would also consider giving probiotics too for help with her digestion.

Let us know how she is doing.
Tracie
 

Spikeyboo

Member
Original Poster
She’s taking albon 50mg. I asked the vet to recommend a probiotic for her unless you can recommend one.
I give her water w/a dropper only. Or she drinks when I put her in water. She’s basically motionless. Since antibiotics she hasn’t moved other than her mouth opening and closing. She’s had 4 doses so far.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

You can find some non dairy acidophiliz or organic non dairy soy yogurt for a probiotic for
her.
Was she this lethargic before the Albon? What is her dose & her body weight?The medication
might be too harsh on her, especially if she has any renal issues that were not addressed before medicating her. Albon is very dehydrating.
Are you able to get a food slurry into her? Try getting some chicken or turkey baby food along with
sweet potato or squash baby food mixed & get that into her. You can drop food onto her nose to
try & get her to lick that off of her nose.

Let us know how she is doing.
Tracie
 

Spikeyboo

Member
Original Poster
She was lethargic 2 days before the Albon 50mg. She's already super dehydrated so why would vet give me something that's going to add to the problem? She's suppose to be on this med for 21 days, that's if she makes it that far. I blended water and romaine lettuce for fluids trying to give her 10ml/day. I also been giving her chicken puree and pumpkin puree. She wont eat or drink on her own yet. On day 6 of meds. When I bathe her she does drink but its not that much in my opinion. She can't move at all only her head so I'm basically keeping her alive. The vet said the chicken and pumpkin is not good for long term, of which I get but if she can't eat on her own what am I suppose to do? What is the usual recovery time frame for this?
Vet said to try Oxbow critical care so I ordered that won't be here til next week.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

How is your girl doing? Personally, I think 21 days for keeping her on Albon is too long.
Perhaps you should take her off of it for a few days to determine how she is doing & to help
bring her appetite back.
The chicken, or turkey baby food, mixed with squash baby food, is fine short term. The critical
care is good, so once you do receive that, you can also mix the baby food in with that as well
for better palatability.

Let us know how she is doing.
Tracie
 

Spikeyboo

Member
Original Poster
No change in her so far. Vet said Coccidia levels were super high, she still has some orange in her poop which tells me the coccidia is still there and it’s mushy. Doesn’t seem right to take her off the med if she still has the parasite. This med is suppose to get rid of the parasite.
 

SPandS

Juvie Member
Is the vet a reptile vet? I find it odd they told you to feed dog food and 21 days of a harsh medication seems like a long time. It's obviously up to you but if the medicine is making her feel sicker it would make sense to stop it and see if she starts feeling better and maybe try a different less harsh medicine. Also is there a reason you are giving her a bath everyday? If she isn't feeling good I would try and limit anything that may be making her more stressed.
 

Spikeyboo

Member
Original Poster
The vet does treat beardies. He recommended the baths. They don’t seem to stress her out I make sure the water is warm and she’s in the sun the whole time. It’s the only time she drinks on her own also. I thought it helped w/her dehydration but it really doesn’t, I’ve read. I’m not sure if the meds are contributing to her lethargy because she was doing this before the meds and that is the reason I took her in she stopped eating, drinking, and moving. I’ve read the med would make her loose her appetite so that’s not good and doesn’t make sense because I need her to eat on her own. I also need to kill the coccidia. It’s all so confusing. You try to make the right choices but when one thing contradicts the other it’s very frustrating.
I suppose I can ask for a different med tomorrow.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

How is your girl doing this evening?
We just suggested taking a break from the meds, in the case she might be getting overdosed
perhaps. If her levels are high, you certainly need to get the levels lowered but the Albon is so
hard on their system.
Be sure to try & keep her as hydrated as possible & consider giving a probiotic as well to help
balance out the system.

Keep us posted on her.
Tracie
 

Spikeyboo

Member
Original Poster
Thank you for your concern. The only change she has has is: no more diarrhea, but still some brownish/orange color in it and yesterday the white was larger than the green. Second her overall color looks better. I also noticed a couple orange dots appeared on her that she didn’t have before and some orange color around her eyes that she never had before. As far as physically, no change. She does not move at all and does not eat or drink on her own. Her eyes are closed all day or she squints a little bit, other than when I feed her she opens them for a few. They are sunken in. The only thing she moves is her head. She does this weird thing where she sticks her tongue out occasional and swallows and her beard puffs slightly. She does this throughout the day. Would you might know what this means? Luckily when she does this it helps me feed her so when she opens her mouth I squirt water or food in her with a syringe. I don’t think she likes it very much because she shakes her head left and right after I squirt her. Additionally I skipped a bath on Wed and she didn’t poop Wed. Yesterday I put her in the bath and she pooped so that concerns me also that if I’m not giving her the baths she wouldn’t be pooping on her own. I’m not sure how much they are suppose to poop. But she has been pooping daily for a week straight in the bath other than Wed. I received the oxbow and gave her the first dose last night. So I stopped the dog food and will just give her this 4x/day. The vet said this should help her appetite. I don’t know I thought I’d see a little movement from her by now but it’s almost like she’s paralyzed. We have feeder tongs we use to feed her with and every time she saw these she would get excited because she knew it was feeding time. Her eyes aren’t even open to see these now but I click them so she can hear them and I get no response. It’s been a week yesterday that we went to the vet and started meds.
Please remind me of that medicine that’s less harsh and what kind of probiotic. Someone said yogurt, I think I’d rather give her something that’s designed for beardies, what do you think? Thanku
 
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