beastiesmommy
Member
I need some help with a 4 week old rescue that I've taken on. I actually took 3 clutchmates, all of whom were very ill. One died a few hours later, another is doing quite well but is still a little weak, but the third is the one I need help with.
He is very lethargic 90% of the time - laying with his eyes closed. When I got him, he had a large bump at the base of his spine/top of the tail, and his back legs would only twitch...he could not control them. His arms were also twitchy, and his right front hand is completely limp. None of them would eat, and even when I put food on their little noses (baby food: chicken and squash, warmed and with a small amount of calcium and a little Pedialyte) they would lick it up after a moment or so. Using a dosing syringe, I would then slowly give them .04 to .06 mL of the mixture two or three times in 24 hours. They'd be exhausted, but they'd get a 5 or 10 minute soak in warm calcium water before being put back in their viv.
I already have a 5 year old Beardie as well as having had excellent success with other rescues who were then returned to their owners, but I've never dealt with beardies this young or this sick. Their tank is properly set up with new lights and fixtures, and their distance from the lights is fine. Using a temperature gun, I monitor their body temps throughout the day to ensure they're neither too hot nor too cool. I have a large hammock with a towel on it for them under the UVA/UVB and heat light which allows them to move as needed from warmer to cooler. As the day goes by and they become more tired, I will move them as necessary to keep their temp at between 85 and 95.
The healthiest of the 3, Bubba, is doing quite well and is spending more and more time moving around the enclosure, checking things out. He loves his bath, is pooping just fine, and I intend to start giving him finely chopped veg and some very small live feeders tomorrow in addition to his current soft diet.
My real concern is Brownie. He has far better movement in his back legs now, and will push himself along with them. His left hand and arm are fine, and he has use of his right arm to the wrist; he uses his arms as needed to move around and pushes up on his hand/wrist when awake/alert. The bump on his spine has gotten a bit better (not so big), but his tail is completely limp about a quarter inch below the bump. When I got him, he was 2 1/2 inches long from nose to vent and weight 8 grams.
He has a very difficult time pooping. It seems that the muscles needed to do so are weak: he'll get the poop part of the way out and then, exhausted, go rather limp with his eyes closed. I then carefully use a round-edged medical tweezers to grasp the part of the poop that's out and remove it. The bath really helps. During the first five or six hours of the day, he will poop on his own, but as the day wears on, he gets weak and can only get it part way out. Today, he managed to poop or start to poop six small movements.
His belly seems bloated and distended and there are a couple of small lumps - obviously impactions. They seem to be moving down as they had been higher up in his belly yesterday.
He had been being fed 1/4 inch crickets and meal worms before I got him. With me, he's been getting the baby food and veg with Pedialyte and had been having four or five small Phoenix worms a day for the first 3 days. Since then and for the past 2 days, I've held off on any more solids and added 2 drops of olive oil twice a day.
Please...can you guys tell me what I've been doing right and what I've been doing wrong? I am at a loss here. I know it takes time and I know I'm doing my best, but this one's all new to me and I don't want to lose him.
The one that died also had a bad bump at the base of the spine but her legs were completely paralyzed and useless, and she was very lethargic and weak.
I really don't want to lose Brownie like I lost this other little one. Any help or suggestions will be appreciated!
Annie/Beastiesmommy/The Worm Lady
He is very lethargic 90% of the time - laying with his eyes closed. When I got him, he had a large bump at the base of his spine/top of the tail, and his back legs would only twitch...he could not control them. His arms were also twitchy, and his right front hand is completely limp. None of them would eat, and even when I put food on their little noses (baby food: chicken and squash, warmed and with a small amount of calcium and a little Pedialyte) they would lick it up after a moment or so. Using a dosing syringe, I would then slowly give them .04 to .06 mL of the mixture two or three times in 24 hours. They'd be exhausted, but they'd get a 5 or 10 minute soak in warm calcium water before being put back in their viv.
I already have a 5 year old Beardie as well as having had excellent success with other rescues who were then returned to their owners, but I've never dealt with beardies this young or this sick. Their tank is properly set up with new lights and fixtures, and their distance from the lights is fine. Using a temperature gun, I monitor their body temps throughout the day to ensure they're neither too hot nor too cool. I have a large hammock with a towel on it for them under the UVA/UVB and heat light which allows them to move as needed from warmer to cooler. As the day goes by and they become more tired, I will move them as necessary to keep their temp at between 85 and 95.
The healthiest of the 3, Bubba, is doing quite well and is spending more and more time moving around the enclosure, checking things out. He loves his bath, is pooping just fine, and I intend to start giving him finely chopped veg and some very small live feeders tomorrow in addition to his current soft diet.
My real concern is Brownie. He has far better movement in his back legs now, and will push himself along with them. His left hand and arm are fine, and he has use of his right arm to the wrist; he uses his arms as needed to move around and pushes up on his hand/wrist when awake/alert. The bump on his spine has gotten a bit better (not so big), but his tail is completely limp about a quarter inch below the bump. When I got him, he was 2 1/2 inches long from nose to vent and weight 8 grams.
He has a very difficult time pooping. It seems that the muscles needed to do so are weak: he'll get the poop part of the way out and then, exhausted, go rather limp with his eyes closed. I then carefully use a round-edged medical tweezers to grasp the part of the poop that's out and remove it. The bath really helps. During the first five or six hours of the day, he will poop on his own, but as the day wears on, he gets weak and can only get it part way out. Today, he managed to poop or start to poop six small movements.
His belly seems bloated and distended and there are a couple of small lumps - obviously impactions. They seem to be moving down as they had been higher up in his belly yesterday.
He had been being fed 1/4 inch crickets and meal worms before I got him. With me, he's been getting the baby food and veg with Pedialyte and had been having four or five small Phoenix worms a day for the first 3 days. Since then and for the past 2 days, I've held off on any more solids and added 2 drops of olive oil twice a day.
Please...can you guys tell me what I've been doing right and what I've been doing wrong? I am at a loss here. I know it takes time and I know I'm doing my best, but this one's all new to me and I don't want to lose him.
The one that died also had a bad bump at the base of the spine but her legs were completely paralyzed and useless, and she was very lethargic and weak.
I really don't want to lose Brownie like I lost this other little one. Any help or suggestions will be appreciated!
Annie/Beastiesmommy/The Worm Lady
