I think my bearded dragon Lucien had a stroke. I took him to the vet today, after watching him gradually decline for the past week. They agreed with my assessment and told me his prognosis was "poor" and that he was "close to dying." The inside of his mouth is very pale, practically white. He's limp and completely uninterested in anything. In fact, he just lays there and keeps his eyes closed. At the vet, they force-fed him some gravy-like stuff, and he had to be coaxed to swallow it. They seemed to favor euthanasia as an option, but at my reluctance to do so, they offered a treatment: 1 injection of antibiotic in the arm, every day for 10 days, 1 injection of another medicine in the arm every 3 days for 3 doses, and force feedings of 3 mL of the gravy stuff every day. They said he has, "at best, a 20% chance of improving with treatment."
He's lost weight, has "muscle wasting," isn't eating or drinking, barely ever passes stool, his mouth is pale, he's limp, and his heart beats, according to the vet, "sound mushy."
I asked if Lucien was suffering or in pain. The doctor states that she doesn't think he's in pain or suffering, but that "he certainly doesn't feel well." That's evident. I've never seen him like this.
My question is this: I've seen Lucien bounce back from severe illness before. Last year, he had a heart murmur, and after 10 days of antibiotic injections, he was eating again and back to his old self. He's 8 years and 3 months old, now, though. Bearded dragons only live typically 8-10 years, so...do I just need to accept the inevitable, or should I poke him with needles and force food down his throat every day on that 20% chance that he'll snap out of this?
I just don't want his last days to be yucky because I couldn't accept that it's time. On the other side of the coin, I don't want to "give up" on him....
The vet tech said, "Most of the beardies we see here only live to about 4 years old, so you're way beyond that, at least." But I was still hoping to get Lucien to that top end of the range, that magic #10.
Has anyone been through something like this with an older beardie? I need help! And fast! The vet is expecting me to call them tomorrow morning with my decision: treatment on 20% chance he'll improve or euthanasia before he starts to suffer?
He's lost weight, has "muscle wasting," isn't eating or drinking, barely ever passes stool, his mouth is pale, he's limp, and his heart beats, according to the vet, "sound mushy."
I asked if Lucien was suffering or in pain. The doctor states that she doesn't think he's in pain or suffering, but that "he certainly doesn't feel well." That's evident. I've never seen him like this.
My question is this: I've seen Lucien bounce back from severe illness before. Last year, he had a heart murmur, and after 10 days of antibiotic injections, he was eating again and back to his old self. He's 8 years and 3 months old, now, though. Bearded dragons only live typically 8-10 years, so...do I just need to accept the inevitable, or should I poke him with needles and force food down his throat every day on that 20% chance that he'll snap out of this?
I just don't want his last days to be yucky because I couldn't accept that it's time. On the other side of the coin, I don't want to "give up" on him....
The vet tech said, "Most of the beardies we see here only live to about 4 years old, so you're way beyond that, at least." But I was still hoping to get Lucien to that top end of the range, that magic #10.
Has anyone been through something like this with an older beardie? I need help! And fast! The vet is expecting me to call them tomorrow morning with my decision: treatment on 20% chance he'll improve or euthanasia before he starts to suffer?