Acting lethargic and not eating

[duke11]

Hi everyone,
Duke is normally a very active boy, and he's almost 2 years old. Recently, he's just been laying down in the same space under his hammock all day. He sleeps more too. I try to move him but he always ends up moving back. Also, he hasn't been eating as much. The only thing I've gotten him to eat within the last week is squash baby food. I ordered butterworms for him and he won't even touch them. I hand feed him and normally he would be so happy to eat worms but now he just sits there and stuffs himself with baby food. I am getting very worried for him. He has minor pinworms too, but the vet said it wasn't serious at all and he just finished his last syringe of Panacur. I really need some advice here, this has never happened before and he is getting skinnier than he should be.

Thanks very much!!! I am so worried!

Erin

 

[SARBEAR]

Sounds to me like your guy is brumating!
You can read more about that here
http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/brumation/
Good luck!!

 

[duke11]

Thank you so much!!!

Should I keep feeding him the baby food? It's been 2 weeks and no worms but he will still eat the squash baby food. Also, will the parasites affect the brumation? I'm going to schedule a vet appointment to check for his pinworms after the Panacur but for now, I'm not sure if he's going to be ok. Thanks a lot for the help.

Erin

 

[Judah'sHuman]

If he is trying to Brumate it is important to make sure before he goes down that he is free and clear of parasites. I hope he checks out ok.
You also dont want to let them go down with food in their belly. Offer food in a bowl but if he doesnt get up to eat it and just wants to sleep leave him be. He will eat if he is ready, and again you don't want him to sleep with food in his beely as it will rote. If he is eatting and pooping then it is ok to feed him.

How long has it been since you changed your bulb and what type is it?

 

[duke11]

My bulb is 5 months old. I just ordered a new one. It's the Reptisun 10.0. I will schedule a vet appointment to check for parasites and I'll probably not feed him as much.

 

[Judah'sHuman]

Ok well thats good on the lighting. If he wants to eat I would let him, Usually if they are wanting to brumate they will refuse to eat, but you dont want to keep food from him if he wants to eat. The most important part is to just make sure they dont go fully into a sleep with food in their belly. However, if he has pin worms that and the medicine for it will make him lethargic, it is very tough on them. Sorry I had sorta missed that he was being treated for pin worms. I think this is prolly really what is going on rather than simply brumation. I would go ahead and get a new fecal and see where you are at with the pin worm count, so its good you made the appointment. Also, if they give you a new dose of meds PM Drache613 and let her know of the doses perscribed and such, she is a vet and can help you out. Often vets can overdose dragons if they are not all that framilar with reptiles.

I highly recomend you pick up some Acidophiliz + you can get this at many reptile supply places on line Beautiful dragons.com has it. or you can go to pretty much any health food store and buy human Probiotics. These come in capsules in which you can places about 1/2" of the capsule in with the BB food. Probiotics boosts thier imune systems and helps get good flora back into thier gut. This is very important when they have parasites and have been taking any types of anti biotics. It is fairly inexpensive for the Acidophiliz + I think like $6-$9. I think if you get his immune system back up you will see a whole new dragon.

 

[duke11]

Thanks, I'll have to order some of that stuff. Duke was on 3 syringes (.1 mL) of Panacur, which should be fine. I think we're going to take a fecal this weekend, but I'll have to ask my dad. From my experience, the doses my vet prescribed me are very small so I think Duke isn't being overdosed.

I checked on Duke today and he was napping. He is getting very skinny and he still refuses to eat so right now I'm just keeping him hydrated with water from his dropper. Is there anything I can do to help him? I got him for my 11th birthday and I love the little guy so much. I want to do anything I can for him. Thanks.

Erin

 

[Judah'sHuman]

You can also give him a little bit of watered down pedialyte in a baby medicine dropper (it works good for the bb food also) Keep trying the Babyfood also. try some bb food chicken or turkey mixed with a bbfood squash or peas etc. Have you been giving him a bath him every few days? Some of the meds will dehydrate them, so a short soak everyday will be good. After you give him a bath (before bedtime would be good) wrap him up in a wash cloth and if you have a heating pad put it on low-medium and put it on your chest and alow him to fall asleep on you. Sometimes warmth and comfort can help the lil guys also. the acidophiliz + will really help too. You can also try plain soy yogurt if he will eat it untill you get the acidophiliz. It has to be soy no dairy

It sounds like he really has a nasty parasite if he is still lossing weight. Since he has had pin worms he could have gotten coccidia, which he can heal from both it just takes a while and lots and lots of cleaning. A fecal should be done ASAP, so I hope you can get him in this weekend. poor lil guy. I now its hard hang in there.

 

[duke11]

I hope the pinworms aren't serious. The vet says that they're no big deal but he's getting really skinny. I don't think that that's the med's fault because he refuses to eat any solid foods. I've been feeding him water, squash baby food, and fruit mush through his medicine dropper. Fruit mush is my apple sauce I make him with blueberries in it. Sugar free, of course. I've been giving him lots of water every day from baths and from his favorite dropper (he will drink anything from that thing!). I don't have a heat pad because mine gets so hot that it burns him but he will still bask. I put him under his light and he's fine. I am going to order some stuff to help him right now. I hope he pulls through! He's always been my tough little trooper. I love him to death. Thanks for all the help, Duke and I really appreciate it.

Erin

 

[Judah'sHuman]

Well any parasite is serious because it takes their food from them and ravages their body. Perhaps the vet just ment he didnt have a serious case of them like a high count of pin worms? In any case if he is losing weight, not eating, and is very sick he is obviously being effected by it. The medicine also causes them to be lethargic and sickly. In eery case I have read about the medicine often makes them worse before they get better.

It sounds like you are doing the best in taking care of him. If your heating pad gets too hot deff. don't use it. You can put some dry rice in a sock and heat it in the microwave, so that it is warm but not hot, and place it on your chest with him on it wraped up. When they have any infection or parasite it is good to keep the heat levels up just a little higher than usual. Also heat on the belly durring this time helps them out a little by boosting the immune system. You don't want to do this with them in the tank though because of possable over heating.

 

[duke11]

I've been giving him baths every day and I'm about to warm him up with a rice sack. I have a ton of them because I made Duke something about a year ago using them. I hope to get his fecal in this weekend. Thanks so much!

Sorry to ask this question (maybe again) but should I stop or keep feeding him? He isn't pooping and I don't want his food to rot inside him.

 

[diamc]

Hi Erin, sorry to hear about Duke, you must be very upset about it. Since he is losing weight, I would continue to feed him. Heat up some baby food applesauce so that it is quite warm, dilute with a little water or Pedialyte and add a drop or 2 of olive oil. That should help clean him out as well as the rice sock. After he poops, you could mix a little chicken baby food with the squash so that he doesn't loose anymore weight. While you're waiting for the Acidophilus to arrive, you could pick up some soy yogurt (non-dairy), peach or blueberry flavored and give him some of that, it will help his stomach feel better. Be sure to take his poop sample to be tested very soon. Please keep us updated on him.

 

[Judah'sHuman]

Hi Erin~

Thats good you have the rice sock and are tryign that out. Hopefully between that and what Dianne mentioned with the apple sauce and the olive oil it will help him poo. poor lil guy

I'm keeping my fingers crossed and sending good thoughts and blessings your way. keep us posted!

 

[duke11]

Thank you both so much for all of your help and support with Duke. The Acidophiliz+ just arrived today. I gave him a few drops. It smells really bad but I didn't have to force it down like the Panacur. Thank goodness he'll just drink it right up. I will make a list for my mom to get some stuff at the store tomorrow. I'll put yogurt and chicken babyfood and applesauce on the list. I really appreciate all this help, I am really worried for him. Since Duke doesn't bask much anymore, I have positioned one of his basking lights on the tile where he is most. Hopefully that will add some warmth to his belly. My new reptisun hasn't arrived yet but it should be here any day now. Thanks a ton!!! I will see if I can get him into the vet's this weekend.

Erin

 

[Judah'sHuman]

Hi Erin~

Im glade he doesnt mind the acidophilz, You can put that in with his bb food too if you want. And just make sure it is the soy yogurt k.

Has he pooped yet?