Jennifer0148
Member
Hello. I haven't been here in a while because I was busy battling pinworms and coccidia. The good news is my boy Dalí tested clean almost two months ago. I had been meaning to retest because he was acting strange but since I was told to do so in six months, I figured I'd wait. Now, I'm worried about something worse than parasites. His behavior, appetite, and health have rapidly declined. Here's what has been going on with him:
1: His appetite. Ever since I got him he had a voracious appetite. He'd chase after his food and finish it in the blink of an eye. He'd always eat his green first too. He loved food. His appetite didn't change even when he was on Ponazuril and Panacur. Lately, however, his appetite has declined. He'd eat 100 roaches at first. That then fell to about 75-80 but since it was a decent number, I wasn't too concerned. Then it went down again to about 65. Then 60. Then 50. And now he's at 20-25 if I'm lucky. He eats some greens but leaves most of them in his bowl.
I have also had to hand feed him because he doesn't chase after them or make much of an effort to catch them. Only if they're near enough will he try but if they move a little bit away, and I mean a little, he'll let them escape. In fact, I was starting to think he had trouble with his vision because he has difficulty catching his food. But I know he can see. He just isn't trying as much.
2: Constipation. He hasn't popped every day like he used to since he started the parasite meds. But I figured that was a typical side effect of those meds and that it would go back to normal eventually. Not so. It has only gotten worse. He now goes every 2-5 days. It varies each week. I've given him baths to help but it continues the same. Also, when he does go, it's just a lump. It's not well shaped though not entirely loose or diarrhea like.
3: Hiding. He constantly hides in the box platform/cave I made for him. He turns to face the corner or side and curls up there all day. He doesn't run around anymore like he used to. He also doesn't bask as much, which is worrisome. He has a hammock and ladder too so he has plenty of spaces to use for basking. He just won't much. Thankfully he does sit in the warm side of the tank and I have an Arcadia and a 100w basking bulb so he's getting the light he needs.
4: Lethargy. He doesn't run. He doesn't stand often. He doesn't walk much. If he moves, it's to find a new spot to sleep. Then he spends all day there squinting or outright sleeping. Tonight I went to pick him up and he didn't even respond to my touch or look at me like he usually does. He was so still. He let me move his arm and leg without fussing or moving. He constantly lies with his head on the floor of his cage.
5: Sad look in his eyes. He constantly closes his eyes and he looks depressed. He doesn't have that alert look he did in the beginning. I'm scared he's in pain.
6: Twitching. I've seen very slight twiching on his back toes and tip of the tail. Very slight. I probably wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't already been looking at him. He also does a head tilt sometimes but I'm not sure that that's not just what he does since he has done it before.
7: Lumps under chin. It seems there is one on either side. Honestly, I'm not sure that I'm not just panicking but his chin does look different. I will try to take pictures.
He doesn't have any other visible infections or bumps or the like that could be causing this. And he came up negative on parasites recently. I'm wondering now if this isn't the reason he got that sore on his snout I took care of a few weeks ago.
What scares me a lot aside from the fact that I can't find any other logical explanation for this is that he got to this point within the past week or two. It has been a rapid change and given that reptiles hide their weaknesses until they can't anymore, I feel awful. I keep being afraid that I'll find him dead. He just looks so sad. Today I sat there watching him and he looked me in the eye and then slowly turned around to hide his face in a corner and sleep again. It broke my heart.
I'm taking him to his vet Friday because tomorrow the vet isn't there and I don't trust any other--it's not like I have many reptile specialists around anyway. I'm doing my best to get him to continue eating even the few bites of greens and 25 roaches he has been accepting. That's better than nothing.
If he does have ADV, though, and it's this bad and he doesn't improve or get worse, does it mean it would be best to let him go? I can't stand the idea of force feeding him and the like if he's just going to be weak and miserable and will never be himself again. What kind of life would that be?
Any suggestions or comments? Thanks.
1: His appetite. Ever since I got him he had a voracious appetite. He'd chase after his food and finish it in the blink of an eye. He'd always eat his green first too. He loved food. His appetite didn't change even when he was on Ponazuril and Panacur. Lately, however, his appetite has declined. He'd eat 100 roaches at first. That then fell to about 75-80 but since it was a decent number, I wasn't too concerned. Then it went down again to about 65. Then 60. Then 50. And now he's at 20-25 if I'm lucky. He eats some greens but leaves most of them in his bowl.
I have also had to hand feed him because he doesn't chase after them or make much of an effort to catch them. Only if they're near enough will he try but if they move a little bit away, and I mean a little, he'll let them escape. In fact, I was starting to think he had trouble with his vision because he has difficulty catching his food. But I know he can see. He just isn't trying as much.
2: Constipation. He hasn't popped every day like he used to since he started the parasite meds. But I figured that was a typical side effect of those meds and that it would go back to normal eventually. Not so. It has only gotten worse. He now goes every 2-5 days. It varies each week. I've given him baths to help but it continues the same. Also, when he does go, it's just a lump. It's not well shaped though not entirely loose or diarrhea like.
3: Hiding. He constantly hides in the box platform/cave I made for him. He turns to face the corner or side and curls up there all day. He doesn't run around anymore like he used to. He also doesn't bask as much, which is worrisome. He has a hammock and ladder too so he has plenty of spaces to use for basking. He just won't much. Thankfully he does sit in the warm side of the tank and I have an Arcadia and a 100w basking bulb so he's getting the light he needs.
4: Lethargy. He doesn't run. He doesn't stand often. He doesn't walk much. If he moves, it's to find a new spot to sleep. Then he spends all day there squinting or outright sleeping. Tonight I went to pick him up and he didn't even respond to my touch or look at me like he usually does. He was so still. He let me move his arm and leg without fussing or moving. He constantly lies with his head on the floor of his cage.
5: Sad look in his eyes. He constantly closes his eyes and he looks depressed. He doesn't have that alert look he did in the beginning. I'm scared he's in pain.
6: Twitching. I've seen very slight twiching on his back toes and tip of the tail. Very slight. I probably wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't already been looking at him. He also does a head tilt sometimes but I'm not sure that that's not just what he does since he has done it before.
7: Lumps under chin. It seems there is one on either side. Honestly, I'm not sure that I'm not just panicking but his chin does look different. I will try to take pictures.
He doesn't have any other visible infections or bumps or the like that could be causing this. And he came up negative on parasites recently. I'm wondering now if this isn't the reason he got that sore on his snout I took care of a few weeks ago.
What scares me a lot aside from the fact that I can't find any other logical explanation for this is that he got to this point within the past week or two. It has been a rapid change and given that reptiles hide their weaknesses until they can't anymore, I feel awful. I keep being afraid that I'll find him dead. He just looks so sad. Today I sat there watching him and he looked me in the eye and then slowly turned around to hide his face in a corner and sleep again. It broke my heart.
I'm taking him to his vet Friday because tomorrow the vet isn't there and I don't trust any other--it's not like I have many reptile specialists around anyway. I'm doing my best to get him to continue eating even the few bites of greens and 25 roaches he has been accepting. That's better than nothing.
If he does have ADV, though, and it's this bad and he doesn't improve or get worse, does it mean it would be best to let him go? I can't stand the idea of force feeding him and the like if he's just going to be weak and miserable and will never be himself again. What kind of life would that be?
Any suggestions or comments? Thanks.