Advice Needed Please! Post Surgery Recovery

Hi Everyone,

So my beardie (4-year-old female) had surgery a few weeks ago to remove a mass that the vet believed to be a sarcoma (needle biopsy lab tested). Please see the photos. The vet and I were monitoring it for a month and it kept growing. During the time prior to the surgery, she was still active enough (not SUPER active by any means!) but was still eating and going to the bathroom but I knew deep down she was not feeling her best.

Mass.jpg
Mass 1.jpg


A few days after the surgery she was very groggy/not active but on the 3rd or 4th day I eventually got her to eat some superworms (she would not go for greens or even dubias, I had to sneak the greens in when she would eat the supers!)

Since that one time a few days after, she has not eaten on her own at all. No interest in food, barely active. I've tried offering different bugs, even her fav hornworms, and she wouldn't even eat those. She seems to have difficulty getting around. The tumor was on her stomach/chest area and she now has a long incision. We had a re-check on the 11th and the vet said she seemed to be healing really well. The incision looks good and is not red or swollen and I followed through with aftercare diligently. (Injectable antibiotic 4 times (every 3 days) and doxycycline 1xday and Metacam 1xday)

She is on Metacam 0.12ml 1/day currently - no more antibiotics. Since she is not eating and is very lethargic. I'm giving her Oxbow Carnivore Care and Oxbow Omnivore Care. I am giving her 5-6ml of these total per day (half and half). Does this seem like an appropriate amount to be giving her? At our last vet appointment on the 11th, she weighed 389g. Right now she weighs 387g so she lost a tiny bit of weight. She has always been on the smaller side. When I adopted her from the animal shelter in 2019 she clearly had pretty advanced MBD but I rehabbed her and she mostly recovered but still has lasting impacts from the neglect she experienced. She was actually found in a tank outside a dumpster during a New England winter (awful 😥).

The vet we're seeing is really great and he told me on the phone yesterday that reptiles take a really long time to recover but I want to do everything I can to get her activity levels up and get her mobile and eating again. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do? The vet said her blood work few weeks ago indicated normal calcium levels - it was "right where it should be." But he also said that bloodwork isn't SUPER accurate to determine calcium levels. Regardless, I'm trying everything I can so just bought a new tank and bought a new uvb T5 10 and new basking bulbs. I posted about this in a separate thread and KarrieRee really helped me out big time! For the time being with her incision, I have removed most of the obstacles and decor from her tank, but she still isn't wanting to go on her basking log. If anything, she keeps moving over to the cool side.

I'm not sure if I am just being impatient but I feel something is really not right...she has barely been moving. Sleeping a ton. Hot side is 100 at the moment and her cool side is 79 (have digital probes). I've been trying to keep the tank a bit warmer at night using ceramic heaters because I know she isn't feeling great. She is currently shedding on her face.

This is her right now:
bibi.jpg

This is breaking my heart and I want to do right by her...Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks everyone; this community is amazing :)
 

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
Antibiotics really screw up their appetite, every one i have had to give them to lost their appetite for a good while. The Oxbuw is good stuff. I gave mine as much as they would eat a couple times a day.
 

spaceballs

Member
Original Poster
Okay that is good to know thank you xp29! So, my beardie doesn’t even want to eat the oxbow at all - I’m having to force feed her 😥she’s not happy about it at all.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Hi Everyone,

So my beardie (4-year-old female) had surgery a few weeks ago to remove a mass that the vet believed to be a sarcoma (needle biopsy lab tested). Please see the photos. The vet and I were monitoring it for a month and it kept growing. During the time prior to the surgery, she was still active enough (not SUPER active by any means!) but was still eating and going to the bathroom but I knew deep down she was not feeling her best.

View attachment 78966 View attachment 78967

A few days after the surgery she was very groggy/not active but on the 3rd or 4th day I eventually got her to eat some superworms (she would not go for greens or even dubias, I had to sneak the greens in when she would eat the supers!)

Since that one time a few days after, she has not eaten on her own at all. No interest in food, barely active. I've tried offering different bugs, even her fav hornworms, and she wouldn't even eat those. She seems to have difficulty getting around. The tumor was on her stomach/chest area and she now has a long incision. We had a re-check on the 11th and the vet said she seemed to be healing really well. The incision looks good and is not red or swollen and I followed through with aftercare diligently. (Injectable antibiotic 4 times (every 3 days) and doxycycline 1xday and Metacam 1xday)

She is on Metacam 0.12ml 1/day currently - no more antibiotics. Since she is not eating and is very lethargic. I'm giving her Oxbow Carnivore Care and Oxbow Omnivore Care. I am giving her 5-6ml of these total per day (half and half). Does this seem like an appropriate amount to be giving her? At our last vet appointment on the 11th, she weighed 389g. Right now she weighs 387g so she lost a tiny bit of weight. She has always been on the smaller side. When I adopted her from the animal shelter in 2019 she clearly had pretty advanced MBD but I rehabbed her and she mostly recovered but still has lasting impacts from the neglect she experienced. She was actually found in a tank outside a dumpster during a New England winter (awful 😥).

The vet we're seeing is really great and he told me on the phone yesterday that reptiles take a really long time to recover but I want to do everything I can to get her activity levels up and get her mobile and eating again. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do? The vet said her blood work few weeks ago indicated normal calcium levels - it was "right where it should be." But he also said that bloodwork isn't SUPER accurate to determine calcium levels. Regardless, I'm trying everything I can so just bought a new tank and bought a new uvb T5 10 and new basking bulbs. I posted about this in a separate thread and KarrieRee really helped me out big time! For the time being with her incision, I have removed most of the obstacles and decor from her tank, but she still isn't wanting to go on her basking log. If anything, she keeps moving over to the cool side.

I'm not sure if I am just being impatient but I feel something is really not right...she has barely been moving. Sleeping a ton. Hot side is 100 at the moment and her cool side is 79 (have digital probes). I've been trying to keep the tank a bit warmer at night using ceramic heaters because I know she isn't feeling great. She is currently shedding on her face.

This is her right now:
View attachment 78968
This is breaking my heart and I want to do right by her...Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks everyone; this community is amazing :)
Lets have Tracie weigh in on this
@Drache613
 

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Scenery decals for back of tank

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