So I got my bearded dragon at Petsmart. Apparently bearded dragons have a tendency to come with many problems because of the conditions of breeding that Petsmart allows. Anyways, he is about a year and a half old and the vet told me he has atadenovirus because of his symptoms which include not using legs properly (literally rowboats across the floor with his back legs), decreased appetite, mental problems, and so on. However, he is very active. He moves around frequently. I took him to the vet yesterday and they told me that I should consider euthanasia due to his condition. He has like bruises and a cut growing on his tail which the vet told me was induced because his inability to inefficiently move his legs which might have caused him abrasions from the objects in his tank. I was just wondering if that really is the best option. I love him very much and he is very loving and tranquil. I know Im not the most experienced with this, but I just wanted to make sure that was the best option for him.
Hi there, can you post pics of his tail . the cuts + bruises ? Beardies don't generally get cut unless there's something sharp in the tank. One thing you could do is to take his decor with rolled up towel for a basking area. I wouldn't consider putting an animal down unless it was suffering. If he's active and eating then he's not at that point. If he was severely lethargic, black bearding and wasting away that would indicate severe stress + pain so that's when you might consider euthanasia. But can you post pics of his tank as well as his body condition + wounds ? Here's how :
So I posted the pictures, the wounds look a little darker and worse because I've been putting Silver Sulfadiazine cream which was prescribed to ease and soothe
Aw, poor guy is really in rough shape. I feel so bad for both of you. I can't figure out how this could have happened, there have been many dragons with very poor mobility on this forum but nothing like this developed. I wonder if he possibly got caught in the wire probe at some point and struggled so hard that it cut in there. Is he on an antibiotic ? I would suggest using raw unpasteurized honey on it, undiluted and wrapping it with gauze, being sure to leave his vent uncovered. Honey is a wonderful healing agent with antimicrobial properties. Keeping it covered might help it to heal and you'd need to change the dressing every day or every other day. Sorry to see his condition, my heart goes out to you. I would agree with euthanasia if his condition gets worse and he no longer has any interest in life but if he's still active and eating some there may be a slight chance of progress.
Ok, I'll go get some honey now. Thank you so much for the helpful advice! I really appreciate you taking the time to find the best possible solution for my beardie
You're welcome, it makes me sad to see any living thing suffering and I can only hope to be of some help. I'll see if any of the mods. might have any ideas, if not at least a good word for you.
Goodness, I feel for you both, that is a rough situation for him.
Definitely try the raw unpasteurized honey, it is very healing. The cut has been getting
worse? Was it there when you got him, or it just developed? I can't really see anything in
his tank that he would have cut it on, maybe the wire, but doubtful. The edge of the log or
the cave really isn't sharp, right?
Did the test him for adeno to be sure, or not? The chances of him ever being exposed to
any UVB are relatively slim, too.
Which UVB are you using for him now?