Bearded dragon hasn't eaten for a week.

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Reptilelady

Sub-Adult Member
Take a look at this website:
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Parasites.html

Only way to really know if your beardie has parasites is a fecal sample test through a vet. They would be able to know for sure. Keep a journal or notes on weight and height to see what is going on. I always do weekly tabs on my beardie just to see what is going on and i know in that week if something is off. If when you ever do see a vet they can really see what is going on, more information the better :)
 

Fin

Member
Original Poster
By the way what type of parasites am I looking out for at certain levels? Need to know for appointment.
 

Fin

Member
Original Poster
Ok the vet got back and said the lizard has mites and nematodes (round worms) now I have researched all the cures and what to do but I want to know how serious these are in the mean time while I get the medications/probiotics.
 

Fin

Member
Original Poster
Also I couldn't find any mites on the lizard, can anyone specify what to look out for, thank you so much.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Fin":34d01weq said:
Ok the vet got back and said the lizard has mites and nematodes (round worms) now I have researched all the cures and what to do but I want to know how serious these are in the mean time while I get the medications/probiotics.

What were the recommended treatments as advised by the vet :

>>> to get rid of mites ? .... I've not heard of a pet captive bred beardie being infested with mites , wild one yes (and ticks) , I guess you have mites in the grass in your back yard (if so little point treating for them unless you get the yard cleared of them).

>>> to kill off the nematodes ?
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Fin":ykbeqv92 said:
Also I couldn't find any mites on the lizard, can anyone specify what to look out for, thank you so much.

You'll need a magnifying glass or jewelers' loop to spot the mites unless they are those little red ones which are easier to spot.
Close examination using magnification of both the animal and the environment may aid in diagnoses of mite infestations. Mites may be observed drowned in water bowls or hidden along crevices at the tops of cages. Examine around the eyes, gular skin folds and around the vent for these tiny parasites. Snake mites (Ophionyssus spp.) generally appear like small black poppy seeds. Lizard mites (Hirstiella trombidiformis) and chigger mites (from the Trombiculidae family) are red and may stand out readily on the skin’s surface.
from http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Snake-Care/How-to-Recognize-and-Treat-Reptile-Ectoparasites/
 

Fin

Member
Original Poster
Also is there any thing I could do at home till I can get the probiotics and medications?
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
Panacur is a good worm medication and isn't too hard on their gastrointestinal tracts if you give probiotics along with the Panacur. Since he doesn't have a bacterial infection, you can give whichever probiotic you are planning on giving him just prior to giving the oral Panacur, the probiotics won't interfere with the Panacur and will coat his stomach and keep the Panacur from making his stomach upset, and should help his appetite as well. I recommend either a non-dairy acidophilus, or a probiotic and digestive enzyme combination pill, crushed into a powder and given in baby food/Pedialyte slurries. As far as the mites, it depends on exactly what mite the vet identified on him, and what protocol the vet gave you, as some species are very difficult to get rid of.

You'll absolutely need to get the meds ASAP, especially the Panacur, as roundworms will keep his appetite at bay and it will continue to decline, but more importantly roundworms steal all nutrition he is willing to eat from his gastrointestinal tract, so he will eventually start losing a good amount of weight as he continues to eat less and less, and the roundworms not only multiply quickly but will be leeching all nutrition (calories, protein, fat, etc.) and all calcium and other vitamins/minerals from him, resulting in continually higher weight loss, lack of appetite, and eventually nutritional deficiencies and resulting diseases and conditions, such as MBD and Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) deficiency disease, which has symptoms that mimick MBD, such as twitching, muscle weakness, paralysis, etc. So get the Panacur going IMMEDIATELY, and you'll also need to completely disinfect his entire enclosure both inside and out, along with everything inside his enclosure, all decor, and with the mites you'll need to even disinfect his lighting, light fixtures, anything and everything touching him or his enclosure. I would get some F10SC disinfectant from your local pet shop, or order it and in the meantime use plain bleach, soaking everything in a mix of bleach and very hot water, and then rinsing everything very well until all traces of the chlorine smell are gone. You'll need to do this complete disinfecting of everything at least once a week (every other day is better because he can just keep reinfecting himself even while on the medications) and use disposable paper towels as his substrate, throwing them away and replacing them a few times a day until he's finished the medications and the roundworms are confirmed as being gone by a repeat fecal testing, and the mites totally eradicated by examination and repeat skin scraping test (I'm assuming your vet diagnosed the mites by skin scraping test)...It's a nasty combo he's got and it's going to be very frustrating to keep one or both of the bugs from reinfecting him and his enclosure. But you really need to get him started on the Panacur immediately, as it's been awhile now since his diagnosis and the worms are going to get bad enough to start leeching him of all nutrition and he's going to start losing weight and developing deficiencies.
 

JLynn87

Hatchling Member
kingofnobbys":14qngs8z said:
Cut the bugs in half .... odds are , if he can taste the bug's guts , he'll be more likely to eat it.
This is why I used to squish the crickets' heads (as well as blinding them and making them easier to handle when handfeeding ) , the head end was the part the lizard tasted first - works a treat .

Sorry to barge in on this conversation, I read the forum daily for education. I am uneasy with bugs, do you have any advice on how to perform these tricks without actually touching the bugs? If worst comes to worse I will do anything necessary to keep my beardie healthy, but would rather not deal that closely with his food.

Also that is quite the flow sheet, I saved it to my computer for future reference!
 

Fin

Member
Original Poster
Thank you EllenD, got the panacur today and medicated it, went smoothly so far.
 

kyleena29

Sub-Adult Member
Here is what I have done to force feed bugs to my guys in the past. Get one of those long feeding tongs. Pull your beardie's lip down a little from the side of his mouth and with a roach or cricket on the tongs just push it gently against their teeth and they will usually eat it. If he is small enough you can hold him in your hand, with his back facing you, bring your finger under the chin to pull the lip down with the tongs in the other hand to feed with. I have done this on the bathroom counter also with the beardie's back towards you.
 
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