Beardie not eating

[Amgonzo]

Hello,

My bearded dragon José is 5 years old. He has stopped eating entirely for quite a few months now. I have taken him to the vet many times-was treated for parasites and got an X-ray showing his liver is very enlarged. We thought maybe he wasn’t eating bc of his parasites, but they have been treated with prescription medicine and he still is not eating. He has lost lots of weight. You can see his spine, bone in his tail, sunken fat pads, etc. he has always been skinny and a picky eater, but this is another level and I don’t know what to do for him. The only thing he wants to do is sleep or curl up in a corner.

I feed him repashy beardie buffet and flukers reptaboost with a syringe once a day (5-6ml warm water with 3 scoops each. Scoop included with flukers reptaboost). He poops pretty frequently even though they are small. I give him baths a couple times during the week and a couple with an electrolyte soak. At this point I am wondering if he is just sick with his liver being very enlarged and all. I don’t know what to do at this point and I hate seeing my little guy so skinny and sad

Any advice or knowledge is very much appreciated. I just want him to get better

 

[KarrieRee]

Hello,

My bearded dragon José is 5 years old. He has stopped eating entirely for quite a few months now. I have taken him to the vet many times-was treated for parasites and got an X-ray showing his liver is very enlarged. We thought maybe he wasn’t eating bc of his parasites, but they have been treated with prescription medicine and he still is not eating. He has lost lots of weight. You can see his spine, bone in his tail, sunken fat pads, etc. he has always been skinny and a picky eater, but this is another level and I don’t know what to do for him. The only thing he wants to do is sleep or curl up in a corner.

I feed him repashy beardie buffet and flukers reptaboost with a syringe once a day (5-6ml warm water with 3 scoops each. Scoop included with flukers reptaboost). He poops pretty frequently even though they are small. I give him baths a couple times during the week and a couple with an electrolyte soak. At this point I am wondering if he is just sick with his liver being very enlarged and all. I don’t know what to do at this point and I hate seeing my little guy so skinny and sad

Any advice or knowledge is very much appreciated. I just want him to get better

With him still losing weight I would get some Oxbow Herbivore / Omnivore it is a very good supplement for sick dragons- my dragon was diagnosed w/ infection of the liver and was given an antibiotic that has since cleared it up - I was also giving and still giving milk thistle for the liver - I am going to flag your post to Tracie the vet tech on here in the mean time please tell us what your using for a UVB coil or long tube fixture and where in the tank is it ? Surface basking temps and how are you taking them?
@Drache613

 

[Amgonzo]

With him still losing weight I would get some Oxbow Herbivore / Omnivore it is a very good supplement for sick dragons- my dragon was diagnosed w/ infection of the liver and was given an antibiotic that has since cleared it up - I was also giving and still giving milk thistle for the liver - I am going to flag your post to Tracie the vet tech on here in the mean time please tell us what your using for a UVB coil or long tube fixture and where in the tank is it ? Surface basking temps and how are you taking them?
@Drache613

Where would I find the oxbow and milk thistle? I have never heard of them before but I will look for it! Right now I have a coil 10.0 uvb right where his basking light is. It’s about 6” from his spot. On the cooler side of the tank I have an 18” long zilla T8 fluorescent in a black holder. His basking spot is about 108-110 and I have a digital thermometer with a probe on the end

 

[KarrieRee]

Where would I find the oxbow and milk thistle? I have never heard of them before but I will look for it! Right now I have a coil 10.0 uvb right where his basking light is. It’s about 6” from his spot. On the cooler side of the tank I have an 18” long zilla T8 fluorescent in a black holder. His basking spot is about 108-110 and I have a digital thermometer with a probe on the end

ok so please get rid of the coil and use the T 8 for your main UVB for now- is the bulb new like not over 5 months old? If so please get a new one but I recommend you upgrade to a T 5 24" Zoo Med or a Arcadia Pro T5 w/ a 12% bulb 24 watt found at Pet Smart or a Sunblaster Nano Tech you can order it off the hydrobuilder website - you will need to change the bulb out to the Reptisun 10.0 bulb like the Zoo Med it comes w/ a 5.0 bulb --- if the Zilla your using now has a cover over the bulb take it off - it needs to be in the tank 6-8 inches directly above the basking decor piece w/ NO cover and NO screen blocking the UVB rays --- I would recommend getting a new fixture or change the Zilla bulb out to the Reptisun 10.0 T 8 bulb -- Oxbow Critical Care can be found here https://www.amazon.com/s?k=oxbow+critical+care&crid=1NF7YGFVSNZCX&sprefix=oxbow+critical+care+,aps,138&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 or try your vets office see if they have it ----
At this time I am going to say your dragon is not eating because of the UVB-- coils are a health hazard please stop using it and get your Zilla correctly placed -- the black holder has a reflector in it? That would be the shiny part inside the fixture - it reflects the UVB rays downward to him -- the milk thistle you can get from Tracie the vet tech mod on here - here is her website Home
Do you have the blood work done from the vet? If so post the results on here and she can take a look at it in the mean time get your UVB corrected - does your dragon bask for long periods of time under the basking bulb - I would try and keep your temps at night around 80 or so since he is not feeling good - a ceramic heat emitter would do that - you want something for heat w/ NO light -- you will need a dome w/ a ceramic holder for the bulb -
https://hydrobuilder.com/sunblaster-nanotech-t5-ho-fixture-with-6400k-lamp.html
24" fixture or 2 ft - bulb needs to be a 22" 10.0 Reptisun

 

[Amgonzo]

ok so please get rid of the coil and use the T 8 for your main UVB for now- is the bulb new like not over 5 months old? If so please get a new one but I recommend you upgrade to a T 5 24" Zoo Med or a Arcadia Pro T5 w/ a 12% bulb 24 watt found at Pet Smart or a Sunblaster Nano Tech you can order it off the hydrobuilder website - you will need to change the bulb out to the Reptisun 10.0 bulb like the Zoo Med it comes w/ a 5.0 bulb --- if the Zilla your using now has a cover over the bulb take it off - it needs to be in the tank 6-8 inches directly above the basking decor piece w/ NO cover and NO screen blocking the UVB rays --- I would recommend getting a new fixture or change the Zilla bulb out to the Reptisun 10.0 T 8 bulb -- Oxbow Critical Care can be found here https://www.amazon.com/s?k=oxbow+critical+care&crid=1NF7YGFVSNZCX&sprefix=oxbow+critical+care+,aps,138&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 or try your vets office see if they have it ----
At this time I am going to say your dragon is not eating because of the UVB-- coils are a health hazard please stop using it and get your Zilla correctly placed -- the black holder has a reflector in it? That would be the shiny part inside the fixture - it reflects the UVB rays downward to him -- the milk thistle you can get from Tracie the vet tech mod on here - here is her website Home
Do you have the blood work done from the vet? If so post the results on here and she can take a look at it in the mean time get your UVB corrected - does your dragon bask for long periods of time under the basking bulb - I would try and keep your temps at night around 80 or so since he is not feeling good - a ceramic heat emitter would do that - you want something for heat w/ NO light -- you will need a dome w/ a ceramic holder for the bulb -
https://hydrobuilder.com/sunblaster-nanotech-t5-ho-fixture-with-6400k-lamp.html
24" fixture or 2 ft - bulb needs to be a 22" 10.0 Reptisun

I got rid of the coil bulb immediately and removed the plastic that was over my long uvb bulb. That bulb is brand new, not even a month old. It does have the shiny reflector. I will get the oxbow and would be Interested in the milk thistle. José does not bask very often unless he does while I’m at work. He has always enjoyed the cooler side of his tank, more now though that he is not feeling well. Unfortunately I do not have blood tests as she only did a stool sample for parasites and X-ray to see inside. I do not physically have those results only at the vet.

 

[KarrieRee]

I got rid of the coil bulb immediately and removed the plastic that was over my long uvb bulb. That bulb is brand new, not even a month old. It does have the shiny reflector. I will get the oxbow and would be Interested in the milk thistle. José does not bask very often unless he does while I’m at work. He has always enjoyed the cooler side of his tank, more now though that he is not feeling well. Unfortunately I do not have blood tests as she only did a stool sample for parasites and X-ray to see inside. I do not physically have those results only at the vet.

Ok please request the X rays have them email them to you and post them - please NO more enemas at the vet- if they want another one take a stool sample in -- hes not basking under his lamp because of the coil --- see what he does now w/ it being off --- check out the website for Tracie and you can send her a message on that site - I would move the UVB closer to his basking area if you can but please get a piece of decor directly under it 6-8 inches and watch his behavior after wards

 

[Amgonzo]

Ok please request the X rays have them email them to you and post them - please NO more enemas at the vet- if they want another one take a stool sample in -- hes not basking under his lamp because of the coil --- see what he does now w/ it being off --- check out the website for Tracie and you can send her a message on that site - I would move the UVB closer to his basking area if you can but please get a piece of decor directly under it 6-8 inches and watch his behavior after wards

Okay I will try and call tomorrow to get the X-ray. He also did not have an enema- he happened to poop right before I took him to the vet and I figured I would take the stool sample just in case. That came in handy haha. I moved his uvb bulb closer to his basking area. I also ordered the critical care from Amazon! Thank you for all of the help I truly appreciate it!

 

[KarrieRee]

Okay I will try and call tomorrow to get the X-ray. He also did not have an enema- he happened to poop right before I took him to the vet and I figured I would take the stool sample just in case. That came in handy haha. I moved his uvb bulb closer to his basking area. I also ordered the critical care from Amazon! Thank you for all of the help I truly appreciate it!

Ok so let's see what Tracie has to say - you can get the milk thistle from her-- please watch his behavior

 

[Hazel_Basil10]

Hello..
Poor thing! He's lost a ton of weight! I remember one of my rescues had parasites and he didn't eat much. That is good you got rid of the Coil those are health hazards. I agree, Getting X rays would be the best option. Keep us updated on your sweet little boy!

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Poor boy, I hope we can get him better.
As Karrie suggested, getting a better UVB light would be a good start. How often do you give him
calcium? I realize he isn't eating but you should probably consider getting some liquid calcium for him.
The Critical Care should help him nutrition wise.
Since he didn't do a blood test they wont know the blood test
values for the liver enzymes.
For now, if you need some milk thistle, you can order some liquid milk thistle here, on my site & I
ship out really fast:

Liquid Milk Thistle (Silymarin)

Help take care of your pets liver with our high quality easily absorbed Liquid Milk Thistle (Silymarin).Milk Thistle has been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments including liver diseases and cancer. It also has properties that can help with adrenal disorders and...

bug-de-lite.com

If you can, try to keep him a little warmer overnight, around 75-80F to help boost his immune system
right now since he isn't feeling well.
Are you using a digital probe or temp gun to measure the temperatures?

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

 

[Amgonzo]

Hello,

Poor boy, I hope we can get him better.
As Karrie suggested, getting a better UVB light would be a good start. How often do you give him
calcium? I realize he isn't eating but you should probably consider getting some liquid calcium for him.
The Critical Care should help him nutrition wise.
Since he didn't do a blood test they wont know the blood test
values for the liver enzymes.
For now, if you need some milk thistle, you can order some liquid milk thistle here, on my site & I
ship out really fast:

Liquid Milk Thistle (Silymarin)

Help take care of your pets liver with our high quality easily absorbed Liquid Milk Thistle (Silymarin).Milk Thistle has been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments including liver diseases and cancer. It also has properties that can help with adrenal disorders and...

bug-de-lite.com

If you can, try to keep him a little warmer overnight, around 75-80F to help boost his immune system
right now since he isn't feeling well.
Are you using a digital probe or temp gun to measure the temperatures?

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

I wanted to post an update about José. I’m afraid his condition has really worsened. Still losing weight and he just wants to lay on the ground and sleep. I ordered both omnivore critical care and herbivore critical care and have been giving it to him twice a day. I may need help with how much to give him bc I don’t know if I’m doing it right. I am using around 10 ml of water and doing a 5ml scoop of omnivore and .25ml scoop of herbivore. I mix this up with warm water and give him 5ml twice a day. If I do any more than this he throws it up. He is also pooping constantly about 2-3 times a day. I wanted to try the critical care before I ordered the milk thistle and since that doesn’t seem to be working, I ordered it today. I also noticed that he has a large lump on his ride sight back by his bottom. It’s a little farther down than his liver. I don’t know anatomy of beardies so not sure what it could be. You can see both his liver and the lump beside it in the pictures.

 

[KarrieRee]

I wanted to post an update about José. I’m afraid his condition has really worsened. Still losing weight and he just wants to lay on the ground and sleep. I ordered both omnivore critical care and herbivore critical care and have been giving it to him twice a day. I may need help with how much to give him bc I don’t know if I’m doing it right. I am using around 10 ml of water and doing a 5ml scoop of omnivore and .25ml scoop of herbivore. I mix this up with warm water and give him 5ml twice a day. If I do any more than this he throws it up. He is also pooping constantly about 2-3 times a day. I wanted to try the critical care before I ordered the milk thistle and since that doesn’t seem to be working, I ordered it today. I also noticed that he has a large lump on his ride sight back by his bottom. It’s a little farther down than his liver. I don’t know anatomy of beardies so not sure what it could be. You can see both his liver and the lump beside it in the pictures.

Did you get the UVB replaced and the surface basking temps are correct? This is all crucial to him eating-- I would cut back on the food --- drop it to 2 ML 2 times per day out of a syringe -- is he not eating any insects for you? We need Tracie to answer the questions about the lump issue -- please post the X rays---

 

[Amgonzo]

Did you get the UVB replaced and the surface basking temps are correct? This is all crucial to him eating-- I would cut back on the food --- drop it to 2 ML 2 times per day out of a syringe -- is he not eating any insects for you? We need Tracie to answer the questions about the lump issue -- please post the X rays---

I removed the coil bulb and took the covering that was over my long bulb off, but I have not ordered a new one since this is brand new. He also does not bask unless I put him up there and has no interest in eating. Every time I put bugs/greens near him he closes his eyes. I will cut back on the food. I have contacted the vets office requesting the X-rays and they have never sent them to me.

 

[KarrieRee]

I removed the coil bulb and took the covering that was over my long bulb off, but I have not ordered a new one since this is brand new. He also does not bask unless I put him up there and has no interest in eating. Every time I put bugs/greens near him he closes his eyes. I will cut back on the food. I have contacted the vets office requesting the X-rays and they have never sent them to me.

Please call and get them---- what is the distance for the UVB and is it the T 5 bulb? You dont need to change the UVB bulb till it is approx 10-11 months old for a T 5- but we need to make sure the distance is correct - the 5 ML is over whelming him so try cutting back to 4 ML per day and see if he can hold it - I would do herbivore one day and omnivore the next day -- if its still too much feed him only 2 ML per day one of each

 

[Amgonzo]

Please call and get them---- what is the distance for the UVB and is it the T 5 bulb? You dont need to change the UVB bulb till it is approx 10-11 months old for a T 5- but we need to make sure the distance is correct - the 5 ML is over whelming him so try cutting back to 4 ML per day and see if he can hold it - I would do herbivore one day and omnivore the next day -- if its still too much feed him only 2 ML per day one of each

I believe my bulb is a T8 and it’s about 6-8in depending where he sits. I also moved it under the tank screen so nothing is blocking the light. I checked today and his basking temp is 103. I will feed him again tomorrow since he has already had 5ml.