ShadowandSpaz
Member
Hi,
I have looked for about 2 hours, and have not found a topic that answers my questions, so I am just posting a new situation. I am asking for help and ideas.
Here are the settings:
40 Gallon Breeder Tank
2 adult beardies 1 male (Shadow) age unknown (18 inches tip to tail) 1 female (Spaz) about 1 1/2 years old (housed together for 1+ year)
basking temp - 99 - 102 degrees F
cool area 85-90 degrees f
humidity 35-40% after morning and afternoon misting dries
heat provided by reptisun 10.0 uva/b 150 watt incandescent lamp
substrate - sand (not calci or play sand)
typical diet for both - 2-4 mealworms (dusted with T-Rex Dragon Dust - calcium, vitamin A & D, crude fat, protein, and fiber) consumed each, and 2-4 fresh cut (from frozen and thawed to room temp) green beans each
I have had Shadow for 1 - 1/2 years. Spaz for 1 year - age is unknown as he was adopted from a student who got him from a science teacher for the summer, and the science teacher did not return, and left no forwarding info.
Anyway, after the initial get used to period, Shadow and Spaz have happily co habitated together for the past 13 months.
The last few days Shadow has been very lethargic, and his eyes seem to be very 'sunk-in' as opposed to normal. I haven't observed him consume any food or water, and today I thought he died. Yesterday he was brought out of his cage, and walked around a little (observed 100%) and seemed slow, but not normal. Today i watched him for awhile, and had a hard time observing him breathing. I picked him up out of the enclosure, and he was limp (I thought he was dead). I ran some luke warm water into a shallow sterilite tub, only chin deep, and placed him in it, being careful to not let his nose and mouth become submersed. I left him in this for about 15 minutes, running the water over him, and trying to have him consume some with a syringe. He did not hold his head up at first, so I propped one end of the tub at a slight angle. I reached underneath to feel his stomach and massage it, if it is impaction to help somehow. There doesn't seem to be any bulges, or hard spots, other than normal, and I am unaware of any trauma that may have occurred to cause this.
His beard was back and forth between full black and partial black, and his color was tree bark greyish brown. After his bath I held him in a towel, and noticed him drooling. I tipped him forward, and a lot more drool came out (maybe a teaspoon). I dried him and massaged his stomach which felt warm, and he was holding his head up a bit, and placed him in the enclosure resting vertical on a rock under the basking light. After about 2 minutes, he began to shake his head profusely once or twice, and I observed some more drool being flung out of his mouth. After this, I could observe him breathing, and he was holding his head up (slightly), eyes were open, color had returned to normal yellowish color after bathing, but he still seemed weak (probably from lack of eating).
From the syringe I dripped calcium dusted water, which both dragons usually love. He was not interested. After about an hour, he crawled up over the rock, and climbed into a log shelter where he lay resting now. He is breathing, but I am very concerned as to anything I may do to help him be comfortable. He does not appear to be emaciated from lack of food - the only thing visually different is his eyes seem recessed a little more than normal.
I have looked for about 2 hours, and have not found a topic that answers my questions, so I am just posting a new situation. I am asking for help and ideas.
Here are the settings:
40 Gallon Breeder Tank
2 adult beardies 1 male (Shadow) age unknown (18 inches tip to tail) 1 female (Spaz) about 1 1/2 years old (housed together for 1+ year)
basking temp - 99 - 102 degrees F
cool area 85-90 degrees f
humidity 35-40% after morning and afternoon misting dries
heat provided by reptisun 10.0 uva/b 150 watt incandescent lamp
substrate - sand (not calci or play sand)
typical diet for both - 2-4 mealworms (dusted with T-Rex Dragon Dust - calcium, vitamin A & D, crude fat, protein, and fiber) consumed each, and 2-4 fresh cut (from frozen and thawed to room temp) green beans each
I have had Shadow for 1 - 1/2 years. Spaz for 1 year - age is unknown as he was adopted from a student who got him from a science teacher for the summer, and the science teacher did not return, and left no forwarding info.
Anyway, after the initial get used to period, Shadow and Spaz have happily co habitated together for the past 13 months.
The last few days Shadow has been very lethargic, and his eyes seem to be very 'sunk-in' as opposed to normal. I haven't observed him consume any food or water, and today I thought he died. Yesterday he was brought out of his cage, and walked around a little (observed 100%) and seemed slow, but not normal. Today i watched him for awhile, and had a hard time observing him breathing. I picked him up out of the enclosure, and he was limp (I thought he was dead). I ran some luke warm water into a shallow sterilite tub, only chin deep, and placed him in it, being careful to not let his nose and mouth become submersed. I left him in this for about 15 minutes, running the water over him, and trying to have him consume some with a syringe. He did not hold his head up at first, so I propped one end of the tub at a slight angle. I reached underneath to feel his stomach and massage it, if it is impaction to help somehow. There doesn't seem to be any bulges, or hard spots, other than normal, and I am unaware of any trauma that may have occurred to cause this.
His beard was back and forth between full black and partial black, and his color was tree bark greyish brown. After his bath I held him in a towel, and noticed him drooling. I tipped him forward, and a lot more drool came out (maybe a teaspoon). I dried him and massaged his stomach which felt warm, and he was holding his head up a bit, and placed him in the enclosure resting vertical on a rock under the basking light. After about 2 minutes, he began to shake his head profusely once or twice, and I observed some more drool being flung out of his mouth. After this, I could observe him breathing, and he was holding his head up (slightly), eyes were open, color had returned to normal yellowish color after bathing, but he still seemed weak (probably from lack of eating).
From the syringe I dripped calcium dusted water, which both dragons usually love. He was not interested. After about an hour, he crawled up over the rock, and climbed into a log shelter where he lay resting now. He is breathing, but I am very concerned as to anything I may do to help him be comfortable. He does not appear to be emaciated from lack of food - the only thing visually different is his eyes seem recessed a little more than normal.