Beardie was skinny/not moving or eating! Now seizing as well

[khglynn]

WARNING: CONTAINS PICS THAT I THINK ARE FRIGHTENING AND GRAPHIC

I am completely at a loss and am up late looking after my lizard, but don't know what to do. None of the emergancy clinics in my area treat reptiles and I have a vet appointment for 8am, but I'm worried out of my mind. You can see graphic pics of what is happening below, but it's not pretty.

I have two dragons that live together in a large shed that is temp controlled as has a partially plexyglass ceiling. Both are female and the other is fat and happy, I haven't been concerned about my lizards because their food continued to disapear and they had clean water, but today I put crickets in the cage and this dragon (Lucky) didn't come out to chase them. When I found her she looked extemely skinny and was limp. I have cared for her over the past 9 hours and she just seems to get worse. Originally her eyes primarily remained closed and she wouldn't eat or drink and rarely moved. When she moved she seemed to not be able to support her weight and would drag herself. I have given her water with a syringe and given her a warm bath. She had a small watery stool earlier, and remained highly inactive for the for six hours, to the point where we had a scare where it appeared she had stopped breathing and had passed on.

Then around an hour ago she began to have spasms where she would almost seize. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but she doesit around every 15 minutes. She archers her back, flattens herself, and opens her mouth, while turning in circles. Sometimes her eyes even turn white. She appears to be in severe pain! I have never heard of or seen anything like this.

I've had Lucky for 8 years so it might have to do with her age. While it appears I'm a new user of this site, I just can't remember my old user name and needed to expidite my post. I appreciate any advice you have, but only if you know that it has no chance of injuring my my beardie further. Thank you, this is a terrible and I expect this is the end of my beardie's long happy life

The pics show the progression of her actions. First circles, then arch, then open mouth, then a slump back to not moving and limp.

btw: the black object in her mouth is a small piece of a blueberry I tired to feed her several hours ago

 

[khglynn]

well I obviously don't know how to post pics. help??

Update: I've turned off the heating light I brought inside for my lizard and he stopped spazing... or moving

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Most of us use photobucket.com to upload pics then download them to here.
Do you use any UVB lighting? That is what it sounds like to me.
How old is Lucky?
Any updates, is she still with you?

Tracie

 

[khglynn]

Ok. I'm setting up photobucket now. it's a exo terra sun glow 120v bulb. Lucky is around 8. She is occationally moving her arms and dragging herself, her eyes are staying closed

 

[khglynn]

Ok. I'm setting up photobucket now. it's a exo terra sun glow 120v bulb. Lucky is around 8. She is occationally moving her arms and dragging herself, her eyes are staying closed

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Well, I really hate to tell you but the Exo terra Sun Glo is NOT a UVB emitting light, it is strictly a basking light. So, if that is all she has had for a long time, then she has metabolic bone disease & will need alot of rehabbing to get her strength back.
So she is 8? If she has never had any UVB at all then it is definitely metabolic bone disease. She has not been able to absorb her calcium properly.

Tracie

 

[khglynn]

I understand, thank you. That is not all she has had. My lizards are in a windowed enclosure and are taken outside. They have a varietly of lights including one of the long UV admitting ones. That is the light I have on had on her an hour ago.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Great. However, how old were the tube UVB lights? What brand are they? There are very few good tube UVB lights. They need to be replaced after 6 months or so, because they lose UVB emissions. How often are they taken outside? A few hours outside here & there is not enough to maintain bone mass though. Her symptoms fit MBD.
Could she have eaten something bad, or gotten a spider bite?

Tracie

 

[khglynn]

You may be right. The tubes were bought in bulk to save money and I've been waiting till they burn out to replace it. And yeah, a few hours here and there is what she gets. This is terrible. And the plexiglass roof does no good? She could've gotten a spider bite. My other lizard is fit, fat, fat and healthy though, and she was running around a week ago. Does MBD suddenly strike like this? Is there anything I should/can do right now or until I take her to the vet in 6 and a half hours?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Please tell me what brand of tube UVB you are using & how old it is?
It looks or appears that the other dragon was taking ALL of the food. That is what happens alot of times when two dragons are left together. One will become dominant over the other leaving the other sick.
You have a vet visit for the morning? She needs Ringers solution for hydration subcutaneous immediately. That is the most important thing right now, is hydration, if she even makes it. Then we can worry about getting food into her.

Tracie

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

The other dragon is younger, right? Her system can handle it a little better since she is younger & if the other one has had very little UVB it has just caught up with her.
Metabolic bone disease starts slowly which gives a window of opportunity to treat it. You have probably missed alot of the signs.
No, the plexiglass filters out ALL of the UVB so it does them no good at all.
The tubes will not burn out for a very very long time most likely. The UVB emissions decrease after around 4-5 months & they do not get much of any UVB out of them after that. That is most likely the root of the problem.
Do they get calcium at all?
Also the tail, it looks like she has had some retained shed or an injury to it. Can you confirm that?
Just try to keep her as comfortable & calm as possible.
Let me know how she is doing. I hope she makes it overnight for you.
Do NOT let the vet administer any antibiotics to her right now as she is so dehydrated, it will cause almost immediate renal failure. The fluids are the most important at the moment.
Also, do you monitor the temps at all in the shed, & if so, what do you measure the temps with & what are the temps?

Tracie

 

[khglynn]

Thank you. She is twitching now. I have been giving her water all day through a syringe becasue I assumed hydration was a major issue. The tail injury was sustained when she was a baby. I do think the other dragon is younger. I got her from a friend who no longer wanted the responsiblility. Yes, they get a calcium/vitamin powder on their food. I have some "electrod(3)ize supplement" should I mix that with water and give it to her or is that totally useless. I can't remeber why I have it

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Ok, I just wondered why the end of the tail is dark so it is most likely due to her distress right now.
The water & calcium mix is ok, but until she gets some quality UVB lighting she wont be able to absorb it very well. If she is not getting enough food she wont be getting her calcium & vitamins.
Let's see how things progress & what can be done for her at the vets tomorrow & I will direct you to get a good UVB light. The tube lights you have now are probably very old, correct?
What are the temps? Do you monitor them?

Tracie

 

[khglynn]

Ok, I'd appreciate the referal. Yes they are. I do have a thermometer but I'm not good about checking it. They have several heating lamps in their shed that are connected to a thing that turns them off when the temp reaches 90. I appreciate your help. I'll keep her comfortable and wait till I go to the vet. I really appreciate your help

 

[khglynn]

I left Lucky for 3 hours last night so I could get some sleep and in that time she passed away.