bloody stool and unusual behavior. HELP!

[Ker6176]

dewies stats:
UVB- reptiglo 5.0
temp 1 is 80
temp on other side is 95
he has a regular 65 watt bulb for heat.
calcium sand substrate
bathes daily
fresh water daily.
diet: super worms, spinish, carrots, and fortified bearded dragon pellets.
tank size: 80 gallon tank
size: 18 inches long and 1 lb approximately.
suppliments: calcium and D3 without phosphorus

Symptoms
He is usually so alert and very active. Just starting today he has has a black beard from his head to his belly.
he actually vommited only a few hours ago and he womited his food as well as slight blood.
He has bloody stool and poops constantly and without even lifting his tail. He is constantly drinking water and needed 3 baths today just to clean him off and make him relax.
He is usually a brown and white while as today he is dark gray and dark brown.
He is more sluggish than usual.
his stomach which usually feels squishy is alot firmer.
When in the bath he will open his mouth, shake his head back and forth and looks like he is trying to show something but cant. a few minutes later he pooped blood again.
he also has an unusual smell to him. usually he smells like a normal dragon. right now he smells like metal and blood (strange i know)
he hasnt eatten anything new and has been in his type of substrate for about 5 months (since he was big enough to handle.


Medical history:
Has an absess that ruptured on his tail so he has a constant scab
does not shed well due to a skin problem. vet ruled it to be genetic and not a serious issue.

Notes:
he is still active, none of the other dragons are showing any signs of the same problem,
he has no strained breathing
he is still as active as normal minus when he is about to poop and and a little while after.
he is drinking and eatting as normal and gets calcium daily.

please help. he is seeing a vet tomorrow, i just want opinions. I cant have kids so he and the other dragons i have are loved more than anything in this world. please Help.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Sorry to hear your dragon is not doing well. So, you have a vet visit on saturday then, that is good. You will have to let us know how that goes.

There are a few things to address with your setup.
The Reptiglo 5, is that a tube bulb or a compact/coil light? Either one whether you are using the tube bulb or a compact/coil light, is way too weak of a UVB source to be doing him any good, unfortunately. You will need to upgrade to a Reptisun 10 tube bulb, it will be much stronger for him. Here is a link to where you can get it for a very good price:
http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/504983/zoo-med-reptisun-10.0-uvb-bulb.html

One problem is that without good UVB exposure, he will not be able to absorb calcium & vitamins properly. That could be one thing that is going on.
The temperatures are a bit low. However, what type of thermometer are you using to measure the temperatures? A round analogue stick on type, a digital probe or a temp gun? The basking temperatures need to be in a range of 95-110 with the cooler side of around 78-82.
Have you ever had any impaction problems with him since he is on the calcium based sand? Does he lick it or ingest any of it? This particular type of sand will clump up when it gets wet, causing impactions that are very difficult to pass.
How much blood was in the stool? Is this the first time this has happened?
He may have worms or parasites which can cause blood in the stool a lot of times. Did he have to strain when he went to the bathroom, that you noticed? Were the urates hard or soft?
He could be low in calcium, which does cause difficulty in passing stools. That will contribute to straining, blood & sometimes organ prolapse.

At the vets, I would try to get a blood test to see what his blood serum levels are, & make sure that they do an ionized calcium test as well which tests the 25 Hydroxy levels or stored D3 levels in the bones. An x-ray would be helpful as well, if you can afford them.

His diet sounds pretty good. I would though cut the spinach out right now, as that is higher in oxalates which will bind calcium absorption. Try mustard or collard greens instead right now, or dandelion greens are good also.

Based on your description, it is a high possibility he is either badly impacted or liver failure. Was the stool runny as well, mixed with blood? Did he vomit blood too? You commented the abdomen is firm, that is indicative or liver or kidney problems or an impaction.
I am glad you are getting him to the vet because vomiting or pooping blood is a serious issue. It could be severe impaction, or kidney & liver issues. Since his beard to his belly is black, he is in severe distress & pain too. Try to keep him as comfortable as you can while waiting to see the vet.
Please let us know how he is doing & update us when you get back from the vet too.

Tracie

 

[Ker6176]

Dewie sadly did not make it. He dies yesterday morning at 1140 am. After being examined he stopped breathing on his own. He wasn't impacted. He had some yellow fungus disease that has no signs or symptoms. It just sneaks up on u and takes away the thing u love most. Our other dragons were tested and came up negitive. His lungs had growths on them that we didn't see any warning signs for. It sucks but hopefully others can learn there is a lot of diseases. He is no longer in pain so I just hppe he is in a better place.

 

[beardie4127]

Poor thing.
Ps: You shouldn't have given him Spinach

 

[Ker6176]

Well not everyone can be perfect like u. He loved what he ate and a vet said it was fine. The other 5 are healthy and enjoy was they are fed. I have tried mustard and collard greens. I don't like feeding them things that give them diarrhea. But thanks.

 

[beardie4127]

Well not everyone can be perfect like u. He loved what he ate and a vet said it was fine. The other 5 are healthy and enjoy was they are fed. I have tried mustard and collard greens. I don't like feeding them things that give them diarrhea. But thanks.

im not perfect im only 11 thats just what i read

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I am sorry for your loss. He is in a better place & is not suffering anymore. At least he was not alone when he did pass.
Let us know if you need anything at all.


Tracie

 

[healthybeardie]

Ker6176, So sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[Zeph94]

Sorry for your loss. I've only had mine for a day and would be really sad if I lost it somehow. Strange how attached you can get to these friendly little things so fast.

 

[beardie parents]

I'm sorry he died. I know how you feel. It hurts when we loose one. I lost 4 in a 2 year period, some from my lack of knowledge at the time others from freak things happening.