Bloody stool, Black Beard and Inactive

[Madburchell]

Sorry for posting again. I’m not trying to substitute this forum for a veterinarian, but this is my only alternative right now as I am a minor and I’m unable to make an appointment right now.

So if you’ve seen my other threads, my 3 year old female beardie named Delta has been having some seriously worrying issues. Bloody stool (for 2 weeks now), a case of parasitic pinworms (which I treated her for 5 days with a prescription from the only vet I managed to see), some type of fungus on her shoulder, black beard/colors, slow blinking/lowering her head slowly, and just general lethargy and inactiveness.

Considering my sweet girl has been spry and healthy before these past couple months, I’ve been really shocked with the decline of her health. She’s lost weight as a result of her parasites (although the vet said she was just on the leaner side, not necessarily underweight).

But, trying to look on the more positive side, I’ve been trying to reason that it could be brumation that’s causing her strange behavior. It is beginning to get progressively colder where I live and I’m trying to decide if that might be a valid factor, since she’s brumated before.

Because of her parasites, I’ve had to force feed veggies to her everyday. She hasn’t expressed any interest in crickets; just veggies. That’s a drastic change from a couple weeks ago. It really worries me because she always has a huge appetite and it has disappeared.

That being said, any help would be appreciated. I apologize for how long this was and I promise Im doing everything I can to get Delta through these tough times. She is such a sweet and comforting pet, and I’m really worried about her. I’m trying really hard not to think the worst possible scenario but it’s getting increasingly hard. I’ll provide some pictures for you guys, just let me know what you think. I’ll also list my setup.

- She has been in a 40 gallon tank for about a year and a half, with paper towel substrate (it allows me to monitor her stool to see if it’s discolored)

-She has a hammock (that she almost never leaves) that acts as her intense basking area. Temps are usually 95-100 there.

- I have a T5 UVB rod bulb that stretches across the entirety of the tank that I only allow for 12 hours. There is no screen obstruction in front of it. The heat bulb (that does NOT give off any light) stays on all the time. It is dark but warm at night for her.

- Her diet consists of collard greens, apples, butternut squash, zucchini and occasional treats (like blueberries, hornworms, or crunchies). Greens vary, but it is usually either bok choy or collard greens.

(one last thing.. anyone know why her spine colors are much more vibrant than the rest of her back? just curious. if it’s another health concern, i think i might cry for the 6th time today)

 

[KarrieRee]

Sorry for posting again. I’m not trying to substitute this forum for a veterinarian, but this is my only alternative right now as I am a minor and I’m unable to make an appointment right now.

So if you’ve seen my other threads, my 3 year old female beardie named Delta has been having some seriously worrying issues. Bloody stool (for 2 weeks now), a case of parasitic pinworms (which I treated her for 5 days with a prescription from the only vet I managed to see), some type of fungus on her shoulder, black beard/colors, slow blinking/lowering her head slowly, and just general lethargy and inactiveness.

Considering my sweet girl has been spry and healthy before these past couple months, I’ve been really shocked with the decline of her health. She’s lost weight as a result of her parasites (although the vet said she was just on the leaner side, not necessarily underweight).

But, trying to look on the more positive side, I’ve been trying to reason that it could be brumation that’s causing her strange behavior. It is beginning to get progressively colder where I live and I’m trying to decide if that might be a valid factor, since she’s brumated before.

Because of her parasites, I’ve had to force feed veggies to her everyday. She hasn’t expressed any interest in crickets; just veggies. That’s a drastic change from a couple weeks ago. It really worries me because she always has a huge appetite and it has disappeared.

That being said, any help would be appreciated. I apologize for how long this was and I promise Im doing everything I can to get Delta through these tough times. She is such a sweet and comforting pet, and I’m really worried about her. I’m trying really hard not to think the worst possible scenario but it’s getting increasingly hard. I’ll provide some pictures for you guys, just let me know what you think. I’ll also list my setup.

- She has been in a 40 gallon tank for about a year and a half, with paper towel substrate (it allows me to monitor her stool to see if it’s discolored)

-She has a hammock (that she almost never leaves) that acts as her intense basking area. Temps are usually 95-100 there.

- I have a T5 UVB rod bulb that stretches across the entirety of the tank that I only allow for 12 hours. There is no screen obstruction in front of it. The heat bulb (that does NOT give off any light) stays on all the time. It is dark but warm at night for her.

- Her diet consists of collard greens, apples, butternut squash, zucchini and occasional treats (like blueberries, hornworms, or crunchies). Greens vary, but it is usually either bok choy or collard greens.

(one last thing.. anyone know why her spine colors are much more vibrant than the rest of her back? just curious. if it’s another health concern, i think i might cry for the 6th time today)
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@AHBD
@CooperDragon
@Drache613

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

He is not looking real good right now. Were you able to get some topical anti-fungal cream?
I am going to message you here on the boards with more help.

Tracie

 

[Madburchell]

Hello,

He is not looking real good right now. Were you able to get some topical anti-fungal cream?
I am going to message you here on the boards with more help.

Tracie

Yes, I did get some and I managed to reply to your email (and we have talked this morning I believe, about force feeding her some nutrients). She manages to run around really well whenever I take her out, but all she does alone is bask and poop

 

[Tezcatlip0ca]

Instead of force feeding only veggies which are good for beardies...but when they are sick they need more nutrients then veggies alone- i'd try getting something like EmerAid- omnivore for exotic animals and try syringe feeding your beardie... Also when theyre sick and healing they need a bit warmer temps...warm side should be 100-104.. you may need to get a differnt dome and light... If that isnt possible.. make sure they have a good easily accessible basking spot. Before this started- was she digging around or being super active and restless by chance? I wonder if shes egg bound.

 

[Madburchell]

Instead of force feeding only veggies which are good for beardies...but when they are sick they need more nutrients then veggies alone- i'd try getting something like EmerAid- omnivore for exotic animals and try syringe feeding your beardie... Also when theyre sick and healing they need a bit warmer temps...warm side should be 100-104.. you may need to get a differnt dome and light... If that isnt possible.. make sure they have a good easily accessible basking spot. Before this started- was she digging around or being super active and restless by chance? I wonder if shes egg bound.

Hey! Thanks so much for helping me on this thread. This is some really good info; thank you for that.. I will certainly look into EmerAid.

I actually blended up some squash, zucchini and water this morning in a blender and syringe fed her that way to try and give her some nutrients. I’m actually housed somewhere temporarily where I’m unable to get to a pet store but I will be returning home tomorrow. (She has a heat lamp the whole ride home). Since I can’t get a new bulb though, I made her basking area closer. She loves it and has yet to leave that spot.

The thought of being egg bound actually never occurred to me. The only snag is, she is pretty underweight after her pinworms. I used to be able to feel a poop/potential egg in her belly when she was heavier, but I feel like she doesn’t have the stability to deliver eggs right now. But to answer your question, yes, she was extremely active before the worrisome activity became apparent. She began glass surfing (one of the first things I noticed before I called the vet) and she DID burrow and scratch her paper towel substrate. She would usually go into her hide before she did that. But, that being said, Delta still sprints around whenever I take her out of her cage. Even now, she can be hard to catch!

Her colors are still very dark and her spine seems to be a lot more vibrant than the rest of her body. That really seems odd to me.

 

[Tezcatlip0ca]

Hey! Thanks so much for helping me on this thread. This is some really good info; thank you for that.. I will certainly look into EmerAid.

I actually blended up some squash, zucchini and water this morning in a blender and syringe fed her that way to try and give her some nutrients. I’m actually housed somewhere temporarily where I’m unable to get to a pet store but I will be returning home tomorrow. (She has a heat lamp the whole ride home). Since I can’t get a new bulb though, I made her basking area closer. She loves it and has yet to leave that spot.

The thought of being egg bound actually never occurred to me. The only snag is, she is pretty underweight after her pinworms. I used to be able to feel a poop/potential egg in her belly when she was heavier, but I feel like she doesn’t have the stability to deliver eggs right now. But to answer your question, yes, she was extremely active before the worrisome activity became apparent. She began glass surfing (one of the first things I noticed before I called the vet) and she DID burrow and scratch her paper towel substrate. She would usually go into her hide before she did that. But, that being said, Delta still sprints around whenever I take her out of her cage. Even now, she can be hard to catch!

Her colors are still very dark and her spine seems to be a lot more vibrant than the rest of her body. That really seems odd to me.

Yes, if eggs are left too long inside, they break down, fuse together and make them egg bound which can make a beardie extreamly ill. They do loose weight due to this... And you won't be able to feel the eggs anymore and her stomach wouldn't be distended like she's full of them because they have broken down by this point.

 

[Madburchell]

Yes, if eggs are left too long inside, they break down, fuse together and make them egg bound which can make a beardie extreamly ill. They do loose weight due to this... And you won't be able to feel the eggs anymore and her stomach wouldn't be distended like she's full of them because they have broken down by this point.

Oh no I had no idea. Could this be why her stool is bloody? Or maybe the stool has an orange tinge to it?

Bless her heart.. Idk how to combat this. I’ve been applying her anti-fungal cream, syringe feeding her, several acts.

Maybe my next course of action is an x-ray?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Yes, thanks. It is hard to determine the egg binding. Most of the time if egg bound, the urates or stool could be yellow possibly
from excess yolk. Blood is possible if peritonitis or an infection is present. An x-ray could help determine if there is a mass in
her abdomen. Her overall coloring could be fungal or liver issues as well. I realize it costs but a blood test would be helpful, too.
How orange is the stool at this point? Supplementation can also cause this too.
The emeraid or critical care are full of nutrients & protein which can help with weight gain or support.
Is her beard black too? A lot of times if they are very distressed, their coloring can be off. The end of her tail is pretty dark in the
pictures above so that is another possibility of odd color variations.
I will write back email as well. Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

 

[Tezcatlip0ca]

Any updates?

 

[Madburchell]

Any updates?

Hi,
yes, there is a newer thread that I have been updating. Thanks so much for checking in You can find the new thread on my profile