Hey guys - I'm starting to worry about Charlie. I expected him to be off for a while. Well, he's dark almost all the time now. He won't eat. He feels lighter (my scale is broken so I can't weigh him). Worse part, I've already had 2 major surgeries on my dog and one of my cats in the last 3 months (dentals with infected teeth...the cat was very unexpected as she lost a tooth and had no other signs).
Now it's even harder to do anything do to isolation. I have asthma and MS, I can't go anywhere. I'm so worried guys. I have plans to make a huge double le enclosure - 5 feet by 3 wide by 2 or 3 high for each boy (double tall). Charlie's will be on top so he can look our the window (his fav thing).
I ordered groceries but Charlie won't touch the greens. I ordered his bok choy, I'm laying supers right under his nose. Nothing. He did drink some water today, so that is a good thing.
Charlies lighting please tell us what you have and where in the tank it is --- how old is the UVB? What other staple feeder are you feeding? You can order dubias on line along w/ super worms if you need to -- hes dark ? meaning the whole body or just the beard? Post a pic of Charlie https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ click on XIMG at top of message box and then click on the pic it should post
Karrie
His bulb was bought in Dec, T5 desert uvb, lots of calcium, fussy eater, loves supers, hates everything. Pretty sure I clued in to with what is wrong. His screen door was broken. I always leave it open as he loves to wander...I think he got his foot caught as his left hind foot looks wrong...swollen.
FYI - I've been on the board for years, just not always vocal. I'm in Canada, in other words - no dubias, they are illegal (sucks). He can't be bothered to chase crickets, I have lots of supers he just won't eat and the only online shop can't mail feeders right now thanks to covid (ugh). He loves hornworms and did eat 1 last week...but he normally would eat 4 (special once a month treat as they are not nutritious). I was debating making an emergency trip to petsmart and buying their crappy little ones (hornworms). After some mommy cuddles and a long bath his body colour went back to normal, but his beard was still dark. And yes, his whole body was dark, very dark; that's highly unusual for him. Even tho he's a cranky boy, he's usually pretty content.
Wish i could build the new enclosure this week, it would help. L
Ok Tracie or ahbd is gonna haft to look at his foot- the T 5 you have it where in the tank or on top of screen? Are you ordering from the worm lady in Canada? How long was Charlie dark? Was he under his basking light when he was dark? If he was he was absorbing heat
Karrie
The T5 is inside not far from him, he stays on his basking rock, barely moves off of it. Pretty sure my baby is in pain. Ugh. No, I used to order from the worm lady but had some, uh, issues with her...I usually get from East Coast Exotics but their next delivery to my area isn't until the 19th and they aren't able to mail. He's been dark like that for at least a week. Maybe two. I thought he was cranky over Carl (foster rescue, he's a 9 year old underweight boy who's doing fantastic now). But I literally just clued in after posting that Charlie's foot looks swollen. My poor boy ☹
Ask Tracie she is the vet moderator --- send her a PM so she can see it tonite she is usually on at nite --- give her Charlies weight if you have it
Karrie
Sorry about your boy, Charlie. It does sound more like an injury than gout, hopefully!
You mentioned he may have gotten his foot caught in the door of his enclosure?
How long ago was that?
They do alright on Metacam, short term. I can help dose it for him, if you wanted to get
him started on a short regime for him to help with pain. What concentration or strength of
solution do you have? I just need his weight to dose properly for him.
Have you double checked his temperatures in his tank to make sure that they are optimal
for him for basking?
The T5 should be 10 or so inches from him, is it closer than that to him?
Yes, I'm thinking in the last 2 weeks...my 6 year old son accidentally stepped through the screening (Charlie's door is never closed, he used it like a ramp). I didn't put two and two together until yesterday after I posted. He hasn't been coming out of his enclosure like he normally does.
I managed to weigh him (and made him super cranky) this morning, he weighs 530g, temps during the day are 103, night time 80 - 83, I have a temperature controlled small dog heating pad in there too as I was worried with the door open he wasn't getting warm enough (hence the need for a new enclosure). The T5 is about 9 inches from him.
Here is what I have for meds on hand (fyi - although grumpy, he looked more alert this morning).
I added in the Gabapentin just in case, though I've read it's efficacy in beardies hasn't been studied enough. It was given as an anti-inflammatory/pain med for my cat in February for her dental extractions (she lost one canine and after x-ray the vet saw the other 3 canines were in bad shape at the root! You couldn't visually see the damage, poor baby girl).
Anyway, if you could help me help Charlie, I would be so so grateful! He's only 3, I want to have him around for a VERY long time! <3
So yesterday and today I gave Charlie 0.2mg of metacam. He lightened up. Then I gave him a soak today and he was staring to poop to the point of exhaustion ☹ he spent the rest of his day sleeping after I syringe fed his a slurry of fruits, veg, with added calcium and I syringed water too. His colour looks better, but my anxiety is high and I'm scared of losing my baby
It's possible that his foot is bothering him some as was already mentioned. When you say he was trying to poo, was he able to ? Or was he straining hard + then gave up ? And are you positive that he's IS a he ?
I'm pretty sure it's his foot - he doesn't like me touching it. He was straining and gave up - seemed a bit better this morning, but still won't eat. But he's not as dark! Positive he's male - seminal plugs and all...
I'm going to wait a bit then try another bath for him. I want to get him hornworms as they seem to stimulate his appetite, or usually do. Maybe I'm just over-reacting. He's never brumated - honestly, none of my beardies have ever brumated :roll:
Sometimes they go in to a brumation type phase if they don't feel well. As for the straining to poo, pain meds. almost always cause constipation in humans so this might be the reason.