redwithenvy
Member
My beardie is special. He's always had some health problems and he's the ripe old age of 9. I'm concerned that he's not feeling so hot.
He sleeps about 22 hours a day. He'll eat every two or three days and he poops okay, he's just tired all the time and will often shut his eyes when I try to feed him and he's feeling like he doesn't want to be bothered.
His sleep patterns have been solid like this for a few years. I've taken him to the vet as he started blowing air out his mouth, like a cough. The vet treated him for a respiratory infection a few years back and it did not stop his expelling air. He went in a few months ago and the doctor gave him bloodwork and said he likely had a GI infection, which he was treated with antibiotics for. He doesn't seem to be feeling feisty and active as he used to and I can't tell whether that's common with age or whether he truly feels awful. I so wish he could tell me! If he does feel awful, I don't want him to suffer. I've had him for almost a decade and I want to give him the best life possible and not let him struggle and suffer. Aside from the sleeping and grouchiness, and the expelling of air, he doesn't seem to have any other symptoms. I love him dearly and I would hate to keep him alive for my own selfish purposes. Can anyone shed light on the sleeping and/or cough? He's been through multiple antibiotic treatments on two different medications (Fortaz being one, I forget the other). He stays away from the heat and I've had to raise the ambient temperature in his cage because he avoids moving and especially basking. He doesn't seem to be doing himself any favors by staying on the colder end of his enclosure all the time.
I know there's no way to really know how he feels, I would just feel better if I knew whether old men just sleep more as they approach old age. Thanks in advance. I would love some other advice apart from my vet, and there is a rich community of beardie lovers here that have a ton of experience and insight.
He sleeps about 22 hours a day. He'll eat every two or three days and he poops okay, he's just tired all the time and will often shut his eyes when I try to feed him and he's feeling like he doesn't want to be bothered.
His sleep patterns have been solid like this for a few years. I've taken him to the vet as he started blowing air out his mouth, like a cough. The vet treated him for a respiratory infection a few years back and it did not stop his expelling air. He went in a few months ago and the doctor gave him bloodwork and said he likely had a GI infection, which he was treated with antibiotics for. He doesn't seem to be feeling feisty and active as he used to and I can't tell whether that's common with age or whether he truly feels awful. I so wish he could tell me! If he does feel awful, I don't want him to suffer. I've had him for almost a decade and I want to give him the best life possible and not let him struggle and suffer. Aside from the sleeping and grouchiness, and the expelling of air, he doesn't seem to have any other symptoms. I love him dearly and I would hate to keep him alive for my own selfish purposes. Can anyone shed light on the sleeping and/or cough? He's been through multiple antibiotic treatments on two different medications (Fortaz being one, I forget the other). He stays away from the heat and I've had to raise the ambient temperature in his cage because he avoids moving and especially basking. He doesn't seem to be doing himself any favors by staying on the colder end of his enclosure all the time.
I know there's no way to really know how he feels, I would just feel better if I knew whether old men just sleep more as they approach old age. Thanks in advance. I would love some other advice apart from my vet, and there is a rich community of beardie lovers here that have a ton of experience and insight.
