Darwin

[Adriana0918]

How is Darwin doing today?

 

[CooperDragon]

He had a pretty good day. Ate some blackberries and squash and green beans for breakfast. Did some window basking. Then hung out in his tank while I was at work. His poops are still runny though so I need to consult with his vet and see what she wants to try next on that front. Otherwise he's an energetic, happy little guy.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Good to hear, except for the runny poop, hopefully there's something the vet can do.

 

[CooperDragon]

I'm really not sure what's up at this point. I want another look through the microscope to see if the flagellates are still there. If they are, then we've been using the wrong meds. If they're gone, then something else is the cause and they were a red herring. I'm not in a huge rush though since he is otherwise so healthy and happy. My regrets about over medicating Dundee haunt me daily.

 

[CooperDragon]

Went to the vet again. He is up to 480g and doing well but the flagellates are still there. We've clearly been taking the wrong approach or using the wrong meds. Going to try and identify the bugs in a sample so perhaps a targeted medication can be used going forward.

 

[Goonie]

Phooey that the flagellates are still present, but great news that he's up to 480 grams! Apparently the flagellates aren't bothering his growth.

 

[sweetiepie9]

I'm so glad to hear that he's gained a good amount of weight. I guess the parasites aren't affecting his appetite which is a good think. Hopefully the right meds are found and those awful things are gone.

 

[CooperDragon]

He certainly eats well. He's been in a bit of a slowdown phase lately and his weight has kind of leveled off but nothing to cause concern. I think he's approaching his optimal weight/size which is encouraging. The vet took a video of the flagellates under the microscope. Pretty interesting to see. I'll post the video if I can get a copy from her.

 

[CooperDragon]

We just got back from a road trip out to New Hampshire with several stops along the way. Just over 2600 miles since last Wednesday night. Darwin handled the constant change in scenery and long car rides really well. He mellowed out and it felt like good bonding time. All of us are glad to be home though =).

First night on the road at a hotel in Indiana. We arrived late and he pretty much slept through the whole thing comfortably.

He mostly rode on our laps or chests looking out the window or curled up on a corner of the floor but he spent a little time up on the dash when the traffic was light and we were out of the cities.

A stop at Niagara Falls before settling down at my parent's house in Rochester. Kept him in his carrier because of the big crowds and chaos but he poked his head up to see what the fuss was about. He got some time to roam around in the grass away from the crowds.

Hanging out with his grandma

Stopped at RPI on the way through Troy. Got some time to hang out on a rock pile before a big thunderstorm came through.

Road setup at our friends house in New Hampshire. Worked out pretty well.

Stopped for some ice cream at Ben & Jerry's in Vermont before visiting his great grandma in Burlington

We spent the night at our camp in the Adirondacks. He got to splash around in the lake a bit, roam the beach, and get some sun up on a driftwood log.

 

[sweetiepie9]

He sure enjoyed that trip & what a great set up for him, perfect travelling equipment to keep him comfy and warm.

 

[Goonie]

What fun for Darwin to have experienced so much! And what a good boy to endure the long car rides and different scenery.

 

[AHBD]

Look at that Darwin, how sweet ! He sure is a well traveled dragon....I'm a little jealous that a lizard has had a better vacation than I've had in years. :lol:

Did he go white water rafting as well ?

 

[CooperDragon]

No rafting yet. That will be next trip :wink: I'm going to spoil the crap out of this little guy and make sure he lives the best life possible after what he's been through =). He's still settling back into his old routine. Lost about 15g on the road but that's all gained back in 2 days of bugs and veg so I'm not worried. He ate some blackberry this morning but ignored his squash so he's just being a butt. I'm so glad he's at the point where he can be picky!

 

[sweetiepie9]

Yes, it's always good when they're slightly picky, but not like mine that won't eat at all. I have 3 of them! Hand feeding all the way.

 

[CooperDragon]

I heard from the vet and she said the others agreed that the ronidazole should have worked, especially with the extended dosage. The guess is that something else may be going on, perhaps ADV. He shows no other sings of that though. Since there isn't really any good treatment or urgency we'll just get a swab and blood test done on his next exam in a couple of months to test for ADV and to get a base line of his system functions. It's still odd to me that the flagellates wouldn't get wiped out by the ronidazole. Could try metronidazole but that's not usually as potent and I want to give his system a break from the treatments at least for a while for fear it will wind up doing more harm than good.