Dino's YF... Rest Easy my Lil' Friend :'(

[jewl495]

Hurray for no meds for a week, well in three days that is. :wink: How does Dino do when you take her out for cuddle time? Im sure she is having good days and bad days, Xerxes is the same way. He perks up when he's out for cuddle time but just lays flat in his viv or in the outside cage. You have been through all this before so you know that she will eventually feel better, but it sure doesn't feel good to see them like this. How do you think things are looking?

 

[SpikesAgirl]

Spitty....you're too funny! You're being realistic though. We all know that YF can be deadly to beardies. Sometimes it's the meds that are deadly... or an inexperienced vet! YIKES! So many things are a factor with a sick one. I'm happy to report that TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY... she's FINE! :headbang: If I have it my way, she'll get better and I'll only have happy posts to share with you guys! *fingers crossed* :wink:

Hi Jewls...yes, thank God that's over with. She's still a little blah. She had her face pointed nice & high to her lights today and looked so bright when I got home. That changed when I tried to get her to eat. She got a little dark and stress marks on her belly. She definitely isn't the mood for chasing down crix, that's for sure. She caught a couple and was DONE. Not only that, she only ate the ones that didn't make it outta the dish. :| Gave her some big mealworms and she didn't even really seem to want those either. I think she's addicted to Supers. Those are the only thing she seems to eagerly come off the perch for. :roll: Whatever works! If that's what Dino wants, then that's what Dino gets. :lol: She's okay during cuddle time. She usually will try to climb to the back of the couch when we're sitting there. Last couple times, she just stayed on my shoulder. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I
haven't put SSD on her lesions for 3 days. They are drying up a little and look better actually. I've been spritzing them with diluted betadine and letting it dry. Her shoulder spot looks like it's actually gone down a little bit! I was pretty excited to see that!
Then I noticed she did something weird with her right arm a couple times. I've only seen it twice so not sure exactly what she's doing. When she goes to turn left to get back on her ramp/perch, she lifts her right arm almost like half an arm wave. I know that's NOT what she's doing. She was walking back to her perch. YF can attack nerves too so watching her every move like a hawk! I thought that was weird. I've also noticed her right bicep twitching too. Definitely NOT a calcium deficiency, it's actually a little high right now according to blood work done 7.24. So, that rules that out. I don't know if it's a vision thing or a nerve thing. Hafta keep an eye on that. The spot where the sutures were looks really good in spite of them being ripped out. Healing nicely I think. I don't see anything that looks like a problem anyway.

 

[munchkins9802]

I was going to mention stopping the silver dyne ointment aas well. If it is the typical cream that some people say is good for burns, my dr actually told my husband that if you use it for too long or too soon, it can actually get an area infected. Just a thought

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I think it would do Dino some good to take a break from the silver cream to allow the skin to air out & heal up. It has already helped a lot.
Is she eating a lot?
She sure knows how to make things hard for you! LOL Were you able to get the spatula out of her mouth?
Poor girl, she is probably just sick of all of the meds I am sure.

Tracie

 

[SpikesAgirl]

OOoooh, see nobody told me that...to stop the SSD for a while. Dr said to just keep putting it on the lesions when I asked her if I should continue treating topically now that she's on meds. Maybe she doesn't know that or just didn't think to give me a time frame. She seemed a little frazzled the day I went in to see her. She was short staffed so, I'm gonna give her the benefit of the doubt. :dontknow: I decided to stop the SSD cream because it keeps the area wet/moist. With the areas being wet/moist, the scabs were sloughing off during our oral med struggles. I just figured, maybe it would be of benefit to let it get dry before the next oral dosing cycle begins. A little common sense goes a long way sometimes I guess! Thanks for the input guys!! You just made me feel better about making that decision.

 

[Esther19]

Hi! I'm just checking in to see how you and Dino are doing. Very well, I hope.

 

[Drache613]

Hello Sue,

I'm with Esther...how are things going? I hadn't heard from you lately.

Tracie

 

[SpikesAgirl]

Hi Ladies,
Thanks for asking about the little trooper! She seems to be doing okay. She just got her last shot of Ceftz on Saturday. Her appetite is normal. She doesn't seem overly thirsty when I give her soaks. Her eye still looks crappy though. She kind of squeezes it shut sometimes and it looks a little watery. My concern now is that her nasal passage, on the bad side (left), seems to be swelling. It's not as open as the other side. I hafta call the vet today. I'm not sure if "on for a week-off for 3" with the IC is from the day I start the med or finished it. If it's from when I started it, then she begins another cycle tomorrow, if it's when I finished it, she starts it again next week. I noticed another lesion starting on the inside of one of her legs.
I just got another tank and light fixture for her for when we go away in the winter to go snowmobiling. (YUP! Thinking about it ALREADY!! ) My husband said, "Why? She's not coming to Rangeley with us!" I said, "Well she's NOT being boarded anywhere! AND she's probably still gonna be on meds!" So, he brought it up there this weekend when he took a ride up to bring some stuff up. =) Might as well just have a tank up there than having to bring one back & forth and risk it getting cracked or broken being crammed in with all the bags and what not! Right?! Right. So, that's the scoop. I'll try to get some new pics loaded this week. Thanks again for asking about her! <3

 

[Drache613]

Hello Sue,

Absolutely, that is a great idea having a tank up where you go in the winter. Less chances of something getting broken in traveling. I wouldn't want to board her again, either after this.
I hope that she is doing better, poor Dino. She has been through a lot!
Her other eye area/nasal area looks like it may be swelling? Try to get some pictures up of that. It is always something! Does she have a respiratory issue that they know of?

Keep us posted on her. I am glad that she is drinking well & doesn't seem terribly thirsty.

Tracie

 

[Esther19]

Hi! Thanks for the update! I agree wholeheartedly with the second tank idea. So glad your husband agreed, too. :wink: I can imagine that you're frustrated with how long it is taking her to heal. I know I sure would be! Hang in there! You are doing a tremendous job with her!

 

[SpikesAgirl]

I know it's going to be a very long process to get rid of it. Giving her oral meds is really hard right now because of the sores/lesions are at their worst at her MOUTH. It would be easier to give her SHOTS! :roll: But anyway, the battle continues til' we win the war! :whip: I did talk to the vets office too. She's off for 3 weeks from the last dose, so no meds this week! Back on IC next week. Til' then, I'm just trying to keep her mouth sores clean and get them dried up a bit. The minute she's in the bath though, and they get wet: yucky & gooey. I can't NOT give her baths cuz that's how she hydrates and she needs that with the meds. Very frustrating!! I looked back at other pics, that nostril that I thought just recently started to look more closed than the other side has been like that for a while. I guess I just hadn't noticed it. :? I don't think there's anything respiratory going on right now. I'll keep an eye out for any funny breathing though. 8 months and counting since this all started back in January....

 

[SpitFyre]

Humans are the world's best marathoners. There was a group of people in Africa that hunted by running for miles on end until the prey died of hyperthermia. It was a test of endurance.

You are Dino's Greatest Marathoner- just running a different sort of race. Perservere, and in the years afterwards, you can say you are a truly dedicated beardie slave. (Because that's what we all aspire to be, right? :wink: )

 

[SpikesAgirl]

Well, that's one way to get a meal! :shock: Lucky for Dino all she has to do is walk a couple steps over to her dish thanks to her Human! I need a badge: Official Beardie Slave. Beardie snuggles will do though! :wink:

 

[Drache613]

Hello Sue,

At least she is off meds this week. How is she doing tonight?
Poor girl, she sure is a good sport about it all.
How is her nostril looking? I am thinking about you both.

Tracie

 

[SpikesAgirl]

Hi Tracie...The left side of her face is just awful looking. She's still eating BUT she won't take more than 2 or 3 crickets. I think they bother her mouth when she's eating them. She will eagerly eat her supers however, I noticed yesterday when giving her some that she's doing extra mouth licks after she eats one. Almost like it feels like there's still something in her mouth? I also noticed that when she opens her mouth, the sore hangs down over her 'bottom lip' so it's looking pretty raw under there. There's been a couple of mornings that she didn't come down to eat after I covinced her to take the first bite or two to make sure she got her probiotics in. I still clean/flush the sores with betadine. The scabs/lesions are hard as a rock. I can see now that the lesion IS in fact spreading over to her nostril. That's still swollen, but not shut. I'm going to have to bring her back in to the vet. I'm afraid to touch that side AT ALL. Med week is approaching and I have to hold her face to get her mouth open....*sigh* I'm actually going to ask how much it would cost for them to take her for the week to administer the meds. Pictures to follow... Thanks for checkin' in on us! <3