Hello,
Dragon quit eating around two weeks ago.
He would do this sometimes as he was so fat he could hardly move.
Last Saturday I had oral surgery, and my daughter came to me around Wendsday (while I was still recovering) and said that the dragon did not look so good.
and she said I needed to look at him as soon as possible.
I had been having some complications from the dental stuff, when I did get to take a look at him on the following Friday - he was doing very poorly.
I did not worry about the not eating the first week, and had I not had unexpected surgery on the following Saturday - I probably would have caught the situation earlier - but now it was two weeks without food.
I was not sure what to do.
I have been unable (and still was on Saturday) to find a vet that will even see a reptile.
I was desperate - so I showed up at the local barnfieild vet office - was waiting when they opened, only to be told that they no longer had a vet at that clinic, and even if they did - they would not treat a lizard.
The tech called all three of our local vet emergency rooms - same problem - we do not see exotics.
I finally almost gave up - was at the local post office (have a store and had to mail a package quickly before the post closed) and just blurted out did anyone know a vet that was open on Saturday and would see a lizard?
Everyone said there was - one - vet close by that was open on Sat. until 12:00 but they did not know if he would see the dragon.
I just went there - he first said no - and tried to refer me to the ONLY vet that he knew of in the entire DFW metroplex (with the exception of one other in Fort Worth)
The vet office called the other vet for me, but they said they could not see me only one vet on staff and they were overbooked.
I finally begged the first vet into seeing him - if only to put him to sleep. I did not want to see him suffer.
He consulted with the other vet, and they as a proactive care - treated him for a upper respritory.
He also gave him some subQ fulids with calcium.
I had given him up for dead - not moving - just lying there.
We made it through Saturday night, the fluids seemed to make him feel better for a short time - and now it is Sunday am - and after he seemed to do a bit better yesterday, he is back to his state of just lying there - breathing but otherwise looking dead.
Here is the tank setup:
My tank is 36" long 15" tall 15" wide
There is a ceramic heater on the top next to a basking lamp (took everything apart to clean it just now) but I think it is around 6" or so above the basking rock.
There is a heat pad that sticks to the bottom of the tank, and it is directly in the middle.
The lamps I use are
150 w sun glo exo terra - this one is on a switch, and I turn it on when he seems cool - but it warms him rapidly and he seeks shelter.
repti glo 10. uvb - this one stays on all day. 20W Exo - Terra desert lamp.
I have one of the blacklight type reptile lamps, but rarely use it. It is just there in case there is a very cold night.
I use the reptile sand as a substrate.
The temps are just at 110 on the hot side (atop the basking rock) and around 70 - 80 on the shade side where his water is. The hot side is just at 100 degrees with a middle area that is just at 90 or so. I tried to create four different temp areas with shelter in each area except the cool side. The terra cotta pot has the rock on top but has the open area with shade in the middle
If he gets in the water and soaks, the temp drops to the 70 area where he splashes the water onto the sand. Otherwise it is just at 80.
I have a terra cotta plant pot that I broke in half and smoothed the edges, on top of this is a rock and there are limbs that are made for him to climb up to the basking rock. He uses this almost daily, and loves to sleep there at night, just below the ceramic lamp. (my house stays pretty cool - just at 68 degrees)
To picture this - take a pot, cut it in half - prop it against the glass at a angle (cut the bottom at the right angle so that there is a opening so that the lizard can go completely around and yet under it as well for shade.
Put the rock on top of the pot - this is the basking spot. On top of half of the heating pad from the bottom, I put another rock so that when he is under the pot- he is still not sitting directly on the mat - he is on a warm but not hot rock. He has loved this set up for all of his years - it gives him lots of room, but so many different temps.
I have been feeding him mostly organic dandelion from whole foods - he loves this food.
He eats a little bit of mealworms - but not as much as he did when he was little.
I mist him pretty often - especially if he looks dry - like he wants to shed.
But just about daily or every couple of days at the longest.
As for dusting - I have not been doing this - but picked some calcium spray and also some vitamin spray today, and sprayed his superworms with it.
The lights come on just about 10:00 am and then go off around 10:00 pm - 9:00 if for some reason I am going to bed early. (that is not very often)
I currently have him sitting on my lap on a heating pad (with a towel folded in half under him)
I force fed him just around 6 superworms that I had cut into pieces.
He is having a hard time swallowing - and does not like it at all when I try to make him drink.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
I think I finally found a vet that I can take him to tomorrow if I can get him through today and tonight.
He looks terribly dehydrated.
Is force feeding him the right thing to do?
And if so - which is more imortant - the greens or the superworms?
I sprayed them down with a calcium suppliment and the vitamin spray.
How much is ok to force feed - can I over do this while he is sick?
Please help - I am desperate.
I do not want to see anything suffer.
He does not even open his eyes today - Just lies there.
Thanks,
Rhonda (RT)
Dragon quit eating around two weeks ago.
He would do this sometimes as he was so fat he could hardly move.
Last Saturday I had oral surgery, and my daughter came to me around Wendsday (while I was still recovering) and said that the dragon did not look so good.
and she said I needed to look at him as soon as possible.
I had been having some complications from the dental stuff, when I did get to take a look at him on the following Friday - he was doing very poorly.
I did not worry about the not eating the first week, and had I not had unexpected surgery on the following Saturday - I probably would have caught the situation earlier - but now it was two weeks without food.
I was not sure what to do.
I have been unable (and still was on Saturday) to find a vet that will even see a reptile.
I was desperate - so I showed up at the local barnfieild vet office - was waiting when they opened, only to be told that they no longer had a vet at that clinic, and even if they did - they would not treat a lizard.
The tech called all three of our local vet emergency rooms - same problem - we do not see exotics.
I finally almost gave up - was at the local post office (have a store and had to mail a package quickly before the post closed) and just blurted out did anyone know a vet that was open on Saturday and would see a lizard?
Everyone said there was - one - vet close by that was open on Sat. until 12:00 but they did not know if he would see the dragon.
I just went there - he first said no - and tried to refer me to the ONLY vet that he knew of in the entire DFW metroplex (with the exception of one other in Fort Worth)
The vet office called the other vet for me, but they said they could not see me only one vet on staff and they were overbooked.
I finally begged the first vet into seeing him - if only to put him to sleep. I did not want to see him suffer.
He consulted with the other vet, and they as a proactive care - treated him for a upper respritory.
He also gave him some subQ fulids with calcium.
I had given him up for dead - not moving - just lying there.
We made it through Saturday night, the fluids seemed to make him feel better for a short time - and now it is Sunday am - and after he seemed to do a bit better yesterday, he is back to his state of just lying there - breathing but otherwise looking dead.
Here is the tank setup:
My tank is 36" long 15" tall 15" wide
There is a ceramic heater on the top next to a basking lamp (took everything apart to clean it just now) but I think it is around 6" or so above the basking rock.
There is a heat pad that sticks to the bottom of the tank, and it is directly in the middle.
The lamps I use are
150 w sun glo exo terra - this one is on a switch, and I turn it on when he seems cool - but it warms him rapidly and he seeks shelter.
repti glo 10. uvb - this one stays on all day. 20W Exo - Terra desert lamp.
I have one of the blacklight type reptile lamps, but rarely use it. It is just there in case there is a very cold night.
I use the reptile sand as a substrate.
The temps are just at 110 on the hot side (atop the basking rock) and around 70 - 80 on the shade side where his water is. The hot side is just at 100 degrees with a middle area that is just at 90 or so. I tried to create four different temp areas with shelter in each area except the cool side. The terra cotta pot has the rock on top but has the open area with shade in the middle
If he gets in the water and soaks, the temp drops to the 70 area where he splashes the water onto the sand. Otherwise it is just at 80.
I have a terra cotta plant pot that I broke in half and smoothed the edges, on top of this is a rock and there are limbs that are made for him to climb up to the basking rock. He uses this almost daily, and loves to sleep there at night, just below the ceramic lamp. (my house stays pretty cool - just at 68 degrees)
To picture this - take a pot, cut it in half - prop it against the glass at a angle (cut the bottom at the right angle so that there is a opening so that the lizard can go completely around and yet under it as well for shade.
Put the rock on top of the pot - this is the basking spot. On top of half of the heating pad from the bottom, I put another rock so that when he is under the pot- he is still not sitting directly on the mat - he is on a warm but not hot rock. He has loved this set up for all of his years - it gives him lots of room, but so many different temps.
I have been feeding him mostly organic dandelion from whole foods - he loves this food.
He eats a little bit of mealworms - but not as much as he did when he was little.
I mist him pretty often - especially if he looks dry - like he wants to shed.
But just about daily or every couple of days at the longest.
As for dusting - I have not been doing this - but picked some calcium spray and also some vitamin spray today, and sprayed his superworms with it.
The lights come on just about 10:00 am and then go off around 10:00 pm - 9:00 if for some reason I am going to bed early. (that is not very often)
I currently have him sitting on my lap on a heating pad (with a towel folded in half under him)
I force fed him just around 6 superworms that I had cut into pieces.
He is having a hard time swallowing - and does not like it at all when I try to make him drink.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
I think I finally found a vet that I can take him to tomorrow if I can get him through today and tonight.
He looks terribly dehydrated.
Is force feeding him the right thing to do?
And if so - which is more imortant - the greens or the superworms?
I sprayed them down with a calcium suppliment and the vitamin spray.
How much is ok to force feed - can I over do this while he is sick?
Please help - I am desperate.
I do not want to see anything suffer.
He does not even open his eyes today - Just lies there.
Thanks,
Rhonda (RT)