Dundee

[jenn4turtles]

He's doing pretty well but I'm still worried about him. He's eating a bit more but still won't eat on his own yet. He has put on a bit of weight. Up to 164g today which is encouraging. He is pooping regularly and it looks textbook good so that's a big plus. He is still burping a lot so I think there still may be some blockage. His 3rd antibiotic shot is tonight so that should start taking effect soon. He has a bit more energy now and runs around the house and explores. He figured out stairs very quickly but they exhaust him. He can get about halfway up and then falls asleep. I'm hoping he shows some interest in feeders soon. He's a sweet little guy and I love having him around.

Poor thing! Stairs exhaust me, too! Lol.

Seriously, though, I think he's just a little weak from being underweight and neglected. He's taking the meds, so I can't think of anything else to suggest. Is he taking reptile vitamins, too? If he's showing some energy and curiosity about his surroundings, then I think that's a good sign!



It's amazing how quickly you can get attached to one!

 

[CooperDragon]

I don't have him on any extra vitamins at the moment. Just carnivore care (which has vitamins and is pretty balanced) in the morning and a syringe or two of baby food veggies in the afternoon as much as he'll allow it. He's really showing good progress so far but I know how quickly things can slide. I'm just anxious and really want him to pull through and be happy.

 

[jenn4turtles]

I really think that you are doing all that can. I am crossing my fingers that it works out. I understand - it's hard to take care of an animal and get attached, and then worry about losing him. When we took in our 3rd cat, he was only about 4 weeks old, and wasn't doing well; I wouldn't even name him for the first couple of weeks, until I was sure that he was going to make it.

 

[BabySkales]

Yep, he didn't show any interest in hornworms or waxworms or silks and hasn't touched his salads. The only thing I've seen him attack so far is his towel. He hates towels for some reason. I use it to my advantage when he's being stubborn. When he opens his mouth to attack the towel he gets a mouth full of carnivore care or baby food =).

:lol: thats too funny! lace the towel in food, haha

 

[brandymulvaine]

I'm so glad you were able to get him, he needed you! We don't have any rep vets, not really. I got a little guy from PetSmart and he was fine for awhile then he stopped eating, then drinking. So I took him to the only vet in town that does reptiles, attached to PetSmart, ironically. They couldn't find anything so they gave me an oral antibiotic for him, charged me 70.00, and sent me home. The antibiotic lasted longer than the lizard
Anyway I'm glad he's on the road to recovery! Keep the pictures coming, he's a cutie!

 

[CooperDragon]

Just got back from a road trip to Chicago. He handled the drive really well. We stayed at a pet friendly hotel so were able to set up his travel tank without a problem and keep his feeding/bathing/medication routine down. He loved looking out the window onto the city and his minions below =) .

 

[jenn4turtles]

Traveling dragon! Glad he's doing so well!

 

[CooperDragon]

Dundee hit 390g today (up from 348). A bit of a black beard most of the day so I think he still doesn't feel too well. His mouth is healing (and about to shed) but his eyes are still very watery and his mouth still has a lot of mucous. My main concern now is stopping the gas production. He is still burping like crazy and I think his gas belly is making him very uncomfortable and making him feel full so he doesn't eat on his own. First thought was impaction based on x-ray findings, but he is pooping very well and now very regularly. He is a couple of weeks in on the antibiotics now. He goes back to the vet on Friday for a followup so maybe further tests will reveal what's going on. Until then I'm happy that he is alert and still gaining weight.

 

[BabySkales]

Woot good to hear! I wonder in he's got like a bacterial thing going in his gut.. Like we humans do that make us gassy. I hope the can figure out what's going on so he can be a happy un-black bearded dragon. :]

 

[KendraA]

Aw, Dundee is so cute. How kind of you to take him in. Hope he continues to improve, keep us in the loop!

 

[CooperDragon]

That's the thought - that the sand impaction shown in the x-ray was blocking him up and caused a bacterial buildup that is producing a ton of gas (couldn't even see his lungs in the x-ray because of the gas/bloating). He is definitely unclogged so to speak. It's possible that the Ceftazidime hasn't taken full effect yet. It's also possible that the bacterial buildup is resistant to it and a different approach will need to be taken. Hopefully we'll know more on Friday. I'll let you all know how it goes. After his shot tonight he fell asleep on my chest listening to some records. I want to get a sleeper sack for him eventually but for now he got a bed made from my tshirt.

 

[BabySkales]

He is such a cutie, grumpy but still a cutie! I really hope the vet can figure out what it is.

 

[jenn4turtles]

Poor little guy. I'm hoping for some good news tomorrow!

 

[CooperDragon]

Update on D. He saw the vet again today. He is now up to 406g. He is going to stay on the Ceftazidime for now. Going to take him off of the carnivore care and focus on veggies and see how that goes. Will offer solid salads in the AM and baby food veggies in the afternoon. If he still doesn't go for the solid stuff then I'll blend up his greens and syringe feed them for now. The burping may be him trying to clear mucous from his airways rather than being caused by gut bacteria producing gas, as the impaction has definitely been clear for a while. Started him on Ciprofloxacin eyedrops to try and get his eyes cleared up. She was able to get his mouth open for a good inspection and while he still has his side teeth, he has the worst case of mouth rot she's ever seen. Most of the gum tissue is gone and there is a yellow plaque-like buildup. She wasn't sure if it would be necessary to remove the buildup or not so we are going to bring him to the specialist out at University of Illinois soon and see what he thinks. They will likely have the facilities available to do that kind of procedure if deemed necessary. He is coming along well considering his condition but still has a long way to go.

 

[jenn4turtles]

Poor little thing. That makes me sad that he's in such a bad shape. I'm guessing the mouth issues are what's affecting his appetite? How long will it take to clear the mucous out of his lungs?