Eye Infection

[Keeann]

Hi all! So it turns out Avery may not be brumating after all, and he's not in an eye bulge phase. I had a bad feeling so I took him to the vet just to be safe, and she said that the bad thing with him and not being able to know his age for sure is that we can't tell if it's brumation or if he just flat-out doesn't feel good

He has an eye infection in both eyes, so now he's on Gentamicin eye drops every 8 hours, oral Baytril once a day for 2 weeks, and a Tazicef injection in his tail every 3 days. I'm also syringing baby food (turkey, squash, peas, sweet potato, and unsweetened applesauce) into his mouth because he won't touch mealworms or crickets, or any of his veggies or fruits. I mixed his reptivite into it today, and I'm doing the calcium tomorrow.

I'm just worried because he acts just listless and empty but he's usually very perky and alert. It came on so suddenly; the day before I posted the other topic on droopy eyes and brumation... It seems like the only thing that makes him come alive is tickling his shed, and even then he only kinda kicks at me.

This might be a stupid question, but I've only ever had dogs and cats before this. How likely are they to survive and fully recover from a double eye infection? The difference between now and his usual behaviour is really alarming. I wish there was something more I could do for him besides the meds, and that I knew for sure he was going to be okay Have any of you had experience with eye infections, and if so, how bad was it and how long did it take for your dragon to start feeling better?

 

[Rankins]

The only thing you can do right now is what your already doing. Giving the medication as ordered and watching for improvement or worsening. Keep the dragon warm to strengthen the immunity.
I don't want to start speculating and cause you more stress....
Did your vet give you ideas on the prognosis?

 

[Keeann]

She seemed optimistic, but she also said "Beardies suck sometimes because they heal slow and they die slow"... Which was a little worrying, but I think she was just trying to make sure I understood that it might be a while before I see improvement, and that we probably caught it early, seeing that it's only been a couple days since he started swelling. She was very nice and helpful and supportive, so I think if she suspected something terrible, she would have given me a warning. Can't help but worry though! I feel better knowing that at least he's on medicine and I didn't wait a week to take him in like I originally planned to see if he were about to shed after all... I guess my paranoia came in handy for once, lol!

 

[Rankins]

I'm glad you caught it also.
Keep your chin up, most dragons don't die from eye infections. So I think things will probably go well.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Hi all! So it turns out Avery may not be brumating after all, and he's not in an eye bulge phase. I had a bad feeling so I took him to the vet just to be safe, and she said that the bad thing with him and not being able to know his age for sure is that we can't tell if it's brumation or if he just flat-out doesn't feel good

He has an eye infection in both eyes, so now he's on Gentamicin eye drops every 8 hours, oral Baytril once a day for 2 weeks, and a Tazicef injection in his tail every 3 days. <<<< In the tail, ie south of his kidneys ??? , I was told by a vet with another lizard to IM inject antibiotics in the upper half (near the shoulders) as the kidneys will remove the antibiotics from it's bloodstream before they have the chance to circulate and be effective .... I'm also syringing baby food (turkey, squash, peas, sweet potato, and unsweetened applesauce) into his mouth because he won't touch mealworms or crickets, or any of his veggies or fruits. I mixed his reptivite into it today, and I'm doing the calcium tomorrow.
<<< I suggest cutting the mealworms , use silkworms or BSF maggots or bugpie made as a past instead
<<< I suggest liquid vits and liquid calcium (ie Calcivet) to mix with the food instead of the powders.
I'm just worried because he acts just listless and empty but he's usually very perky and alert. It came on so suddenly; the day before I posted the other topic on droopy eyes and brumation... It seems like the only thing that makes him come alive is tickling his shed, and even then he only kinda kicks at me.

This might be a stupid question, but I've only ever had dogs and cats before this. How likely are they to survive and fully recover from a double eye infection? The difference between now and his usual behaviour is really alarming. I wish there was something more I could do for him besides the meds, and that I knew for sure he was going to be okay Have any of you had experience with eye infections, and if so, how bad was it and how long did it take for your dragon to start feeling better?

 

[Rankins]

Good catch kingofnobbies....
I missed the injection stuff...
The tail isn't the best place to give shots. That's into the fat reserves and it doesn't absorb very well there..

 

[kingofnobbys]

She seemed optimistic, but she also said "Beardies suck sometimes because they heal slow and they die slow"... Which was a little worrying, but I think she was just trying to make sure I understood that it might be a while before I see improvement, and that we probably caught it early, seeing that it's only been a couple days since he started swelling. She was very nice and helpful and supportive, so I think if she suspected something terrible, she would have given me a warning. Can't help but worry though! I feel better knowing that at least he's on medicine and I didn't wait a week to take him in like I originally planned to see if he were about to shed after all... I guess my paranoia came in handy for once, lol!

Slow metabolism in lizards makes healing / recovery a very slow process, keeping the lizard warm day and night will help speed up the metabolism and help by speeding up it's recovery/healing, but it's never heal/recover as fast as a mammal will.

 

[Keeann]

She also wanted to do the Baytril as an injection, but that one was intramuscular so she said we could do oral too, so I opted for that. The Tazicef/Fortaz she's using as a subcutaneous injection, so she mentioned the veins in his tail and how with subQ we actually want to avoid those. She did mention his kidneys, but I can't remember the details of what she said.

Thanks kingofnobbys, I'll do what you said with the mealworms! He's not interested at all in eating on his own right now, so if I do make a paste, would it be possible to use the syringe the same way I do with the baby food?

 

[kingofnobbys]

She also wanted to do the Baytril as an injection, but that one was intramuscular so she said we could do oral too, so I opted for that. The Tazicef/Fortaz she's using as a subcutaneous injection, so she mentioned the veins in his tail and how with subQ we actually want to avoid those. She did mention his kidneys, but I can't remember the details of what she said.

Thanks kingofnobbys, I'll do what you said with the mealworms! He's not interested at all in eating on his own right now, so if I do make a paste, would it be possible to use the syringe the same way I do with the baby food?

Yes , so long as the syringe has a large bore (about 2.5 - 3 mm) , I'd be investing in a proper feeding syringe and a 10G - 12G crop needle say (to help get the food past his lips and teeth a little at a time into his mouth , you can use crop needles to get the food directly into their stomach by threading then needle down their throat past their glottis (sp?) , but I've never tried that even though a vet showed me how to once.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwuNJEQCW2g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twNYPdd4Wuc... same as for birds but a bit scary so I settled for just getting some food into the mouth , less stressful all round.

http://www.birdking.com.au/reusable-feeding-syringe-50ml/?gclid=CjwKEAiAkuLDBRCRguCgvITww0YSJAAHrpf-fYGMMvWBsjZ84j8s597w9ehPJfoEqGXZ9L62N4_lVhoCbFnw_wcB

http://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/crop_medication_needles_birds#.WHm0p7nauw0

These might be better in your case where you are giving purees and slurried foods
http://www.birdking.com.au/vetafarm-herpavite-50ml/
http://www.birdking.com.au/calcivet-50ml/

 

[Keeann]

Thank you guys, but I had him euthanized earlier today. He was passing nothing but blood through his vent and was very weak. They said that they could try to help, but the prognosis didnt look good today and I didn't want him to suffer

 

[AHBD]

That's so sad, I'm very sorry that you lost your guy.

 

[Rankins]

I'm really sorry..