Trouble119
Member
I adopted a 5 year old male beardie named Draco a few months back. Things were going really well until his brumation cycle started. Over the last few months, he went from 580 grams to 550 and one of his forelimbs became pretty swollen in the hand and joint. He was blackbearding frequently.
His vet is out of town for a bit, otherwise I would have just made an appointment. I've been handfeeding him a mix of pangaea, a touch of calcium, and a bit of repta-boost. For his swollen joints, I'm offering silkworms and diluted black cherry extract. He LOVES the cherry extract.
After a few days of this, the swelling went down a bit and he stopped blackbearding so much (except when I put him back in his cage, but he's always thrown fits about not being the center of attention).
Except today he passed a really weird stool so I'm wondering if I should just find a different vent. I don't have any pictures.
It's hard, slightly orange-brown, and grainy. Like REALLY grainy. It feels like a solid lump of sand. I /THINK/ he was kept on sand for five years, but his previous owner swapped it out for slate tiles. Is it possible he's still passing bits? What can I do to help this pass more easily? Should I just find a different vet for now?
[I'll take pictures when I can; my cell phone charger is dead, so I have to borrow one]
EDIT: I forgot to include my husbandry details:
40 gallon breeder tank
Temps measured by temp gun: 105-110F in basking spot, 85F on the cool side of the tank
Slate tile substrate
Food: right now, he's not eating anything I'm offering except for the handfeeding. I've been offering butternut squash daily. His other staples include collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion (favorite!), with the occasional raspberry and red pepper for treats. His insects are offered every three days and are dubia roaches (except right now, he's getting silkworms), with occasional hornworms to perk up his appetite.
Baths: given every other day. Increasing this to every day for now.
His vet is out of town for a bit, otherwise I would have just made an appointment. I've been handfeeding him a mix of pangaea, a touch of calcium, and a bit of repta-boost. For his swollen joints, I'm offering silkworms and diluted black cherry extract. He LOVES the cherry extract.
After a few days of this, the swelling went down a bit and he stopped blackbearding so much (except when I put him back in his cage, but he's always thrown fits about not being the center of attention).
Except today he passed a really weird stool so I'm wondering if I should just find a different vent. I don't have any pictures.
It's hard, slightly orange-brown, and grainy. Like REALLY grainy. It feels like a solid lump of sand. I /THINK/ he was kept on sand for five years, but his previous owner swapped it out for slate tiles. Is it possible he's still passing bits? What can I do to help this pass more easily? Should I just find a different vet for now?
[I'll take pictures when I can; my cell phone charger is dead, so I have to borrow one]
EDIT: I forgot to include my husbandry details:
40 gallon breeder tank
Temps measured by temp gun: 105-110F in basking spot, 85F on the cool side of the tank
Slate tile substrate
Food: right now, he's not eating anything I'm offering except for the handfeeding. I've been offering butternut squash daily. His other staples include collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion (favorite!), with the occasional raspberry and red pepper for treats. His insects are offered every three days and are dubia roaches (except right now, he's getting silkworms), with occasional hornworms to perk up his appetite.
Baths: given every other day. Increasing this to every day for now.
