HELP. 4 year old beardie tail suddenly seems skinny and legs

[TheAnthropologist]

Hi,

My four year old beardie Oscar's tail has sudden looked incredibly shrunken as well as his legs. I did the pinch test and he seems hydrated. His eyes are not sunken. He normally has been a good eater, with the usual veggies based off of the bearded dragon nutrition chart. He has his head up, seems alert (for the most part) but as I said, his normally thick tail has suddenly looked very skinny and he is not eating as much as he used to. He also has had diarhea for the past two days. I am moving back to University tommorow and this has literally just been jumped into my lap. He is coming with me to my home there but does anyone have any idea what could cause this? I clean his cage ALOT. And disinfect it.

Set up:

50 galleon tank
Tile substrate
101 Basing
92 Ambient
83 Cool side
Repti-Glo 10 TUBE (yes I know, I am on teh hunt for a repti-sun, in Canada they are hard to find)
Eats: supers, crix, collars, kale.

HELP!

I gave him a bath yesterday and today. I also syringe him some chicken broth and calcium.

Im assuming it is a parasite, so I am going to grab some panacur tommorow before i leave. Hopefully the vet will dispense to me!

 

[kcarello]

Most meds are really hard on dragons tummys, I would suggest getting a fecal exam done on him before giving meds that he may or may not need. The fecal test shouldn't be that much and that way you will know for sure.

 

[BeardieMommy3991]

It might definetly not be the same thing, but that is the way my first dragon acted when he got cancer. He had a tumor in the area of his kidney or liver. It made him lose weight very quickly.

It could be parasites, but I've had no experience with those, so I can't shed any light there.

I hope he gets better soon.

 

[TheAnthropologist]

Thanks everyone

I got him panacur because he fits every symptom of parasites; I know it is hard on their stomachs so can I purchase probiotics from the safeway? When should i start this? I am on a island where lizard health supplies are lacking


My care plan for him is as follows:

1) Panacur- o.1 ml once a week
2) Baby food: chicken and squash (the daily staple kind) mixed with calcium D3 added and off days; Herpivite
3) Baths 1x a day but I am now upping it to 2x a day as of today.
4) As of today; complete darkness from 8pm-8am. I covered his viv


He eats the baby food and before was drinking the water but now is not. He goes to the bathroom daily.

A few q's: does anyone know how long it takes for the panacur to take affect?

If ANYONE has any advice please let me know! I will change any care that I am able to so that I can fit his needs.

 

[TheAnthropologist]

Anyone have any input??? He is the same, only now he has a black beard. His eyes are still unsunken. I have also added Reptaid to the equation. I squirted some in his mouth a little while ago and then his beard went black and he started breathing heavy. Anyone know why? Could the "gasping" be better in the morning?

 

[athenacp]

Bumping this up for you as I have no idea...maybe pm Drache? She would be able to help!

 

[kcarello]

Hello...how is your dragon doing? Have you sent a pm to Drache613? She should be able to help. Hope he is ok.

 

[TheAnthropologist]

Thanks for the response. After literally doing everything I could, he was dead when I came home from school today. I am absolutely devastated. I had a specific regime of baths, pedialyte, reptaid, panacur. Yesterday his stomach swoll up as well and it was jiggly like jelly when I picked up his corpse. I phoned every vet in Victoria area and no one could help me......I also talked to a herp guy for an hour and emailed West Coast Dragons. Now I am worried that what he had could pass to my other dragons. I am pretty confident that I washed my hands every single time before touching my other dragons. I have thrown out everything in his tank and wiped it down with any cleaner I had (Ive literally just moved less then a week ago, so I had bathroom Mr.Clean, OxyClean PetCleaner) and hot water (I didn't do this to my other dragons)

If my other dragons did not have contact with him and I washed my hands does that reduce the chances of them catching anything from Oscar? So far they seem alert. They actually have not come out of their tanks really since he got sick. The only time they did was to put them in their tanks during the move and I admit, at that point I did not wash my hands between handling....

 

[BeardieMommy3991]

So sorry to hear about Oscar. *hugs from toothless and I* He is out of pain now.

 

[TheAnthropologist]

Thanks

Here is a pic in healthier times.

 

[diamc]

I'm so sorry to hear about Oscar. I wonder if he could have aspirated on the Reptaid and that's why his beard turned black so quickly and he started breathing heavily?

Again, I'm sorry.

RIP Oscar

 

[TheAnthropologist]

Thanks...does anyone have any input about the contagion aspect? Im wracking my brains to see if I touched any of the others after i touched him....

I am freaking out that I may have swapped the bowls during the move....im washing them in teh dishwasher right now....ive thrown everything in Oscar's tank out...


Oh God! I hope he didn't aspirate! :'(

 

[Esther19]

I am so sorry to hear that Oscar crossed over.

 

[kcarello]

I am so sorry about Oscar!! I hope that the rest of your babies will be fine. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Hugs,
Kelly

 

[TheAnthropologist]

Ive pmed Drache613. Hope I can get some input on the contagion thing.