HELP! 8 years old Beardie threw up last night, and is now dehydrated and lethargic

[pogonavitticeps]

Hello!

I am at my wits end on getting advice for how to care for my beardie after last night. I've called every vet in town and no one is available to help.

He ate two horn worms that are way too big 2 days ago, I was looking for him to pass it. He didn't but was pooping everything else he had been eating. Yesterday afternoon after I came home from work, I gave him a bath to see if he would pass them and he didn't. His stomach was painful (didn't like me touching him) and seemed off. I decided to get hime to the emergency vet clinic after his eyes started to look slightly sunken and stomach bloated. He got worse and worse, having a black beard and very light after we arrived at the clinic. Shortly after arriving he threw up the undigested worms. After he seemed better, still a black beard but rest of him a normal colour. I decided to leave the clinic after he calmed down beacuse they didn't have a specialist for reptiles and the wait was 3 hours to see a vet. The trip really stressed him out so I made the call to let him rest at home. He was asleep in his box when we arrived home around 9 PM (his bedtime) so I put him to bed hoping sleep will help.

He is awake this morning but his stomach still seems painful and his eyes are very sunken. His fat pads are very low now after the ordeal and he is refusing to drink water that I offer. But he is alert and basking, has a grey beard and is very low energy.

What are the next steps? When should I force water? Does anyone have any experience with caring for a beardie after throwing up? I am very worried about his sunken eyes and dehydration.

Tank temps are 102 F on hot side, 75 F on cool. Has a Arcadia T5 Desert 12% tube that is less than 6 months old

 

[KarrieRee]

Hello!

I am at my wits end on getting advice for how to care for my beardie after last night. I've called every vet in town and no one is available to help.

He ate two horn worms that are way too big 2 days ago, I was looking for him to pass it. He didn't but was pooping everything else he had been eating. Yesterday afternoon after I came home from work, I gave him a bath to see if he would pass them and he didn't. His stomach was painful (didn't like me touching him) and seemed off. I decided to get hime to the emergency vet clinic after his eyes started to look slightly sunken and stomach bloated. He got worse and worse, having a black beard and very light after we arrived at the clinic. Shortly after arriving he threw up the undigested worms. After he seemed better, still a black beard but rest of him a normal colour. I decided to leave the clinic after he calmed down beacuse they didn't have a specialist for reptiles and the wait was 3 hours to see a vet. The trip really stressed him out so I made the call to let him rest at home. He was asleep in his box when we arrived home around 9 PM (his bedtime) so I put him to bed hoping sleep will help.

He is awake this morning but his stomach still seems painful and his eyes are very sunken. His fat pads are very low now after the ordeal and he is refusing to drink water that I offer. But he is alert and basking, has a grey beard and is very low energy.

What are the next steps? When should I force water? Does anyone have any experience with caring for a beardie after throwing up? I am very worried about his sunken eyes and dehydration.

Tank temps are 102 F on hot side, 75 F on cool. Has a Arcadia T5 Desert 12% tube that is less than 6 months old

Where is the uvb ? In the tank or top of screen? This is important - we can have ahbd help you here w/ the throwing up issue
@AHBD

 

[pogonavitticeps]

in tank, about 10 inches from highest point of his hammock

 

[KarrieRee]

in tank, about 10 inches from highest point of his hammock

Ok so does he bask under it long? And how old is the bulb?

 

[pogonavitticeps]

he likes to in the morning for a couple hours, then moves to the cooler side of his hammock most of the time. The bulb is 6 months old. I have a UVB meter, and the UV index maxs out at 9 at the hight point of hammock (right underneath bulb), 3 in the middle and under 1 at the far side

 

[KarrieRee]

he likes to in the morning for a couple hours, then moves to the cooler side of his hammock most of the time. The bulb is 6 months old. I have a UVB meter, and the UV index maxs out at 9 at the hight point of hammock (right underneath bulb), 3 in the middle and under 1 at the far side

Ok- I have flagged ahbd she can help w/ the throwing up issue

 

[pogonavitticeps]

Ok- I have flagged ahbd she can help w/ the throwing up issue

Thank you so much! I have been offering water all morning but he's not interested, think his GI tract is still pretty irritated

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How is he doing tonight?
You can try some sugar free pedialyte or gatorade mixed with water to help with electrolytes. His
tummy is probably irritated, I agree. You can also consider getting some non dairy organic soy yogurt
as a probiotic to help settle his tummy also. Mint is good for upset systems, also.
Try to keep him a little warmer overnight right now, to help boost his system since he isn't feeling well.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

 

[pogonavitticeps]

Hello! Thank you so much for the reply!

He made it through the night and seems better today. Tried a bath this morning, still not drinking water but crawled out of the bath to bask in a sunbeam. He is currently alert and walking and basking.

Ah the high temps makes sense, he kept crawling to the hottest point yesterday which was a little concerning to see as he's so dehydrated.

I will get some pedialyte today and try that. I have some Benebac reptile and amphibian probiotic for him already, is that ok to use right now? Would that help him in anyway?

Feeling hopeful today as he seems more alert but really want to get him hydrated soon!

 

[pogonavitticeps]

Hello! Thank you so much for the reply!

He made it through the night and seems better today. Tried a bath this morning, still not drinking water but crawled out of the bath to bask in a sunbeam. He is currently alert and walking and basking.

Ah the high temps makes sense, he kept crawling to the hottest point yesterday which was a little concerning to see as he's so dehydrated.

I will get some pedialyte today and try that. I have some Benebac reptile and amphibian probiotic for him already, is that ok to use right now? Would that help him in anyway?

Feeling hopeful today as he seems more alert but really want to get him hydrated soon!

Sorry correction *NutriBacdf probiotic

 

[pogonavitticeps]

Update! He voluntarily took a couple sips of pedialyte! He looks tense and has poofed up his stomach some, so unfortunately I think his system is still irritated.

Will keep offering pedialyte, hopefully he keeps it down

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is terrific news to hear he is doing a little better now! Has he been holding all of the fluids
down so far?
Good, the nutribac is a great probiotic so you can definitely use that. Be sure to give that apart
from food. Keep us posted on him!

Tracie

 

[pogonavitticeps]

Yes he is a trooper and kept everything down so far! He is looking way better this morning and even licked the temp probe out of curiosity when it got close, HUGE improvement.

Yesterday he drank about 1 ml of water with probiotic or pedialyte about every hour starting at 1:45 PM. After a few drinks of that I offered super watered down sugar free apple sauce with a tiny pinch of Repashy Grub Pie just to get some calories in him and he perked up right away. Will continue with fluids and water down apple sauce today.

My next question is how and when should I start feeding? I obviously don't want to rush it as he is still very dehydrated. I have sugar-free apple sauce, Repashy Grub Pie, sugar-free Pea baby food and Fluker's Repti-boost as options.

Thank you for sticking with us and all your advice!

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is a great sign he hasn't thrown up any. Bless him! I know this has to be stressful for him.
I would say you could start feeding small amounts of food, slowly with a dropper/syringe. Just
monitor his urate amount to be sure he is excreting enough to determine kidney function. Go
slowly on protein intake at first to keep the stress down on his kidneys.
Those are very good food options, no problem with those at all. Keep us posted on his progress!

Tracie

 

[pogonavitticeps]

Oh good I'm glad I have the right stuff for him!

He keeps getting better and better, got up to 2 ml of fluids/food every hour yesterday. Even got some liquidy Repti-boost in him.

He also pooped! It was a white, hard urate, about an inch long and some liquid. I assume that the urate is hard due to dehydration? I will keep monitoring urates, hoping it will keep getting softer the more fluid he gets.

Will continue on with the fluids and food today, he is looking tons better. More alert, keeping his head up, eyes not as sunken and fat pads not as hollow. Still very tired poor guy, lays in his hammock all day.

I'm so glad he is on the mend I was so sure I was going to lose him a couple days ago, thank goodness he's a fighter!