HELP! New baby won't eat & is dying :(

[annlizardlover97]

My eggs hatched 4 weeks ago yesterday. I have 6 babies all of whom r growing like weeds except for one. He was fine till yesterday & I noticed all he did was sleep & not interested in food at all. They're eating 1/8 size crickets, 3x/day, and all the greens they want, a mixture of collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, endive, escarole, carrots, red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, and small bits of apple. I also mist them with water 5-6x/day & they drink from the sides or bottom of cage (i have no substrate - just glass floor). Theyve all been eating & drinking great until now. I thot mayb the others cud b keeping this one baby from the food so I moved him yesterday into a separate cage. Dint matter tho -- he just lays there w/ crickets hopping all over him & totally ignoring his greens. He dint look TOO bad yesterday but this AM when I checked he looked truly awful - emaciated, no energy, & he's now half the size of the others. He did drink sum water this AM but that was it. I switched over to Pedialyte 4 him as I've done many times b4 4 ailing lizards & he liked it. He's had just a little of that 5-6x already. He drinks so little at the time I keep waking him up every 30-45 mins to give him more. I figure at least he's drinking sumthing & it's got vitamins, electrolytes, etc in it but the prob is he won't take but just a very little at the time. Idk how to get him to eat. I've tried messin with his hind legs to get him just to open his eyes & notice the 3 crickets in with him. He sees them but lets them run rite by & duznt even try to grab one. I'm at a loss. How can I get sum food in this little guy? I'm desperate! Another day like this & he won't make it. I'm shocked at the weight he's lost since yesterday so I no time is a huge factor. Someone PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[mikewithsfi]

My first thought was if the others was keeping him from eating, he may still need to recover from the lack of food. He may be just to week to eat or even bother at this moment. If he is not eating or drinking you may need to help him a little more. If you can get some baby food, and a dropper. Suck the food in the dropper and gently put the food in his mouth. Do the same with water. Maybe this will help him eat a little, and if he takes it continue to do this until he is strong and has the energy to eat for himself. If you do not want to force it into his mouth put a little on his nose and around his mouth.

My next thought and someone else will ask. How is your lighting, and heating? Do you have the proper heat and UVB lights?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Have you separated him from the others, already?
As suggested, right now, baby food would be your quickest choice to get some food into him to help. Chicken or turkey baby food are good ones to use. You can also mix in some greens make a slurry for him too. Be extremely careful with feeding as they can aspirate easily.

Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[zackbeardieowner]

is he better ?

 

[annlizardlover97]

Thanks guys. Yes I have proper UVA/UVB & heat. I've kept dragons for almost 16 yrs so know all the fundamentals. This is also my 2nd time having babies, the first was 4 yrs ago & one of those babies is the mother of these. Anyway yesterday I had a med dropper & was using Pedialyte in it. He'd only take mayb 3-4 drops at the time so I wud give that to him every hour or sumtimes less. I thot I had some baby food to try that but looked everywhere & cudnt find it. My car was stolen on my birthday (3/1) so its like pulling a tooth to get sum1 to take me to the store. I thot it was great he was taking the Pedialyte at all since it has electrolytes & vitamins & such so was happy about that. I did separate him from the others as I was thinking they were probly keeping him fromeating & I tried over & over idk how many times to get him to eat a cricket but hed just let em crawl all over him & say there in a stupor. This morning he's standing up looking out from the bottom of his cage at me. There's no substrate just glass. He's run around a couple of times & I'm getting him out soon to c if he'll eat sumthing. He looks wasted away & just awful but at least he's showing more nrg than yest so I'll check in latr & let u no how he's eating. Thanks again!

 

[mikewithsfi]

Thats good that he is alert. If you cant find baby food, then take what you have and mush it, making a home made baby food. You can do this with the crikets, and maybe some soft fruits if you have any. The mashed crickets giving him some needed protein and the mashed fruits giving him a natural energy boost.

 

[annlizardlover97]

Thank u! One thing I 4got to mention is that yesterday when I was holding him he kept trying to have a BM but it ws always just a little dribble of brown watery stuff. Not very much at all. He did this like every 20 mins or so the hour & a half I had him out. Now I'm holding him this AM (he wudnt eat a cricket so I took him out a few mins ago & gave him more Pedialyte). He drank it fine, seemed thirsty actually. But just now (mayb 15 mins after the Pedialyte) he raised his little butt in the air & did another small dribble of a BM. I no these r not normal -- the other babies' BMs look normal - so I'm sure it's connected sumhow. If I had sand in there I'd b thinking impact ion but I've had them on the glass floor since hatching so it's not that. I'm sure he's losing fluids w/ this diarrhea so that worries me. He's still in a stupor now he's had Pedialyte & won't even open his eyes unless I mess w/ his back legs. Just duznt care. I CAN'T lose him, I just can't! I can hardly bear to c him this way & am at a loss. I'll try the fruit -- I've got sum kiwi, strawberries, & apples so I'll try mushing sum of that up & try to get him to take it. Thanks again! (

 

[mikewithsfi]

You dont have sand but it still could ba an impaction as well. This could occur from anything hes eaten, whether from the crickets or something else. While you are giving him the pediatlite, try giving him a bath. If your have a large tupperware bowl he cant get out of or a a clean sink, run a little bit of warm water, and mix the pedialite in the water. This will help hydrate him if he is dehydrated, and if he is impacted this could help him poop.. I know you are not new to bearded dragons, but sometimes we pass off the simplest and the obvious thinking the worse.

 

[annlizardlover97]

Things r worse. I actually had a glimmer of hope this afternoon & early evening coz he was running around his viv! Cudnt b leev it. I had 2 crickets in with him (since they're crawling on him I dint wanna freak him out w/ 2 many) but he ignored them. I also have sum very small dubias & small Phoenix worms too. He totally ignores them too while the others gobble them up. He'd b active for 15-20 mins, then collapse & just lay flat on the glass, then in another 20 mins b up running around again, over & over for mayb 3 hrs. It's the most active I've seen him in 3 days so I was praying he was improving. I have been giving him warm soaks in water, altho hadn't thot of putting Pedialyte in bath as u suggested but IF he makes it thru nite will try that 2moro. Last 2 hours are bad, the worse I've seen. It's like he's worn himself out, has NO energy at all, his lil head jus flops down when u pick him up & he's limp as a dishrag. I gave him more Ped. an hr ago & he dint even open eyes. His eyes have been shut for 2 hours now & I keep checking him in my hand to c if he's still breathing. Respiration very shallow & lotsa times I look for what seems 4ever b4 I c his sides move in & out. About once an hr he'll (in his sleep) raise his booty & water drips out of him so i no he has bad diarrhea (probly the fluids im giving him r just running thru him). He's just...lifeless almost. I really think the end is near & I'll b up w/ him all PM if that's what it takes -- I don't want him to die alone & I'll sit with him till it's over. Idk what else to do. I made a "sauce" outta the fruit I had and he wudnt take it AT ALL. It's getting harder & harder to get him to drink & he just lays there so I am at a total loss right now and just know in my heart I've dun all I cud, but it's not enuff. If he's alive in the AM it'll truly b a miracle. Even my dog is looking at him sadly & knows I'm very upset so I think he knows it too. I have 10 adult beardies ' Uros & these 6 babies & I can't believe after living for a month I'm losing one now. Am just so sad I can't do anything but sit & cry for the poor little thing & pray 4 a miracle. My others r doing great which is good but it's so hard to lose one after all u go thru bringing them into the world &now this. I'll let u no how it's goin in the AM but I don't expect he'll still b with us. (

 

[mikewithsfi]

I am sorry to hear that. I know how hard it is to lose family members. PLease keep everyone informed. This is a stab but on the farm when we have livestock that dont eat and has no energy we give them molasses. The molasses acts like a energy boost, makes them want to eat, and drink. Not sure if you have molasses laying around but if you did you could give it a try. I do hope all goes and everything is turns for the better. Again keeps us informed..

 

[annlizardlover97]

Well it's over. I stayed up all nite with him and he passed around 6AM. I finally fell asleep around 9 & just woke up so, yeah, the poor lil thing's gone & I'm just so sad. It's rainy & dreary here today which is how I feel & altho I did so much 4 him inThe last few days I keep thinking I cud've or shud've done more. Idk what that wudda been but I just feel like its my fault sumhow & I shudda been able to save him. It's a horrible feeling. Anyway, he's in Beardie Heaven now and at least isn't suffering any more. I thot several times during the night I'd lost him but then finally he'd move slightly & I knew he was still there. But I pretty much knew he was at the end. He was just sooo weak -- even the last day of giving him Pedialyte & trying to get him to eat he was too weak to open his eyes & was just so limp. So idk. I really don't no what else I cudda done 4 him - the molasses were a good idea and I grew up on a farm too, with mayb 2000 hogs & 1000 cattle & my dad used molasses too but I didn't think of that & don't have any anyway so, thx 4 the advice. Mayb if I'd used it like the first day when he was still eating & running around a little but there at the end he wudnt take anything & I can imagine trying to force molasses on him. What a mess! But it may have worked & I shudda thot of that myself, 2 days ago. I really apprec ur help & advice over the last few days - its meant a lot to have sum1 to talk to about it. So thanks 4 all ur help. I have my 5 other babies to look after so thank God 4 them -- I'm sure it'll help get my mind off little Newt altho I'll still think of him. Thanks again 4 everything.

 

[Esther19]

I am so sorry to hear that Newt crossed over.

 

[mikewithsfi]

I am sorry to hear that. I think you did well in trying to get him to recover. Sometimes though no matter what we do it will never be enough. Honestly there may have been nothing you could have done. Especially not really knowing what was wrong. It could have been a birth defect, he could have been born with a disease, or he himself just given up. Maybe someone somewhere else will find this post and try every thing that was mentioned and it will work for them. It is not your fault and you have 5 more little ones that needs your attention now. They will grow to be strong adult beardies and you will give them a wonderful loving home..

 

[annlizardlover97]

Yeah I know -- thank u 4 saying that & I do hope sum1 else will find sum useful info in all this chaos. I really no deep down I did absolutely everything I cud 4 him & I cud c last nite he had just given up. That's why I wrote the post I did saying I didn't think he wud make it thru the nite & I was gonna sit up with him all nite if necessary. I cud c it in him -- he was just so weak & I knew whatever was wrong with him had finally overcome his will to live. If any animal ever loses that will, there's nothing anyone can do for them & I really truly felt that in him last night. Idk what started this whole thing, as u sed it cud've been sum underlying defect or disease & I'll never know but I do know he fought it in the beginning and just got too weak to fight anymore. On the other hand, I just keep thinking, was there anything else I cud've dun differently? I don't think so but it's so raw right now I can't help but feel a little guilty even tho I no I did all I possibly cud 4 him. I wrote a memorial 4 him on the memorial forum of bd.org so check that out if u want. My other babies (as well as my 10 other adult beardies & Uromastyx) need me so I can't afford to wallow in my grief & ignore them. If anything, they're helping me thru this. I just lost my mom too a lil over a month ago & was just getting to the point where I was not as deep in my grief over her, and now this. It just brings that back on how fragile life really is. She died the day after her birthday, June 25th and only 2 months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It took her so fast and my babies hatched on July 19 so Newt died on his 1-month birthday! Kinda strange but idk I'm just tired of all this death & just want everyone else to b healthy & happy. I'm disabled myself with chronic pain from fibromyalgia, rheumatoid & osteoarthritis so I'm just sick of sickness u no?!! I'm ready for things to get better not worse and this has really depressed me. I have an absolutely killer migraine right now & my morphines not even helping so idk. I no I'm rambling on so I'll go now & sorry 4 goin on & onbut it's just all such bad timing right now. I really do apprec ur kind words & all uve dun the last few days to help me with Newt so thank u so much again. It helps me knowing that pple really do care, even if I don't know them! Thank u again.