@Drache613Recently found out my beardie has fluid in her abdomenhaven’t gotten all her blood work back yet but I was told by the vet that it looks like she’s in kidney failure . She’s extremely dehydrated so they were going to inject fluids but then decided not to because they thought it would just add to the fluid in her abdomen. They drained some and it was very yellow. Now they’re saying it might be okay to give fluids because they don’t want the dehydration to make her kidneys worse. I’m just scared she’s going to go into shock or something if we drain the fluid in her abdomen and then give her fluids for dehydration. Does this sound like a bad idea? lol
How is your dragon doing?
What makes you say she is dehydrated?
Hydration during kidney failure is going to be extremely tricky. The kidneys aren't going to be able to process the water coming in very well, which is going to back it up into the bloodstream, possibly diluting the electrolytes in the body essentially causing water toxicity.
What has your vet recommended?
-Brandon
The vet did recommend to inject no more than 5cc fluids daily, but only because she works with my mom and knows she capable of giving them to her safely. But she is not an exotic vet and hasn’t seen many cases like this so if this is dangerous I will definitely not do it anymore. I have been trying to give her fluids orally as well which I’ve had some success with she’s just a very stubborn girl! Just waiting on the rest of her blood work so I can take her to an exotic vet for another opinion.I wouldn't be doing a procedure like that at home.
You can, but I've worked in laboratory environments, and the chances are that Beardie will die if you inject fluids...
I would pinch the bottom of the throat and open the mouth.
Unless you were recommended by the veterinarian, try to give fluids orally.
Hi there,I noticed she was dehydrated when the skin on her back seemed very wrinkled and when I would lightly pinch it, it wouldn’t snap back like it usually would. Then a few days after that her eyes sunk in and started drooping at the top.
Hi Brandon! Okay wow thank you for telling me that I had no idea. I will definitely stop the fluids then because she did poop this morning and it wasn’t chalky at all. Actually quite slimey, looked like mucus. I can’t tell if the urate is discolored because of the mucus covering it, but I did take a picture if that would be helpful. It’s definitely not normal looking. I’m still waiting on some of his blood work but I will attach what I have so far. I do think I was over supplementing him which I feel so terrible about. I wasn’t aware that was even possible and I was taking bad advice from someone who I thought knew best. His calcium levels were extremely high. I’m just really worried about the fluid in his belly and whats causing it. The bloodwork that came back so far was very confusing to my vet but she said it looked like kidney failure, so she’s waiting to receive the rest and she’s going to consult with a reptile specialist at the lab. I plan to take her to an exotic vet once I receive the rest of the blood work anyway. I also received the fluid testing but they said they needed to run further tests on that as well which should be back by Tuesday at the latest but I will attach that aswell. She does seem like she feels good today she has tons of energy and a better appetite than yesterday. Also looks like her eyes have perked up a little. Thank you so much for your help, really I appreciate it so muchHi there,
Ok, I thought that might have been how you were determining hydration, which is why I asked.
That's a common myth actually. You can't accurately tell hydration levels in dragons based on their skin and/or eyes.
Outside of the vet, the only accurate way to gauge hydration levels is through the stool, namely the urate. If it is hard and chalky, the dragon isn't getting enough water. Discolored urates can be a sign of lack of fluid too, but it can also be a sign of over supplementation.
Watch the stools (just visually inspect them) for signs of hydration level.
I would lay off of the forced extra hydration until you see a stool if the dragon is really in kidney failure. If the dragon wants to drink on it's own, that's fine. Have you already had bloodwork done to confirm that? Can you post the blood work results please?
-Brandon
Hi Brandon! Okay wow thank you for telling me that I had no idea. I will definitely stop the fluids then because she did poop this morning and it wasn’t chalky at all. Actually quite slimey, looked like mucus. I can’t tell if the urate is discolored because of the mucus covering it, but I did take a picture if that would be helpful. It’s definitely not normal looking. I’m still waiting on some of his blood work but I will attach what I have so far. I do think I was over supplementing him which I feel so terrible about. I wasn’t aware that was even possible and I was taking bad advice from someone who I thought knew best. His calcium levels were extremely high. I’m just really worried about the fluid in his belly and whats causing it. The bloodwork that came back so far was very confusing to my vet but she said it looked like kidney failure, so she’s waiting to receive the rest and she’s going to consult with a reptile specialist at the lab. I plan to take her to an exotic vet once I receive the rest of the blood work anyway. I also received the fluid testing but they said they needed to run further tests on that as well which should be back by Tuesday at the latest but I will attach that aswell. She does seem like she feels good today she has tons of energy and a better appetite than yesterday. Also looks like her eyes have perked up a little. Thank you so much for your help, really I appreciate it so much
-Emma
Also sorry if I keep switching between saying him or her, I know that’s confusing lol. I thought she was a boy for the first year or so and was never able to get used to saying she lol. She is definitely a girl though!!Hi there,
Ok, I thought that might have been how you were determining hydration, which is why I asked.
That's a common myth actually. You can't accurately tell hydration levels in dragons based on their skin and/or eyes.
Outside of the vet, the only accurate way to gauge hydration levels is through the stool, namely the urate. If it is hard and chalky, the dragon isn't getting enough water. Discolored urates can be a sign of lack of fluid too, but it can also be a sign of over supplementation.
Watch the stools (just visually inspect them) for signs of hydration level.
I would lay off of the forced extra hydration until you see a stool if the dragon is really in kidney failure. If the dragon wants to drink on it's own, that's fine. Have you already had bloodwork done to confirm that? Can you post the blood work results please?
-Brandon
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