KrakenQueen
Member
(Please read here for a more updated bit of info: viewtopic.php?f=45&t=152268&p=1225232#p1225232 )
Hello,
I have a 6-7 year old beardie with what appears to be advancing (?) stomatitis. Unfortunately I attributed his picky eating to him being his stubborn self. He had been a relatively active lizard, proper temps and lighting, however I have noticed a decline in his activity levels and his eating habits have been very unusual. Aside from taking a waxworm and a few mealworms, he pretty much refuses to eat (minor correction: he does eat, just not to the extent that he use to (is this due to his age?). He would eat his veggies but has cut back over the last 8 months (not including his 4 month brumation), so his diet has been more or less just meals, supers, waxworm snacks, horns and silkies. He refuses live crickets). He doesn't gape a lot, which is something I'd expect him to do if he were stressed or in pain from this.
His bottom jaw on both sides have a grayish yellow plaque built up around the gum line and in those areas (it's about 1/2" length of the rear of the jaw on both sides) his teeth are dark. His teeth had been dark for quite some time and I have never noticed any lesions, I just assumed it was from him eating the canned crickets and grasshoppers or his mealworms, hornworms, silkies. I was able to remove a portion of plaque, about the size of two grains of rice, but the rest is pretty difficult and I -do not- want to cause him more discomfort considering he is also shedding.
Currently, we have to wait till next monday before we can see him to the vet. Paycheck goes through on friday, as does our rent. That will give us a little leeway into paying for a vet visit. Until then, I do have some betadine and am curious on how I should try to tackle this situation until we can get to a vet? I've read the pros and cons of using diluted peroxide and am unsure of whether I should attempt that to break down the plaque as I don't want him to eat or inhale it by accident. I need some suggestions.
I have Q'd him in a tupperware bin with a towel and have the bin on top of a heating pad, what should the heat setting be, and should I provide UVB/UVA during this time? Lid? Should I keep him on a few waxworms for now since they are easy for him to ingest or should I try to give him a different diet (puree veggies/fruits)?
Thanks for your time, any help would be absolutely appreciated until I can see the vet.
--
edit:
He also still shows off to me, and did so yesterday by bobbing when I placed him in the tub. I get frequent head bobs and pushups when I clean his cage (4x2x2). It occurred to me after searching through the forums that it may be the sand in his cage causing irritation in his mouth, which may be leading to the tartar buildup. I will be removing the sand this weekend and replacing it with large tile we have available.
His Q tub I have left open-lidded with a towel inside and have attached his ceramic heat emitter over the side with the heating pad underneath, and UVB bulb (compact) on the other side. His body temp right now, on the warm side, is about 87, on the cool side about 81. I am trying to keep the temps at the high end.
edit2: Skip down to read my replies on questions and suggestions asked below.
Hello,
I have a 6-7 year old beardie with what appears to be advancing (?) stomatitis. Unfortunately I attributed his picky eating to him being his stubborn self. He had been a relatively active lizard, proper temps and lighting, however I have noticed a decline in his activity levels and his eating habits have been very unusual. Aside from taking a waxworm and a few mealworms, he pretty much refuses to eat (minor correction: he does eat, just not to the extent that he use to (is this due to his age?). He would eat his veggies but has cut back over the last 8 months (not including his 4 month brumation), so his diet has been more or less just meals, supers, waxworm snacks, horns and silkies. He refuses live crickets). He doesn't gape a lot, which is something I'd expect him to do if he were stressed or in pain from this.
His bottom jaw on both sides have a grayish yellow plaque built up around the gum line and in those areas (it's about 1/2" length of the rear of the jaw on both sides) his teeth are dark. His teeth had been dark for quite some time and I have never noticed any lesions, I just assumed it was from him eating the canned crickets and grasshoppers or his mealworms, hornworms, silkies. I was able to remove a portion of plaque, about the size of two grains of rice, but the rest is pretty difficult and I -do not- want to cause him more discomfort considering he is also shedding.
Currently, we have to wait till next monday before we can see him to the vet. Paycheck goes through on friday, as does our rent. That will give us a little leeway into paying for a vet visit. Until then, I do have some betadine and am curious on how I should try to tackle this situation until we can get to a vet? I've read the pros and cons of using diluted peroxide and am unsure of whether I should attempt that to break down the plaque as I don't want him to eat or inhale it by accident. I need some suggestions.
I have Q'd him in a tupperware bin with a towel and have the bin on top of a heating pad, what should the heat setting be, and should I provide UVB/UVA during this time? Lid? Should I keep him on a few waxworms for now since they are easy for him to ingest or should I try to give him a different diet (puree veggies/fruits)?
Thanks for your time, any help would be absolutely appreciated until I can see the vet.
--
edit:
He also still shows off to me, and did so yesterday by bobbing when I placed him in the tub. I get frequent head bobs and pushups when I clean his cage (4x2x2). It occurred to me after searching through the forums that it may be the sand in his cage causing irritation in his mouth, which may be leading to the tartar buildup. I will be removing the sand this weekend and replacing it with large tile we have available.
His Q tub I have left open-lidded with a towel inside and have attached his ceramic heat emitter over the side with the heating pad underneath, and UVB bulb (compact) on the other side. His body temp right now, on the warm side, is about 87, on the cool side about 81. I am trying to keep the temps at the high end.
edit2: Skip down to read my replies on questions and suggestions asked below.