Lamp fell on Kevin!

[EllenD]

LOL, I just wanted to check in to see how he was doing and I was just in time for the "Big Poo"...it's big! I bet that this whole not pooping thing is related to him not moving around at all, the more they move the more they poop. So just laying around is allowing everything to just sit inside his intestines. Poor guy. He's been through the ringer, that's for sure.

You've been doing an awesome job with him, that was a horrible fracture he had, and a slow recovery for sure. I think he's going to be fine, that was just a nasty, nasty femur fracture. Considering it's only been a month he's actually doing quite well, usually 6 weeks is a minimum for even a small fracture to heal, so a displaced femur fracture like that is definitely a 2-3 month healing period. So you're doing great!

He's extremely lucky that you're his mother, let me tell you, had this happened to a lot of other baby dragons they would have been trying to find "home remedies" for a femur fracture, no joke...

 

[KevinsMama]

LOL, I just wanted to check in to see how he was doing and I was just in time for the "Big Poo"...it's big! I bet that this whole not pooping thing is related to him not moving around at all, the more they move the more they poop. So just laying around is allowing everything to just sit inside his intestines. Poor guy. He's been through the ringer, that's for sure.

You've been doing an awesome job with him, that was a horrible fracture he had, and a slow recovery for sure. I think he's going to be fine, that was just a nasty, nasty femur fracture. Considering it's only been a month he's actually doing quite well, usually 6 weeks is a minimum for even a small fracture to heal, so a displaced femur fracture like that is definitely a 2-3 month healing period. So you're doing great!

He's extremely lucky that you're his mother, let me tell you, had this happened to a lot of other baby dragons they would have been trying to find "home remedies" for a femur fracture, no joke...

That's how I cheer myself up when I feel I could be doing more or just feeling down about it. I know its messed up to say that, but it makes me feel at least hes getting everything done for him. Its hard to see such a sweet little thing go through so much. It's sad but if you search for broken leg, the most horrible reads come up. Poor Beardies will be in obvious pain, dragging they're legs around but nope, no vet visit will happen. I mean, I get it, it's a lizard & vets are expensive. I've paid a lot to mine already in just under 2months. But if something like that happens, something needs to be done. These little guys are just as loveable as any other pet. And if it was the owner with such a wound, you'd bet they'd go get it checked out at least. There's just too many options to just neglect it.

Thank you for checking in tho, Ellen. I'm glad you came back just in time for the huge poo! The pics don't really do it justice. It was nearly as tall as it was long. So crazy lol! I had very mixed feelings when he pushed that baby out. On one hand, relief that finally pooped & got that much outta him. On the other hand, HOW?! Lol! For real, his little belly can't possibly hold that much?! I couldn't imagine my ENTIRE stomach just being filled with poo. Ugh!

I think he'll be fine also. For the most part. I'm more concerned about the rest of his limbs than the broken one tho. He won't move his other back leg much & won't use it. He has weird control over his front legs & will use his elbows or wrist SOMETIMES but very rarely. He seems like he's been practicing flexing the front ones tho. When I hold him his little fingers will wiggle & grip then loosen. Like he's getting movement back.

I'm actually getting worried about gout. His unbroken back ankle has stayed pretty swollen & it looks like his front elbows are a little swollen. I've got some cherry powder but can't seem to figure out how to get it in him lol. It won't mix with the water, unless I really did something wrong? But everything I've seen on gout is not good, especially when he pretty much won't take any water. Being on the Metacam off & on might've shot his kidneys. Hopefully that can be fixed also.

 

[KevinsMama]

Quick question...

Can being outside, seeing the sunset make a beardie wanna go to sleep?

We stay in the garage all day, with the door open so he can see outside all day. He's safely inside, but can look around outside. (He pouts if I have to take him inside lol) It seems like every single day when the sun starts setting, he starts going to sleep. He wakes up between 6:30-7am everyday & I don't tuck him in for bed til 8 most nights. But it never fails. He will keep his head up, looking outside all day. Soon as it starts setting, he lays his head down. By the time it's completely dark, he's pretty much asleep. Some nights I go ahead & tuck him in around 7 cause I feel he's so tired. But since it's every night at the same time, I'm really starting to think he's saying ok I see the sun is down, it's bedtime. Is that crazy?

Maybe if I start taking him in before it's starts setting he will wanna stay up? Though, when he's inside, he generally just miles. Lays around with his head down. It's kinda sad but funny at the same time ???

 

[Drache613]

Hello Starla,

Wow, poor Kevin, that is a large mess to come out but honestly, it is pretty well formed!
LOL I am quite sure he feels better though. Geez, at least the softer foods worked for
him, finally.
I am trying to figure out exactly when he stopped using all of his limbs. Was it during the
time he had the cast on? Can he lift himself up off of the ground, at all? I am not sure
if he has calcium deficiency or some type of spinal damage, still.
Please post pictures & you can also send them to my email of him & the swelling. IF he
is showing symptoms of gout, the black cherry powder will help. If it gets severe enough,
I would recommend getting him on allopurinol to head it off.
Since it doesn't mix with water well, try mixing it with baby food, or sprinkling it on any
food that he may eat. You could even make a little paste with it & see if he would lick it
off of your finger that way, too.

Keep us posted on Kevin!

Tracie

 

[KevinsMama]

Well, we apparently have a strange new pattern developing. Pooping every 3 days???

Here's the process lol. He doesn't poop one day, ok. Next day I give some laxative stuffs. Nothing. All. Day. 3rd day, I'm panicking, his belly is blown up, feeding laxatives & warm baths. Nope. Then, when I least expect it, I glance over & manage to catch him mid gigantic poo!

I think this may just be becoming the norm for him? Maybe? I say this cause I honestly don't think he's impacted. Even when his belly is swelled up on poop day, it's so soft. I don't feel any poo in there at all! I know older dragons don't poo often. I really don't know his age. He's a Petco boy so who knows but I was going based on size. He's now 10 1/2in which I've seen is around 4 months. But these past 3 days he has shown a ton more interest in greens than insects and he just started black bearding about a week ago. So maybe he's a bit older & was just stunted? If that's the case, than I gotta be doing something right then because he has grown 2in in under 2 months I've had him?

By the way, today's poo was only about half the size of the last one lol. It's still pretty large compared to before but it doesn't seem to bother him. I've been "lucky" enough to catch him in the middle of this one & the last humongous one & he's just chillin & pooping.

Anyway, I think I've got a lot of things pointing towards him being older but stunted than I previously thought. If ANYONE thinks that's the case, let me know. Because it would explain soooo much & not be classified as issues on top of his other issues. Who knows, I'm probably just wishful thinking here...

 

[AHBD]

His growth rate is acceptable considering what he's been through. He may be in the 4 month range, would probably be a bit larger if he hadn't had the accident but it doesn't mean he's truly stunted. He can sill grow to a good size, has loootttts of time for that over the next 12-14 months at least. His system is a bit more sluggish because of his condition so a poo every 3 days seems fine for him, no impaction suspected.

 

[SHBailey]

It seems perfectly normal to me that your beardie would go to sleep when the sun goes down, especially if you don't have a lot of other artificial light in the room where he's hanging out. Bearded dragons are diurnal (most of them hard core diurnal), and they're all about heat and light. Our beardie settles right down and goes to sleep almost immediately when we turn his lights out for the night, either right on his basking platform where he has already spent most of his day, or cuddled up with us in front of the TV if the light in the rest of the room is relatively dim. In our case we keep the lights on 12 hours a day year round, but his tank is near our largest windows facing west and south, so he's probably well aware of the seasonal changes, and it's a little harder to get him to settle down in the summer when we have the "midnight sun."

It also sounds like Kevin may be settling into a pattern of a longer interval between poops as the "new normal." The same thing also happened with our beardie -- he was approximately a year old when we got him, and he was pooping every day, but then it got fewer and farther between up until he's been known to go for up to two weeks without a poop, and still be apparently fine. I've canceled a number of tentative vet appointments with, "Never mind. We got a poop." Just one more of the many ways that bearded dragons have for driving their human slaves crazy. :roll:

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I would think his growth has been stunted somewhat due to everything he has been though.
That's great he is a bit more regular now. It could be the addition of the softer foods that
are helping out but going to the bathroom every 3 days isn't bad. At least he isn't impacted
though, that is good news!
How is he doing today?
I hope he continues to make progress, even if it's small steps.


Trace

 

[KevinsMama]

It seems perfectly normal to me that your beardie would go to sleep when the sun goes down, especially if you don't have a lot of other artificial light in the room where he's hanging out. Bearded dragons are diurnal (most of them hard core diurnal), and they're all about heat and light. Our beardie settles right down and goes to sleep almost immediately when we turn his lights out for the night, either right on his basking platform where he has already spent most of his day, or cuddled up with us in front of the TV if the light in the rest of the room is relatively dim. In our case we keep the lights on 12 hours a day year round, but his tank is near our largest windows facing west and south, so he's probably well aware of the seasonal changes, and it's a little harder to get him to settle down in the summer when we have the "midnight sun."

It also sounds like Kevin may be settling into a pattern of a longer interval between poops as the "new normal." The same thing also happened with our beardie -- he was approximately a year old when we got him, and he was pooping every day, but then it got fewer and farther between up until he's been known to go for up to two weeks without a poop, and still be apparently fine. I've canceled a number of tentative vet appointments with, "Never mind. We got a poop." Just one more of the many ways that bearded dragons have for driving their human slaves crazy. :roll:

That's the weird part, he always has his lights on & when it starts getting dark, I even turn on the garage lights for myself. So it stays bright even tho it's darkening outside. But he definitely sees that sun setting & starts wanting to sleep. He's the same way with the lights tho. It's amazing how fast he looks dead ??

My husband thinks the poo every 3 days is uncomfortable for him and I need to change something. I have no idea what he expects me to change! Even on days he won't eat anything but the baby foods, he doesn't poo. His temps & lights are all good. He lives on towels & receiving blankets. So i just think it's the new normal & gonna TRY to not obsess over poop anymore lol!

Tracie, I did send you an email the other day when you asked for pictures. I'm not sure if you got it or not. I wanted to add in there that he is slightly able to lift his upper body off the ground but he doesn't. When he does it's obviously rough & tiring for him.

And I know his growth will be stunted cause of all this, but when I got him from Petco he was noticeably bigger than the others. And even all the new ones that have come & gone since then. They're always about 3-4 in where he was 8 1/2. So he was a biggie for that place. I know their temps aren't high enough, I always look & only see one tube bulb above them, probably a Zilla. So if he had been there a while, it's likely he had issues before I got him. I hate going to get crickets cause no matter which of the 5 stores in my area I go to, I can't help but go look at the baby Beardies & they never look happy or healthy. I want to take them all home. I'm actually in the process of stocking up (slowly) on spare items so I can get another after I get settled with the baby. Right now, Kevin needs too much & then the baby will be here any day so now's not the time. I keep reminding my husband that repticon will be in our area in March LOL!

These little boogers are as addictive as a drug!

 

[SHBailey]

I just noticed that you're in South Florida -- that explains how you can hang out in a garage with a beardie this time of year. Here in Alaska in January, it's hard to imagine it ever being warm enough to take a beardie outside -- that only happens around here on a few days once in a while in the middle of the summer, and that's on a good year.

Obsessing about poop is an occupational hazard for beardie slaves -- especially relatively new ones. Eventually you may be able to get to where you're not too surprised by anything that comes out of a bearded dragon's rear end, but it will probably always be an issue one way or the other. :wink:

I usually send my husband to the pet store for crickets and roaches, since I don't drive anymore anyway, so most of the time I don't have to see the baby beardies and want to take them all home, but fortunately, our local pet stores around here seem to be pretty good at taking care of their critters, or at least not as bad as some of the horror stories I've heard where people have felt like they have to buy them in order to rescue them from the store.

Yes, bearded dragons are addictive, but you're wise to wait until you see how it goes with the new human baby before you seriously consider getting another beardie. You may find that you're maxed out with what you already have. My husband and I found out the hard way that we function optimally as a one reptile family (including the beardie's little entourage of live bugs), and we don't even have any human children. :roll:

 

[KevinsMama]

I just noticed that you're in South Florida -- that explains how you can hang out in a garage with a beardie this time of year. Here in Alaska in January, it's hard to imagine it ever being warm enough to take a beardie outside -- that only happens around here on a few days once in a while in the middle of the summer, and that's on a good year.

Obsessing about poop is an occupational hazard for beardie slaves -- especially relatively new ones. Eventually you may be able to get to where you're not too surprised by anything that comes out of a bearded dragon's rear end, but it will probably always be an issue one way or the other. :wink:

I usually send my husband to the pet store for crickets and roaches, since I don't drive anymore anyway, so most of the time I don't have to see the baby beardies and want to take them all home, but fortunately, our local pet stores around here seem to be pretty good at taking care of their critters, or at least not as bad as some of the horror stories I've heard where people have felt like they have to buy them in order to rescue them from the store.

Yes, bearded dragons are addictive, but you're wise to wait until you see how it goes with the new human baby before you seriously consider getting another beardie. You may find that you're maxed out with what you already have. My husband and I found out the hard way that we function optimally as a one reptile family (including the beardie's little entourage of live bugs), and we don't even have any human children. :roll:

LOL there is definitely a huge difference in Florida & Alaska! It was chilly here today, I checked the temp & it was only 63° which made me laugh!

And I definitely have no plans on getting another anytime soon. I've got so much going on, it wouldn't be fair to Kevin or the new one. But on the just in case, I've got almost everything for another setup, because maybe one day, ya know?

I am happy to report that Kevin is eating like his normal old self again! Today he ate 37 crickets and about 15 BSFL! Plus I have been dropping a few pieces of collard greens in front of him about 4x a day (he won't eat them dried out ?) and everything he eats 2 or 3 pieces. Each piece is About a square inch. HES A LITTLE PIGGY AGAIN! He ate just as well yesterday, but I didn't keep a good count because I was so shocked. He even gets all excited when I come up with the little box I put the crickets in. Perks right up & watches my hands. Pretty dang awesome. Poops are still spaced out but everything seems okay there.

I also measured & weighed him today. 47g & pushing 11in!! Hes growing very fast, despite everything!

Nothing else has gotten any better, but just to see his growth still going so strong and eating normally again is amazing enough I wanted to let everyone know!

 

[BanditAndPeaches]

Poor Kevin. I do hope you can figure out what it wrong with him.
My suggestion is to leave him be, and try not to handle him AS MUCH as you can. If he has eaten then you should be good until your next "feeding time."
Good luck, and give Kevin kisses for me so he can get better.
~Proud owner of Bandit and Peaches

 

[AHBD]

Yay ! Go Kevin !

 

[Drache613]

Hello Starla,

Wow, that is terrific Kevin ate so much today! I guess he was feeling pretty good.
He sure is growing & gaining weight then, despite all of his issues. At least he will
eat some greens, too.
It's good that the weather has been nice enough but still a little cool to take him
outside in it yet.
I really hope you can get his strength & posture corrected.

Tracie

 

[SHBailey]

From where I'm sitting, 63 F is WARM -- that's a typical summer day in Anchorage, but still too cool to take a little beardie outside, as Tracie says. (It's below zero here right now -- I'm more than ready for spring.) :roll:

At least you're stocked up on plenty of beardie supplies. And now that Kevin's eating well, it should help him build up his strength. They do learn what to look for when the food is coming.