KimM
Member
Hello, I have a juvenile male beardie approx 6-7 months of age with weight of about 210g at vet visit last week.
Diet: Primarily dusted superworms and crickets. Very picky and will only eat a few shredded carrots and flower blossoms as far as vegetation goes but still continue to offer greens, carrots, squished blueberries, and chopped peppers daily even though they went untouched most days.
Husbandry: 40 gal front open breeder tank.
Lighting originally was Reptisun dual dome with the UV and heat bulb that Petco suggested when I bought him. CHE and individual dome added 3 weeks ago for extra heat at night. Lighting changed to Zoo Med 100w basking lamp & Reptisun 13w - 10.0 UVB desert bulb. Basking spot kept at about 100-105 and cool side kept about 80-85. Substrate was originally white calcisand (also sold to me with him when I got him) that I changed to reptile carpet when he started not feeling well & I feared impaction.
His name is Loki and about a month ago he went from being a very active comical beardie to barely moving and not eating at all. I came home from work and noticed him laying in the bottom of his tank which he had never done. His favorite basking place was his log. He only went in the bottom of his tank to explore and then usually right back up to his log or hammock. After reading many forums, articles, and watching tons of videos I thought maybe his night time temps were getting too low so I added a CHE to keep on when his lights are off at night. His condition didn't seem to improve and several things seemed to point towards brumation (this behavior started at the same time as a huge temperature drop here in Arkansas where I live) but I was told he is too young for brumation. While I was holding him that evening I noticed a small bump on his back that seemed to be sensitive to touch. Touching him here was never an issue before as he's very affectionate and loves when I hold him, but when I touched near it even lightly he jerked as if it was sensitive or painful. I couldn't find him a vet that would see a dragon near me and was told from my local pet hospital that Petco has a volunteer vet that comes once a week and was specialized in tropical/small animals. I continued for the rest of that week to encourage him to try to eat and poop until I could get him in for his vet appointment. The day prior to his vet appointment I noticed him struggling to get up his log and he slid/fell from it. When I took him out for a soak I noticed his legs & tail were hanging and he wasn't using them. There is resistance when I push on them from the bottom with my finger and some movement when he is in the bath but he won't use them when he walks on my lap or in his tank.
The vet visit was 300$ and left me more hopeless and confused than before we went. They took 2 xrays (which were never shown to me) and she came out to tell me he had a small impaction and early signs of MBD. Took me out into the store part of Petco and picked out the 2 bulbs I have now and told me to stop turning his lights off at night, that she has a perfectly healthy beardie and never turns hers off. She then also handed me a huge back of ground up walnut shell and told me to use that for his substrate. I expressed concern of why when she had just told me he was suffering impaction and she said that sand is too heavy and doesn't move, but the walnut was very light and caused no impaction/digestion concerns. (She told me she also uses this.) So on the vet's advice I spent another 100$ at the store after the vet visit cost to get new bulbs and substrate. The substrate lasted about 45 minutes before I vacuumed every bit of it back out of his tank because it upset him so badly. He immediately started licking it and I noticed it stuck to his mouth and underside vent. Also for the very first time ever since I have owned him his beard turned completely black. Enter even more anxiety because I have now upset my already sick beardie. Went back to the store and bought some reptile carpet and put it in and he seems like it doesn't bother him. For treatment - the vet and her assistant did literally nothing. She gave me a box of Fluker's Repti+Boost and told me to syringe feed 5.3ml (split between morning and evening feeding) every day with a couple drops of mineral oil until he poops or for two weeks whichever came first. Said not to supplement with his calcium while doing so. I wasn't shown how to syringe feed and no testing or comfort care to help him poop was done. I figured that part out from watching youtube videos. No stool was tested (she told me I could bring some back in 2 weeks when I bring him back for x-rays if hes not better) and then told me to have a good day and to stop being so concerned because I was doing everything correctly. I cried all the way home with Loki because I felt so helpless.
I have upped his warm baths to about 15 minute soaks every evening to give him comfort and encourage poops. After 3 days of rotating the Fluker's and warm pumpkin with oil that I read about on this forum - he finally pooped a small very hard poop after first feeding of pumpkin that was almost all sand when I smooshed it (gross I know, but I wanted to see what was impacting him, the worms or sand or both). After starting some pumpkin and offering extra water he has pooped small amounts 3 more times this week. Second one after pumpkin was very runny and had the white urea in it, second one this morning about 15 minutes after I turned his lights on and had more shape but no white in it. His tummy still feels pretty bloated and he is still not eating unless I syringe feed. Legs feel a bit stronger but he is still not using them. I am now also super concerned about his tail as it looks greyish and it seems extremely limp. I'm praying it's a new shed starting, but worried it's because he's not using it - his last shed was early December before he started acting ill.
Please someone help me as I have watched so many videos and read SO many forums and discussions trying to figure out what could be wrong and how to save my baby and each has left me even more concerned and confused than before. All of the information seems to contradict the information before it.
First 2 uploaded pictures of him were taken on December 29th before his behavior changed as well as pictures of his lights and setup and pictures of how he is looking this evening. Gross I know, but I also took a picture of his last poop from earlier today so you could see how it looks as well.
Apologies for such a long post but wanted to be sure to add all info I could think of. Any advice would be greatly appreciated from this very concerned and scared beardie Mom. Thank you in advance!
Diet: Primarily dusted superworms and crickets. Very picky and will only eat a few shredded carrots and flower blossoms as far as vegetation goes but still continue to offer greens, carrots, squished blueberries, and chopped peppers daily even though they went untouched most days.
Husbandry: 40 gal front open breeder tank.
Lighting originally was Reptisun dual dome with the UV and heat bulb that Petco suggested when I bought him. CHE and individual dome added 3 weeks ago for extra heat at night. Lighting changed to Zoo Med 100w basking lamp & Reptisun 13w - 10.0 UVB desert bulb. Basking spot kept at about 100-105 and cool side kept about 80-85. Substrate was originally white calcisand (also sold to me with him when I got him) that I changed to reptile carpet when he started not feeling well & I feared impaction.
His name is Loki and about a month ago he went from being a very active comical beardie to barely moving and not eating at all. I came home from work and noticed him laying in the bottom of his tank which he had never done. His favorite basking place was his log. He only went in the bottom of his tank to explore and then usually right back up to his log or hammock. After reading many forums, articles, and watching tons of videos I thought maybe his night time temps were getting too low so I added a CHE to keep on when his lights are off at night. His condition didn't seem to improve and several things seemed to point towards brumation (this behavior started at the same time as a huge temperature drop here in Arkansas where I live) but I was told he is too young for brumation. While I was holding him that evening I noticed a small bump on his back that seemed to be sensitive to touch. Touching him here was never an issue before as he's very affectionate and loves when I hold him, but when I touched near it even lightly he jerked as if it was sensitive or painful. I couldn't find him a vet that would see a dragon near me and was told from my local pet hospital that Petco has a volunteer vet that comes once a week and was specialized in tropical/small animals. I continued for the rest of that week to encourage him to try to eat and poop until I could get him in for his vet appointment. The day prior to his vet appointment I noticed him struggling to get up his log and he slid/fell from it. When I took him out for a soak I noticed his legs & tail were hanging and he wasn't using them. There is resistance when I push on them from the bottom with my finger and some movement when he is in the bath but he won't use them when he walks on my lap or in his tank.
The vet visit was 300$ and left me more hopeless and confused than before we went. They took 2 xrays (which were never shown to me) and she came out to tell me he had a small impaction and early signs of MBD. Took me out into the store part of Petco and picked out the 2 bulbs I have now and told me to stop turning his lights off at night, that she has a perfectly healthy beardie and never turns hers off. She then also handed me a huge back of ground up walnut shell and told me to use that for his substrate. I expressed concern of why when she had just told me he was suffering impaction and she said that sand is too heavy and doesn't move, but the walnut was very light and caused no impaction/digestion concerns. (She told me she also uses this.) So on the vet's advice I spent another 100$ at the store after the vet visit cost to get new bulbs and substrate. The substrate lasted about 45 minutes before I vacuumed every bit of it back out of his tank because it upset him so badly. He immediately started licking it and I noticed it stuck to his mouth and underside vent. Also for the very first time ever since I have owned him his beard turned completely black. Enter even more anxiety because I have now upset my already sick beardie. Went back to the store and bought some reptile carpet and put it in and he seems like it doesn't bother him. For treatment - the vet and her assistant did literally nothing. She gave me a box of Fluker's Repti+Boost and told me to syringe feed 5.3ml (split between morning and evening feeding) every day with a couple drops of mineral oil until he poops or for two weeks whichever came first. Said not to supplement with his calcium while doing so. I wasn't shown how to syringe feed and no testing or comfort care to help him poop was done. I figured that part out from watching youtube videos. No stool was tested (she told me I could bring some back in 2 weeks when I bring him back for x-rays if hes not better) and then told me to have a good day and to stop being so concerned because I was doing everything correctly. I cried all the way home with Loki because I felt so helpless.
I have upped his warm baths to about 15 minute soaks every evening to give him comfort and encourage poops. After 3 days of rotating the Fluker's and warm pumpkin with oil that I read about on this forum - he finally pooped a small very hard poop after first feeding of pumpkin that was almost all sand when I smooshed it (gross I know, but I wanted to see what was impacting him, the worms or sand or both). After starting some pumpkin and offering extra water he has pooped small amounts 3 more times this week. Second one after pumpkin was very runny and had the white urea in it, second one this morning about 15 minutes after I turned his lights on and had more shape but no white in it. His tummy still feels pretty bloated and he is still not eating unless I syringe feed. Legs feel a bit stronger but he is still not using them. I am now also super concerned about his tail as it looks greyish and it seems extremely limp. I'm praying it's a new shed starting, but worried it's because he's not using it - his last shed was early December before he started acting ill.
Please someone help me as I have watched so many videos and read SO many forums and discussions trying to figure out what could be wrong and how to save my baby and each has left me even more concerned and confused than before. All of the information seems to contradict the information before it.
First 2 uploaded pictures of him were taken on December 29th before his behavior changed as well as pictures of his lights and setup and pictures of how he is looking this evening. Gross I know, but I also took a picture of his last poop from earlier today so you could see how it looks as well.
Apologies for such a long post but wanted to be sure to add all info I could think of. Any advice would be greatly appreciated from this very concerned and scared beardie Mom. Thank you in advance!
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