LG ~ The Handi-Capable Bearded Dragon

[Goonie]

Hope everything's ok with your grandparents :|

 

[jscott]

I just got back from the vets; They gave me a big discount because they knew I couldn't afford it.

They vet said he has a bacterial infection, and that he didn't seem to have any respiratory problems.

The vet really shocked me when he told me LG has circulation problems. The blood is not reaching the end of his tail all the way. I asked what can I do, and he said NOTHING. I asked if there were certain foods that could help, or soaking him, and he said NO.

He weighted him (7oz) and prescribed Baytril in 0.1 mL doses. He gave me 10 doses worth.

I am really worried about his tail; The doctor said it would shrivel up and die if theres no blood reaching it, but he won't suggest any remedies for this.

It was a cheap vet visit, I am wondering if he sped me through the office because I wasn't paying full price...

He said that he probably has had some lifelong condition that has stunted his growth. His sibling may have picked up on that, he continued, and that's why they tried to eat him to behin with; Because they could sense his weakness.

There is no rubber jaw he said, and the deformation in his mouth most likely happened early on and has not progressed.

I just don't know what to say. My brain hurts right now. This is so much stress that is just adding on to the big ball of worries that I've been carrying around.

Anyone who wants to chime in at this point go for it... Just know that everyone is giving me opposing information, so I really just don't know what to do.

 

[vickson420]

Hi
So bacterial infection is quite possible and Baytril would be the way to go.Hopefully once he is on it for a few days then he will begin to feel better.What made him think there was poor circulation in the tail? Is it darkened up? You could try give hime daily massage in the bath to help the blood flow(massage downward to the tail and then the tail) and of course amputation is an option as well but I would not do that unless you see the tail area changing or really bothering him.What did you mean about people giving you opposing info? Try to remember there is more then one method and sometimes it does not hurt to try a few diferent things.All beardies are different so diferent things can work for different animals.Is that what you meant?

 

[jscott]

I think his tale has been darkening so slowly I didn't even notice anything. His tale has always seemed fine so I dodn't think twice about it.

Here are two pictures; The first is years old, while the second is a picture as of 5-19-2010, I will take another right now and post it:

P.S. I bought some live crickets from a petstore recommended by the vet. He says the buy from a good supplier and her recommends all his customers there because they more their stock so quickly. They don't sit for long.

Ok, I'm going to take a pic of his tale and upload the rest on my moms computer.

 

[vickson420]

I see the darkening.Is there any retained shed on it anywhere? Jaba has some issues with her tail circulation from time to time during sheds and I have found that the massaging really does help get it flowing better.I will try doing some research and if you can dose blood thinners or not but it will take me some time.

 

[jscott]

Are their any foods with anticoagulant properties? Should I soak in in warm water twice daily and run his tail?

Their doesn't seem to be any retained shed on his tail, but he is shedding slightly on his front arms.

Also, is it safe to give b vitamins(weak solution), colloidal silver(30ppm, with 1/2 water) AND the baytril?

Are any of those things a danger right now? I also have some calcium glucosamine, but I hear that is dangerous if not measured properly, and I dont think that would even help his condition right now.

Did I mention that he weighed 7oz? OK, off to upload pix. Give me some time and I'll have em up.

 

[Goonie]

At least LG doesn't have a respiratory issue. The bacterial infection should be easy enough to treat.

I'm sure I'm reaching here, but could his poor circulation have anything to do with the fact that he doesn't have back legs to move along the blood flow to the end of the tail?
Are you allowed to touch his tail? If so, try gently rubbing/squeezing from the base to the tip in half inch increments, twice a day if time allows. That might help with getting the blood to go where it's suppose to -- sort of like giving LG accupressure.

Only 7 ounces (which, by the way, equals to 198.446 grams)?! Was that how much he weighed the last time he got weighed, or did he lose some?

 

[beardie parents]

I'm not an expert by any means but I agree with trying the 'accupressure' thing for his tail. It will probably work. I've had that done to some extent and it works great for us, so why not for lg?

 

[ajkry2]

Weird suffestion -- a homeopathic remedy to circulation inhumans is a few drops ofcayenne extract in glass of water daily. I've tried it and it works (for humans). Maybe a drop of cayenne extract in his baby food squash slurry?

I'm not sure ifbeardies can take cayenne though.

 

[Goonie]

Hey Jason, wanted to check in to see how LG is doing.

 

[diamc]

I'm wondering too about LG and also how you're doing.

 

[jscott]

Well, like I said earlier; Bad things happen all at once.

I have pictures that are stuck on the camera; The computer isn't recognizing the camera when it's plugged in, so I don't know how to get to the pictures. I'm going to reinstall the software right now and see if that does anything.

LG isn't looking so good... His eyes look a little sunken, even though I'm giving him lots of water. He has been eating a few crickets at a time, but I have to force them in his mouth. He has been black bearding and gaping a lot, and he is shaking more than ever now. It seems like his head quivers every few minutes.

He goes through short periods of rest, but he seems to be moving aimlessly around his enclosure a lot.

I don't know what to do, besides removing the steps from his tank and bathing him regularly.

I'm going to go reinstall that camera software and try to get those pics up so you can see for yourself...

 

[jscott]

Well, like I said earlier; Bad things happen all at once.

I have pictures that are stuck on the camera; The computer isn't recognizing the camera when it's plugged in, so I don't know how to get to the pictures. I'm going to reinstall the software right now and see if that does anything.

LG isn't looking so good... His eyes look a little sunken, even though I'm giving him lots of water. He has been eating a few crickets at a time, but I have to force them in his mouth. He has been black bearding and gaping a lot, and he is shaking more than ever now. It seems like his head quivers every few minutes.

He goes through short periods of rest, but he seems to be moving aimlessly around his enclosure a lot.

I don't know what to do, besides removing the steps from his tank and bathing him regularly.

I'm going to go reinstall that camera software and try to get those pics up so you can see for yourself...

 

[Drache613]

Hello Jason,

The dosage of the Baytril looks a bit high for his weight of 7 ounces or basically 200 grams. Do you know what the concentration of the Baytril is?
That could be why he is blackbearding if he is getting too much Baytril. Are you giving probiotics too?
During his warm baths, try to gently massage his tail, that could help with circulation as well. I too, am going to do some checking regarding circulatory issues.
I hope things get better for you. We are all pulling for LG.

Tracie

 

[remi1]

If LG's pb was a b-vitamin deficiency, you would have seen improvements by now so I would discontinue its use while on baytril. I don't know much about colloidal silver except that its effectiveness in curing ""insert favorite disease/condition"" is pretty anecdotal, so I did a bit of research on VIN and in Merck. "Colloidal silver compounds [...] are bacteriostatic [...] They do not irritate the tissues and have little astringent or caustic effect [referring to topical/surface of skin use on burns, not orally]. They are generally used as mild antiseptics and in ophthalmic preparations." (Merck) However, a study concluded that there is a "lack of established effectiveness and potential toxicity" of oral OTC colloidal silver products. (VIN) A lot of compounds interfere with baytril, and I honestly don't know if colloidal silver is one of them. I'm sorry your vet isn't more helpful/welcoming. It's too bad you're in California, if you lived in Colorado I could get LG in to see two of the best exotics guys in the region for pretty cheap. The vet you took LG to didn't do any bloodwork by any chance? Tell LG to hang in there!!