My 7yo boy ...**He didn't make it :(**

[melissawf]

I found him this morning with his tail sitting in his own poo (he never sits on his poo) and looking lethargic. I took him out to bathe him and clean up the mess and he is totally limp but will hold his head up still and look at me. He isn't putting his feet right when I set him down and he allowed me to put him on his back without fighting or trying to right himself.He also is allowing me to open his mouth without a fight which is also totally uncharacteristic. (Wow, sounds like I am torturing the poor guy) His color seems like it may be a little pale as does his tongue but I'm not sure. His tank is at proper temps (*could* be a little warmer in his basking but within proper temps) and he has the proper UVB tube light. I recently bought a huge box of superworms (1000) so he has been eating more of those than usual and has developed a nice round tummy but it is soft and he has been pooping more. He has been eating his greens and veggies/fruits up until now as well. His worms have the calcium and herptivite right in their bedding so I don't bother with extra dusting but I've been doing that for years now. The only other thing is that we have had HUGE numbers of fireflies outside and we've caught a few of them in the house. It is possible that we missed one that Beardie could've gotten ahold of. It is also possible that he is just old and this is his time. Oh yeah, I also started recently giving him a water bowl which I never used to do. (I used to just put extra water in his salad)

Anyone have any thoughts? I am not wanting to go to heroic measures to "save" him if this is his time. He is old and I hate to make an animal hang on if it is their time. BTW, hey out there to all the folks who may remember me. I haven't been here in a bit! I've been busy going back to school for the past couple of years in addition to tending my 5 human kids. I think Beardie just may be one of the oldest old-timers here aside from Alex's guy who I think was 10 when he passed. I would love to see him add a few more years but am bracing myself that this may be it. He really has never been sick and even when brumating, would give some fight when I'd do the things I mentioned.

 

[athenacp]

Hiya! LTNS! Good to hear from ya!

As for your beardie, has he developed a black beard? You mentioned fireflies, from what I understand that usually kills them really quick, though there is one person here who has managed and still is managing their beardie, but it is a younger one.
7 years old is old, but not that old, I can only go by what I went thru with Digger...he had stomach issues that lasted 5 months before he passed and he was black & white, his brown went completely away. Towards the end he developed a weird diarrhea, the top of his head sunk in and he looked really sick.

Each beardie is different, he is elderly..maybe pm tracie? She would know a lot more than I ever could.
Sorry I couldn't be of much help

 

[melissawf]

That's ok. He is a gorgeous orangey-yellow color but seems pale today. He has always been vigorous and since buying that case of worms, his belly really filled out too (but not hard like you would expect if impacted plus has been pooping). He only just today has been acting weird like this. He is totally black-bearded and the tip of his tail is oddly black too but the rest of his body is as bright as if he had been freshly bathed in warm water! He won't swallow but allows things into his mouth so I think I will opt not to forcefeed since he will just aspirate it anyways. I think we are just wait and see for now. If I took a pic, you would think he were just sleeping. ::shrug::

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How is your dragon doing tonight?
The darkened tail tip is usually an indicator of stress or not feeling well. How long has his tail tip been dark?
It is a possibility that he ate a firefly though he would probably be doing a little worse.
Which UVB are you using & how old is it? Is it a fluorescent tube bulb or a compact/coil light?
How often do you give calcium, or do you not dust at all? If you just put the supplements in the substrate that may not be enough calcium for him. He could possibly be getting low calcium. This can take years to set in, when you have a healthy lizard to begin with.
I suggest trying to dust his greens/veggies & or insects several times per week to see if that may help.


Tracie

 

[melissawf]

Hi, I am actually a long-time member here but haven't been coming/posting recently until Beardie got sick. You might not remember me. I think we first met at the frog forum actually. Beardie didn't make it through the night. I did dust his bugs and greens but also kept the vitamin powders in his feeder bedding. Everything about this points to him getting ahold of something he shouldn't and I suspect it was a lightning bug. Even his lifeless body looked healthy! His little dents on his head were nice and plump, his color was beautiful and he had a nice soft, round belly and was pooping regularly. He always had a 6mo or less old UVB tube light (never compact) or MVB and a plain house bulb for basking. I kept him ALWAYS on shelf liner and he ate collards, carrots, fruit and other veggies with the collard being the bulk of his veggies. He DID have a lot of supers to eat in the last month before he died since I bought 1000 through the mail and he actually started pooping MORE than usual. I only used Repcal D3 and Herptivite for dusting. His basking temps were between 100-107 and shade temp of about 75-80. He was active and vigorous until 24-48 hours before he passed. Early in the day he could still hold up his head and look at me but after a few hours, even that was too much. He had a very black beard until he finally stopped breathing when it was just a little black. I think part of that was my testing his lethargy though (held him upside down for a couple seconds to see if he'd fight me and also opened his mouth with my fingers just to see if he'd resist, he didn't.

I found a pet shop that will take my 700 superworms I have left ($13! I'd love to have found a bargain like that!) but I also have about 30 Madagascar Hissers that I'm not sure if I should keep. I had originally gotten them to start a feeder colony for Beardie. I don't know when I will get another baby but maybe I ought to save the colony and keep them going for a future baby. My 16yo thinks we should keep them. It's just all so sad doing this. It is like having a child die and having to clean out their room and give away all their toys While counting those cursed worms, I kept finding the yummy white ones that I KNOW Beardie would've loved. I don't think the dog and cat people "get it". Out of curiosity, is there another feeder one could use instead of those blasted pinhead crickets for a baby? Every time I consider a baby, I just think back to the hordes of chirping crickets that got too big to feed. Maybe some Phoenix or silk worms? Too soon to think about (although the kids have asked, several times, about a baby).

 

[athenacp]

Oh I am so sorry to hear he's passed I kknow how you feel, they wrap there little claws around your heart, sigh.

As for the worms, I had gotten Digger when he was a year old from the breeder, so not sure for a baby, wish I could help you on that one.

Keeping you in my thoughts,
Mary

 

[NightmareDisco]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss

You could feed phoenix worms as a staple to a baby

 

[melissawf]

My guy also liked cooked chicken and turkey (I would give him some turkey on Thanksgiving, not as a regular food). I wonder if that would be ok as a protein staple. Or maybe liver (I give that to my rats). I just hated dealing with crickets. It's like learning how to take care of a newborn all over again!

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh I am so sorry that he did not make. I do not know what could have gone wrong, since it was very sudden. Possible liver or renal trouble. It is so devastating when you lose one, too. It is hard.
I do remember you. It is nice to see you on here again!


Tracie

 

[VerriKerri]

Sorry to hear he didn't make it.

I have a baby right now and I hate crickets. I feed him small reptiworms and he loves them. You could try those they come in a variety of sizes.

 

[beardie parents]

I'm sorry. It hurts when you loose a beardie.

 

[lauraj1055]

So sorry for your loss

I have 3 beardies, never once fed any crickets. I use reptiworms and dubias.. dubias make an awesome feeder.

I hope you get another one. They don't replace the ones we lost, they only make it easier to move on...

 

[melissawf]

Thanks all! I made a post under Gen Discussion about a contest I entered to win a baby. If you feel so compelled, you can read that and vote for me on Facebook I decided to let fate determine how soon I get a new baby.

 

[lauraj1055]

Thanks all! I made a post under Gen Discussion about a contest I entered to win a baby. If you feel so compelled, you can read that and vote for me on Facebook I decided to let fate determine how soon I get a new baby.

Can you post the link from gen disuss here so I can find it?

 

[melissawf]

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=151498
Thanks