My bearded dragon still has a respiratory infection

[Tamlyn94]

I don't know why the meds didn't work, any suggestions? He's still coughing and gasping. He was on .05 ml before for 14 days and they thought he also had lung parasites so he was on that for 3 days then a week break then 3 days again. Had a follow up with the vet and found out he also has coccidia. I don't know what to do it's so expensive. He is gaining weight though. He was 60 grams and now 3 weeks later he's about 85.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Sorry your dragon still has respiratory issues. Which medication was used, Baytril?
For persistent infections, I always recommend Tylan/tylosine along with nebulization
treatments. Do you have a nebulizer you could use for him?
How high of levels are the coccidia, is his appetite being affected or not?

Tracie

 

[Tamlyn94]

Yes baytril was used. They said he has really high levels of coccidia. No, his appetite hasn't been affected. I don't have a nebulizer, do you know where I could get one in Canada?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

OH dear, Canada? You will likely have to ask the vet if he can get hold of one, or check at a
local pharmacy. You might need a prescription though, but not sure.
The Baytril just may not be penetrating fully with just using oral treatments. For the more
stubborn infections, nebulizing treatments get them taken care of most of the time.
If the levels are not affecting his eating I would hold of on treatment since he is already having
trouble with respiratory problems right now.
I can try looking around to see if I can find somewhere to purchase one fast. Ebay or Amazon
possibly, I can check.

Tracie

 

[Tamlyn94]

Thank you, I'll look around for one. Also is it possible that it could be something else? Because he only breathes heavy and coughs, he doesn't really have any of the other symptoms.

 

[EllenD]

Did this vet take a culture and send it to a lab to determine exactly what microbe is causing the infection, and what medication will be effective in treating it? Baytril is just a broad-spectrum Antibiotic, that's it. It treats only bacterial infections, and not even close to all the possible bacterial infections that could be causing his infection, let alone if it's being caused by a fungal infection... Or did they do an x-ray?

As Tracie said, Tylosine/Tylan 50 is the best drug to use in a nebulizer for an Upper Respiratory Infection, I've been using this for my parrots several times and once for my Dragon, and doing a 10-15 treatment once a day for a week clears them very well...The advantage in the US is that Tylosin/Tylan 50 is available here over the counter at stores like Tractor Supply, it's sold for farmers to be able to treat their livestock...Do you have any stores in Canada like Tractor Supply, where you can just walk in and buy different antibiotics, anti-fungals, etc. for farm animals, dogs, cats, etc.? If so that's your best bet, if not you may be able to order it online somewhere, or ask you vet to call-in a prescription for it, that way the pharmacist could compound it correctly for you, although when you nebulize it instead of giving it to them orally the "dosage" doesn't have to be as exact...

Tylan is the brand name for Tylosin, and it comes in different dosages, Tylan 50 is the weakest, that's what you want, no need for Tylan 100.

You can make you own nebulizer pretty easily...All you need is a plastic tub that is around 50-55 liters with a lid, and then you can actually use one of the vaporizers that is sold for humans. I bought one at Walmart for $20 that came with a mask meant for humans...Then I just put the vaporizer inside the tub, poked some ventilation holes in the lid of the plastic tub for ventilation, and then you just dilute the Tylosin/Tylan 50 with sterile water/distilled water and put it in the vaporizer chamber. Using a small, personal vaporizer this way eliminates the need for putting hoses from the nebulizer through the lid of the plastic tub and then having to use duct tape to tape-up the gaps in the lid around the hose, etc. Then I just put the parrot/beardie in the plastic tub, turn on the vaporizer, and shut the lid. You'll see the steam/medicine venting through the holes into the air as well as filling the tub, but you don't want the tub to be so cloudy that you can't see your Dragon, you might have to experiment a little with the number/size of the vent holes in the lid, as you don't want too much of the medicine escaping the tub, but you don't want to totally "Fog" your Dragon. Then you just let them in the tub to breath-in the medication, directly into their lungs and the source of the infection, until the entire dose vaporizes and the vaporizer is empty and stops producing any fog...Do that once a day for week and it typically works very, very well...

You might also ask your Exotics Vet if he actually has a Nebulizer Chamber in his office, a lot of Vets use this for both birds and reptiles, and they have them in-house. But you don't want him to use Baytril, that's not going to do it.

 

[Tamlyn94]

Thank you so much for all the info! I will ask the vet if he took a culture and if he has a nebulizer. I don't think there is any place around here that sells over the counter meds for animals but I will check and ask around. And thanks for explaining how to make a nebulizer if I can't find one!

 

[EllenD]

Yeah, definitely ask them because a lot of vet offices have them, and if you have an actual Animal Hospital near you they most definitely should have a nebulizer chamber.

Here's a link to the vaporizer I use to nebulize them with inside the tub, so you get an idea of what I'm talking about...

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Vicks-Personal-Steam-Inhaler-V1200/878663?action=product_interest&action_type=title&beacon_version=1.0.2&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&client_guid=5e1aa2ee-4478-48eb-33ac-85f5ee588ede&config_id=106&customer_id_enc&findingMethod=p13n&guid=5e1aa2ee-4478-48eb-33ac-85f5ee588ede&item_id=878663&parent_anchor_item_id=17324999&parent_item_id=17324999&placement_id=irs-106-t1&reporter=recommendations&source=new_site&strategy=PWVUB&visitor_id=aVtY3j3H53siJlaso7qEo4

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How is your boy today? If they never did do a mouth swab/culture then it is difficult to
know whether or not the Baytril was the correct med for the bacteria that was present.
Have you changed the substrate to a loose one that could be bothering her?
I was also going to suggest some type of vaporizer. I am not sure what Canada has up there
but vets for the most part should be able to help you get hold of a nebulizer. I am sure you
don't have the medication over the counter like here. Tylan is pretty common in some pet
stores/feed stores here in the US.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

 

[Tamlyn94]

My boy is doing ok, I had some leftover baytril and I asked the vet if I could finish it and he said yes. I have about a week left. I haven't changed anything in his tank, he has been on carpet since I got him about 2 months ago. Thanks for all your replies!

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Is he doing alright then, on the rest of the baytril, no black bearding? Is he eating too I hope?
Be sure to keep him a little warmer overnight so he can have some help with his immune system.
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[Tamlyn94]

He's doing ok, eating normally. As soon as I put him back on baytril he stops coughing and gasping. So I think it helps, at least a little. I'm having a hard time figuring out the temps. I have a 100 watt basking light, a 100 watt ceramic heat emmiter and a 16 watt uth that's on the side of his tank, and of course his uvb. He doesn't really go up on his basking site he just stays on his rock so I took the temp there, and it's only 85 degrees. I got a 150 watt basking light to try to raise the temps. Any suggestions on how I can get the temps higher?

 

[Beardeddtagonlover]

You can use the reptile humidifier as a nebulizer you put the meds in there and you put you dragon in a container so he can breathe the meds exo terra and zoo med make here in Texas are 40 to 70 dollars depending where you buy it.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How is your dragon doing today?
You are taking the temperatures with a digital probe or temp gun, correct? You could try
to rearrange his basking area to where he sits right now to hopefully get him basking at a
better temperature more often during the day. Has he eaten anything today?
That is correct, you can use the humidifier to mist the medication into him like a nebulizer.
You would need an enclosed type of tank or container so that he would be able to breathe
in some of the medication that way.
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[Tamlyn94]

He is doing good today, eating well. I bought a hammock so he's closer to the heat now, so I think that might work for now.