Need advice/help!

[sweetbutterfly85]

Hi everyone,
I have a problem with my beardie.
That are the symptoms…
She blows her beard very often and it looks like she has a sore throat. It looks like she has absorb problems. She doesn`t eat well and I think she has a handicap breathing sometimes. And she sleeps in sitting position with head holding up. And she poops very often a day.
That is what we have done till now we have treated for pneumonia with antibiotika for a week and have made a smear from her fauces for checking of bacterium. Both are with no result.
We also checked the blood. Only the renal and liver results was a little bit higher than normal.
So I and my vet don`t know whats her problem.
Hope someone has any idea or can help me!

Rebecca

 

[remi1]

Hello!
Could you please review with everyone the set-up you have for your little one?
-What are the temperatures of your tank (basking and the cool end)?
-How do you measure them (temp gun, stick on, dial, digital probe)?
-What kind (brand) of UVB light do you have?
-What do you put on the floor of your beardie's home?
-What do you feed her?
All poop has bacteria in it, but what you want to do is a fecal flotation, not a smear, to check for parasites.

 

[sweetbutterfly85]

Hello,
I have her in a plastic box at the moment because she is in quarantine sice I have her only 4 weeks.
On the basking side it is 100,4 and at the cool side it is 78,8.
I measure them with a digital thermometer.
I uses the Exo Terra 10.0. On the floor is only newspaper.
I feed her crickets, superworms, dubia roaches. And every kind of salad.
The vet has made a check with mucus from her mouth for bacteria. I don`t mean a fecal sample.

Rebecca

 

[romanfj]

Regarding the diarrhea, I see that you gave her anitobiotics in case she had a respiratory infection. Did you replace the normal bacteria in her intestines which the antibiotic killed off? The easiest way to do this is to feed her SOY yogurt. It can be found in grocery stores which sell organic foods. This may help with that particular symptom.

As for the rest of her symptoms, I am at a loss. I just read an interesting article about a chameleon with a broken hyoid bone (the bone at the base of the tongue to which the tongue is attached). The chamelon presented with feeding difficulties and some respiratory symptoms. It's a long shot, but has she been x-rayed?

Frank

 

[romanfj]

I just caught the last line in your post that she hasn't had a fecal flotation performed. The diarrhea/feeding problems are commonly associated with intestinal parasites. This is an inexpensive test to have done. I would definitely recommend it. All beardies carry coccidia, plus she may have been infected before you even purchased her. It is no reflection on you as an owner.
Frank

 

[sweetbutterfly85]

Yes she has been x-rayed at the beginning of the therapy. On the x-ray we saw that she has shades on her lung. That was the main reason she was be treated for pneumonia with antibiotika.
That was also the reason that we checked the renal and liver functions by a blood analysis.
But I think her main problem is the blowing of her beard and the stomach problems. And that she don`t eat alone at the moment.
What means a respiratory infection and how would it be treated? And when that it is why does my vet it not recognize?

Rebecca

 

[sweetbutterfly85]

I have done a fecal sample as I get her. The coccidia, worms and flagellates are treated.
Now she is absolutely clean. I have checked it after treatment again.
But the parasites are not her actually problem of her symptoms and her behavior.

Rebecca

 

[remi1]

How old is the UVB light? The exo terra isn't the best uvb bulb out there for dragons. The best ones to get are either the ReptiSun 10.0, or a megaray or trex mvb.
How old is she? I just thought that maybe if he's old enough she could be brumating? When my adult was brumating she would sleep, towards the end of the brumation period, with her head up. But that wouldn't explain some of the other signs, namely the xray.
Sometimes beardies just poof up their beards, it's not necessarily a sign of a breathing problem. They do it if they're scared or angry or whatever. Does she make noise when she breaths? Are there bubbles or what-not coming out of her nose when she breaths?
Respiratory infection is basically a bacteria, virus or fungus that infects the lungs and makes it hard to breathe. Obviously it's treated with antibiotics if it's bacterial, antifungals if it's a fungus, but there's nothing one can really do for a virus except for supportive care.
Is your vet an experienced reptile vet?

 

[sweetbutterfly85]

The UVB light is only some weeks old, maybe 4 or 5. She is from august 2009. She subadult, around 270grams. I don`t put a dragon into brumation before it is at least an adult one.
No there are no bubbles that comes out of her noise. Sometimes she makes she clicked by the breating. But only sometimes.
Of course my vet is specialized in reptiles.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

If possible, could you please send me or post the blood test results for me? You mentioned that the liver & kidney enzymes/ readings were a little high. Exactly how high were they? Is the vet not looking into that at all?
The Reptiglo 10 tube bulb is not a good bulb. It has been known to cause eye issues, as well as some health problems due to the stress of the light. How close is the light to your dragon, & are you using a bright white light in combination with the tube bulb?

Tracie

 

[sweetbutterfly85]

I don``t have the test results. Only my vet have them. But he told me that they are ok and they are not dramatically.
The bulb is 24 inch (60cm) away from the animal.

Rebecca

 

[Buggsy]

Ok the distance could be a problem. With the normal reptiSUN bulbs you want 6-8" away from the basking spot. This is different from what recommended on the box but studies were done in 2007 and using a UVB meter 6-8" threw out the correct amount of UVB for beardies. As you have a not so good bulb, i would say 10".

At the distance you have now there wont be much, if any UVB getting to your beardy. I dont know if that has caused the symptoms, but at this point any issue with the environment should be ruled out just in case!