Please Help! Strange symptoms with both our beardies!

[Astrael]

Both our beardies appear to be Ill as of late. Nexus and Loki. Nexus is on his way to 5yrs old and loki a year younger. Neither have ever been sick before. We take very good care of them. The problem started over a month ago with loki. He had a normal appetite but he started pooping more often. He always pooped more often then Nexus, but nothing like this. Hes poopin 1-2x a day now and passing urates 5 or 6 times a day. He doesnt seem unhappy, but his appetite has decreased and hes lost some weight. Nexus was fine this whole time. Loki started getting some of his appetite back in the past couple weeks but now Nexus appears to be sick with something similar and it has us very concerned. It started 2 days ago. Currently we only have 1 mvb bulb so Nexus and loki have been taking turns under the Uv. The past 2 days both of them were getting super colorful under the UV, which we didnt find too odd at first but then Nexus started acting strange. Over these past 2 days, nexus hasnt changed from his SUPER bright colors at all. His colors would make u think hes happy, but his eyes are saying his miserable. Hes not relaxed unless he is laying on one of us. He wont sleep right, and last night he started acting really weird. He would get really floppy and relaxed, close his eyes for a little bit, then suddenly he would become super alert, lift his head up, and start running and jumping carelessly in the air and headbobbing slowly once he stops, which is very unsual for him. (his the biggest beardie mush i know) It was almost as if he was panicking. Hes been doing that for hours on end until finally passing out at night. Our beardies dont sleep in their tanks, they sleep in a pet bed at the foot of our bed with a heatpad under it. They hate sleeping in the tanks. I woke up several times last night to Nexus climbing on me and acting weird like i mentioned, until finally sleeping peacefully for several hours. He hasnt has much of an appetite lately, been refusing bugs and veggies, though he did happily devour some fresh chicken we got from the rotisserie at costco the other day. Both of them have a weakness for that chicken. Theyve eaten it for years. Hes not lookin unhealthy. Hes still a big chubby 22 inch monster. I got him on a scale the other night and it read 545 grams but i couldnt fit all of him on the scale, just the bulk of his torso, couldnt get his tail on it properly to get all his weight. I think hes even heavier. Anyway, when he was laying on my belly i started to notice that before he would start freaking out, i could feel a small spasm in his lower abdomen. Not like a "i need to poop" spasm, it was different. So im assuming that something in his G.I tract is causing him pain and its enough to make him freak out. Later that night he started making a strange sound and threw up a strange gooey clear mucus. He did it again today once.
Nikki went online today and ordered some supplements. We got acidopholus,anti parasite and anti bacteria supplements that we hope will help. Nexus started passing small urates a few times a day like loki since all this started, but loki hasnt really been acting strangely, its only nexus.
We have tried thinking of could be the source of the problem. We have our own small dubia roach colony, which they both eat and the roaches all seem healthy and normal like always. THey both usually eat some greens and squash that we buy. They are fed seperately.They take turns basking in the same tank or window, and they sleep in the same petbed at night. They share many of the same conditions and Nexus has been perfectly healthy up until now. Weve tried extra hard to keep nexus away from anything that could possibly pass an illness from loki to him(like poop and food), since we werent sure why loki has been pooping so much lately. We keep everything very clean.
If anyone has any idea what could be causing this problem, we would really appreciate any advice. We dont have much money, otherwise we would have taken them to a Vet already. If this persists though, we will do whatever it takes to help. We love our beardies like family.

 

[Astrael]

Well, we'd given them acidophilous all weekend and both seem much more normal. Loki's eating again, and Nexus isn't doing anything weird anymore (or getting spasms in his tummy). We'd planned on getting them to the vet today if nothing improved, but Loki is eating and basking normally, and Nexus isn't eating much yet (but he is eating a little), but he's basking and acting normal again. We'd just gotten in the Reptile Xtra anti-bacterial and anti-parasite meals today. However, we don't plan on using them if they're ok on their own.

We'd went to Tenn last month, and they had come with us. Perhaps it was mostly delayed effects from stress. Well, whatever happened, it seems to have cleared itself.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I am so sorry your post got missed somehow!
Good grief. The main thing that I can think of is that they got Salmonella poisoning or food poisoning from the chicken perhaps.
How are their appetites now, have they improved since that time?
I would keep giving the acidophiliz for now, just to help out their tummies. So, they are acting normal again though?

Tracie

 

[Astrael]

Thanks for the reply, I think you may be right about some type of food poisoning.

Well, we ate the chicken as well, and if anyone's immune system is down, it's John's. Between the kidney stones and hit gluten intolerance (and trouble adhering to the diet...lol), he'd have gotten sick. However, there's been a lot of warnings about E. coli and salmonella on various veggies here. Plus, Loki was sick before the chicken (it was the ONLY thing we could get him to eat while he was really sick). The collard greens haven't been very good lately. Perhaps there was something wrong with one of the batches, and it made them both sick. I've gotten fresh batches of everything, and both of them are much better today. We've got the anti-bacterial and anti-parasite meal stuff around in case though. And a good herp vet near by.

It was so scary seeing our babies to miserable.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Well, I am happy that they are both so much better now that is a relief! It could have been something with the greens, so just make sure they are all clean. Maybe try to find organic greens, they are usually pretty good!
It is never fun to see our babies sick, that is for sure.


Tracie