MY 4 1/2 YEAR OLD, 843 gm BEARDED DRAGON MALE IS DYING. I have taken him to the reptile vet twice for gaping and having somewhat swollen gums. After a blood test (no infection, good kidney function, good calcium) and x-ray (good bone density,no broken bones, no obstructions), he put him on meloxicam (.03 ml daily) and baytril (.04 ml daily) for amouth infection which he thought was secondary to something else. I have been syringe feeding him about 10 - 15 ml of baby food with some vitamins about 2 - 3 times a week. I swab his gums semi-daily with a very dilute betadine solution which seem to improve things very slightly. Between the two vet visits (3 weeks apart), he actualy gained 13 gms. He had a fall of about 4 feet two months ago while sunning outside (he suns several hours every weekend). This evening he had a liver -colored mass (1 cm long)mass on the right side of his mouth like tissue under his gums had burst. He is comatose. I was about to bury him when he started gaping and breathing heavily. I have left him on a mat of about 90 F with a washcloth over him.
Possibly linked, his cousin/brother/stepbrother (purchased at the same pet shop which buys eggs from customers and hatches them) died a month ago, also with blood from the mouth (but a very large amount -exsanguinated).
I have a 3rd bearded dragon, 9 1/2 years old, female, completely unrelated rescue, whom I am now worried about.
I know I will be burying him tomorrow....What can possibly be the cause?
Possibly linked, his cousin/brother/stepbrother (purchased at the same pet shop which buys eggs from customers and hatches them) died a month ago, also with blood from the mouth (but a very large amount -exsanguinated).
I have a 3rd bearded dragon, 9 1/2 years old, female, completely unrelated rescue, whom I am now worried about.
I know I will be burying him tomorrow....What can possibly be the cause?