Running out of options, need some serious advice

[Drache613]

Hello Jane,

How is he doing today?
It sounds like the weather has really gotten him down, poor guy. The weather has been absolutely horrid this year, I agree. Is he out of his tank much right now?
No, I don't see any evidence of him being spoiled though.....LOL
Did he eat any hornworms you offered him?

Tracie

 

[Menolly]

Hi Tracie,
He's doing well except for the black beard. He still seems a little tired but otherwise he's doing well and hasn't been gaping. His breathing is sometimes off like breathing harder then the situation warrants bit he seems to be doing better just not back to where he was.
Haha is he out of his tank :whip: :laughhard: :laughhard: :laughhard: :laughhard: . He's always out of his cage. I was able to have him outside for three hours the other day because it was gorgeous and mid to high 70s. I had him outside when it was in the 80s for an hour but he seemed to really overheat when we were out there because he has his mouth open most of the time in the sun. When we were in the shade he was fine.
Nope, not spoiled at all. He doesn't run my life at all. Pffffffft haha.
He did not, little bratzilla. He is still eating more of his greens so I'm sort of okay with it. I think the worms maybe have been a little much for his stomach, maaaybe with so much medication, we'll see.

Still haven't heard about the fungal yet. I talked to the vet and we are going to see how he does off the medication for the next week and talk about our options and when it would be good to get another ultrasound to make sure there is no more fluid around his heart.

 

[Drache613]

Hello Jane,

That is great he is doing well except for a black beard!
At least he hasn't been gaping though that is some improvement for him.
He is most definitely a little spoiled. LOL That is ok, because none of us on here have any spoiled dragons, either.
At least he enjoyed being outside, that is so good for them, too.
I hope his appetite picks up also, he seems to be doing pretty well overall right now.

Keep us posted on him!

Tracie

 

[Menolly]

Hi Tracie,
So I just found out the the fungal came back negative.We are doing for an ultrasound on Wednesday to see if there is any fluid left around his heart.



So you can start the video at 33 seconds, he keeps breathing like that and he licks his lips. After talking with the doctor he wants to put a tube down into his stomach to get a sample of the liquid in there to see if there is something wrong because of the way he is breathing and the fact that his appetite is off. I don't know if that's necessary though, thoughts? I also saw a small amount of clear fluid in his nostril. I think he might have another respiratory infection because of the high humidity in the state this last week. It was just a little, but I'm guessing fluid once from his nostril is a clear indication though if I'm not mistaken.

 

[KarenInCA]

The breathing appears to be the show of interest in the worm, an excitement, but the stomach and taste buds won't let him do it. Like feeling sick as a dog, but smelling that wonderful aroma coming out of your moms kitchen and not able to eat it cue you know your fever won't let you keep it down.
Poor guy.

 

[Drache613]

Hello Jane,

He is such a handsome dragon. I hope he doesn't have another respiratory infection though but at least his mouth swab came back negative. The ultrasound is a great idea to be sure there isn't fluid around the heart.
The tube to the stomach is pretty invasive but it could detect increased enzymatic activity which could indicate an infection or organ trouble.
He isn't eating much right now again?
I am so sorry you are still having trouble with him.

Tracie

 

[Menolly]

Hi,
Thank you! He's my little heart stopper. The problem is he breathes like that a lot. I hope it's not very rough for him because I just feel bad. Yeah, I hand feed him everything. He only shows interest in worms if he hasn't eaten for a few days. He's still okay with veggies, not he best but he will normally eat those everyday.

I'll let you know how the vet visit goes. He is also closing his eyes more and he doesn't want to bask as often, he keeps trying to go into his hide. I just want to get this figured out so that he can get better. I've never felt so useless.

 

[Drache613]

Hello Jane,

He sure keeps you on your toes!
You are not useless! You are doing everything you can, so hopefully he will continue to get better.
He isn't trying to brumate on you is he?
Is he eating a few worms anyway to maintain his weight?
Let me know how things progress.

Tracie

 

[Menolly]

Hey Tracie,
So the fluid around his heart has increased. He said that there was also some fluid in his abdomen. The fluid isn't as much as it was before but it has almost doubled from the point he was at a few weeks ago when it had decreased.
On the ultrasound they also said they saw a mass in front of his heart. He said that he thinks its something swelling like lymph nodes or something. He said that the veins of the heart look a little thick. I felt like I asked the wrong questions about the mass, and didn't really get a clear idea of what it might have been, but he doubts that its a tumor because it didn't appear on any of the other ultrasounds.
He showed us a sample of the fluid that he got from the abdomen and it was brown. He said that the color indicated an infection. He didn't seem very optimistic at all. I just don't know how the infection could increase again like that. I just don't know what to do at this point.

He put him on .3ccs of Metronidazole for seven days orally (100mg/n) <---I think that's a typo.
.13 ccs give through shot alternating arms every three days of Fortaz (Ceftazidine) Per cc 100 mg/ml

I just really don't know. Know any good specialist around or in the Pennsylvania area. I just get the feeling that he doesn't know whats going on and he will just keep declining.I just don't know why he's getting worse.

 

[Drache613]

Hello Jane,

Oh geez, the fluid has built up around his heart again? That isn't good.
There really aren't any lymph nodes but they have lymph tissue.
Maybe the thyroid or parathyroid gland could be malfunctioning, but if the veins of the heart have thickened a little, it sounds like possible heart disease.
He doesn't feel it is cancer then? That is good news, since the mass didn't show up on the other ultrasound.
The brownish fluid would indicate infection so maybe the Metronidazole will help clear it up.
Perhaps the lining around the heart is holding infection for some reason.
How do his kidneys & liver look?

I am so sorry he is having this trouble.
Tracie

 

[Menolly]

Hi Tracie,
Heart disease? That doesn't sound good at all. I mean what can I do for that?

He said that the liver and kidneys are looking good when they were checked out. Is there anything else I can do? Should I get rid of his cage furniture, could that be harboring infection?

I've been reading on here about problems with the mercury vapor bulbs, that's all I've ever had but I'm thinking about switching to a tube bulb. Right now I have an Arcadia bulb for him but I don't know I'm willing to try anything at this point to see him perk up. What would be a good size for a 75 gallon tank? I may be grasping at straws but I'll be damned if I don't try everything I can at this point.

Bee pollen, how much should I give each day? I'm doing the soy yogurt again.

 

[Menolly]

Poop picture from today. Does the brown liquid indicate infection? Poor guy hasn't pooped in a few days even in the bath. Finally gave him some apple sauce this morning. We go outside to sit by the pool for a little and the minute I sit down he hops onto the chair and poops. That's my lizard.

 

[Drache613]

Hello Jane,

The stool looks normally actually. Having brown liquid doesn't necessarily indicate infection. It could just be excess fluid excretion from probiotics, or other supplements, etc.
You can give just a small pinch of the bee pollen daily for him.
I can do some research on fluid around the heart, to see what else I can come up with. There aren't too many other things that could cause fluid around heart. The vet said his kidneys & liver look good?
Another possibility is thyroid issues. That can affect the circulatory system. If he could do it, an EKG could also be done to rule out heart disease or a heart problem, etc. I can read EKG's so could help out if needed.
Which Arcadia are you using, the MVB? That one is pretty good, but a little on the lower end. What you could do is use a tube bulb in combination with it as it is a great basking light also. That is what we use, the Arcadia D3 MVB along with the T5 High output Arcadia tube bulb.
I really hope he is going to get better.

Tracie

 

[Menolly]

Hey Tracie,
If you come up with anything let me know. I can't seem to find anything on fluid around the heart. If you could even suggest places I could look that would be helpful. I talk to him on Monday and could ask if he does an EKG. I just can't figure out how he could possibly get an infection this badly. It just boggles my mind.
Yeah, he's only ever had MVBs would using a reptilian be okay? I'm actually in the USA and have the converter box for the bulb. I just hope these antibiotics work or else I'll be calling a specialist to see what else I can do. I mean other Han slightly low energy he is okay. He's even getting his appetite back. You have no idea how much I appreciate all your help. Seriously thank you so so much. This website has definitely helped to keep me sane.

 

[Drache613]

Hello Jane,

Which MVB do you use? Yes, the converter box is used for the UK Arcadia MVB so you could use that in combination with a tube bulb to be sure he is getting enough UVB.
A parasite around his heart/lungs could also cause fluid retention. Thyroid issues did come up a lot with fluid retention.
It sounds like he is improving some then, if his appetite is coming back then? How are his colors?
Sometimes genetics play a huge role in health issues, too.
I feel an EKG could prove valuable for helping determine if there is a direct heart problem, or not.

You are doing great! Keep us posted on him.

Tracie