Sick Beardie! PLEASE HELP!

[FreakedOutMama]

Hello,
My name is Allie and I am new to this site
I have two female beardies Athena (the oldest one around 6 months, and the one I am having issues with) and Calypso (she's about 4 months old, a fancy, and she LOVES to eat). I bought Athena first at a petstore. She was so sassy and we clicked. I brought her home in a Zoo-Med 20 Gallon kit that came with a UV-A and a UV-B light along with all the hiding spots and such. I thought she was lonely so I bought another Beardie (Calypso) but I also brought home a Zoo-Med 40 Gallon tank. I put both of the beardies in the 40 Gallon (but I had them separated) and they were doing fine. Basking temp of between 100 ad 105 degrees, cooling spot of 90 to 95, night temps were low 80's.Daily baths.I would feed them at different times but they saw each other often. Athena would eat 10 or so crickets, a few mealworms, and maybe some greens. I found a food pyramid for beardies that I've been following. Calypso would eat 20-50 crickets. I took them to a vet to get a check up in December (I started to pick-out things in the pet stores that weren't right in regard to beardies). The vet said they were fine and sent me home. About two weeks later Athena started not eating at all, her bowel movements were very small. I took her to the vet and he concluded she could have worms. I was given worm medication (which she puts up a fight to not take) and I was sent home. Last week she threw up the only cricket she ate all day, it was half-digested and the rest was mushy. So then I took her into a Pet Hospital on Sunday. They gave her an IV and gave me 4 medications I should give to her. I trusted that vet, but that trust faltered when she said she wasn't too worried about Athena. When I got Athena she was 47 grams, she's now 38. Calypso was 20 grams, now 57 grams. I am hoping someone on here knows how I can make Athena better again, or if I should just say "well beardies are just like people, different body shapes and weights."
PLEASE help. Thank you

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Sorry Athena is ill. I am glad Calypso is doing well.
I would recommend that you do another tank setup for Athena to help her destress while she isn't feeling well.
What medications were you given to give to her? Four seems too excessive to me. What were the worm counts on the fecal test, did they say?
Which UVB light are you using & what type of thermometer are you using to measure the temperatures for basking?
Since she is losing weight, it would be good to get some powdered critical care from the vet or some chicken or turkey baby food, along with some sweet potato or squash baby food for her. You can use a plastic dropper or syringe to drop food on the end of her nose to see if she will lick some of that off.
You can get some probiotics such as non dairy soy yogurt or acidophiliz to help settle the tummy. Try to keep her around 80 overnight to help boost her immune system, also.
Do you have any pictures of her?

Tracie

 

[FreakedOutMama]

Thank you for your response!
NEW TANK: Right now I have Calypso in the 20 gallon and Athena in the 40 gallon. Should I switch them? What can I do to help her de-stress? move things around? not move them?
MEDS: I was instructed to give her Cimetidine (.03 cc) every 12 hours for stomach protection. Ponazuril (.08 cc) by mouth every 48 hours for possible coccidia. Baytril (.03 ML) by mouth as an anti-biotic. Metronidazole (.06 cc) by mouth every 48 hours for 10 days for possible infection. Emeraid Critical Care powdered food (.5-1 cc) 1-2 times daily. What I usually do is I mix all the meds she needs to take for the day into a paste with some ensure and feed her.
FECAL TEST: Wasn't offered one and since she hasn't had a bowel movement (due to not eating, I presume) in a few days it would be hard to get one. Is it recommended? would it help?
UV-B light- ReptiSun 10.0 Compact UVB Fluorescent Bulb.
THERMOMETER: It's a Zoo-Med thermometer and humidity stick-on one. I also have an infrared thermometer.
She LOVES to play in calcium powder. She doesn't really eat it (she licks it) but she likes to cover herself with it and fling it all over her cage. Do you think this could be an issue?
TEMP. AT NIGHT: I've started covering the 40 gallon cage with a heating blanket so she stays mid to low 80's at night.
PICTURE: what's the best way to upload a picture on here? Would you like to see the cage set up? or Athena?
Thank you so much,
Allie

 

[Drache613]

Hello Allie,

The best way to let her stress become reduced, is to leave her in her tank without moving anything around right now.
If no fecal was done on her, giving meds for coccidia & flagelletes really isn't necessary right now. Do they feel she has an infection since they gave baytril too?
The emerald critical care is fine, that should help a lot.
The only med I would give initially would be the ponazuril which is the most plausible & would cause the least amount of side effects right now.
The UVB light you are using though, does need to be changed out. The compact/coil lights are known culprits to causing eye & health issues.
I would turn that light off, leaving just a bright white basking light for now. The better UVB source is either the Reptisun 10 tube or the Arcadia D3 12% tube.
Be sure to use the temp gun to measure the temperatures.
Maybe consider taking the calcium powder out but she does need supplemental calcium, 5 times per week on her insects once daily or sprinkled on her greens.
Those overnight temperatures will be fine & should help her immune system.
A fecal when possible, would definitely be helpful so you know what you are dealing with.

Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

 

[FreakedOutMama]

She had a bowel movement today. I took it into the vet and they said she was negative for worms!!!! They don't know whats wrong with her still. She's going into the vet tomorrow morning. Hopefully we figure this out!

 

[Drache613]

Hello Allie,

Well, that is good her fecal was negative. Be careful in not letting them overmedicate her.
Did you turn off the compact/coil light also to see if that helps out for her?

Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

 

[FreakedOutMama]

Athena started sneezing yesterday. The vet did another IV and said she was again dehydrated. She's taking baby food, but she's very lethargic. They said she gained one gram since December so thats good. I don't know what the next step is.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

It sounds like she could have a respiratory issue. Has she been coughing/wheezing any or have any mucous in her mouth or nose?
If she is losing weight or not gaining weight, try getting some chicken or turkey baby food, mixed with sweet potato or squash baby food to feed her. Use either a plastic syringe or dropper to feed her by dropping food onto the end of her nose.
Are you getting a new UVB light?
Also, keep her tank around 80 overnight to help boost her immune system.
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

 

[FreakedOutMama]

The Vet said she didn't have a respiratory infection of any sort. When I brought her home from the vet last week the first thing she did was eat a cricket (on Tuesday). I took your advice and gave her some baby food. I've been giving that to her twice daily. Just now she threw up the cricket, from TUESDAY? I wont go into much detail, but it wasn't even half way digested. She looks so sad. I don't know what else to do. I got the right bulbs and her night temps are 80 degrees.

 

[FreakedOutMama]

Please, I am so worried.

 

[diam0ndeyez]

Hello, I'm so sorry you're going through all this and that the poor dragon is too.
When was the last time she pooped? If it's been a while check her belly for hard lumps.
Rub her belly in bath.
If she's dehydrated you should be giving her a bath every day until she is feeling better. Replace the water a few times because it doesn't stay hot. Don't make it too hot.
If they are juveniles are babies they can NOT be on sand. They will get impacted with it and die.
A 40 gal tank is too big for babies. It's too much space. If that's the case (don't remember all of your post) the store SCREWED you.
Coil lights are THE WORST lights you could get them. The kits are terrible!!!
GEt a Reptisun tube light and you can get a fixture from lowes. Get it ASAP!! It's really important. The day I replaced the coil light with a tube was the day that my dragons got better. Also you can;'t have two dragons enclosed together they will begin to dominate the other and eat each others tails and toes off. I'm sorry I can't remember what you posted.

Also yogurt isn't as beneficial as a real probiotics. You should get the acidophiliz over nighted to you. If she hasn't pooped in a while then it's probably impaction.
Herpvetconnection.com helped me find a BEST vet for my dragon because of all of the reviews. It's really important to find a good vet.

http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html this is the best site I have ever found to keep my dragon getting the best nutrition for her. I also dust her food everyday. She loves dandelion greens I get from my organic super market around here and collard greens when I don't like driving the distance. She also loves yellow squash and I give it to her a lot and she has been fine. When I read feed occasionally I think that means like 1-2 a week just not every day

 

[diam0ndeyez]

Ok, sorry for giving advice on stuff you already knew, lol. I read it again. If you took her to an emergency place I would try to find the best herp vet you can find. My is on an antibiotic right now and she's doing shoo much better. Sounds like she has something going on with her digestive system.
My dragon has a zoomed reptisun 10.0 UVB light tube and a basking lamp.
Your dragons should only get baths 1 time a week with misting (out of the tank) a few times a day until they are adults and then Google it to find out what they are supposed to have after that.
The vet Should be worried.
20% veggies until an adult and 80% crickets. Mealies should only be used as a treat because the outer shell can cause impaction. They also hold barely any nutritional value. If you can think of anything else. Or have any questions just ask.

 

[diam0ndeyez]

Never cover the cage! It will cause the humidity to rise which causes respitory infections. You need a purple night time lamp. I have a 60 w in a 20 gal tank and it keeps it at 75ish. Also you should get an accurite hygrometer to keep the humidity between 30-45. Shouldn't be above 45. If it drops to 25 that's fine but I would mist the whole tank if it gets lower than that because that's really dry. If it get above 45 especially 50 that is dangerous for them. Sorry for the multiple comments. Just trying to throwing anything that could be helpful. Also I would clean her tank every week with zoomed wipeout you can get from PetSmart.
The lights even though they say they last a year need to be replaced every 6 months and then they don't work as well.
ALSO, I read that dragons can throw up if their temps aren't right. So if you do not have a probe thermometer or and gun thermometer it is very possible your temps are 20 degrees too hot or too cool.
Also just read that impaction can definitely cause throwing up. That's kinda what I'm leaning towards.

 

[Esther19]

After reading through this, the only thing I can recommend is checking to make sure that the basking temperature on Athena's side is as you stated earlier (sorry I don't remember), or 100-103 for that age. That's the only thing I can think of that would cause her to not digest the cricket.

Are you giving her any probiotics? Medicine is hard on them, and probiotics restore the good gut flora of dragons just like yogurt does for us. You can give her non-dairy soy yogurt, or commercially prepared products like Benebac or Acidophilus+. That would definitely help her tummy. Give her the probiotic 6 hours before or after her meds.

I hope this helps.

 

[FreakedOutMama]

Response to diam0ndeyez:
Thank you for your response
*She actually pooped yesterday, that was about 2 hours before she threw up.
*Rub her belly in bath. (I do
*I give her a bath everyday for about 20 minutes with lukewarm water that I do replace. It is in an elevated bathtub so she has room to get out of the water if she pleases. She loves to be brushed with a toothbrush (one just for her I assure you!) so she'll stand the water while I brush her and then she'll get bored. She will drink water only when I mist her. She used to have a bowl of water in her tank that she would actually try and splash in. She would scoop it over her head and stomp around.
*I cannot stress enough, she is NOT on sand. She is on the Bearded Dragon Carpet. There is NOTHING she could be impacted by.
*In regards to her cage, Calypso (the big fat happy dragon) is all by herself in the 40 gallon tank. Athena is in a 20 gallon tank by herself.
*I got the correct lights. The Reptisun 10 bulb for the 40 gallon and the Reptisun 5 bulb for the 20 gallon.
*Athena wont eat any greens. The only way I can get her to eat anything is if I take some baby food and put it on her nose.
*I will look into the acidophiliz and that website you provided thanks !
IN RESPONSE TO YOUR SECOND REPLY.
*The meal worms outer shells cause impaction??? she LOVED to eat those. She doesn't eat them at all any more. That might be the cause!
IN RESPONSE TO YOUR THIRD REPLY.
*I do not cover the cage. I put a zebra striped blanket in there for her to burrow in. She LOVES it (How can I post Pictures?) Her temps stay around 80 at night.
IN RESPONSE TO Esther19
Thank you for your response
Her basking temp is 105 right now.
*I have not tried any probiotics.
IN RESPONSE TO BOTH OF YALL:
One of my theories is that the Critical Care the emergency vet gave us is affecting her tummy. She only throws up about 30 minutes to an hour after I feed her the critical care. She is obviously off her medication for possible worms. The only thing I was instructed to give her was a certian dog food, Ensure,baby food and the Critical Care. She keeps the dog food and Ensure and baby food down. Not the Critical Care. I don't know if that is coincidence or what. I'd love your thoughts.
Thank you both so much for your responses!!!!