Hi Beardies and Beardie Owners!
My 1yr old dragon Clifford recently became sick with what my vet believes to be a lower GI infection and I was terrified, but he has made an excellent recovery and I would like to share with other worried owners!
A lower GI infection occurs when the natural flora of the gut, used to digest, moves up in the system and reacts badly with other parts of the body. (Roughly)
I came home Friday night to find liquid all over Clifford`s tank and my baby lying on his basking log, still, eyes closed. His back and tummy were so pale they were almost white, while his beard and the tip of his tail were black (not sure if the blackening of the beard happens with females). I immediately put him in a hot bath and called PetSmart. I talked to someone who HAS bearded dragon - most pet store employees don`t know much about specific species. He told me the warning signs of a sick beardie: When I tugged on his legs, he didn`t pull back. When I picked up his tail, it dropped. The PetSmart employee used the expression "limp noodle." I immediately wrapped Cliff up in a microwavable hotpack and a towel and went to the vet. While waiting for a drive to the vet, I wrote down everything I could remember: what he ate, his last shed, his last poop, etc. I knew I might forget something potentially important when I was in the moment.
If you aren't sure which vets in your area are licensed to treat exotic pets, ask your pet store where they take their sick pets.
The vet told me Cliff was extremely dehydrated due to throwing up in his tank. She gave him injections of fluid just below the skin since he wasn't well enough to open his mouth.
She also gave me 10 days worth of antibiotics. She also recommended a fecal test to check for parasites.
Day 1: Only very slightly more alert. Still didn't want to open his eyes. They were sunken due to dehydration. I bathed him in Pedialyte and force-fed him organic butternut squash baby food with an eyedropper. I added 0.5mL of liquid calcium to some baby food. I chose butternut squash because fruits have too much sugar and not enough nutrients, and as far as I know beardies aren't supposed to have turkey, chicken, etc. Baby food also has the perfect ratio of food to water so that he is able to digest even though he is dehydrated. Pedialyte (there are other brand names) are mineral and electrolyte-rich drinks given to babies and children to aid with dehydration due to vomiting or diarrhea.
Day 2: Eyes more open, but not much change. Showed no interest in live food whatsoever. Another Pedialyte bath, baby food mixed with pedialyte.
Days 3-6: Every day he is a little more alert, but only very slightly. On day 6 he is cuddling again and has enough energy to emphatically refuse his eye dropper! I switched his baby food to apple raspberry for a change of flavor. He is almost back to normal now. He FINALLY pooped, lol. His beard is still dark, indicating that he probably is still feeling the effects: sore tummy, low energy.
It takes lizards a long time to get sick and a long time to get better, so don't worry if you don't see an immediate change. DO worry if they throw up, aren't opening their eyes after 4-5 days, or go back to the "limp noodle" phase. Watch for sunken eye sockets. Always check temperatures, the health of your feeders and salads, and make sure to keep up with vitamin supplements while feeding baby food.
Some Background: Cliff got sick after I cut off his worm supply for four days. He had not been eating his salad, so I figured I would go with some tough love and "force" him to eat that salad. He still didn't eat much salad, even though he must have been hungry. The drop in energy in his body because of the diet decrease caused the infection to suddenly become much worse. It is likely that he was battling this infection for a week or more before I noticed. If I had not changed his diet, his body may have successfully fought off the infection itself. As I mentioned earlier, it is naturally-occurring bacteria that causes this infection.
My 1yr old dragon Clifford recently became sick with what my vet believes to be a lower GI infection and I was terrified, but he has made an excellent recovery and I would like to share with other worried owners!
A lower GI infection occurs when the natural flora of the gut, used to digest, moves up in the system and reacts badly with other parts of the body. (Roughly)
I came home Friday night to find liquid all over Clifford`s tank and my baby lying on his basking log, still, eyes closed. His back and tummy were so pale they were almost white, while his beard and the tip of his tail were black (not sure if the blackening of the beard happens with females). I immediately put him in a hot bath and called PetSmart. I talked to someone who HAS bearded dragon - most pet store employees don`t know much about specific species. He told me the warning signs of a sick beardie: When I tugged on his legs, he didn`t pull back. When I picked up his tail, it dropped. The PetSmart employee used the expression "limp noodle." I immediately wrapped Cliff up in a microwavable hotpack and a towel and went to the vet. While waiting for a drive to the vet, I wrote down everything I could remember: what he ate, his last shed, his last poop, etc. I knew I might forget something potentially important when I was in the moment.
If you aren't sure which vets in your area are licensed to treat exotic pets, ask your pet store where they take their sick pets.
The vet told me Cliff was extremely dehydrated due to throwing up in his tank. She gave him injections of fluid just below the skin since he wasn't well enough to open his mouth.
She also gave me 10 days worth of antibiotics. She also recommended a fecal test to check for parasites.
Day 1: Only very slightly more alert. Still didn't want to open his eyes. They were sunken due to dehydration. I bathed him in Pedialyte and force-fed him organic butternut squash baby food with an eyedropper. I added 0.5mL of liquid calcium to some baby food. I chose butternut squash because fruits have too much sugar and not enough nutrients, and as far as I know beardies aren't supposed to have turkey, chicken, etc. Baby food also has the perfect ratio of food to water so that he is able to digest even though he is dehydrated. Pedialyte (there are other brand names) are mineral and electrolyte-rich drinks given to babies and children to aid with dehydration due to vomiting or diarrhea.
Day 2: Eyes more open, but not much change. Showed no interest in live food whatsoever. Another Pedialyte bath, baby food mixed with pedialyte.
Days 3-6: Every day he is a little more alert, but only very slightly. On day 6 he is cuddling again and has enough energy to emphatically refuse his eye dropper! I switched his baby food to apple raspberry for a change of flavor. He is almost back to normal now. He FINALLY pooped, lol. His beard is still dark, indicating that he probably is still feeling the effects: sore tummy, low energy.
It takes lizards a long time to get sick and a long time to get better, so don't worry if you don't see an immediate change. DO worry if they throw up, aren't opening their eyes after 4-5 days, or go back to the "limp noodle" phase. Watch for sunken eye sockets. Always check temperatures, the health of your feeders and salads, and make sure to keep up with vitamin supplements while feeding baby food.
Some Background: Cliff got sick after I cut off his worm supply for four days. He had not been eating his salad, so I figured I would go with some tough love and "force" him to eat that salad. He still didn't eat much salad, even though he must have been hungry. The drop in energy in his body because of the diet decrease caused the infection to suddenly become much worse. It is likely that he was battling this infection for a week or more before I noticed. If I had not changed his diet, his body may have successfully fought off the infection itself. As I mentioned earlier, it is naturally-occurring bacteria that causes this infection.
