taking on another beardie ... choices choice ahhh.

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blue11

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
i also see alot of "critical care" recipies around too ... not sure which to go with ... Flukers Repti-Aid Critical Care, or one of these recipies, a slurrie, baby food, im not sure which ones to do.
 

JenFid

Sub-Adult Member
Oh my, I just can't understand how anyone, especially his owners, could look at him and not see how incredibly unhealthy looking he is...it just doesn't look right! You don't need to be a beardie expert to know that...poor thing :(

I remember when I purchased our used 40 gal tank from Craigslist, the lady said her son took care of the beardie that used to live in it because his friend went to college and couldn't bring him...then he turned "anorexic" and died. Yes she really said anorexic. More like they left him in the basement (which she said they did) and they never took care of him. My heart went out to that poor little guy :(

You definitely need to get him into better conditions ASAP. We are "baby sitting" a dragon for a friend of ours (it's been a year, pretty sure she is ours now :p) - she was well fed and healthy when we got her, but kept on sand (not calci sand fortunately) and her claws were so long they were like razors, it was difficult to even hold her without getting sliced! And she smelled so gross, as my hubby put it, she smelled like a turtle. Now she's on tile, gets baths, and gets to come out every day. If you have the opportunity and the ability to take in another dragon, do it! Best of luck to you!
 

Jess

Extreme Poster
Oh wow! :( That poor baby needs some TLC.

I would definitely take him in if I were you... Even if you end up feeling that you can't give him and Blue enough attention, the worst you can do is re-home him after he is healthier. Either way, he will be MUCH better off!

Does he have an abscess/tumor under his eye, or what is that?? Ish. He looks like he has some pretty coloring though.

As far as slurry recipes, I just mixed squash babyfood, a little bit of green been baby food, beardie pellet food, and calcium and vite powder in the blender. My rescue beardie loved that stuff!
 

blue11

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Hey Yall :)
THANKS for the encouragment. I am headed over to get him in about one hour. I honestly appreciate everyones encouragment. I basically have no idea what more i am going to see when i walk in that house and see him in person. it scares me, but i have to think positive. I just hope its not too late ... i have NO idea that the bump on his nose area is, i mean i dont know how that went totally untreated?!?!? but it has.
i talked it over with my fiance, and we are taking him 100% ... even if we can just foster him for months or however long it takes, and get him to a GOOD HOME - and i mean EXCELLENT, then and ONLY then would we let him back out of our care. This is just a scary venture, he looks almost too frail to hold, its all so sad!!!! Im actualy scared to walk in that house and see him.
I think i will try the babyfood and vitamin and calcium powder mix, give him some BeneBac first. i checked and i have two little tubes of it. its not a full course but i can order more online.
i want a scale, i think my best friend has one she never uses. i never used one on Blue, sheeeeeee is umm, she has her "lovely lizard lady curves" ... we never weighed her. I like to just say a lay never reveals her weight :lol: ... she's says "its muscle not fat! and im just big-boned!" teehee. it will be interesting to see what she weighs too!
but i wanna see progress on this guy to track things.
i dont see how he going to be able to digest Blue's food, which are medium sized roaches and supers. I want to work him up to that point but i know i need to take it very slow. Even some of the roaches i have are too big for Blue she looks are the huge ones like "seriously? just a tad smaller ok??" ha. she totally does.
OKAY ... so i need to hop in the shower and get some temp reading in his new tank then head over there.
Im just scared. And you know its bad when you are scared to hold or touch or even try to make things better for an animal because they are that bad off. Im not used to dealing with a beardie in his condition, but i am going to do everything i can and then some, and then some more, and then some more. GOD i hope he lives?!?!!? i know they have a spirit that is tough to break. :)
I WILL UPDATE throughout the day ... Yall are all amazing, thank you, and here i go ... THANK YOU!!!
~Emily
 

Esther19

BD.org Addict
It's okay to be scared. You're brave, too, at the same time. You can do this, because it's the right thing to do.We are all behind you 1000%! Whatever you do for him will be better than what he has now. You'll be able to hold him. He looks fragile, but they're tough little animals. You're going to be a great rescue mom!
 

mommisgurl

Juvie Member
Yes,we are all here to support you.! Please Please keep us updated.!
As soon as I saw the pictures of the poor thing, I knew I would keeps tabs on his recovery. Stay positive.! I'm sure he will pull through..with alot of tlc,he'll come back stronger than ever :) Let us know how everything goes today :blob8:
I'll be praying for all of you.!
 

sweetiepie9

BD.org Sicko
Retired Moderator
I'm so glad you're taking him in. I've taken in a few rescues over the last few years. So the first thing to do is put soft towels or blankets in his tank, if he's never had UVB he probably has soft bone (metabolic bone disease) and would be very fragile. We rescued a beardie like him, we called her Angel. The most important thing is UVB & as I said towels on the bottom of his tank. We even had a bit of a rise at one end & it was also covered with towels, so she couldn't move off it well or roll off, it was just a slight incline for her basking area.

So besides Critical Care & Benebac, you might want to start him off with the small roaches, but also butternut squash babyfood & if he can't eat, try Heinz chicken with veggie babyfood. Just put it into a large syringe (you can get them at Safeway or any vet). Also, if there is any in your area, get some liquid calcium, I get the Food Spray from Zilla & give him .01 mg per 100g of weight. It worked for Angel, within 2 weeks she was running around & she gained alot of weight over the year we had her. He'll need a vet visit, too, as he probably has parasites. If he does and needs meds, make sure he's eaten first before you give him his meds. The reason I say this, is meds are rough on their tummies, but if they already have some food, critical care, benebac in their tummies first, it's not so difficult for them.

I have a new rescue, got him 3 mo ago & that's what I discovered for meds. Gabriel had a huge dose of parasites in his tummy, he's been on panacur weekly for 3 mo, so that worked great & he's actually gained weight since I've had him. He's also gotten alot stronger (he's only 17" long & just about 200g, so very skinny).

I'll with you all the best with your new beardie & bless you for taking him in. You'd be amazed at the difference good care & a few months will do for him, he'll be a different beardie before you know it. He'll think he's in heaven with your care. Don't worry about a bigger tank for now, he'll not need it, but have that 40 gall breeder ready for when he gets his health back.

Please keep us all updated. I've attached before & after pics of Angel & Gabriel for you, just to show how much you can make a difference:

Angel:
When we got her:
Issy20081036.jpg


3 months later:
Issy20081191.jpg


Gabriel:
When I got him:
004.jpg


Yesterday:
011-9.jpg

He has a belly now. He was so skinny & covered with sand, in his eyes, etc, plus all the parasites. He doesn't look a lot different, but he's grown 1/2" and gained 20 grams. He's also more full of energy & is running around alot.

So please keep us updated, that poor beardie needs your care in a bad way. Sorry for the long post, hope it all helps. Altogether I've had 6 rescues.
Deb
 
Oh the poor little baby! :( it just shocks me how people can neglect animals this way, don't they know that they are killing the poor thing without proper care?!
 

blue11

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
HI EVERYONE!!!
i would like to personally THANK each and everyone of you for posting and helping me with all the nerves i had!!!
you are all amazing.
Sooooooooooo .... UPDATE!
I got him/her, i DID it!
in my opinion, little man is way too skinny to sex i think, when he gets some meat on his bones i should be able to tell, BUT, as far i can see, there are no buldges, so he might be a she. have to wait and see on that one!!!
He is SAFELY HOME.
I do believe the tank he was in is larger than a 20 long, it MAY be a regular 20, it is taller but yet seems longer than the 20 i have that i keep my superworms in. i cant figure out the "gallon" of it. Whatever it is, its working JUST fine right now. Im working with the temps, need to mount the UVB inside the tank, right now it is sitting directly on top of the mesh top. better than nothing, and im getting there ... im thinking about just cutting out a tube size hole in the screen where the ReptiSun is, or i will just mount it ASAP.
So he has two fluffy towels folded along the the width and length of the tank, covering the bottom, with two layers of paper towels covering them. I used BlueBelles old basking platform for him to elevate some for basking. so here is how it went ...

I went over there and my heart FELL to my feet. I had to hold back my tears and my anger. i was so angry inside.
he was FAR worse than the pictures. To be honest with you, and i know this sounds morbid, but picking him up was like picking up a dead lizard with a large head hanging down. there was NOTHING to him. nothing but a big head. his belly (well he has NO belly, his underside i should say) was caked in poop. his feet were caked in poop. his vent was caked in poop, and the bottom of his tail was caked in poop. even his chest. COVERED in poop.
I asked about the bulb they were using and they said they didnt have any bulbs, so i was right when i said in ALL his 4 years he has NEVER had a basking bulb OR a UVB bulb. i dont know how he is alive. skin an bones.
I brought the tank home, scrubbed it down over and over and over.
his food dishes and other bowl (they had a water bowl) were covered in a thick slippery flim black slime on the bottoms and sides. so was the food bowl. thought i could salvage them but i ended up tossing them into a box and they will more than likely go out with the garbage.
he is not a great walker ... he front legs are inward and he hobbles and doesnt have alot of control or coordination, but he can get around to a degree, he can "walk" he just shaky and it doesnt look right by any means.
first thing i did was put him the sink in some warm water and began to very very gently scrub off all the poop with a toothbrush, it was EVERYWHERE and his vent was very sensitive when i went to scrub that off.
i changed the water about 6 times until it was mostly all gone, where i let him soak for a while, and poured some Pedialyte in his bath. i put a washcloth on the bottom to give him some sense of grip. He was so confused and scared i think, but crawled up my hand and my arm where he just wanted to sit on me. he couldnt be MORE SWEET. i mean, i would think he would be very skiddish or pissed off, i would be if i were him, but he is just a SWEETHEART and i can tell he is WANTING to live. i just hope he does. i just think he is a little to weak right now to even show his feelings. he is so weak.
after i dried him off i put him in the tank and decided to offer him some of the smaller roaches and the small supers i had on hand ... he ate 5 roaches and 5 supers. to clarify, he has NEVER protein or live food in his life. i found out he was only living on regular lettuce an some carrot shavings once in a while, never any live prey.
Before i did the live prey, i had given him a dose of BeneBac which he licked up off nose, feed him a few syrines of squash baby food which he attacked the syringe trying to get more!!!
his jaw is VERY off track, and i dont see really any "teeth" ... i see basically gums that look very infected, with some yellow goo lining where his teeth should be. now, his teeth might be UNDER that goo, but i dont know ... i need to take a moist qtip and clean the inside of mouth where his teeth should be.
As of *this very moment* he is leaned up against the basking platform receiving heat he has never had before, and receiving UVB, again, which he has never ever had. his eyes are large, and the left one seems to go shut more often, like it is bothering him.
Hopefully he is able to digest the food he took in today. *hopefullyyyyyy* god i hope so. he pooped a big diarrhea poop on the way home on a towel, not formed in ANY way, runny and mucusy, just terrible.
i may be able to get a hold of some liquid calcium, i very much need to do that. the feeders he ate today had a mix of both herpevite vitamin powder and calcium powder on them. he had a hard time lowering his head to reach the buggies, but managed to do so,he was shaky, but he did it.
He is personally one of the worst i have seen, but i KNOW there are worse cases out there by far, but for me, i have never ever seen anything like this. im sure that many have you have seen worse, i have seen some PRETTY gut-wrenching rescues before, and to me, he is one of them. i dont know, its just so sad, so so so so sad.
I looked at BlueBelle today (who decided she wanted to stay in bed for most of the morining, and i smiled so big at her, because i love her so much and i got to thinking ... what if i HADNT gotten her, would she be in the same situation as "rexy" is? god i love her more now than ever. and my heart is melting over my new guy. i think im going to bump "rexy" to be his middle name, and give him a fresh new name to start his fresh new life :) :) :)
i will post the pictures from today when i can get them off my phone and onto photobucket. you can see more of what im working with in these pics. i know you all want pics and i have a TON from today. i am going to be weighing him soon, so i will let you know the details of his weight soon too.
well, i tell ya, im worn out!!! it was an exhausting day ... and i KNOW little man has to be worn out too. He already has tugged on my heart-strings ... he has a face that isnt perfect by any means, but i LOVE his face none-the-less ... the large bump and the off set jaw make me so sad, but looking into his eyes, i have this feeling he is going to be a fighter. hell, he has had to fight his whole life to stay alive. and his face and his spirit are making me fall in love and making me pull for him 10000000% ... i want him to thrive someday!!!!
i couldn't have done this without the encouragement of you all. there is MUCH more to come ... and pics will be up VERY VERY soon. much love to you all ... and keep checking back, because i will update his progress every single chance i get, which will be very often!!!!!
THANK YOU ALL for supporting me and little man right now, and for ALLLLL the tips and suggestions and i have used them all, you are the best. i am sure more rescue questions will come up ... like everyday, whew, i know i will be in for a ride!
~Emily. BlueBelle, and our new little dude
PS ... yes i think he MUST have parasites, i dont see how he wouldnt. luckily, my best friend is friends with one of the herp vet we have in town, and she is going to call her for me and explain my situation. hopefully i can get some sort of financial deal worked out with her. i just wasnt expecting all this to happen in my life ... but it did in a matter of two days!
 

dylanravenj

Sub-Adult Member
Wow so heartbreaking, he must be so happy to experience proper care for the first time in his life. To have proper food, heat and even a bath! He is probably so grateful to you. It is truly a miracle that you got him when you did, I can't imagine the poor thing lasting much longer with his old owners
 
I am so glad you rescued him and I really hope he recovers from the damage inflicted on him, stories like these break my heart :(
 

RainMaiden

Member
You are an amazing person for rescuing him. I'm in complete shock and sadness over his condition. He must be an incredible fighter to still be alive. :cry:

I hope karma bites his previous owners in the ass. They must have done absolutely NO research at all. Obviously there was some animal abuse happening as well. Any decent and caring human being can tell he was suffering in silence from sheer neglect. :x

Thank goodness he had you to save him!
 

blue11

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
awwwwwwww THANKS guys!
here is another little update ...
i noticed his claws were SOOOOOOO long and curled up, so long they were curling severely up under his toes, and so to my surprise he was AMAZING little dude (or dudette) about letting me trim them ... i noticed a bit of a better walk once i got done with them.
i gave him another soak ... wow this time he just closed his eyes and was so calm in it. after that i wrapped him up in a jersey pillowcase we are not using and he just closed his eyes again and rested on my arm and my chest. i used some warm wet q-tips to try to clean out that goo on his gumline/toothline ... it seems to be oozing a bit of saliva or something out the side of his mouth which the side opposite of the jaw sticking out. i rubbed inside it with the wet q-tip to see if i could somehow get it clean, im not sure if it did anything, didnt want to stress him out too much.
he is still a VERY smelly beardie, i think he will be for a while. im working on that ;) not that i care, its just so noticeable and strong, i suppose from lack of ANY husbandry, and the poop that was all overrrrrrrr him.
I gave him a dropper of full of pedialyte just now, and put him back in the tank. he looked around a little bit, and leaned back up against his basking rock. that heat must feel SO GOOD TO HIM!!!! and he is getting is *sun rays* under there too, so i coulodnt be happier that he is basking. and i couldnt be happier that i *hope* he will get a very good, very well-deserved good nights rest tonight. he just looks like he needs so much rest and so much ... everything.
i do have a fear that i will wake up and go turn Blue and his lights on, and he wont be alive. i mean it might be irrational but its this un-nerving fear. i dont know why. i guess im still scared. its a very strange fear, i cant figure it out.
one thing ... and you will see this in the pictures i am going to put up ...
in the bath, i was really lightly massaging his non-existent tummy, and i touched the top of his back with my other finger to stroke him ... i could easily FEEL my finger underneath him with my other finger, that is how FLAT his body is. there is nothing there. i couldnt believe that is was feeling my other finger just as plain as day.
his spine is very much sunk in, and the rest is bones up around it.
i think i am going to hold off on anymore food until tomorrow, because i will probably do lights out at 7 or 8 pm ... so i can get him the same schedule as BlueBelle with lights.
PICTURES TO COME TONIGHT OR TOMORROW!!!!!!!! some are unsettiling. BUT ... some are him basking for the first time ever in his life :) :) :) :blob5: :mrgreen:
oh and lemme tell you, i have talked his ear off every step of the way in everything i have done with him. "this is pedialyte, and its going to help you feel better" ... "this is a collard green, and it is going make you strong" ... ive been talking to him all day, and our cuddle session was amazing :)
MUCH LOVE TO YOU ALL ... check back for pics and updates!!!!!
xoxo ... Emily, BlueBelle, and little man (or girl?)
 
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