rngrinnell
Member
I have had my bearded dragon Apollo for about 8-10 months now. I got Apollo at Petsmart against my own better judgement and knowledge. With that being said, I don't need someone to tell me that I shouldn't have purchase from a pet store because I am well aware of this. I think we have all felt pity for the animals in those small overcrowded tanks but I would like to add that this was not a spare of the moment pet purchase...
I had been doing research for a month prior to getting Apollo and I have owned several reptiles in the past (crested and leopard geckos) so I felt like I was ready to move on to a Beardie because I had been wanting one for years. However, the amount of information online can be overwhelming and very contradicting from one post to another. I would like to say that I have done all of the things you're supposed to do... I took Apollo to the vet less than a week or two after I got him for a wellness check and he did end up having pin works, trichomonas, coccidia, and one other parasite that I can't remember without looking at his paperwork. He was able to kick all of the parasites except trichomonas and he has been struggling with traces of that parasite since that first vet visit since 9 months ago.
He has been to the vet about ten times and at this point we have spent about $2500 on vet expenses for Apollo and he isn't even a year old. In fact, he just got done with two vet visits this month. This time we were told he still hasn't kicked the trichomonas because the parasite seems to be resistant to all of the antibiotics that he has been given (I will update the meds he has been on when I get home to the paperwork). To add to this issue, his stool hasn't been formed in moths and our vet is aware of this. His favorite green is kale and we have now stopped feeding it to him per vet instruction because we fear it may be the cause of his runny stool. In addition to all of that, the runny stools have caused him to dehydrate quickly and Apollo is stubborn when it comes to drinking water... he refuses to drink in the bath and does not lick when he is misted and its only occasionally that we can get him to drink by putting droplets of water on the end of his nose. We just got through the process of having to administer fluids with an needle and syringe and it broke my heart to have to cause him pain but I had no choice.
Apollo seemed to act very normal for several days after he got the fluids and now he is going back in his hide during the day and hasn't pooped for several days... he also hasn't shed in a long time either. At this point, I'm not sure what to do. I am doing everything the vet tells me and Apollo is still not feeling well for more than a few days at a time without another issue arising. I feel helpless and I feel even worse for Apollo. Has anyone else had this much trouble with a Beardie? Is this normal for a beardie to always seem to have a health issue? I'm at my wits end and I am considering re-homing him but I have a hard time trusting that a stranger (or even someone I know) will be able to afford to take care of him or take him to the vet when he is ill. Most people don't seem to put the importance on other pets the way they do a cat or dog and I want Apollo to have the best life he can... and while I financially was ready to own him, I don't think anyone would expect to have $2500 in vet bills within a year in addition to all of the other costs that come with owning a reptile.
I need advice from anyone who has owned multiple dragons or owned beardies for several years but any advice is welcome. Please let me know if any of you have had this many issues.
Thanks in advance for any help on this.
I had been doing research for a month prior to getting Apollo and I have owned several reptiles in the past (crested and leopard geckos) so I felt like I was ready to move on to a Beardie because I had been wanting one for years. However, the amount of information online can be overwhelming and very contradicting from one post to another. I would like to say that I have done all of the things you're supposed to do... I took Apollo to the vet less than a week or two after I got him for a wellness check and he did end up having pin works, trichomonas, coccidia, and one other parasite that I can't remember without looking at his paperwork. He was able to kick all of the parasites except trichomonas and he has been struggling with traces of that parasite since that first vet visit since 9 months ago.
He has been to the vet about ten times and at this point we have spent about $2500 on vet expenses for Apollo and he isn't even a year old. In fact, he just got done with two vet visits this month. This time we were told he still hasn't kicked the trichomonas because the parasite seems to be resistant to all of the antibiotics that he has been given (I will update the meds he has been on when I get home to the paperwork). To add to this issue, his stool hasn't been formed in moths and our vet is aware of this. His favorite green is kale and we have now stopped feeding it to him per vet instruction because we fear it may be the cause of his runny stool. In addition to all of that, the runny stools have caused him to dehydrate quickly and Apollo is stubborn when it comes to drinking water... he refuses to drink in the bath and does not lick when he is misted and its only occasionally that we can get him to drink by putting droplets of water on the end of his nose. We just got through the process of having to administer fluids with an needle and syringe and it broke my heart to have to cause him pain but I had no choice.
Apollo seemed to act very normal for several days after he got the fluids and now he is going back in his hide during the day and hasn't pooped for several days... he also hasn't shed in a long time either. At this point, I'm not sure what to do. I am doing everything the vet tells me and Apollo is still not feeling well for more than a few days at a time without another issue arising. I feel helpless and I feel even worse for Apollo. Has anyone else had this much trouble with a Beardie? Is this normal for a beardie to always seem to have a health issue? I'm at my wits end and I am considering re-homing him but I have a hard time trusting that a stranger (or even someone I know) will be able to afford to take care of him or take him to the vet when he is ill. Most people don't seem to put the importance on other pets the way they do a cat or dog and I want Apollo to have the best life he can... and while I financially was ready to own him, I don't think anyone would expect to have $2500 in vet bills within a year in addition to all of the other costs that come with owning a reptile.
I need advice from anyone who has owned multiple dragons or owned beardies for several years but any advice is welcome. Please let me know if any of you have had this many issues.
Thanks in advance for any help on this.