Jacqqui
Member
My dragon Kacey has ADV and has been deteriorating neurologically.
This is a very long post just to warn you! I posted about this same issue with this same dragon July of last year but she has gotten worse.
She was reportedly hatched around March 5, 2013 but I think that date is off about a month or so. I think she is older. I have the first picture of her starting walking on the back of her hands in July 27, 2013. Her regular doctor at that time talked to me about quality of life and when to decide about putting her down. She talked to me about people she knew who would keep them and hand feed them for a while. At that time I put the carpet like flooring on her floor to give her traction as she was slipping around with paper towels.
In October she was still able to climb onto her half log and a very low basking platform. Although she didn't have full control of her arms and legs she was still able at that time to prop herself up use them to get around. All this time she had been eating her greens, hornworms and roaches on her own.
About 3 to 4 weeks ago it was getting worse. I had her to the Vet 12/22, she saw a different vet because mine is out on maternity leave. He gave me food to mix to tube feed her and mentioned that he saw my vet had talked about when to decide to put her down. He stated that he could see that that might not be necessary just yet if I didn't want to.
I was tube feeding her for about a week. For some reason a few days ago I put her up on her low basking platform and gave her a hornworm and she ate it. She was also able to eat some roaches if I offered them to her close to her face. If she was on the ground and I put the greens right in front of her face she would eat them. I realize now that another change that had happened is up until a couple of weeks ago she was still able to head bob at one of my other dragons. She is not able to do that now and I see that now within the last week she cant use her arms or legs consistently. She is just "slithering" around like a snake to move around the tank. She is active doing that to move around the tank not just staying in one place. I noticed also now she will end up upside down, but she has still been able to get herself flipped back over. The vet told me she is not in pain. She is still able to lift her head up but just from her neck. Her front arms are most constantly flat back along the side of her body But at time she is able to use them a bit, but it is mostly using her rear legs and body to move.
Since this is getting progressively worse kind of quick I am now wondering what to do. She is kind of weight appropriate as she weighs 314g and is just under 17". The Dr didn't say she had MBD and that she wasn't dehydrated. The last weight I had for her previously was 10/26 and she was 322g. I am thinking that she has lost weight due to not being able to eat regular now. I worry because I have a busy schedule and everyone else is able to have their greens in the tank to eat through the day and when I come home at different times during the day they get fed their insects. I have odd hours and am home at different times. I don't have a regular schedule for the week where I could feed her at set times.
I am also worried about the fact that since she is just flat as a pancake now I don't want her to have digestive issues since she is not able to get back and forth to bask when she needs to on her own. I teach at university and I am home on winter break so I have the time to do more, but spring session starts on the 12th at one of my schools.
I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure if this is the time to think more seriously put her down. I don't know anyone who could take her who is able to take more care of her more frequently. She seems to get frustrated a lot, especially when she flips over she will make her beard black. She also hasn't pooped in a while. I plan to give her a bath to help out with that. When she was pooping they were proper poops, not too runny and with white urates.
I am open to any suggestions or comments. I am at a loss of what to do.
Jacqui
This is a very long post just to warn you! I posted about this same issue with this same dragon July of last year but she has gotten worse.
She was reportedly hatched around March 5, 2013 but I think that date is off about a month or so. I think she is older. I have the first picture of her starting walking on the back of her hands in July 27, 2013. Her regular doctor at that time talked to me about quality of life and when to decide about putting her down. She talked to me about people she knew who would keep them and hand feed them for a while. At that time I put the carpet like flooring on her floor to give her traction as she was slipping around with paper towels.
In October she was still able to climb onto her half log and a very low basking platform. Although she didn't have full control of her arms and legs she was still able at that time to prop herself up use them to get around. All this time she had been eating her greens, hornworms and roaches on her own.
About 3 to 4 weeks ago it was getting worse. I had her to the Vet 12/22, she saw a different vet because mine is out on maternity leave. He gave me food to mix to tube feed her and mentioned that he saw my vet had talked about when to decide to put her down. He stated that he could see that that might not be necessary just yet if I didn't want to.
I was tube feeding her for about a week. For some reason a few days ago I put her up on her low basking platform and gave her a hornworm and she ate it. She was also able to eat some roaches if I offered them to her close to her face. If she was on the ground and I put the greens right in front of her face she would eat them. I realize now that another change that had happened is up until a couple of weeks ago she was still able to head bob at one of my other dragons. She is not able to do that now and I see that now within the last week she cant use her arms or legs consistently. She is just "slithering" around like a snake to move around the tank. She is active doing that to move around the tank not just staying in one place. I noticed also now she will end up upside down, but she has still been able to get herself flipped back over. The vet told me she is not in pain. She is still able to lift her head up but just from her neck. Her front arms are most constantly flat back along the side of her body But at time she is able to use them a bit, but it is mostly using her rear legs and body to move.
Since this is getting progressively worse kind of quick I am now wondering what to do. She is kind of weight appropriate as she weighs 314g and is just under 17". The Dr didn't say she had MBD and that she wasn't dehydrated. The last weight I had for her previously was 10/26 and she was 322g. I am thinking that she has lost weight due to not being able to eat regular now. I worry because I have a busy schedule and everyone else is able to have their greens in the tank to eat through the day and when I come home at different times during the day they get fed their insects. I have odd hours and am home at different times. I don't have a regular schedule for the week where I could feed her at set times.
I am also worried about the fact that since she is just flat as a pancake now I don't want her to have digestive issues since she is not able to get back and forth to bask when she needs to on her own. I teach at university and I am home on winter break so I have the time to do more, but spring session starts on the 12th at one of my schools.
I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure if this is the time to think more seriously put her down. I don't know anyone who could take her who is able to take more care of her more frequently. She seems to get frustrated a lot, especially when she flips over she will make her beard black. She also hasn't pooped in a while. I plan to give her a bath to help out with that. When she was pooping they were proper poops, not too runny and with white urates.
I am open to any suggestions or comments. I am at a loss of what to do.
Jacqui
