So today i went to pick up my "free" beardie and i am not happy about it.
I was extremely excited to pick him up, and still was when i did but i noticed something was wrong.
She told me he was "Very healthy" and he looked fine at first but after a while i noticed he wasn't healthy
at all. He is very lethargic, curls his toes, barely walks, and when he does he takes to steps and lays back down,
with one arm dragging. He also keeps randomly opening and closing his mouth, not trying to regulate his heat. He has been flaring his beard as if to stop himself from throwing up, then he blows up his body as if he were in water. I tried to give him a bath as he looks dehydrated and when i did he just layed in the water, with his face under the water and didn't even try to save himself. I am truly worried about this little guy, i want to nurse him back to health. I am thinking maybe he has MBD or something. And to those who will suggest getting a fecal test and all that, we don't have a rep vet out here unfortunately .
Any help is appreciated, thank you.
Here's a pic of how pathetic this poor guy looked after his bath adventure
He is very lethargic, curls his toes, barely walks, and when he does he takes to steps and lays back down,
with one arm dragging. He also keeps randomly opening and closing his mouth, not trying to regulate his heat. He has been flaring his beard as if to stop himself from throwing up, then he blows up his body as if he were in water.
I have re-read this several times and I am trying to picture what you are describing. Do you think this is 'forced exhilations' as in a symptom of an Upper Respiratory Infection????
I literally JUST was visiting a new friend Saturday evening and two of his beardies were doing exactly what you are describing. I could tell by looking at them that they had URIs, one much worse than the other. We talked about it at length and discussed meds and what a URI is, and then we found out that the little dragon died that night.
Do you think you can post a video of the behavior??
It's so hard to tell what is going on just reading words on a page. I sure hope your little one will be okay. He is super cute and looks like he needs some comfort and some TLC. He is lucky to have found a good home.
This is far worse than relocation stress. I have had some beardies go through this and it was never this bad. This beardie seems like it's barely clinging to life.
"He is very lethargic, curls his toes, barely walks, and when he does he takes to steps and lays back down,
with one arm dragging. He also keeps randomly opening and closing his mouth, not trying to regulate his heat. He has been flaring his beard as if to stop himself from throwing up, then he blows up his body as if he were in water. I tried to give him a bath as he looks dehydrated and when i did he just layed in the water, with his face under the water and didn't even try to save himself."
Is it possible his arm is injured causing him to drag it. How does the arm look?
Does his chest look the same on both sides, symmetrical? Is one side larger than the other, or is one side seem smaller or pushed in?
Some of the other symptoms you describe sound like a respiratory infection.
Do you hear any sounds at all from him? Popping, crackling, clicking, wheezing?
Is their any sound with that coughing/ keep from throwing up motion?
Is their any moisture you can see at the sides of his mouth, can you gently open his mouth to see if it is very moist, it shouldn't be, or in his nares?
Does his breathing look labored, you will know it when you see it. He will be forcefully exhaling, his sides will go in quick and hard, he will look short of breath.
:!: Do not let him lay with his face in the water, don't even let his face get in the water :!:
You can hydratebathe him but totally support his head and upper part of his body out of the water. Make sure his vent is under water as that's where he will absorb water.
Based on the info you provided I would recommend a vet visit. Respiratory infections can be insidious and beardies hide illnesses. By the time symptoms like these are presenting themselves, the beardie is usually very sick and needs a vet!
I'm so happy you have rescued her! I hope she recovers well for you.
Amanda
As far as his face being under water, i am very much aware that is not good for him haha. I didn't just leave him there, but i figured he would naturally hold himself up like my other beardie does, and he didn't. I immediately took him out.
Anyway, i am leaning more towards MBD from what i have read. His arm isn't broken, he has no muscus coming out of anywhere, he isn't breathing hard at all, and no wheezing or sounds of any kind. He just looks extremely tired.