Vets not too helpful. Any advice on lethargic beardie?

[CuddlesMom]

Hey everyone.

My new beardie, Cuddles, is 4 months old, I got him at 3 months. His cage has a temp. gradient of 80-90 degrees F, which my vet said was right for his size right now. I'm using a ZooMed 10.0 UVB bulb, and feeding him pinhead crickets along with greens. The last few days he has been very lethargic, not hardly moving, not eating at all, and just seems really sick. This is really unlike him. Normally he is a very active, healthy looking, voraciously eating, normal baby beardie. So, I took him to the vet yesterday and he didn't really seem to do much. He said that beardies are not meant to be domesticated and that all he could do was a small dose of antibiotics and to be surprised if my beardie lived a week. Now, I can appreciate honesty from a vet, but he just didn't seem too concerned or helpful and I was wondering if anyone has had similar problems and reached any kind of better conclusion than I was given. I'm hoping you can help me and my Cuddles! Thanks everyone.

 

[Jiffy]

OH my goodness, that sounds like a horrible vet.
I am not familiar with the Zoomed bulb. I know the recommended strip bulb is a reptisun 10. The uv bulb is very important. Also, do you dust with calcium?

Can you tell us how much your beardie weighs, and what dose of meds that the vet gave? I do not know about the doses, but we have some members on here who are very familiar with the meds. The meds can be very hard on their systems.

How is your baby doing now?

 

[licketytongue]

ZooMed is reptisun, so that is good... do you have the 10.0 linear tube? Also, 90 degrees F is not warm enough. A baby beardie need temps of 105 - 110 on the basking spot, measured with a digital thermometer with a probe. An air temp of 90 might be okay but it all really depends on getting an accurate basking spot surface temp. Also, are you giving him baths? They are very important for hydration. You should soak him every day to every other day in armpit deep warm water for about 20 minutes. Those are my first thoughts on reading your post... and that does sound like a HORRIBLE vet!

 

[CuddlesMom]

Jiffy-- Yes, I do dust my crickets with calcium dust. The vet said that Cuddles weighs about 8 grams right now and put him on .03 mL of antibiotics twice a day.

Lickety Tongue-- I do have the 10.0 linear tube. Thanks for the advice about the temps, I will get the temp at his basking spot up higher immediately. I thought it sounded off, but my vet told me it was fine. However, I'm starting to doubt this vet because of his nonchalant attitude towards Cuddles' sickness! Also, I hadn't been giving him baths every other day, but at the advice of someone I started this morning doing just that.

I thank you guys for your help! The advice I've gotten here has been really helpful.

Also, just as an update, my beardie still shows absolutely no interest in his crickets or greens, but I did get some appetite stimulators at the local pet store and I've been able to get him to eat squished up squash through a small syringe. I'm hoping that as he eats more and gains some strength he'll start eating his other stuff again! Does anyone else have any suggestions as to what I could maybe do to get him interested in food?

 

[licketytongue]

A lot of members on here have used baby food, my understanding is squash is a popular one. Also, I have used 100% pure canned pumpkin. Usually, if you put it in a tiny needless syringe and drip it on their nose they will lick it off. My baby never would, so I take the syringe and rub it gently along his teeth inside the lips he will without fail open his mouth and will drink it then. Since the vet gave him antibiotics today, you might want to try some SOY yogurt as well, I give it the same way and mine loves blueberry!

Hope this all works out for you.
Jen.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Everyone has everything covered, overall.
How close is the Reptisun 10 tube light from him, & is your basking light placed directly beside the tube UVB light on one end of his tank? Getting his basking temperatures up to a range of 95-110 will greatly help him out.
The baby food feedings he should like pretty well, so hopefully you can get some of that food into him as well. Did you get jumpstart as the appetite stimulator? It is pretty good, but there are a few other products out there that are effective also.
Have you given him any baths? That can help with hydration levels, along with the baby food feedings & extra fluids should get him feeling better soon.
What is the dose of the antibiotics that he was given, & what is the antibiotic called? Why did he give the medication, for what ailment? Did he do a fecal, or think that he had an infection of some sort?
What is the weight of your dragon?

Tracie

 

[CuddlesMom]

Ok first of all, you guys are awesome and have given me some really great suggestions! I am happy to report that I'm already seeing a big difference in his behavior for the better. Last night he ate one small superworm and this morning I was able to get him to eat one cricket! Not as much food as I would like to see him eat, but since he hasn't eaten any crix in a few days, I'm going to let him start slow Also:

LicketyTongue: I got some natural squash baby food and he has really liked it. I have been able to get him to eat it off the end of his nose by means of the syringe. That seems to have really kickstarted his appetite again, since he seems a little more interested in food today.

Drache: The tube light is on top of his vivarium which puts it about slightly over a foot from the bottom and he has branches and logs he is able to climb on where he can get closer to the bulbs which he does occasionally throughout the day. And yes, the basking and UVB bulbs are at one end of the cage where he can go to bask during the day. I actually don't recall the brand of appetite stimulator I got and I already threw the box away, but it was recommended by my local pet shop where I got Cuddles. It is basically little reddish cubes that feel kindof like meat and smell pretty strong! So far, between them and the baby food I think he's finally starting to get his appetite back. I have given him some really nice warm baths too which he seems to like, so his hydration should be good. He also laps up water I spray on his branches.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Excellent that he is feeling better already. That is good news. Continue to get extra fluids into him as well as the appetite stimulator too that should help.
I was just asking about the tube light to see if there was screen separating him from the light? Remember, that screen does filter out up to 90% of the UVB so it is not nearly as strong as it should be. So, if there is not a hole to where the UVB can get through can you possibly mount it on the underneath side of the top?

Keep us posted on him.

Tracie

 

[CuddlesMom]

That's a good idea about the UVB Drache. There is a screen now, but I'll look into getting it mounted under instead. Thank you for your help! And thanks to the rest of you and your ideas. I wouldn't have thought of some of them, being a relatively new beardie owner and they all really helped! Cuddles has continued to respond well to some squished up squash, eat some crix, and he seems to be getting more interested in his greens again! I think my baby is getting better! Thanks guys.

 

[Heathwood]

Glad things are looking up

I nursed my dragon, Ollie, through a rough patch where he wouldn't eat and was worryingly skinny (parasites and worm eggs in my case). If your little beardie is anything like Ollie he'll eat you out of house and home once he gets his appetite fully back. Get a good supply of crix ready :wink: