Was given a beardie today (you know what's coming)

[Lucy1988]

I've been watching this thread, I really hope he pulls through for you! He looks so much better already, you have performed a little miracle.

 

[Betty53218]

Thank you for caring for your little Lazarus! I can't understand how anyone could let him get so bad. Made me cry when I first saw your post. I can't believe how much better he looks already. Prayers going out for him to make a complete recovery.

 

[PogoLover]

I love the video. I know we are all rooting for him!

 

[Lucy1988]

How's he getting on?

 

[oatmeal]

Hello, everyone Thanks for all the support! I received a care package from a reptile rescue in texas filled with supplies to get us through. He's been getting subcutaneous fluids, vitamins, and some abx injections, and I managed to get my hands on some critical care
He still looks rough, and sleeps a lot of the time, but his periods of activity and alertness are getting longer.
However, in consultation with the rescuer I've been speaking with, it looks like Lazarus may have some brain damage His pupils are dilated pretty much constantly and don't react too much to light. Maybe this is why he was given up?
I've uploaded some more videos to youtube if anyone wants to check them out. Most of them are videos from the first day he was alert (after his first BM), but there are some other ones lol. I'm constantly taking photos and videos in case some new issue comes up that needs to be explained lol..
I put a hygrometer in his tank the other day to check the humidity. When he woke up, he immediately walked over to it and began licking and scratching at it. It was pretty adorable

 

[CooperDragon]

It's good that he was curious about the change in his environment. I really hope he can rebound!

 

[oatmeal]

It's good that he was curious about the change in his environment. I really hope he can rebound!

Thank you I hope so too. He's looks like he's getting better... he was 130g when I got him, and has been 200g since the 22nd. I'm sure that's just because he was so dehydrated I went back to the store where he was dropped off, and said to the owner that I was pretty sure he was neglected, and not just "palliative" I'm under the impression that the person who dropped him off is a somewhat regular customer who, by all appearances, seems to be a very diligent reptile owner.. so I tried to phrase it as gently as possible, as I don't know the relationship between the shop owner and this woman.

I'm thinking he definitely has some brain damage. His movement is very uncoordinated, and his pupil response hasn't improved any. I'll keep monitoring, but we'll see. Maybe this is why he was given up. He takes forever to syringe feed, so I've just been tube feeding him. It baffles me that the previous owner said he ate crickets.. I can't even fathom him trying to catch anything, nevermind how taxing it would be for him to digest a cricket

He really is very sweet though. I've become very attached to him, and I really hope he pulls through and can have some quality of life. Unless something dramatic happens, I'm going to stop posting on this topic, as he seems fairly stable now and I'm taking away from the "emergency" bit of "beardie ER". Do any of you guys know of anyone who has cared for an adult beardie with brain damage? I'm really hoping I won't have to tube feed him forever....

Thanks again for all your support. I'm so grateful for your kind words of encouragement, especially when I initially got him, and was so conflicted as to how to ethically care for him He still sleeps a lot, but when he is awake he really isn't too different from a regular beardie, besides the poor motor coordination lol. He watches me while I putter around; he checks out new things in his terrarium; he fusses around before he poops; he tries to eat anything that moves; poops in the bath; etc., etc. He does sleep a lot though :?

Earlier this evening, my spouse told me that he was proud of me for taking Lazarus home, as he didn't think he would have been able to take on the responsibility of either rehabilitating him, or providing palliative care For the record, I don't think that's true (he is an unbelievably caring and altruistic man, especially when it comes to animals), but it made me feel very odd about Lazarus. It unintentionally made me second guess whether or not I should have taken him in. Maybe I'm just primed for this sort of thing because I'm a nurse? I know he's old for a (twice rescued) dragon, but I just want him to have some quality of life before the end.

Thanks everyone Again, if I make another post about this fellow it will either be good news, bad news, or I'll have to start a thread about caring for a dragon with a brain injury lol.

 

[PogoLover]

Please tell us where you put the new post, so that I can look for it. I am not always that great about finding things. Pogo is sick again, so I think I might have gotten my hopes up too early (or let her eat too many bugs before she was ready). We are back to syringe feeding only. Good luck!