I need some advice.

[toothlessandpuff]

Hello everyone. I adopted an older dragon about 7 months ago. She's huge, her name is Fat Pat.

She has been the best dragon that I have could ask for. Always eating always affectionate.
Well here's some background on her.. The gentlemen couldn't remember how old she was. But I'm guessing about 6 or 7. When I picked her up from the previous owner, I was told that she only eats freeze dried mealworms and romain lettuce. And she loved baths.
So as I got her home I started to experiment with other greens (thought I should take it slow), found out she loves anything that ends in Greens, i.e. Collard greens and mustard green.
She was doing so well on those. So a month or so later I introduced live mealworms, and live crickets, she liked it but she's too fat to run around the tank and catch the crickets but loved mealworms.
What I need advice on is lately she has stopped eating regularly. She seems to be losing some weight in her tail. And her back legs. She normally poops in the bath, but hasn't. I took out the substrate she was on to see if she's pooping and she is, but it only seems to be like the pee? (white/yellow) and some sort of liquid I think. Is she sick? Just old? I'm just worried..
This is a more recent picture of her behind.

Please if you can I would love some advice! Thank you so much!!

 

[PatsyB]

I remember Fat Pat! I would have her checked out by a vet. Something is using up her fat stores even the pads on her head are sunken in, maybe a parasite or something. Is she drinking water? I would drop some water on her nose with a dropper and coax her to drink it. It might take a few minutes for her to do it but she will.

 

[toothlessandpuff]

I remember Fat Pat! I would have her checked out by a vet. Something is using up her fat stores even the pads on her head are sunken in, maybe a parasite or something. Is she drinking water? I would drop some water on her nose with a dropper and coax her to drink it. It might take a few minutes for her to do it but she will.

Patsy, I could remember if I posted about her previously. I will take her to a vet as soon as I find a reptile one. I gave her a bath tonight, and she usually LOVES bath time, swims around in the water, splashes around, and drinks a crap ton.. But tonight it seemed to be the opposite. No splashing or anything, she also isn't drinking. I dropped some water on her head a couple of times and all she did was close her eyes.
How long do dragons live? Is she just getting old? She is 7. I think. That's what the last vet I went to said (but he was kinda crazy).

 

[drzebra]

Well, seven is definitely getting long in the tooth for beardies. I think their life expectancy is 7 to 10 years, if memory serves.

 

[PatsyB]

I think drzebra is right 7-10 years is kinda the life expectancy. I hope you are able to find a reptile vet soon. If you go to ARAV.ORG you can find a reptile vet in your area.

 

[Elemental Dragon Lord]

Dragons can live up to 15-20 years with good care. She needs a vet soon, you might have a deadly problem that well probably require surgery.

 

[toothlessandpuff]

What would that deadly problem be called? Just outta curiosity?

 

[Elemental Dragon Lord]

I've seen that in severely impacted dragons and dragons with spinal injuries

 

[jarich]

Dragon Lord is right, they should be living 15 years or more. 7 years is just middle aged

I would take your dragon to the vet right away, yes. Even if its not a reptile specific vet, they should be able to do xrays. I would think that your dragon is a female and probably holding eggs, or that there is an impaction. An xray should be able to show which one.

 

[PatsyB]

Dragon Lord is right, they should be living 15 years or more. 7 years is just middle aged

I would take your dragon to the vet right away, yes. Even if its not a reptile specific vet, they should be able to do xrays. I would think that your dragon is a female and probably holding eggs, or that there is an impaction. An xray should be able to show which one.

Oops! Don't let Dexter and Luci know I had them on the 7-10 plan.

 

[PatsyB]

@toothlessandpuff How's Fat Pat doing? Any updates?

 

[jarich]

Oops! Don't let Dexter and Luci know I had them on the 7-10 plan.

Sometimes they give ya that look like they have it all figured out ahead of us anyway!

 

[toothlessandpuff]

Sorry everyone! Been off the grid for a little bit there..
I took Fat Pat to the vet about a month ago, and they told me there was nothing wrong, just to keep up the daily baths and continue to feed her as i have been.
But I regret to inform you that Fat Pat peacefully passed away last week on Wednesday morning.
I did however talk to the previous owner about her age, it turns out I was the 3rd owner and Fat Pat was about 13 or 14 years old. So it was just her time to go. She lived a very spoiled life all the way til the end.
And I wanted to thank all of you for you help with her, I really appreciate it!

 

[PatsyB]

I am so sorry for your loss She had a nice long life. I'm sure she was happy to be able to spend her final time with someone that cared about her so much.

 

[Canicke]

Condolences – – –