Please help

[C_2006_27]

My Bearded dragon of 9 months old stopped eating all together, he switched terrariums around 7-8 months old. He was eating fine in early November all the way back to August when I got him as a baby from LLLreptile. I took him to the vet and she found Coccidia but only one count, I took him back recently and she found no traces of it but this time found a Larvae of some sorts. So basically she gave him his first dose of medication and then I'm supposed to give him one in two weeks. My Husbandry is as follows: 10.0 reptisun tube which fits into the 18 inch fixture that goes over top of the screened in terrarium. a 100 Watt Basking Bulb that puts out temps from 107-115 during the daytime. Two hides, his basking log and a cave on the cool side that he sleeps in. I've been offering food and I can't supplement like I want to because he just outright refuses anything. Even Superworms which he devoured before. So I'm having to feed him with a syringe, the vet says that it could be a combination of things from having the coccidia to this new parasite they just found, to the time of the year. She hasn't said anything about Brumation, I feared that's what it was because he stopped pooping on his own. I have to bathe him or else he won't go. I've had an X ray done and everything was ruled out in terms of MBD or whatever, the vet saw a couple dim spots and said he still has poop in him but they did a Enema and fecal there. He's in a 40 gallon Terrarium that's 3 feet by 2 feet and 2 feet deep, the Bask bulb is right around 8-10 inches from the dragon as well as the UVB is placed near the bask site now (wasn't before) It was in the middle. So my question is what do you guys think could be going on?

 

[Canicke]

Hi. sometimes medicine will make them feel poorly. in addition to whatever else is "bugging" him. it could be brumation - it is that time of year. how's his activity? is he losing weight? his tank may be a bit large for him - try blocking part of it off and see if that doesn't make him feel a bit more secure. do you use a heat lamp at night? does it give off ANY light ? (it shouldn't - CHE only please) re: poop - nothing in, nothing out.

 

[C_2006_27]

He gained weight since he's been at the vet, up from 290 grams to 315. I use a CHE for night time heat as I live in NC and the room I'm in upstairs can get colder than 60 if there's no computer on. The room is somehow different due to the insulation maybe. His activity is very little, he doesn't move unless it's to get under his log. He measured 16 inches head to tail in the beginning of December, only has shed the tail. So do you think it's brumation? Any tips on what I need to do husbandry wise ? It's my first reptile and I've done a lot of research before I got him so I didn't go into it blind. I think it's just me freaking out because I love him so much and I enjoyed watching him eat crickets as a baby.

 

[Canicke]

brumation is disconcerting. not my favorite time of year. it's natural for them but not for us. not much to do for him while he's sleeping. my first boy "went down" for MONTHS - he didn't come out, didn't eat, didn't poop. kinda like I didn't have him. my current boy sleeps a LOT but will poke his head up every few days. will eat bugs if he's up and I offer them - may eat greens. I always chop some up and leave them for him. sometimes I throw them away. it's hard to tell if my girl is brumating - she's super lazy. eating less greens than other times of year. CHE is good. weight sounds good.

 

[PatsyB]

Sorry your little one is not feeling well. The antibiotics really take it out of them. Get a probiotic and mix it in with what you are syringe feeding him and that might help with his tummy troubles. Your using the right UVB bulb but are you using a T8 size or T5 size? The mesh on top of the tank blocks out about 35% of the UVB, if you are using a T8 size bulb, you want to mount it inside the tank for it to work like it needs to. A T5 size bulb is perfectly fine to sit on top of the tank. Also make sure that your basking bulb and your UVB are overlapping. One in front of the other. The UVB bulb gives D3 and the heat from the basking bulb helps the body synthesize calcium but it can't do that without the UVB bulb right next to it.

 

[C_2006_27]

Hi guys I need to get it mounted inside then. I noticed today some dots under my beardies back legs near the vent area. Do you guys know what it is ?

 

[PatsyB]

The dots are femoral pores. Both male and females have them. In males they are usually bigger than in females.

 

[C_2006_27]

The vet said she wasn't convinced he's male. I took a picture earlier last year of his hemporal buldges ? I think that is what they're called ? And I got mostly replies that he's male. I could always do the flashlight thing.

 

[Canicke]

umm - hemi-penal bulges. give it another few months - 9 may be a bit young yet.

 

[C_2006_27]

Here is an update, my dragon is eating 7 superworms a day and having mustard greens, I'm administering him some squash mixed with honey, he's taking a multivitamin and calcium D 3 on the worms. His appetite is back but he's stopped shedding and he seems really lazy some days. The uvb positioned in the correct place has made a difference but it needs to be put inside of the terrarium yet. Any ideas on how to get his energy to normal where he wants to come out of his cave when I turn the lights on?

 

[Hdrydr31]

Here is an update, my dragon is eating 7 superworms a day and having mustard greens, I'm administering him some squash mixed with honey, he's taking a multivitamin and calcium D 3 on the worms. His appetite is back but he's stopped shedding and he seems really lazy some days. The uvb positioned in the correct place has made a difference but it needs to be put inside of the terrarium yet. Any ideas on how to get his energy to normal where he wants to come out of his cave when I turn the lights on?

Depending on where you live during the winter months they will slow down and some brumate (hibernation) and some just don't eat much and are really lazy, some don't come out of their hides yet they are awake most of the time, some take freq naps.. Once older they also no longer shed all at once, often it's bits and pieces here and there..

 

[PatsyB]

When you say honey, do you mean powdered bee pollen? Honey itself isn't a good idea to give to a dragon. It causes a choking hazard, just like you shouldn't give it to babies. Bee pollen though is great to give them and it comes in powdered form or granulas that you can smash into a powder.

 

[C_2006_27]

No it's regular honey, I guess I'll have to find some powdered bee pollen. There's a picture is my dragon. I'm a bit concerned with a scale under his beard I can't tell if he's scraped it off or what. I'm really hoping it isn't yellow fungus. But here it is. The first one is today, looks like it may have gotten better. The second one I took a few days ago and didn't notice. He's eating like a mad man now though.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Other than a grey scale that may just be damaged scale from glass surfing or going over an object in the tank.

 

[PatsyB]

Scale could be just damaged like Hdrydr said from glass surfing or something. OR it could be bug guts that just need to be scrubbed off

 

[C_2006_27]

An update for you guys. He's doing well and the fecal recently as of the 10th of February came back as no parasites!! He's doing better with the eating, some days he sleeps most of the day because the weather outside does one thing then does something else the next day. Thank you all for your concerns, I love my dragon! In the picture he has a full tummy !

 

[C_2006_27]

So nefarian had a bowel movement a few days ago that resembled this one very closely. The urate itself is hard and slick I touched it to see. Should I get him checked out? Threw the poop away, it looks like there is some sort of brown forming in the white urate. Could it be from his impaction? He hadn't pooped in a few days and he's been eating some mustard Greens, I've been trying to introduce more greens into his diet but he just doesn't seem too keen. He prefers the insects, and I'm feeding superworms.

 

[MooshiChi]

It looks like a bit of mucous which is common if straining or slightly impacted....how often does he normally go?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[C_2006_27]

I usually put him into the bath about every 2 days and if he goes he goes, but if not I'll try one day later. I mainly do it to just keep him hydrated bathing him so much. He seems to love it as long as I'm the one bathing him. Usually though he'll go about 2 times a week. It does seem like he strains a bit

 

[MooshiChi]

How old is he? My girl was impacted and the vet told me the mucous that followed the urate was because of the straining. Because both the poop and we channels connect midway down them and join to exit the same place (vent) that this is how the mucous attaches to the urate. Is he dehydrated? Does he drink much? Has he been poop again since that last urate/mucous one?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk