My little beardies fight for life, I wont give in.

[jact38]

Hi

I posted a while back on a juvi beardie not eating since we got him (or her). Thanks so much for your help.

OK we bit the bullet ad bought another viv (We refue to take him back - I dont believe they will try as hard as I will) and our pair are now separated.

He has been in it two days. Seems quite perky but still not eating of his own free will. We are still feeding crickets by "force" and also apple sauce, veggie sauce. We also found by dipping crickets in Apple Sauce, he sort of takes them Once I get them in, he muches away, he just wont EAT.

But we are still at a loss. We put roaches in there now. Sigh. This is OK as we use roach stay, but damn, this is gteting tougher and tougher and a little costly ;-)

Anyway, he (or she) is now digging under the play sand...to get under the water bowls and hiding there. (YES, I am aware of impaction risks but he HATES carpet and tiles - we tried he wouldnt even go on them - and one thing at a time)

The new viv has 38 basking at 29 cool..and he can pretty much climb on his UV.


At a wits end. The herp shop siad they are fussy and hard to keep and he may just be the runt and might just die. I wont let him die though, not on my watch, he made it to 6 months and I will see this through. Cuz I already love the little guy

Andrew

 

[AshMan]

mate, thats a shame. i wish you all the best and hope he pulls through!! they can be tough little fighters when they want too and im sure with some time and encouragment he'll be a healthy, happy beardy soon enough!!

Ash

 

[phantomreptiles]

Its hard when they won't eat - what did your herp vet say/suggest?

 

[nagini-baby]

good luck buddy it sounds like your doing everything you can

 

[Grogshla]

hey mate try and bump his basking temp to 45c. He may not be eating as he is imacted i know you said he prefers sand but i would put him on tile end of story just to be sure. Also what uvb are you using? I would suggest arcadia12% tube and place it 6-8 inches from the dragon.

 

[AllThingsReptile]

if your really worried about using sand use coco-peat from bunnings, its cheap and if they eat it, they just digest it

i have had my beardies on sand since i got them at 3 months, and they had been kept on sand before that as well, they are now over a year old and still going strong

 

[phantomreptiles]

So what did the vet say? As you are so concerned I am sure you have taken it to a vet to be checked, rather than going off the advice from some random people on some forum - would you do the same with your human children????

 

[AllThingsReptile]

So what did the vet say? As you are so concerned I am sure you have taken it to a vet to be checked, rather than going off the advice from some random people on some forum - would you do the same with your human children????

agreed, a vet should be at least contacted before posting on the forum if its really worrying

 

[mike83]

Hope it works out for you sounds like your doing everything u can makes me sad with cases like this. nice to know your doing your best keep up the awesome work and hope he pulls through.

 

[KaotikJezta]

So what did the vet say? As you are so concerned I am sure you have taken it to a vet to be checked, rather than going off the advice from some random people on some forum - would you do the same with your human children????

I'm pretty sure he said in the first ever post he took it to the vet. Oh, leading herp expert, maybe not vet.

 

[venom8]

Andrew,

You seem very concerned and very dedicated keeper. If he passes away in the next month or so and your in Sydney, send me a pm, i would be more than happy to give you a couple of hatchlings for nothing as you seem like the type of guy i know would look after them
Cheers
Michael

 

[TahneeMaree]

If you haven't already, get some calcium powder into his diet and get him out in some real sunlight for a few hours a week.

 

[jact38]

Update

Thanks to everyone for your kind words and offers. I appreciate it very much. I am in Perth so cant get any more, which is SO kind to offer and yes I would love them to bits. But at the end of the day, I aint losing Paddy

Disappointed on the cheap "would you do this to your children shot" but you tend to get that I guess. I think I am doing pretty much all I can do....and will do some more after I finish sliding food to my child through the slot in the basement door.

Anyway, update.

• Temps up now a bit hotter. He is very active today. Thank you for the suggestions!
• Baths are occuring twice a week
• Misting is occuring as well.
• His bowel movements are and have always been OK
• He gets calcium regularly on crickets and in mash
• He has and always has had a 10UVB light as well as basking

On sand - yes, I knew this would be a comment I would regret. I am not convinced one way or the other on sand - but I would take it off in a heartbeat if I thought it was the right thing to do with where we are at. The fact is, he is pretty much trying to starve himself so removing the substrate that gets him off his branch and moving would be one more reason for him not to eat. I will consider it later. But for now, we have bought and tried tiles (he was terrified of them) and marine carpet (wouldnt get off his branch even).

What I know is he is not impacted. He just hasnt eaten in 7 weeks of his own accord but he is active and not in pain. I get him out he runs around, likes baths and is passing movements ok. And in case I missed it, the second one is fine and healthy. I just think we got a lizard who is over being shunted around and mayeb ready to give up. But we can change that Im certainly not returning him...even though on Saturday that is what they said to do.

On vets, I have so many animals - snakes, cockatoos, bernese mountain dogs, rabbits and parrots - all inside and all immaculately looked after and cared for. I dont have an issue with paying a vet - hence I spent a grand on a viv jsut to see if it would work when I could have taken him back. BUT, our vet wasnt confident he could do more and he sent us to the "reptile guy' who we know anyway who is a professional and highly regarded reptile keeper in WA. his advice was the vet would not be able to do anything we havent done and dont stress him out by taking him out of his environment again. THAT was my decision process....

SO...I am open to this..does anyone want to recommend a vet in Perth - other than Tim Oldfield - who might be able to help with "something" - what would that something be likely, and has anyone had any luck with this type of thing at a vets.

I guess I know you cant give me the answer, but I also hope you recognise my deisre to do something, so any tweaks you are suggesting, I am trying....and I will continue to.

Thanks so much again for your best wishes, me and Paddy appreciate it.

 

[KaotikJezta]

Thanks to everyone for your kind words and offers. I appreciate it very much. I am in Perth so cant get any more, which is SO kind to offer and yes I would love them to bits. But at the end of the day, I aint losing Paddy

Disappointed on the cheap "would you do this to your children shot" but you tend to get that I guess. I think I am doing pretty much all I can do....and will do some more after I finish sliding food to my child through the slot in the basement door.

Anyway, update.

• Temps up now a bit hotter. He is very active today. Thank you for the suggestions!
• Baths are occuring twice a week
• Misting is occuring as well.
• His bowel movements are and have always been OK
• He gets calcium regularly on crickets and in mash
• He has and always has had a 10UVB light as well as basking

On sand - yes, I knew this would be a comment I would regret. I am not convinced one way or the other on sand - but I would take it off in a heartbeat if I thought it was the right thing to do with where we are at. The fact is, he is pretty much trying to starve himself so removing the substrate that gets him off his branch and moving would be one more reason for him not to eat. I will consider it later. But for now, we have bought and tried tiles (he was terrified of them) and marine carpet (wouldnt get off his branch even).

What I know is he is not impacted. He just hasnt eaten in 7 weeks of his own accord but he is active and not in pain. I get him out he runs around, likes baths and is passing movements ok. And in case I missed it, the second one is fine and healthy. I just think we got a lizard who is over being shunted around and mayeb ready to give up. But we can change that Im certainly not returning him...even though on Saturday that is what they said to do.

On vets, I have so many animals - snakes, cockatoos, bernese mountain dogs, rabbits and parrots - all inside and all immaculately looked after and cared for. I dont have an issue with paying a vet - hence I spent a grand on a viv jsut to see if it would work when I could have taken him back. BUT, our vet wasnt confident he could do more and he sent us to the "reptile guy' who we know anyway who is a professional and highly regarded reptile keeper in WA. his advice was the vet would not be able to do anything we havent done and dont stress him out by taking him out of his environment again. THAT was my decision process....

SO...I am open to this..does anyone want to recommend a vet in Perth - other than Tim Oldfield - who might be able to help with "something" - what would that something be likely, and has anyone had any luck with this type of thing at a vets.

I guess I know you cant give me the answer, but I also hope you recognise my deisre to do something, so any tweaks you are suggesting, I am trying....and I will continue to.

Thanks so much again for your best wishes, me and Paddy appreciate it.

You sound like your doing everything humanly possible so don't let peoples comments get you down.

 

[Lollypop]

Hi, some bubs just don't do well, if u can fight for this guy - well done!!!!

The heat was a great suggestion so good to hear u upped that. With sand, I am a firm believer in heat when it comes to avoiding impactions, so u should be covered, just as long as it's a fine sand.

Only thing I can think of at this stage is to try criticare, available at vets. It's a powdered solution u add water to, healthier option than baby foods to give him/her what he needs to boost the system when not eating.

Keep us updated, & all the best!

 

[Chris1]

keep up the good work, i syringe fed one of my first pair for 5 months after a vet told me to just use a reptile wormer, make sure u worm them both tho.
i wormed them both, the one who actually had worms was fine, the one i wormed as a precaution stopped eating and started to fade.

after about 5 months of syringe feeding, tried force feeding bugs, but they got spat out without fail, i tried a human probiotic on her, after 7 days of that to my complete shock she was chasing roaches,...

its worth a try, Boo turned 6 this year!!

 

[jact38]

Thanks man, I will grab some of that to try it.

Brilliant advice!

Andrew

A probiotoc? Which is like an anti biotic?

 

[Chris1]

probiotics contain all the good gut bacteria that help with digestion, appetite and general wellbeing, something like inner health plus/yakult, go for a dairy free one if you try it.

 

[Flaviruthless]

A probiotoc? Which is like an anti biotic?

You can contact Reptile Research in SA - they have one specifically made for reptiles (from what they have said it's quite good - they certainly know their stuff too!)

 

[jact38]

Probiotics

Thank you,

I might start on the Yakult and order the one from SA which does have good reviews and is only 20 bucks.

I will also get some of the care food from the vet.

Thank you again