Bearded Dragon not doing so good??? Need help

[jzarc17]

Yesterday my 5yr old male bearded dragon had dental scaling and he was put under. This happened around 1:30 yesterday and I picked him up at 5:15. Today he is VERY lethargic!!!! He slept most of the day. He seems really out of it. He is responsive and does wake up fairly easily but I'm really anxious because I'm not used to seeing him this way. Its like when hes awake hes zoned out and his mouth just kind of falls open more and more as he falls back asleep.

Here is a bunch of background info: Before the procedure I brought him in because I noticed something was not right with his mouth, there was brown around his teeth the vet said he had periodontal disease and noticed his gums where swollen. The vet put him on oral antibiotics and ran blood work, we also scheduled the dental scaling. This was on the 7/6. Blood work came back showing he did have an infection but liver and kidney function was good.

While on the antibiotics Harley stopped eating and I let the vet know. On the 7th day of antibiotics (around 7/13) I had to rush Harley to the vet because I thought he was chocking on the medicine I gave him. The vet said when I got him there he looked fine and they did an ex-ray to rule out an aneurysm in his neck that could have caused him to gag on the medication. The ex-rays also showed us that Harley did not have any fluid in his lungs which was a big concern of mine. The vet said he thought Harley just gaged on the medication the vet also noticed that Harley was dehydrated so they gave him fluids while he was there as well. They thought this could be because he was not eating. Originally Harley's procedure was supposed to be on the 17th of this month then at the last min. the vet needed to reschedule to yesterday the 27th.

On the 18th I talked to the vet again because Harley was still not eating and they gave me a powder mix to feed him and I also asked to have him get some more fluids because I was worried about his hydration. When I tried to give Harley the powder mixed with with warm water via a syringe he gave me HELL, I felt so bad for stressing him out but I gently continued to try to feed him. In between the 18th and the 27th I got Harley some dubia roaches and he was excited by them and ate on his own!! I was so happy!!! But it only happen twice

So that all brings me tonight, the vet told me yesterday that Harley had a lot of tarter around his gums and lots of swelling and that there was some bleeding during the procedure but he should be fine in a few days. I'm a very nervous person and part of me says it's normal to be tired the day after having anesthesia but the other side of me is saying what if it's not ok, what if something is wrong. I jumped the gun the day I though he was choking, I feel like I did not notice soon enough that he had the periodontal disease. The harder I try to get him all fixed up the more I feel like I am failing. I wish I had called the vet before the end of the day because it's always better safe than sorry. If hes not a LOT better tomorrow I'm calling that vet and bringing him in if they are willing to see him. My anxiety is shot. Right now I have him on my bed in a cat bed with a heating pad under it to keep him warm so his poor little body does not have to work so hard. IDK if I'm being overly worried at this point or if something is really wrong!! I'm going to sleep next to him tonight.

 

[Karen]

I don’t have any advice for you but I just wanted to let you know that I understand your anxiousness and concern. I hope that you and Harley have a restful night and that your vet can address your concerns in the AM.

 

[jzarc17]

I don’t have any advice for you but I just wanted to let you know that I understand your anxiousness and concern. I hope that you and Harley have a restful night and that your vet can address your concerns in the AM.

Thank you, honestly not sure how much sleep I’m going to get. I feel like all I can do is watch him.

 

[riddick07]

Basking temps for bearded dragons have been recorded to be up to 140F in the wild. The general idea that 90 basking is enough for them persists along with a lot of other subpar info. A heating pad on the bed where the ambient air is likely very low and the pad is probably 90-100 isn’t enough to keep him up to temp to help the body heal.

I would definitely contact your vet in the morning to let her know what’s going on. Hopefully it’s not a bone infection. Your vet should have prescribed Chlorhexidine for an oral flush but maybe it’s too early? Not sure why she didn’t but maybe ask her opinion on that. Crunchy veggie like foods that require a lot of biting/chewing helps clean off the teeth & prevent the issue from occurring & sometimes recurring from what I understand.

But to help with healing & keeping environmental stressors down I would look at your husbandry to see if any improvements could be made. Temps, Humidity, water, substrate, diet, setup, lights, etc.

I hope he pops back for you!

 

[jzarc17]

Basking temps for bearded dragons have been recorded to be up to 140F in the wild. The general idea that 90 basking is enough for them persists along with a lot of other subpar info. A heating pad on the bed where the ambient air is likely very low and the pad is probably 90-100 isn’t enough to keep him up to temp to help the body heal.

I would definitely contact your vet in the morning to let her know what’s going on. Hopefully it’s not a bone infection. Your vet should have prescribed Chlorhexidine for an oral flush but maybe it’s too early? Not sure why she didn’t but maybe ask her opinion on that. Crunchy veggie like foods that require a lot of biting/chewing helps clean off the teeth & prevent the issue from occurring & sometimes recurring from what I understand.

But to help with healing & keeping environmental stressors down I would look at your husbandry to see if any improvements could be made. Temps, Humidity, water, substrate, diet, setup, lights, etc.

I hope he pops back for you!

Thank you for the response back Victoria! Good news is that he is looking much better today and was basking as well!! I'm so thankful to see him acting more normal today. I am waiting to here back from the vet and I will inquire with them on the basking temps, currently I have the basking spot at around 100 degrees and 12 hours on and 12 off. The humidity runs at around 45% with out me adding any water and from what the vet told me recently, I need to get a dehumidifier to bring that down by about 10%. He does have a Repti Sun 10.0 bulb as well that is on 12 hrs a day.

I did forget to mention that the vet did send me home with the Chlorhexidine and I am using that as of yesterday per the instructions.

Harley gets dubia roaches, super worms, and sometimes gets tomato worms as well. I have tried for years to get him to eat veggies and fruit but I have been unsuccessful in my attempts although I still offer them. He just throws a tantrum when I offer them and knocks the food out of the dish and basically trashes the cage. It's very odd. Going forward my plan is to feed mostly dubia roaches so he gets a more consistant crunchy food to help his teeth. He gets all insects dusted with calcium and muti.

I have not had a chance to look at all the attachments you gave but I certainly will! I will go over all the husbandry with the vet again to make sure we are in agreement and keep an eye on him to be sure he keeps making progress and starts to eat on his own. I think I will be also requesting to have his blood work re-done and a fecal sample as well to be sure that all indication of infection is gone since he clearly hides illness so well.

It's been a hell of a ride but hes it totaly worth it!

 

[riddick07]

I would be leery about taking husbandry advice from a vet, which I know sounds weird. They know how to put them back together but often not how to keep them alive/healthy long term or haven’t kept up with new husbandry info. I’ve gotten ridiculous advice from exotic vets before on husbandry that made me sprain something rolling my eyes that hard lol. Some don’t even know the most common infectious diseases or even the new tests for them. I’ve had experienced vets not know multiple viruses that wipes out whole collections. It’s insane to get a blank look from them about it. I had to find a vet that would draw Blood and let me send the vials off to my selected lab.

Old husbandry beardies lived for 8-10 years average even though many said it was lower, new husbandry the average is closer to 10-14 years. My dragon is now 12 yrs old but starting to look quite rundown.

 

[jzarc17]

I would be leery about taking husbandry advice from a vet, which I know sounds weird. They know how to put them back together but often not how to keep them alive/healthy long term or haven’t kept up with new husbandry info. I’ve gotten ridiculous advice from exotic vets before on husbandry that made me sprain something rolling my eyes that hard lol. Some don’t even know the most common infectious diseases or even the new tests for them. I’ve had experienced vets not know multiple viruses that wipes out whole collections. It’s insane to get a blank look from them about it. I had to find a vet that would draw Blood and let me send the vials off to my selected lab.

Old husbandry beardies lived for 8-10 years average even though many said it was lower, new husbandry the average is closer to 10-14 years. My dragon is now 12 yrs old but starting to look quite rundown.

I will do some reading tonight on the basking spots for sure! Thank you for the info!!

I was able to talk to the vet today and he suggested I bring him in tomorrow for some inject-able antibiotics. He said there is a small chance that during the procedure some of the bacteria in his mouth could have gone into his blood stream...so basically...septic....so to say I'm worried is putting it mildly. He did not use the word septic but I can read between the line

Needless to say I will be bringing him in first thing! The vet is going to show me how to give Harley the following does of the antibiotics as I think he said he has to have them ever three days for around 15 days. They are also going to give him more subcutaneous fluid which I am very happy about. This poor little guy has been through so much! I feel so bad for him. I just want to hug him for ages but I don't because I want him to stay in the warmth of his enclosure. So instead I just watch him nearly constantly.

Tonight I'll keep him in the enclosure- I have a non light emitting heat lamp to keep him warmer than the heating pad would. I need to get this little boy back in good health, hes my buddy. I love him to death

 

[jzarc17]

Here is a picture of my little dude. He’s the sweetest boy.

 

[Karen]

Love the pic. He exudes personality plus! Hope he’s feeling better soon.

 

[Birdbabe]

@taxidermynerd ?

 

[taxidermynerd]

Unfortunately I only really know about amphibians, which have super different care than reptiles. Once my Pac-Man frog, Fuzzgig, got sick. It was 17 days before he ate again, super nerve-wracking. Hopefully your little fella will feel better soon!

 

[riddick07]

Also, make sure you are using accurate equipment to measure temps if you do decide to follow higher basking temps. Equipment that doesn’t read correctly isn’t helpful. Even though it is amusing to have people say lower temps obviously work fine for their dragon. Only to find out they were using the cheap stick on readers that measure temps much lower & surface temps not at all...so in reality they were closer to the recommended temps already lol. Even though not so funny when the situation is a snake & they accidentally fry it.

Anyway if you aren’t already I’d get an infrared temp gun for checking surface temp & something like an accurite for ambient. Amazon sells the gun for around 21 & the other for 8 or less depending on brand. FYI the gun can also be used as a cat toy haha

Hopefully on the right track with some new antibiotics! At least he can’t throw you & 2 other people around like my big Retic did trying to give her injections

 

[jzarc17]

Love the pic. He exudes personality plus! Hope he’s feeling better soon.

Thank you! He has a big personality if you get to know him and has his own way of showing affection it very different than a cat or dog but it's there and I would not change him for anything!

 

[jzarc17]

Also, make sure you are using accurate equipment to measure temps if you do decide to follow higher basking temps. Equipment that doesn’t read correctly isn’t helpful. Even though it is amusing to have people say lower temps obviously work fine for their dragon. Only to find out they were using the cheap stick on readers that measure temps much lower & surface temps not at all...so in reality they were closer to the recommended temps already lol. Even though not so funny when the situation is a snake & they accidentally fry it.

Anyway if you aren’t already I’d get an infrared temp gun for checking surface temp & something like an accurite for ambient. Amazon sells the gun for around 21 & the other for 8 or less depending on brand. FYI the gun can also be used as a cat toy haha

Hopefully on the right track with some new antibiotics! At least he can’t throw you & 2 other people around like my big Retic did trying to give her injections

I think the temp gun is an awesome idea! I'm currently using a digital thermometer with a probe but I've always wanted the gun. I think I am going to give the hotter temp a try

I'm lucky that Harley is VERY tame, hes only bit me twice and he did not mean it. I do get a big concerned when I have to make him do things he does not want to because he gets VERY mad and does start to act like he might bite me but I'll just have to be careful and as gentle and calm with him as I can.I have no idea what a Retic is? Sounds big what ever it is!!!

 

[tka]

Retic = reticulated python. So yes, very big!

Harley is very cute!

 

[riddick07]

I think the temp gun is an awesome idea! I'm currently using a digital thermometer with a probe but I've always wanted the gun. I think I am going to give the hotter temp a try

I'm lucky that Harley is VERY tame, hes only bit me twice and he did not mean it. I do get a big concerned when I have to make him do things he does not want to because he gets VERY mad and does start to act like he might bite me but I'll just have to be careful and as gentle and calm with him as I can.I have no idea what a Retic is? Sounds big what ever it is!!!

It’s always hard to make our pets do things & then have them mad at us for awhile! Keep us updated on how he does

Yes reticulated python are giant snakes. Luckily she never even tried to bite & settled for throwing us around by twitching her body hard enough. The worst that happened was me stabbing myself with her teeth the one time cleaning her mouth out lol. Took about 9 months of mouth cleanings & 6 months of antibiotics for her mouth to heal completely, so mouth problems on reptiles can take a bit!

 

[jzarc17]

Retic = reticulated python. So yes, very big!

Harley is very cute!

Thank you

A snake that large would scare the poop out of me! I think the hair on my head just got volume from how much they just stood up LOL

 

[jzarc17]

It’s always hard to make our pets do things & then have them mad at us for awhile! Keep us updated on how he does

Yes reticulated python are giant snakes. Luckily she never even tried to bite & settled for throwing us around by twitching her body hard enough. The worst that happened was me stabbing myself with her teeth the one time cleaning her mouth out lol. Took about 9 months of mouth cleanings & 6 months of antibiotics for her mouth to heal completely, so mouth problems on reptiles can take a bit!

The thought of a snake being big enough to throw me around a little freaks me out! They do have very cute faces though! I stick to playing with the smaller ones LOL Glad to here yours is doing better an recovered eventually!!

Today's appointment at the vet went well and was productive! The vet said Harley looked to be in good shape for the most part. He was mildly dehydrated as I suspected so he got fluids. The vet checked his mouth and over all the swelling is down a lot but he still has some. He got some antibiotics syringes and more blood work as planned and I should hear the results on Monday. Harley was a bit pissed that he got poked another three times today but he tolerated it very well and he is home now resting comfortably and his beard is looking like it's normal color. I don't have to give him another shot until Sunday. I'm feeling a lot more calm now and he is feeling a better today for sure.

 

[Nadine]

Yesterday my 5yr old male bearded dragon had dental scaling and he was put under. This happened around 1:30 yesterday and I picked him up at 5:15. Today he is VERY lethargic!!!! He slept most of the day. He seems really out of it. He is responsive and does wake up fairly easily but I'm really anxious because I'm not used to seeing him this way. Its like when hes awake hes zoned out and his mouth just kind of falls open more and more as he falls back asleep.

Here is a bunch of background info: Before the procedure I brought him in because I noticed something was not right with his mouth, there was brown around his teeth the vet said he had periodontal disease and noticed his gums where swollen. The vet put him on oral antibiotics and ran blood work, we also scheduled the dental scaling. This was on the 7/6. Blood work came back showing he did have an infection but liver and kidney function was good.

While on the antibiotics Harley stopped eating and I let the vet know. On the 7th day of antibiotics (around 7/13) I had to rush Harley to the vet because I thought he was chocking on the medicine I gave him. The vet said when I got him there he looked fine and they did an ex-ray to rule out an aneurysm in his neck that could have caused him to gag on the medication. The ex-rays also showed us that Harley did not have any fluid in his lungs which was a big concern of mine. The vet said he thought Harley just gaged on the medication the vet also noticed that Harley was dehydrated so they gave him fluids while he was there as well. They thought this could be because he was not eating. Originally Harley's procedure was supposed to be on the 17th of this month then at the last min. the vet needed to reschedule to yesterday the 27th.

On the 18th I talked to the vet again because Harley was still not eating and they gave me a powder mix to feed him and I also asked to have him get some more fluids because I was worried about his hydration. When I tried to give Harley the powder mixed with with warm water via a syringe he gave me HELL, I felt so bad for stressing him out but I gently continued to try to feed him. In between the 18th and the 27th I got Harley some dubia roaches and he was excited by them and ate on his own!! I was so happy!!! But it only happen twice

So that all brings me tonight, the vet told me yesterday that Harley had a lot of tarter around his gums and lots of swelling and that there was some bleeding during the procedure but he should be fine in a few days. I'm a very nervous person and part of me says it's normal to be tired the day after having anesthesia but the other side of me is saying what if it's not ok, what if something is wrong. I jumped the gun the day I though he was choking, I feel like I did not notice soon enough that he had the periodontal disease. The harder I try to get him all fixed up the more I feel like I am failing. I wish I had called the vet before the end of the day because it's always better safe than sorry. If hes not a LOT better tomorrow I'm calling that vet and bringing him in if they are willing to see him. My anxiety is shot. Right now I have him on my bed in a cat bed with a heating pad under it to keep him warm so his poor little body does not have to work so hard. IDK if I'm being overly worried at this point or if something is really wrong!! I'm going to sleep next to him tonight.

 

[Nadine]

This is Dudley,,he had a lot of health issues when I got him,,but he lived for 10 years,,,,and my daughters cat Alice just loved him. Lol
I had to grind up all the healthy bugs and food in the blender and hand feed him for the last year,, but he was a happy boy. I’m sure your dragon will be fine,,don’t panic