Dragon help - Head Trauma

[Jaemes]

Hi,

Looking for helpful advice for the following situation:

One of my adult Central Netted Dragons during feeding made a sprint for one of my hatchies tanks open on the ground and bit one hatchie on the head. It all happened very fast but i managed to separate them before the adult got a second go. Apart from being pissed off with myself about letting that happen in the first place, understandably the hatchie isn't in a good way.

The hatchie seems to be showing symptoms of head trauma. It's lethargic, strained eyes (when they're open). It also seems to have balance problems where it can only hold it's head to one side and when it moves, the head is like it is a lead weight for the poor thing. It pulls to one side and ends up nose diving into the substrate.

I've heard about internal swelling around the middle ear causing imbalance problems. But i guess, apart from the immediate problem which may be solved by 10 days or so of healing time i am worried that being a week old hatchie feeding is going to be an increasing issue - as is doesn't look like he is going to be able to feed himself.

Has anyone got any good tips on ways to try and recuperate my hatchie?????

 

[dtulip10]

hey i had a hatchy a couple of years ago that i accidentally dropped a large rock on and thought was dead for the first thirty seconds after. i kept the heat up to it and separated it from the rest and just kept a close eye on it. i think this is all you can do. i wouldn't beat ya self up over it these things just happen.

cheers Dayle

 

[lizardjasper]

these things happen, no one's to blame. Seperate him, keep the heat on him, keep an eye on him, and after a week, try him with a couple of small crickets. Don't forget in the wild some hatchies go for a couple of weeks without feeding.

 

[Jaemes]

thanks guys, appreciate it.

Yea it doesn't sound like there's much else i can do then. It doesn't look good; he's deteriorated throughout the day and barely moving now.

...Like you say, these things happen.

 

[bigi]

hows he going jaemes

 

[Jaemes]

no luck...

Mate he didn't last the day unfortunately. The imbalance problem got worse throughout the morning until he would uncontrollably and erratically spin when he moved - resembling something like a crocodile death roll. It was painful to watch.

It was hard to know the right thing to do... I end up separating him into an enclosure with no sand and cycling him through sessions of increased heat (until it looked like he had had enough) then a rest in normal temp, a quick bath in warm water (he had sand in his mouth etc that i was keen to clear, and wanted to give every chance i could to keep hydration up with the increased temperatures) and then i'd pump the heat again to try and stimulate whatever healing i could. It was the best program i could come up with at the time but unfortunately i think i may have been based on instinct rather than science.

But i can't help thinking that if i had left him curled up resting in a hide might have been better for him. Leaving him feeling more secure/less stressed/vulnerable, and would have used less energy trying to move around like a poorly made paper plane and more energy on healing...

Who knows...The pragmatic part of me says that whatever way i tried to go about it, it would have only delayed the inevitable...

It's not something that i really want to go through again but i would be interested if anyone has any thoughts about other, more scientific, methods of recuperating injuries like this?