Fairly urgent hatchling beardie help required
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gazman
Not so new Member
hey nic, im not sure what to say.....
all the best mate, hopefully foxy pulls through, hang in there mate, best of luck..
all the best mate, hopefully foxy pulls through, hang in there mate, best of luck..
nicman72
Well-Known Member
Again, thanks for all the kind thoughts guys 'n gals. I've got even MORE good news to tell...
Just got off the blower to the missus, and Foxy ate ANOTHER 3 crickets and a little woodie this arvo. And even better, she's done a little poo! Wow, I've NEVER been so happy to hear about a poo, I can assure you all! She had another drink of her calcium water as well and she has heaps more energy (running, jumping), so things definitely seem to be moving in the right direction. I'm trying not to get too excited, because it's still very early days, but good news is good news. I'm stoked!
Renegade, I agree that there's no better light for them than direct sunlight, and although all of our lizards live inside, they all get regular outdoor time to soak up the rays and get a hose, including the two hatchlings (they don't get a hose, they get a spray bottle).
We're going to leave the IR light on for Foxy again tonight, which leads me to my next question - when do we STOP that practice? I had nightmares last night of a little cooked lizard! Nevertheless, we're not going to mess with anything while she's improving.
Oh and btw, her sister has taken to her new cage no dramas and is eating like a pig still.
Cheers,
Nic
Just got off the blower to the missus, and Foxy ate ANOTHER 3 crickets and a little woodie this arvo. And even better, she's done a little poo! Wow, I've NEVER been so happy to hear about a poo, I can assure you all! She had another drink of her calcium water as well and she has heaps more energy (running, jumping), so things definitely seem to be moving in the right direction. I'm trying not to get too excited, because it's still very early days, but good news is good news. I'm stoked!
Renegade, I agree that there's no better light for them than direct sunlight, and although all of our lizards live inside, they all get regular outdoor time to soak up the rays and get a hose, including the two hatchlings (they don't get a hose, they get a spray bottle).
We're going to leave the IR light on for Foxy again tonight, which leads me to my next question - when do we STOP that practice? I had nightmares last night of a little cooked lizard! Nevertheless, we're not going to mess with anything while she's improving.
Oh and btw, her sister has taken to her new cage no dramas and is eating like a pig still.
Cheers,
Nic
garycahill
Well-Known Member
Are you running the IR through a thermostat?
If you are, no cooked lizard.
Stop when it's out of the woods, eating correctly, putting weight on & vet health check is passed.
Good work, keep it up!
If you are, no cooked lizard.
Stop when it's out of the woods, eating correctly, putting weight on & vet health check is passed.
Good work, keep it up!
Costa
Well-Known Member
ive been following this thread.
and i have to congratulate you for yours and the lizards achievements so far. nice work
and i have to congratulate you for yours and the lizards achievements so far. nice work
babba007
Well-Known Member
Well done. Foxy sounds like a little fighter. Go Foxy go !!:lol:
shellfisch
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I'm not a lizard person, but YAY for Foxy!
That's so good to hear!
That's so good to hear!
gazman
Not so new Member
hey nic, this is good to hear so far. fingers crossed for ya mate!
nicman72
Well-Known Member
Quick update before work...
Well, no cooked little lizard like I'd imagined. The thermometer is telling us that her spot under the IR globe is right on 32 throughout the night, which is what the thermostat is set to.
And how's this - last night around 9:30 when my partner checked on her before going to bed, she found Foxy wide awake and chasing a loose cricket around the tank, which she eventually caught and ate! It seems she's making up for lost time and eating through the night too, haha! She did eventually go to sleep, because the missus kept checking on her throughout the night, although she was changing sleeping positions a fair bit.
This is wonderful news, and now my partner has 3 days off in a row to spend with Foxy and the other lizards, so hopefully we might be able to make some real headway putting some weight onto her over the next few days (as long as she doesn't lose her new-found appetite).
We're not going to mess with the way things are right now, as everything seems to be working, thanks to the excellent advice received in this thread. Can't thank you guys enough!
Little Foxy the Fighter hey! That vet might be eating his words yet hehe...
Cheers,
Nic
Well, no cooked little lizard like I'd imagined. The thermometer is telling us that her spot under the IR globe is right on 32 throughout the night, which is what the thermostat is set to.
And how's this - last night around 9:30 when my partner checked on her before going to bed, she found Foxy wide awake and chasing a loose cricket around the tank, which she eventually caught and ate! It seems she's making up for lost time and eating through the night too, haha! She did eventually go to sleep, because the missus kept checking on her throughout the night, although she was changing sleeping positions a fair bit.
This is wonderful news, and now my partner has 3 days off in a row to spend with Foxy and the other lizards, so hopefully we might be able to make some real headway putting some weight onto her over the next few days (as long as she doesn't lose her new-found appetite).
We're not going to mess with the way things are right now, as everything seems to be working, thanks to the excellent advice received in this thread. Can't thank you guys enough!
Little Foxy the Fighter hey! That vet might be eating his words yet hehe...
Cheers,
Nic
garycahill
Well-Known Member
I would continue with the Hills A/D Nic, even if you are just smearing it on her face a couple of times a day.
It will put onweight much faster with the high protein & high fat content of it over the crickets/bugs.
Still continue with the bugs at the same time, but dust them with calcium & vitamins every second feed.
Lets hope it continues to recover at the current rate.
Good Luck
It will put onweight much faster with the high protein & high fat content of it over the crickets/bugs.
Still continue with the bugs at the same time, but dust them with calcium & vitamins every second feed.
Lets hope it continues to recover at the current rate.
Good Luck
nicman72
Well-Known Member
Things are still looking good so far... Foxy chased down and ate another 3 crickets today, and lapped up a whole bunch of Hills A/D (smeared on her face). She has heaps of energy, is alert, and seems to be improving by the day. Awesome news hey! She's drinking heaps of calcium water too, and she's done another two poos. I'm very tentative to say it, but there might be a light at the end of the tunnel for little Foxy. Hang in there little girl! Will keep up the same conditions for a bit longer yet though...
Cheers,
Nic
Cheers,
Nic
shellfisch
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Anthony.J
Not so new Member
Hi sorry for butting in to the conversation. I agree with most of the advice already given but would like to add some thing. Force feeding is a very stressfull thing for the animal and can sometimes add to the unwillingness of the dragon to eat. I breed quite a lot of dragons and have unfortunately had this problem a few times. The easiest and least stressfull way to force feed little dragons is to get some air hose ( for aquairums ) and place one end over the end of the syringe and cut the other end on an angle so it looks like a giant needle. the hose dosen't need to be more than 10-15mm. you can then use the pointed hose to work into the side of the dragons mouth and past the tounge. This means you dont have to squeeze the lizards head which is obviously very stressful.
hope she pulls through.
hope she pulls through.
nicman72
Well-Known Member
That's a cracker of an idea Anthony. We ended up not actually 'force' feeding her the Hills formula in the end, because the missus couldn't bring herself to do it; I'm not sure which animal was more stressed! Fortunately 'though, we have been able to avoid the need of actual force feeding, because the other changes to her environment (removal of sibling and night-heating) seem to have worked a treat. She chased and ate another four crickets today on her own, and she ate a bit more Hills (using our patented 'smear' method!). Also, her poos are becoming more frequent and bigger, so it sounds like she is definitely on the mend.
I will definitely keep that 'cut air-hose' technique in mind in case we ever have to force feed in the future. We were also warned away from force feeding altogether (by the breeder), as he's found that sometimes the food can travel down the airways and end up in the lizard's lungs. Personally, I would only ever force feed ANY animal if it was a life or death thing, which is what we were getting close to with Foxy.
Anyway, I'm glad I was able to post more good news today; my partner and I are thrilled that she's on the mend, but we have to keep telling ourselves that she's not out of the woods, and is still underweight; the way things are going however, that might not be for much longer.
Thanks again for all the help everyone - I hope that this thread can save the lives of other hatchlings displaying similar symptoms.
Cheers,
Nic
I will definitely keep that 'cut air-hose' technique in mind in case we ever have to force feed in the future. We were also warned away from force feeding altogether (by the breeder), as he's found that sometimes the food can travel down the airways and end up in the lizard's lungs. Personally, I would only ever force feed ANY animal if it was a life or death thing, which is what we were getting close to with Foxy.
Anyway, I'm glad I was able to post more good news today; my partner and I are thrilled that she's on the mend, but we have to keep telling ourselves that she's not out of the woods, and is still underweight; the way things are going however, that might not be for much longer.
Thanks again for all the help everyone - I hope that this thread can save the lives of other hatchlings displaying similar symptoms.
Cheers,
Nic
Jasspa
Well-Known Member
That's really good news that Foxy seems to be pulling through. I'm really happy for you guys.
But I have to say (a little bit of a vent) that I'm a little disappointed in what the vet said. I don't know the whole story, but I'm a little bit annoyed by the 'oh its probably going to die anyway' attitude. Going straight to the whole 'it must be a birth defect, he would never have made it' nonsense - since the problem was most likely simply because of a dominant sibling. Any beardie breeder would have known that. And I'm glad for the experienced people on here who are willing to share their experience to help people and lizards like Nicman and Foxy.
Hats off to you guys
Nicman, good luck with Foxy
But I have to say (a little bit of a vent) that I'm a little disappointed in what the vet said. I don't know the whole story, but I'm a little bit annoyed by the 'oh its probably going to die anyway' attitude. Going straight to the whole 'it must be a birth defect, he would never have made it' nonsense - since the problem was most likely simply because of a dominant sibling. Any beardie breeder would have known that. And I'm glad for the experienced people on here who are willing to share their experience to help people and lizards like Nicman and Foxy.
Hats off to you guys
Nicman, good luck with Foxy
garycahill
Well-Known Member
Jasspa raised an interesting question about the vet in question.
Is the vet a reptile specialist or just a normal vet with an interest in reptiles?
As what has happened here is all pretty basic stuff (no offence to you Nic)
Any vet worth the title should have covered these processes with you at the time of the appointment.
Is the vet a reptile specialist or just a normal vet with an interest in reptiles?
As what has happened here is all pretty basic stuff (no offence to you Nic)
Any vet worth the title should have covered these processes with you at the time of the appointment.
nicman72
Well-Known Member
I can assure you Gary and Jasspa, I'm going to have a bit of a vent reagrding that vet before the end of this thread. I'm still formulating the wording in my mind before I write a post, so as not to offend any vets on this site or elsewhere that DO know what they are talking about! Now that the immediate threat of losing Foxy is starting to lift slightly, my partner and I have been left wondering why a qualified vet was so ready to write Foxy off as a goner, and could not offer us ANY of the advice that you guys have...hmmmmm. We paid thirty bucks for him to tell us we were going to lose her, yet with the help of this free site, it seems she might pull through. Isn't there a standard level of reptile knowledge required to pass a vet course? Anyway, I'll save this vent for later...
Nic
Nic
garycahill
Well-Known Member
Not for a standard vet Nic, that's why I asked.
A reptile specialist is a total different thing, it requires further study once the vet has qualified.
A reptile specialist is a total different thing, it requires further study once the vet has qualified.
Jasspa
Well-Known Member
In my post, I did not wish to offend any vets, because I believe that a good vet may be very very knowledgeable and helpful with mammals, however, I feel that if they are not up to scratch with reptile diagnosis they should refer the patient to someone who is, not write them off...
I feel that it is just un-necessary heartbreak to people who love their reptiles so much.
Anyhow, let just keep positive for Nicman
I feel that it is just un-necessary heartbreak to people who love their reptiles so much.
Anyhow, let just keep positive for Nicman
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