View Full Version : Sick Water Dragon
I have been having a heck of a time finding a vet that knows how to care for lizards. My dragon had an eye infection, I got some eye drops for it and it got better but then within two days after seeming to be completely healed (while still using drops to make sure) his eyes closed and I have not seen them open in about two weeks. There does not seem to be any infection left, he just won't open them, I'm thinking perhaps he's gone blind. More importantly though, he had a mouth infection at one point which I healed with antibiotics (from banging his snout on the glass which now has chicken wire over it to stop that), the mouth infection has reappeared and flared up extremely quickly at the same time as the eye problem started again. He has not been eating and is getting very skinny, my son pointed out that he has not shed in almost a month. He still seems relatively active at times but not like usual. I just don't know what to do for him as there does not seem to be a vet willing to take him, though I am still calling around trying to find one.
Like with most sickness's in reptiles you have to look at the husbandry issues first.Are all the conditions right?Enough heat?Reoccuring illness is most likely an environment related problem.Are you giving the proper foods and vitamins?Eye infections are usually a lack of vit.A.The bottom line is I need more info on conditions and age and whatever else to give you the best advice.Vets are hard to rely on cuz like you said most of them are not willing to take on reptiles,so you have to learn the most you can about home medics and what things you can do on your own.Reptiles are tuff and with the right corrections and treatment early on they can bounce back pretty quick.Best of luck to ya and give me more info and I will try to help you out the best I can.
Like with most sickness's in reptiles you have to look at the husbandry issues first.Are all the conditions right?Enough heat?Reoccuring illness is most likely an environment related problem.Are you giving the proper foods and vitamins?Eye infections are usually a lack of vit.A.The bottom line is I need more info on conditions and age and whatever else to give you the best advice.Vets are hard to rely on cuz like you said most of them are not willing to take on reptiles,so you have to learn the most you can about home medics and what things you can do on your own.Reptiles are tuff and with the right corrections and treatment early on they can bounce back pretty quick.Best of luck to ya and give me more info and I will try to help you out the best I can.
Well, he has two heat lamps (one red lamp for night and the second to add extra heat and light during the day), a fluorescent light (meant for water dragons) to mimick the sunlight and help him produce vitamin D to absorb calcium. He eats crickets, mealworms, and iguana salad (recipe found on the internet which has a high calcium multivitamin added, not sure about vitamin A though, I'll have to look into that). He hasn't been eating his mealworms in the last few weeks and hardly touches the crickets but will eat small amounts of his salad, poor guy looks so skinny though (I imagine his mouth hurts too much to eat the hard shells of the insects). He is close to two years old and just starting to show male characteristics in the femoral pores. Substrate is soil which is always kept moist, he also has three pools, one of which is deep enough to submerge his whole body, these are treated with Calcimize water conditioner with every water change (~every 3-4 days when it starts to look dirty). The poor guy is starting to look poor enough that I have considered taking him to the vet just to be put down but I really don't want to if I don't have to, he has become part of the family, I just hate to see him suffer. He has not shed in over a month, my 13 year old son pointed this out to me the other day (he is more my sons than anyones so my son does most of his care), no wonder with him feeling so poorly. He is most definitely blind now, which does not seem to hamper him at all, he can still catch crickets and find his way around easily, he is not nearly as active as he should be but he does climb his chicken mesh to come to me when he hears my voice near his tank and he does still wander around once in a while and take his swims when he feels like it.
Hey thanks for the extra info.I don't have alot of time right now but here are a few of my thoughts.You always have to be suspicious of MBD(metabolic bone disease)with any problem.It can be an underlying problem with any symptom.I was wandering what r the temps of your heat sources exactly?With a sick reptile it is always a must to bump up temps when they r ill.I would also consider making the environment as clean and sanitary as possible,and maybe remave soil and just line the cage with newspaper and treat the lizards enclosure in a state of quarantine conditions.
I was also wandering r the eyes red and bloodshot?If thats the case it could be septicemia(bacteria in the blood).If it is blind removal of the eye is recommended and like u said he is doing fine getting around the cage as he is.
What does his mouth look like on the inside?Is there increased salvation,redness or swelling?I might also suspect gingivitis which is an effect of an underlying metabolic bone disease.Do you notice any swelling in the thighs at all?Also r the dragons gums exposed at al that u can see?
By the sounds of it ,it seems serious but if I were u I wouldn't give up and do everything u can do.
I would make sure u r feeding him more greens and high quality greens such as kale and good romaine.Make sure u rn't giving him too many vitamins either.
Make sure he is well hydrated and if he isn't drinking or can't give him such things as pedialyte or gatorade once in awhile.
If he stops feeding or u think hes not getting enough nutrition force feed him some ENSURE or other meal replacement drink.
Keep me informed and best of luck.Also wander if he's been defecating?And what does it look like?
His eyes never got red or anything, they just looked infected (extra mucous building up) and dry and seemed to be bugging him as he would go into his pool and scratch them under water. He always keeps them completely closed now so I've no idea what they look like now as I cannot get him to open them. His mouth looks fine from the outside but when he opens it you can see black around all his teeth. It doesn't look red or swollen at all. He has been defecating, obviously not as much as he is not eating as much but they look the same as they always did, dark brown and solid, sometimes with some white mixed in. No swelling in his thighs. Temperature in the cage is around 86 F in the daytime and around 80 F at night. The temperature actually was a bit higher for a while around the time he started getting sick as his lid was closed, I thought the problem may be because his temp was too high so I stopped closing the lid.
Well, I was wandering if the eyes are swollen at all?If so, could be abscesses caused from rough handling or stress,and could be the effects of MBD as well.
The mouth situation could be stomatitis ,gingivitis and most likely an effect of MBD.I really can't say for sure without seeing the poor guy for myself.I would keep looking for a vet and be persistent if you really want to help the guy.I think the heat could be bumped up ,I don't know if u gave me air temps or basking temps but, the heat could be 95-100 degrees F under th ebasking lamps(that is the temp closest available to the heat that the dragon can reach).At night I would keep it around 75-80 because he's sick even though they can tolerate a drop to 65.I would also continue with eye drops just for the hell of it cuz u never know.I use POLYSPORIN eye/ear drops.It's a sterile antibiotic and it has worked for me.It also wouldn't hurt to use a diluted mouth wash such as "BETADINE GARGLE".This will help soothe the infected mouth and discourage the infection to spread.Do as much as u can do and I wish u the best and I know how u feel abou it.At a time like this theres nothing to lose so do what u can and if u did that then theres no way that u failed and don't get discouraged and I hope u continue to enjoy reptiles.Keep trying the vet thing and I wish u the best.I hope I have helped somehow.
The eyes aren't swollen at all. The temps I gave were air temps, the basking temp is about 100. How would I go about using the mouthwash? How much do I dilute it? The eye drops I have been using are Flukers Reptarinse, not sure if the polysporin would be better or not, the Flukers is antibacterial, is the polysporin actually antibiotic or is it also antibacterial? I was speaking to my mother today and she suggested it could be MBD as well, she had an iguana years ago who had MBD and she chose to put down due to the cost of treatment. Unfortunately this is probably what I will have to do if that is the case. I have also discovered that the vet who she used (who is the only one who seems to take reptiles) should be going back to his practice within the next couple weeks (he's been off due to heart surgery) and if it is not too late by the time I can get him in, he may be able to help him.
Thank you so much for your help.
Thank you for your help Snappa but he passed away last night :(
Tokaydad
01-24-06, 08:06 AM
I noticed you are in Ontario. There is a very good vet in Oakville on Lakeshore. I forget the name but they do specialize in reptiles and have a lot of experience.
Good luck
Tokaydad
Thanks but I'm about 6 hours from Oakville LOL
Leolord
02-08-06, 07:34 PM
Hey rope,
I'm sorry for your dragon it sounded great to have as a pet I wish you could have saved him in time but what you said it sounded almost impossible to save maybe you'll have better luck next time.
--Matt--:thumbsup:
kferrari
02-08-06, 08:39 PM
there is one in vaughn ont if that is closer
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