tarita2004
Hatchling
Puff The Magic Dragon
Posts: 5
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Post by tarita2004 on Aug 3, 2005 21:14:09 GMT -5
 My lizard puff seems to not eat but once a week, and now never on his own. He is dehydrated and skinny/malnourished b/c of this. He is also calcuim deficient b/c I cannot get him his supplements. I need some advice on what to use and this is all my town offers so I need to know if it is ok? or if I should buy something else?? If you reccommend something else please email it to me at: tarita2004@yahoo.com  Tara
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Post by Pooka on Aug 3, 2005 22:28:40 GMT -5
I have heard good things about home a made slurry of chicken baby food with some vitamin/calcium dust and gatorade mixed in then fed via needeless syringe. Personally if things are as bad as I glean from your post I think sounds like you need a vets intervention to be on the safe side.
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tarita2004
Hatchling
Puff The Magic Dragon
Posts: 5
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Post by tarita2004 on Aug 3, 2005 23:49:07 GMT -5
he ate like CRAZY until now...well the past few weeks. I have taken him to the vet weekly (3 times now) and was told to force feed him, he's anorexic (this caused dehydration, malnoutrition, calcium deficient b/c all of these he got from eating). I thought this anorexic diagnosis was wierd but whatever! LOL. However, Puff wasn't gonna let this force feeding happen easily, we tried it all waxworms, nightcrawlers, mealworms, crickets, moths, silkworms (which he hates), babyfood (per the vet) and a reptile slurry (bugs, collard greens, berries, and gatorade for hydration). He either wouldn't open his mouth, puked it up, or washed it out himself. Simply none were liked. The babyfood/water mix he tolorated but gave him loose stool.  He is now on "Fluker's Repta+Aid, Critical Care Formula" and loves it! Licks it when you dribble it on his tounge and swollows it. But I am not sure if there is something better or an alternative method?? |
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Post by Pooka on Aug 4, 2005 10:08:10 GMT -5
he ate like CRAZY until now...well the past few weeks. I have taken him to the vet weekly (3 times now) and was told to force feed him, he's anorexic (this caused dehydration, malnoutrition, calcium deficient b/c all of these he got from eating). I thought this anorexic diagnosis was wierd but whatever! LOL. However, Puff wasn't gonna let this force feeding happen easily, we tried it all waxworms, nightcrawlers, mealworms, crickets, moths, silkworms (which he hates), babyfood (per the vet) and a reptile slurry (bugs, collard greens, berries, and gatorade for hydration). He either wouldn't open his mouth, puked it up, or washed it out himself. Simply none were liked. The babyfood/water mix he tolorated but gave him loose stool. He is now on "Fluker's Repta+Aid, Critical Care Formula" and loves it! Licks it when you dribble it on his tounge and swollows it. But I am not sure if there is something better or an alternative method?? Anorexic does not sound right to me either... dragons don't have the social factors that contribute to voluntary anorexia like we do... My advice is to double check all your enviromentals: make sure humidty is at or around 80% that temps in the basking area is 90 degrees and gradients down to about 78 or so in the cool part of the cage. Also double check traffic in the area of the cage (it needs to be quiet). Once your sure of all that then we can turn towards physical ailments such as parasites, intestinal blockage, kidney issues, mouth rot etc. Sounds like your vet didn't have a real solid grasp on whats going on... Is he/she a reptile vet or just a vet that will occasionally see reptiles? As I said I have no experience with the flukers but I know enough abotu failure to feed to know I have never heard of lizard anorexia. Wish there was more I could do |
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tarita2004
Hatchling
Puff The Magic Dragon
Posts: 5
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Post by tarita2004 on Aug 4, 2005 11:55:43 GMT -5
ya, i know the vet is almost clueless, not a herptologist. the closest herptologist is 3 hrs or more away! dont' wanna add the extra stresss of driving to him. as far as blockage..he poops. he doesn't have mouth rot..his nose isn't hardly damaged unless they're something else to look for. what else should i look for physically??
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Post by Pooka on Aug 4, 2005 12:09:27 GMT -5
Hmmmm.... well if your force feeding him I think a 3 hour drive would be less stressful to know for sure whats up. But then again my 2 like the car and a hour drive across Tucson to my vet is almost like a treat for them 1/2 the time (don't get me wrong, sometimes they turn brown and stress). Anyhow, all I can reaslly think about if you have all the enviromental stuff covered and the physical symptoms above are accounted for is that perhaps there is some kind of kidney issue but that should be unlikly if you have been keeping water handy and soaking and misting regularly... Perhaps parasites? Any vet should be competent in covering that step though... Did the most recent vet do a fecal exam? If so what were the results. Perhaps we will luck out and Dragosmom or someone with additional practical experince will happen into this thread and help out.
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Post by dragosmom on Aug 4, 2005 18:14:00 GMT -5
For calcium supplement use calcium glubionate drops available from www.cricketfood.com Fruit flavored and my dragons love it. Force-feeding is never easy. I use a plastic disposable knife with a little bit of chicken baby food on it to gently pry open their mouth and deposit the baby food on their tongue. Remember, a little baby food is the equivalent of many, many crickets so you don't have to get much down a small dragon. Any vet can do a fecal to check for worms, so if you haven't, start there. Dr. Ronald Klingenberg has an excellent paperback book about reptile parasites. Order a copy if your vet isn't familiar with how to treat for them. It's very easy-I do it myself after my vet does the fecal. Any chance you have a gravid lady dragon? 16+ inches over 150 grams or so in weight? That will affect her appetite. |
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tarita2004
Hatchling
Puff The Magic Dragon
Posts: 5
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Post by tarita2004 on Aug 4, 2005 21:24:46 GMT -5
 Well say good night to Puff...he died tonight. ( So sad *sniff* I really will miss the little guy. -Mourning mommy Tara 
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Post by Pooka on Aug 4, 2005 23:05:11 GMT -5
Well say good night to Puff...he died tonight. ( So sad *sniff* I really will miss the little guy. -Mourning mommy Tara Oh no Tara I'm very saddened to hear this news. Its rough to lose someone be it person or pet to illness. I'm sure you did what you could for Puff. Please consider getting another dragon when your done mouning puffs lose, they are such beautiful creatures and deserve caring keepers like yourself. |
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tarita2004
Hatchling
Puff The Magic Dragon
Posts: 5
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Post by tarita2004 on Aug 6, 2005 22:39:26 GMT -5
Well i may have found a new girl. She looks really healthy and stuff... only one problem..she's $55 dollars Do you know any sellers or even Mountain Horned Dragon sellers for less in Montana or would ship?? Please let me know..i'm desperate. |
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Post by Pooka on Aug 8, 2005 10:50:44 GMT -5
Sounds like your in a tough situation here. $55 is fairly pricey for a water dragon that is not guranteed healthy and parasite free but not so pricey that you could get one shipped even cheaper. Basically you will be hard pressed to find a water dragon that is shipped to you for under $50-$60. Maybe you can try www.reedsdragons.com as he usually has some and is fair on his shipping. Mountain Horned Dragons retail at about twice the price of a water dragon last I checked... Well i may have found a new girl. She looks really healthy and stuff... only one problem..she's $55 dollars Do you know any sellers or even Mountain Horned Dragon sellers for less in Montana or would ship?? Please let me know..i'm desperate. |
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He is now on "Fluker's Repta+Aid, Critical Care Formula" and loves it! Licks it when you dribble it on his tounge and swollows it. But I am not sure if there is something better or an alternative method?? 
Well say good night to Puff...he died tonight. 