Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

felix93 · Contributing Member Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 134

I have a pair of water dragons. Both of them are just about the same age. One female and one male. ATM I have got some problems with Puff, the female dragon. She seems to sleep 24 / 7 since Wed. I took her to the herp vet on Thursday. The vet said if we look at her top part of the body, i.e. her head, she does not look poorly. Eyes look fine etc. But if we look at her bottom part of the body, she just look listless and no movement. The vet checked all the limbs and make sure she has not broken any. And the vet also comment she does not look gravid, but I still need to check if she has laid any eggs in the tank which I could not find any when I got home that day.

Now Puff has an antibiotic as well as rehydration, just in case she is dehydrated. I was told to give her warm bath everyday, as well as syringe her with "critical care" formula. Obviously Puff has not eaten any live feed. The vet said if there's no improvement, then he will do x-ray. I have another appointment with the vet on Monday.

I am thinking, is there any chance that Puff is going through brumation? My other male water dragon is still very active. I have not change anything in the tank, still the same temp with basking and UVB lights on for 14 hours a day.

Can anyone help me please? Thanks

lol93 · Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 2:21 pm Post subject:

It sounds like she's ill rather than brumating, to be honest. Sleeping that much is not a good sign. Is she looking fat or thin? Do you have a photo of her?
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felix93 · Contributing Member Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 134

Don't think she is thin at all. The vet saw her on Thursday and couldn't work out why she's lifeless. I noticed she slowed down not straight away, but in the last few weeks. She was digging but she does not look like pregnant or gravid at all.

This pic was take on Thursday in the morning.

I weighted her too and she has not lost any weight since the vet, in fact she has put on 4g, she was 80g on Thursday and she is 84g today, of course there's a bit different with my vet's scale and mine and also I have tub fed her with critical care.

Jas · Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 4:45 pm Post subject:

Have you been suplementing her diet with Calcium? Sleeping all day can be an early sign of MBD, when she is active does she climb on branches at all? if you take her out does she grip and hold onto you ok, as this inability to grip things well is also another early sign. If it is MBD it could of been brought on by her being gravid and not having enough calcium in her diet to form the eggs and so taking it from her bones. Im sure your vet would have looked as that as a possible cause and if it is MBD its at an early enough stage to correct it.
Good luck with her. Very Happy

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felix93 · Contributing Member Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 134

Yes, she has calcium liquid daily, the vet has checked her bones and everything looks fine. She grips me pretty hard too.

Anyway, I called the vet again for advise, the herp vet is not on duty this weekend, so except they hospitalised Puff, nothing they can do. I called one well knowledgable big reptile shop nearer me (they have awards yearly from the reptile association), I took her down and the guy in there put her in the turtle tank and try to soak her. He comment Puff is in good shape every way except lifeless. lol. But Puff picked up after a good soak in the turtle tank believe this or not. So he thinks it's the water bowl might be too clean and he also suggested I should put another UVB tube in and see how it goes as Puff picked up in the shop. So Now I have put another UVB 5.0 on the side and Puff seems looking at least less lifeless. So may be she need more UVB compared with Forest my male.

Thanks for all your help. I hope this will do the trick until I get her to see the vet on Monday again.

DeanThorpe · Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 4:06 pm Post subject:

Do you have any other pics?
In that pic... to me...
She looks skinny, her left leg looks really dodgy and her colouration looks FAR from normal.

why do you use liquid calcium as a supplement rather than dust like calypso?
or do you mean just since you have been to the vet?
if so..then were u supplementing before this?
if you are being advised to, and are tube feeding criticall care then the vet must have thought she looked very sick..

How is she now?

water too clean?
clean water is a must... but it is possible that she doesnt much like your water bowl you have in the viv or its not big enough for her maybe?

adding another uv tube may help...if its that of course but it all comes down to the positioning of that bulb.

Id be more inclined to think, if its not actual physical then its her stressed out and unhappy possibly due to the male...as you say he is doing well.

I hope your herp vet does know what he is doing as that waterdragon does look like it may have problems, of course I hope its not the case.
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felix93 · Contributing Member Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 134

She is fine now, nothing to worry (to play safe, we have done the x-rays today, nothing has shown abnormal). She's as active as before, eating just as much as my others. She's always that colour, always darker than other WD I have ever seen.

johonny · Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:24 pm Post subject:

great news Very Happy

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DeanThorpe · Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 9:40 pm Post subject:

ok thats good, it must just be a really bad pic then.
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Beardies
Rankins
Bosc
Eyed Lizard
Leo's
Tokay's
Cresties
Garg
Berber skinks
Ocltd Skinks
Uro acanthinurus
Fiji Iguana's
oplurus cyclurus+Cuvieri
Collard's
Long Tailed Lizards
Dwarf Sungazers
Water dragon
Corn's
Royal