Tycho the lizzard seems to have bounced back like the trooper he is. The first day he came back from the doc's, he was miserable, and looked like he was on death's door. The follow day, I got him some supplements, and started (force) feeding him. He hated them! The smell was repulsive, but I don't know if it had any effect or not. Two days later of that regimen, he looked like he was bouncing back. In fact, two days ago, he actually ate almost three plates of greens! And I've been supplementing with vitamins and everything.
I got home tonight, and he had been laying there on top of his "house" that I built him. He looked like he was fighting sleep. I took him out to give him his calcium supplement. And as soon as I put him back, he perked right up! And started scratching like mad to get out of the cage. Took him out, and put him on the bed, on which he ran around for a while. We thought he was hungry, and B went to get him some food. BUT.... he wasn't hungry!
And all that scratching wasn't just because he wanted to come out. He had to go to the bathroom! He was doing the "i gotta go potty really really bad" dance. So, we rushed him back to his cage... and...well... I had to leave the room. He definitely has an upper respiratory infection. I can tell that. And, he definitely is not dehydrated! So, after two baths, and some cleanup, he went back in there. He looks so much lighter.
So why is this significant? Because, a) he will not go in his cage no matter what, unless he is absolutely desperate, and b) he has to be on a soft thing when he goes! It's the strangest thing. I had put a little towel with him in the cage to make him comfortable two days ago, and well, I had to throw that out. The day before he went to the doc, same thing happened. I put him on a small towel, under a heat lamp, and sure enough... it didn't take any time for him to soil that. I gotta buy him a bunch of towels to keep with him, because he's going through them like crazy.
This is insane behavior for a lizard. I've never heard of such a thing! I'm very puzzled.
Labels: tycho
Hey. When cats have urinary tract/bladder infections, the owner is generally tipped off because the animal doesn't go in the litterbox, it finds something soft. Perhaps Tycho's behaviour is indicative of a little something that may need antibiotics? I know nothing of lizard anatomy, if they can even GET bladder infections. But if you have a good exotics vet in town, or one that you can contact, bring up this behaviour. It may be a sign of Tycho just being old and wanting the best of everything, or it could be a little infection that some $10 medicine can clear up.
Rooting for Tycho here in Tallahassee, as always!
Anonymous said...
November 8, 2007 at 12:51 AM
Bearded dragons are very susceptible to upper respiratory infections, that's why that was the first culprit. But, whatever it is, he does have an infection somewhere. The fact that the vet didn't pick up on it is pissing off more and more and more. Whatever the hell it was, if he was breathing hard, and she saw that (!), then she should have addressed it.
Tomorrow's phone call is going to be "interesting".
Geek Academic said...
November 8, 2007 at 2:31 AM