Freakz Nz Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Hello, I have a sick Munch (BD), he is not growing as fast as Delilah and his breathing has changed in that it is abit laboured and when I put him up to my ear to listen to it I can hear a " squeak" on the exhale. He is active, eating, pooping, Beard goes awesomely black and he headbobs most mornings and before he goes to bed, along with when he see's himself in the mirror. Their setup has a MVB bulb plus a D3 fluro for the day and an I/R 100w for night. The temp during the day at Basking point hits around 40/42 deg and at night 20 with a thermostatically controlled fan to cool if it overheats. He wont eat crickets and prefers mealworms which I feed sparingly (and monitor his poops) he really enjoys clover, flowers and his greens, but he only weighs 58/60grams while Delilah (a.k.a Horse because it eats like one) is hitting 140 grams. Both share the same food which is dusted and I include Flukers BD food, so I wouldn't of thought that the problem was environmental or to do with the food. They both are in same environment and the main difference in their personalities is that Munch is more flashy and will try to assert his authority and Delilah is more of a laid back sort of lizard who knows that she is the boss no matter what Munch thinks. So, my question is ... does anyone know of a Herp vet in Welly ? as I want to get him checked out. I have all sorts of ideas in my head as to what it could be like MBD or lack of Vit D. Because the obvious outward sign is the squeaky laboured breathing, then it could be a viral or bacterial lung infection ? CHeers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 sorry not in wellington. But there are the massey uni wildlife vets here in palmy. so if you had to its not that long a drive up here. Ive sent a BD to them before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilli Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 oh i hope he is ok maybe try splitting them up could be a dominance thing let us know what vet says about breathing good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakz Nz Posted April 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 Talked to the other half, she said that he is still active and eating, so it can't be that bad - yet ... but I don't want anything to develope further into something real nasty, like death. We have hit up the Wellington Zoo for advise and was put onto a vet in Miramar who has treated BD's before, so we are going to have an appointment in the weekend for both Munch & Delilah as my thinking is if it is viral or a bacterial issue then both of them may have been exposed. I think a health check is a good thing every so often anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted April 26, 2009 Report Share Posted April 26, 2009 hi guys, how did you get on at the vet????? Hope all is well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakz Nz Posted April 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2009 Hi Elaine, Sorry for not posting earlier, the vet is postponed until wednesday .... Munch is still eating and got serveral crickets into him along with veg. he is still laboured on his exhale, but generally is still running around and head bobbing. I will post the findings and any treatment. Cheers : ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhatMike Posted April 27, 2009 Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 i had a similiar problem with sizes.one of my boys is 2-3 times bigger than the other.since splitting them up the smaller one is doing great and packing on the grams 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakz Nz Posted April 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 Yeah, i'm in the process of building habitat number 2 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakz Nz Posted April 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 Hello, Went to the vet in Petone, their vet has had limited experiance with lizards but came to basically the same conclusion after looking at both Munch and Delilah / Horse. Munch has a bacterial lung infection, which has caused the delay in growth. His bones are fine with no defects, which is a big relief as all I could think of was MBD. The size difference and shape is noticable in that one is 150gms and the other is now 96gms. So within a week Munch has gone up from 56gms to 96 which is a good sign, his breathing is still different on the exhale and the vet could hear it as well. We were looking at a course of anti-biotics administered via injection. He said he would check with a collegue at the Napier aquarium, who came back and said hold off and check the environment and diet. We will give it a month and see if he improves. the things I will do are ... Seperate them ... which is underway. Turn up the heat .... so the 100W red light will stay on 24/7 not just at night. Diet needs to include more calories and protein, which can include worms and catfood. He is still eating and pooping but not at the same volume as Horse. so fingers crossed. Thanks for the advise and concern, i will post changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vee Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 Hi there, good to read your post and you will feel happy to have seen the vet. Will your little guy eat Flukers gourmet-style crickets? They look really nutritious... even to me and I am a vegetarian! I hope his breathing corrects itself soon. Cheers, Vee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakz Nz Posted April 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 Hi Divine Miss Izzy and Bluey's mum. I tried the Flukers crickets when they were younger but they didn't like them, no matter how long i tried to jiggle and make it seem if it was alive so they ended up in the blue tongues. I have tried the dried BD food with some success, but live cricket , mealworm (limited) and greens seem to be the main foood of choice. With Munches breathing, it is different, but it doesn't seem to be stopping him from trying to rule the roost or charging around chasing crickets. HIs eyes are still very alert if you know what I mean, there is no nasal discharges or mucus of any sorts so that fits into the goodthing pile ! Looking into getting a good source of worms, which seems to be mainly obtainable from gardening centers or suppliers that deal with worms for composting. Hows your two BT's going ... eating heaps of snails ? Cheers Kev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vee Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 G'day Freaknz. I can't find any snails! Could be because of long dry spell here where I live. Right up until a week before I got Izzy, we were surrounded with an endless supply of cicadas. Sadly they petered out just as Izzy arrived. But she has always been a boomer eater, the minute I drop her little feeding dish down in fron of her she gobbles up whatever is on it. Her fave delight though is the pieces of raw ox-heart. Nice fresh and juicy. I buy an ox heart, or peice of, cut it into strips removing sinewy bits, free freeze the strips, then just take out one strip per day and chop to suitable bite sized piece then feed either on the dish or with tweezers directly to her mouth. Anyway, Bluey when I first got him worried me sick cos he showed little interest in any food. But the first thing he did excite about was a piece of raw chicken and you could have heard me YAHOOOO-ing up there in W'gton when he ate a few pieces via the tweezers. next day I mixed chicken pieces with ox heart pieces and he is away laughing now. Yesterday he gobbled up a couple of baby tomatoes that are still coming ripe on my cherry tomato plant. Oh...was it you talking about worms? If you get commercial....worm farm..... worms, they will be the "tiger" variety worms. Now I don't know what others have to say about this...but years ago when I had turtles of different varieties I found the ordinary old garden worms we find in our garden went down fine...but the tiger or compost worms were not eagerly eaten. Mostly ignored in fact. Anyone else finding their skinks are eating the tiger worms? Cheers, Vee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 Hi Freakz Nz, glad to here Munch ok. Hope things go well. keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakz Nz Posted April 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Will do .... : ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vee Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Talking about meal worms {if any one was!!!} is it only my 2 kids that are so not interested? They are like... meal worms..... BORING!!! :roll: Cheers, Vee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vee Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 I had to wake my 2 up today. Gray, raining and no sunshine. So I woke them about 3.30 pm and plonked them under the basking light...here we have...Izzy on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakz Nz Posted May 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Hi, I have separated Munch & Horse, they definitly know that they are alone now , Horse was displaying like crazy when i did it. Munch is now eating crickets and Horse seems abit moopy and has slept most of the day. I have noticed that Munch seems to be alot more relaxed now. I will weigh them on tuesday and see if there is any difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakz Nz Posted May 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Still abit worried about Munch, he is still at 94/96 grams. I have up'ed the temp to 40deg C on the hot side with a coolside of 30deg C and at night it doesnt get below 20. His breathing is getting better in that I can only hear a faint squeak now. The main thing I'm concentrating on is getting food into him, the little beggar still isn't eating crickets, so I'm offering variety of vege and mealworms, but only 10 a day max and dried BD pellets Does anyone have any ideas on some high calorie food that can be given to a BD ? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 mealworms are like lollies (2 beardies), and bds seem to get fussy fast. Somehow got to get them eating other bugs. Maybe stop offering the mealies all together, they will eat crickets long before they starve to death. Im starting to go away from mealworms, theres alot of bad press out there about them some even claim they should never be fed to reps and amphibians. Im sure alot of its hot air but theres got to be some reasoning behind it. Theyre definately not as good as roaches, crickets, locusts on the nutritional front If i feed more than half a doz of the mealworms now they seem to come out the other end looking like mealworm chutney :lol: not digested like #2's should be lol a doz or more and looks like someone shot them out of a gun......splat :lol: Also make sure enclosure nice and dry, clean/dust free. I remember you put a fan in the enclosure to suck out heat? Shouldt be too bad if sucking air out but cold drafts arent so good for reptiles so maybe something to think about especially at this time of year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakz Nz Posted May 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Hi Matt, I have 2 12vdc 120mm computer fans at the cold end of the enclosure running at 7.5volts, just enough to stop everything heating up at the top. The 20 deg cel for night is measured at the bottom. I am going to cut out the mealworms and go to lots of veg and crickets, see how it goes ... mean while Horse cant get enough of everything.... it is like a waste disposal. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 I cant figure out why ones going for it and the other isnt. maybe now youve seperated Munch he will get some up an go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repto Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 i think his problems are /were pschological and you have not given enough time to notice a difference?These things take a while to manifest themselves and often a while to reverse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 repto maybe right with the psycho word, i had 2 males together and even though one appeared dominant with all the right signs it did not grow as fast as the other apparently sub dominant one after seperation took quite awhile for it to put weight back on it went into brumation and came out with appetite back etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakz Nz Posted May 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Yeah, good things take time ... Munch has access to a variety of food, but at the moment doesn't seem to fussed about eating. He will have a nibble and then go back to basking. He does waste alot of food in that I offer it and it dries out over the course of the day, with about half uneaten. This includes his fav's clover and dandilion greens. I just hate to see his stomach flat, instead of low hung and bulgy ! He is still pooping and getting fluids through him as there is uric acid present, but I have included some lettuce in his diet to clean him out. Man if you want to see an amazing trick feed lettuce to a BD, be prepared for the clean up though .... squirts more than a rainbow lorriket ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakz Nz Posted May 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 Munch is still very active and his enclosure is a few deg hotter than norm .... 40 deg c and 23 at night , but he is not eating any real food, stilll just grazing at greens. So i have started to force feed him high protien pellets, which is getting easier and i think he is starting to like them. I'm using the Fluker Bd food to try to get his vitamins up to, the dusted greens i was offering weren't getting wholly eaten, so at least with this method i know he is actually getting minerals etc. I will weigh him again tomorrow. Horse on the other hand is going great guns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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