# bearded dragon with big saggy belly????



## paddy_C20 (Mar 29, 2008)

hi.. i have rankins dragons which are dwarf beared dragons..

one of the has a really saggy belle...

now they have been the vet for other reason that im gonna open another thread over but basically the vetr in very worried about his saggy and bloatie belly..

any one ever had similar problems they can share, thanks


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## nini (Apr 19, 2008)

Is it behaving and pooing properly?


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## HadesDragons (Jun 30, 2007)

Well a puppy with a saggy, bloated belly is often full of worms...

Did your vet give them a course of worming treatment? What did he say was / might be wrong?


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## paddy_C20 (Mar 29, 2008)

i treated them for worms few weeks back because i actually seem little white ones in there pooh, however the vet wanted to check for cocksilis or somethink (sorry dont no how to spell it)
and they aint got that but he said they have tonnnnns of worms. but he reackons that would not make saggy stomach..
so he has took a blood sample of himm.. and i gotta ring for reesults today 

to be honest,,, when i got ronnie he was fat anyway didnt think much of it but he has gotta little larger and thats the vets main concern.. but the real reason i took them the vet was becacause the two of them are just totally in active... all day. they stay were they slept  this is being going on for 6 weeks now... they were always very active when i got them for first 5 months...


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## HadesDragons (Jun 30, 2007)

"Cocksilis" = "coccidia" I would imagine...

Worms on their own are usually perfectly treatable, as long as the dragon's condition hasn't degenerated too much first - it just takes time, and you have to support them with a near-perfect diet. Don't expect it to clear up overnight - a serious case of worms can take several courses of medication - panacur _et al_ only usually kill the worms themselves, not the eggs. That means they will probably be treated at 2-4 week intervals, possibly several times, to ensure that all the worms are killed, including those that are only existing as eggs during the previous treatment.

What's your setup like (temperatures, UV etc) - I know with beardies the majority of them are believed to have a "base rate" of parasites that doesn't infect them, and that it's usually incorrect husbandry / diet that causes a flare up.

Let us all know how the blood tests come back.


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## paddy_C20 (Mar 29, 2008)

i rang the vet and there not in yet he said ring back tuesday afternoon..

ill keep use updated..
he said he has never seen worms cause stomach to largin


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## HadesDragons (Jun 30, 2007)

A vet I know said that bloating of the stomach can be a symptom of it - the parasites can cause gas production / retention or similar within the stomach, which bloats it up, at least in puppies. As far as he's aware, it's never been proven out (or tested) in reptiles, but it would make sense that it could be the case, given that they have a fairly similar GI tract to a puppy...

Let us know how the blood tests come back anyway though - best of luck!


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## paddy_C20 (Mar 29, 2008)

ok... here it goies. i got results back finally after waitinhg opne whole week. ronnie. the bigger guy seems to have liver problem in which the vet did actually think... now hos liver aint working proply which causes a build up of somthink.. and that creates chrystals around all of his arterries. which sounds really bad, however it can be treated affectively in most cases..
but there is a bigger problem.. and that is the underlaying problem which has caused this... tghey also seen infection within blood. if its a viral infection there is only 1 cure for one certain type and if he has not got that particular one there is no cure and he will die  but if its only a bacterial infection he has much better chance as there is alot of cures for that..
i feel sorry for the little guy. he is on so much medication through ceringe, he aint ate for 14 days so he is on a ceringe fed powder based food 4 times a day. he is on cerringe fed zolcal once a day ...he is on cerringe fed anti biotics once a day, and cerringe fed for this infection.
the infection that can be cured he is getting treated for once a day. and he is also on probiotics on his water,all now for the next 2 - 3 weeks so if he dont get better that means he has the viral which aint curable in 99% of cases.
so just lets hope he responds to medicine..


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## HadesDragons (Jun 30, 2007)

Really sorry to hear that - did the vet give you names of the possible viruses?

If you have any other reptiles that haven't ever been in contact with her, it's really important to keep them well away...


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## paddy_C20 (Mar 29, 2008)

no he didnt mention any names. yes ronnie is the bigger one that has the problem and little tilly is in same viv, so there both being treated for the same...

ill let you no how they get on.,..


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## paddy_C20 (Mar 29, 2008)

his stomach does seem to have gone down after the anti biotics.. but that may also be the fact that he aint eating alot lately...


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