Not as energetic when older?

[JBKenyon]

Hello all,
I am new to this forum but have come across some of the conversations in Google searches, finally decided to join!

I have a 9 month old beardie that I have had since he was 1 mo. I have been treating him for parasites since he was 4 mo, off and on. Currently doing a 6 month course, antibiotics for first 5 days of every month, with extreme cleaning habits, to try and knock this out once and for all.

I recently had to redecorate his habitat with things I can easily boil or bake daily to remove the bacteria. I know this has been stressful for him and the fact that he is sick. He has been a bit lethargic, as he usually is when he is sick and has diarrhea, but he always perks up once I start him on the meds again. This time, he is still lethargic and doesn't run around much at all. Could this be because he is older and just doesn't move around as much? Or maybe because he is still just not feeling well?

Should I expect that when he continues to get older he won't be as active as he was when he was only a few months old?

Any advice on anything I mentioned above would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[PatsyB]

I think he's just not feeling well. Try giving him a probiotic to help keep his stomach in check with the harsh meds he's taking. Beardeddragon.co sells them online, you can also try Children's Culturelle with no additives in it.

If you don't have one already, invest in a steam cleaner. Hot steam pretty much kills everything.

 

[PatsyB]

One of my girls was treated for pinworms once we were on antibiotics for a few weeks. During her treatment she ate a little but after treatment she refused to eat anything on her own. I had to make her slurries and syringe feed her for a few months before she started eating.

 

[JBKenyon]

I think he's just not feeling well. Try giving him a probiotic to help keep his stomach in check with the harsh meds he's taking. Beardeddragon.co sells them online, you can also try Children's Culturelle with no additives in it.

If you don't have one already, invest in a steam cleaner. Hot steam pretty much kills everything.

Thank you PatsyB!!
Yes, the vet also gave me a probiotic that I give him once a week. I will keep that up and hope after we are finished with the meds he will start acting like his usual self.
The steam cleaner is a great suggestion!! I have been using a bleach and water solution like the vet suggested but it makes me nervous to use such a harsh chemical. So I also follow up with a reptile cleaner and lots of rinsing plus a fan to air it out. But a steam cleaner seems much more efficient and probably works better on coccidia.

I hope your baby girl is doing better and eating again! It sounds like you are a very dedicated mom and she is in good hands ❤

 

[PatsyB]

Dolly is good, it was a few years ago right after I got her. She always had the smelliest poop. Like you could smell it when you walked in the door on the other side of the house! She had been abandoned in a apartment and the landlord brought her and her tank to Petco. We felt bad for her so we took her in.

Check out this link on disenfectants. Bleach really doesn’t kill anything. I bought a Shark 2 in 1 steam cleaner that you use for your floors and take it out and use it as a handheld. I like that it has multiple uses.

http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Disinfectants.html

 

[JBKenyon]

Aww poor thing!! I'm glad you were able to rescue her and give her the care and attention she deserves!

That was a VERY helpful article, thank you! It sounds like the steamer will be my best option. Have you ever had any issues with breaking glass because of the temperature differences?

 

[PatsyB]

Never had a problem with the glass breaking. I think the only way it would break is if the glass was real cold, like freezer cold, when the heat hits it.

 

[JBKenyon]

Good to know! I'm excited for how much quicker and more effective it will be to clean!

Thanks for all your help and advice!! It is truly appreciated!