Sad day today

[Mirandasue]

My little guy hasn't been eating at all and very lethargic and his sides right above his hind legs seems really swollen. He has also been black bearding for days. Took him to the vet today and basically they do not think he is impacted but rather think it's a mass or tumor... does anyone have any insight on this? They basically told me it's time to put him down I got some pain meds and brought him home even if it's just for a little while....

 

[Sadie]

My little guy hasn't been eating at all and very lethargic and his sides right above his hind legs seems really swollen. He has also been black bearding for days. Took him to the vet today and basically they do not think he is impacted but rather think it's a mass or tumor... does anyone have any insight on this? They basically told me it's time to put him down I got some pain meds and brought him home even if it's just for a little while....

I am so sorry to hear this --- let me have Tracie take a look at the X rays -- she is the vet tech on the board - flagging her
@Drache613

 

[Mirandasue]

I am so sorry to hear this --- let me have Tracie take a look at the X rays -- she is the vet tech on the board - flagging her
@Drache613

That would be amazing and greatly approciated!!

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I think I had seen your post on another forum. Personally,
I would get another opinion, since the vet wasn't really that
helpful.
You are positive your dragon is male & not female?
If it is a tumor, if it isn't attached to an organ, etc it should
be relatively easy to remove surgically.
How is he doing today?

Tracie

 

[Mirandasue]

Hello,

I think I had seen your post on another forum. Personally,
I would get another opinion, since the vet wasn't really that
helpful.
You are positive your dragon is male & not female?
If it is a tumor, if it isn't attached to an organ, etc it should
be relatively easy to remove surgically.
How is he doing today?

Tracie

Yeah I made another appointment with a different exotics vet so hopefully it's a different story. He still isn't eating but I got his pain meds in him and some sweet potato puree but like just a tiny bit... didn't really move all day

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How is your boy doing tonight?
Please let us know how the vet appointment goes. Try to keep him comfortable as much as you
can & I hope he isn't in too much pain.
I'm glad you got some food into him, hopefully that helped out.

Tracie

 

[Mirandasue]

Hello,

How is your boy doing tonight?
Please let us know how the vet appointment goes. Try to keep him comfortable as much as you
can & I hope he isn't in too much pain.
I'm glad you got some food into him, hopefully that helped out.

Tracie

He is about the same today. Got some more food in him but just a tiny bit and some more pain meds. Couldn't get in with a new vet until monday... but yesterday he had the blackest black beard I have ever seen him have...

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Has he been trying to bask at all or did you get food or fluids into him? Which pain meds is he
on, do you know the name of them?
Try your best to keep him comfortable, during the day & overnight if he is in pain. Be sure he can
bask without having to climb.
If you have a plastic dropper or syringe, just use that to drip water onto his nose to try to get more
fluids into him. Are the pads on top of his head dented in?

Tracie

 

[Mirandasue]

Hello,

Has he been trying to bask at all or did you get food or fluids into him? Which pain meds is he
on, do you know the name of them?
Try your best to keep him comfortable, during the day & overnight if he is in pain. Be sure he can
bask without having to climb.
If you have a plastic dropper or syringe, just use that to drip water onto his nose to try to get more
fluids into him. Are the pads on top of his head dented in?

Tracie

I was able to syringe some beardie buffet into him and some water. Pain meds he is on is meloxicam. He has been getting down off his basking spot which is odd and just laying on the floor of his tank... I moved him back to his basking spot though. The pads on the top of his head aren't necessarily dented in but they are very soft and on the verge of denting in...

 

[Sadie]

I was able to syringe some beardie buffet into him and some water. Pain meds he is on is meloxicam. He has been getting down off his basking spot which is odd and just laying on the floor of his tank... I moved him back to his basking spot though. The pads on the top of his head aren't necessarily dented in but they are very soft and on the verge of denting in...

What is the surface temp on that spot? If hes moving away from it its too hot

 

[Mirandasue]

What is the surface temp on that spot? If hes moving away from it its too hot

It's reading 102 right now

 

[Sadie]

It's reading 102 right now

Ok it may be too hot if he's moving away from and going to a lower level where it's not so hot - 95-100 is recommended

 

[Mirandasue]

Ok it may be too hot if he's moving away from and going to a lower level where it's not so hot - 95-100 is recommended

I will adjust tomorrow thank you!

 

[Mirandasue]

I will adjust tomorrow thank you!

After getting a second opinion, I made the difficult decision to put him down as the mass he had was growing at a very fast rate and the fact he wasn't eating, I was told was due to the mass. It was taking up 70% of his abdomen.so it felt like he was full all the time. Thank you to everyone who commented, I really appreciate it.

 

[Sadie]

After getting a second opinion, I made the difficult decision to put him down as the mass he had was growing at a very fast rate and the fact he wasn't eating, I was told was due to the mass. It was taking up 70% of his abdomen.so it felt like he was full all the time. Thank you to everyone who commented, I really appreciate it.

I am so sorry to hear about your baby- it has been so common w/ these dragons to get masses most often cancer- my heart goes out to you -

 

[Mirandasue]

I am so sorry to hear about your baby- it has been so common w/ these dragons to get masses most often cancer- my heart goes out to you -

Thank you, I appreciate it truly.

 

[Josh]

So sorry @Mirandasue this is awful news.

 

[Mirandasue]

So sorry @Mirandasue this is awful news.

Yeah it has been a rough couple of days for me... and obviously his tank is still very much in my living room... so it's been hard.