Sweet Nubs

You will always always always be one of my favorites. You taught me to keep hoping even in the worst cases. You have helped me love other beardies during the moments they passed peacefully. And what I learned from you has kept others alive. You'll forever be in my heart. <3 

Sometimes It Really Hurts

Last month, I got terrible news about my beloved beardie Nubs. He has adenovirus. There's no treatment, no cure, no hope. I was heartbroken. 

We did a round of antibiotics and is only helped a little bit. He has had blood in his stool and today it was more than ever. 

I talked to my vet today about him and asked if we should do a blood test or something else next. But that's unnecessary. Nubs is telling me that it's time to let him go. His beard is always black. He doesn't move much. He's ready to be done with his sick body and stumpy legs. 

Nubs is my baby. I love him the most of all my guys. I'm heartbroken, but feel peaceful. 

Poor Baby Nubs

Nubs is my favorite beardie. He's the one that got the closest to death but still managed to live. He's such a sweetie. 

And now he's got a new problem. :( 

Nubs tested positive for adenovirus. His poop had been liquid for a week or two so I did a fecal sample. Came back totally clean. Another week or so passed and he started having bad in his liquid poop so I took him to the vet. 

Oh all the crummy luck. I've always been careful with sterilizing and such, but now I'm even more careful with Nubs. Adenovirus is transmitted through poop-- poop to mouth contact.  Even my kids know now to be ultra careful. 

The problem is that Nubs is still doing poorly. He's very lethargic and his beard is always black. His eyes are sunk in and he's not much into eating. 

We had him on antibiotics and he perked up for a week, but then went back downhill. I need to see if there's another treatment plan for him now. 

Nubs is young-- only 2 or 2 1/2. But the adenovirus may be the end of him. I may opt to let him be put down so he's not continuing to suffer. Whenever he goes, I'll choose to have him cremated. He's one of my very special ones. 

Nubs is Home

I got to bring my baby Nubs home. He didn't want to ride in the box and so I tucked him in my shirt. This is how we drove home. 

It will take a week or so before we find out the results of his adenovirus swab. For now he's on antibiotics as a precaution. 

Nubs is having a Sleepover at the Vet

Nubs has had really runny poop lately. So funny that I can't even get anything to do a fecal test on. I did a fecal test 2 months ago when his poop was more solid (but still runny) and I found 2 coccidia eggs. One of my favorite vet techs checked it too and found 1 pinworm egg. That was not enough to be the cause of his runny poop. 

Sometimes there's even blood in his poop. :( :( 

I took him to the vet today so he could be checked and they could go a fecal. Sweet little Nubs sat there and did nothing. 

My vet is going to take a swab and test him for adenovirus. :( And they'll try to see if he'll give him a poop sample in the morning. 

I'm going to miss my buddy tonight. I sure hope there is nothing serious wrong with him. He certainly has had a tough life between being chomped, being starved to death, kidney failure, and almost dying on me. He's young too-- only about 2 years old. 

I will post more when I get an update. 

Update on my Sicklies

Nova is the most concerning. He hardly moves and almost never opens his eyes all the way. He no longer eats on his own and so I force feed him daily. He goes back to the vet on Monday morning. 

Clack is still really lethargic. He eats well though even if he hardly moves. I can't tell if he's sickly or lazy. 

Smaug is better though not back to his feisty self. No more throwing up and totally normal pooping. 

Nubs is still having completely liquid poop. :( No idea what the issue is. He doesn't have parasites. 

I think Nubs might go to the vet too next week so we can find out what's going on with his guts. 

Beardie Roll Call

Skye-- basking like a Queen

Katy-- healthy and ready to go home

Nova-- really not well  :( 

Dragon-- the cutest thing ever

Nubs- Fear him! He's adorable! 

Smaug-- looking SO much better 

Max- not amused with the picture 

Ziggy-- very up close & personal 

Tiger-- about to shed his milk mustache

Gen- gorgeous girl 

Clack-- still not well 

Morning Fierceness

Every morning, Nubs unleashes his "Inner Beast." 

His beard goes black and he flexes it out. He's not angry or upset. He can't see anyone. He just practices being ferocious every morning. 

Nubs is really too cute to pull it off though. He's too sweet. :) 

Cleaning Day or "Why we can't have nice things!" ;)

I spent an hour cleaning tanks today. New paper, fresh food, scrubbed out water bowls.

This can only mean one thing-- 

Poop Time!! 

Ziggy did a 3-move maneuver-- spread food, splash water, poop painting. 

Smaug had been saving up his poop for this very day and put it right in the middle so I had to change all the paper towels and not just one side/end. 

Nubs splashed all his water out and soaked his paper towels. Then he scratched at them to tear them into pieces. 

Because of this, cleaning day happens in at least two parts-- the main cleaning and the re-cleaning. 

I jokingly tell my beardies "See, guys? This is why we can't have nice things!" Ha! 

Blackberry Beauty

Nubs must have heard blackberries are an important part of a morning beauty ritual. 

Nubs Woke up..... Sorta

This is how Nubs has spent most of the past month & a half. This is his way of bruminating. 

On Monday, he decided to get up and be awake. This is how he looks now: 

I think it will be awhile before he's back to normal activity. 

The Faces of Brumination

It's winter here and all my guys have slowed down. Some are eating; some aren't. Some are active and run around; some lift their heads and that's it. 

Here are pics of the ones who are bruminating the most. 

Ziggy--he's been in this position for three weeks. He lifts his head and lowers it. That's about it. 

Nubs-- he crawled under his log and gives me the stink eye when I make eye contact or touch him. At least his eyes are open today. 

Max-- he's like Ziggy. He's in one spot and doesn't move much. He watches things, but doesn't get up. 

Dori-- she goes in her blankie and won't move for days. I have to check her at least once a week to make sure she's still alive. I've been waking her up more often to feed her since she doesn't look great. 

Milo, Tiger, Peanut, and Gen are all active and daily eating. 

Vet Visit

I was brave (dumb?!) and took 4 animals to the vet on Monday. Teddy, my dog, needed a shot; Lil Foot had a drippy nose; I wanted to do bloodwork on Nubs; and Dori has not been doing well. 

Teddy- 

Lil Foot-

Nubs- 

Dori- 

Nubs' bloodwork came back perfect. I was very relieved. Lil Foot should be okay with increased nighttime heat. Teddy charmed all the staff and was only happy when someone was holding him. He didn't even flinch for the shot! Dori had a very low percentage for her iron level, but, when we retested today, it was fine. So now I need to figure out what else is wrong with her. 

RAWR!!

Fear me!! I am a big bad boy! 

Don't call me adorable. ;) 

Nubs-- Then and Now

My Facebook page shows me what happened "On This Day" for the past few years (it's my favorite feature about FB!) 

And for the last three days, I've been reminded of the struggle I had two years ago trying to keep Nubs alive. 

This was Nubs two years ago today: 

And: 

This was Nubs last week: 

And last night: 

Amazing, huh? 

Nubs taught me more about saving critically ill beardies than any other rescue. I learned how to give saline shots and how to use baby steps of progress. That knowledge has been so useful in helping to save other beardies. Or to at least give them a better chance. JoJo & Mushy made it; Andy & Rico did not. And within the last week, I was able to help save Henry (a bearded dragon in AZ). 

---------------------------------------------

Here's my Nubs' Critical Care Steps- 

1- Focus on hydration for the first 48 to 72 hours. Use homemade Pedialyte (1 quart warm water with 2 Tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt) and squirt 5 - 10 mL/cc's into his mouth daily. 

Saline shots are a better way to go, but you'll have to have your vet help you with that. 

Give a warm bath at least once daily. 

My vet says if they can't go 48 more hours without eating, they are probably too sick too survive. 

2- After hydrating, give the beardie baby food squash in a syringe. 1 mL for babies, 2 mL for juveniles, 5 mL for adults. Break up feedings into two times. 

Give basic veggie baby food for two days. If the beardie starts to get worse with food, go back to hydrating him for a day and then start over with less baby food.

3- After 2 days of eating the baby food squash with no problems, give the same amount of baby food but this time use Chicken & Veggies or Chicken & Squash. Do that for a few days. 

If they don't do well with the protein, then go back to straight baby food squash for a day. 

4- After about a week, offer bugs (wax worms or roaches). 

The point with Baby Steps is that you take small steps forward so you can quickly back track at the first sign of distress. 

My biggest mistake was putting him immediately on Critical Care and shocking his system with too much protein. His kidneys & liver immediately started to fail. It's a miracle we were able to bring him back from that. 

Happiness

At the end of a long day, I love snuggling with my beardies while my dogs sleep at my feet. 

Nubs Came Back!

Nubs was one of my most difficult rescues. He went as close to death as a beardie can get and yet he still survived. Absolutely a miracle.

See?

I very slowly brought him back to life (crying the WHOLE time). After a few days, he looked like this:

And then a year later, he looked like this:

And now he's back with me. He's still pouting and not very happy. I hope he recovers quickly. He's such a sweet beardie and I am really hoping that he'll like to play dress up with me! ;)

For all of Nubs story, click on the label "Nubs" and read the oldest post first and work forward. It was such an ordeal.