Hey guys, i have a 6 month old water dragon. He is my first one and although i care for him properly and do everything i am sposed to, he recently dislocated his knee jumpin from his hamock . I took him to a vet straight away who bandaged his leg and fitted him with a cast. I was told to remove all water features and bathing area’s from the tank as the bandage must stay dry for two weeks. It has been four days now and i am quite worried as he doesn’t seem to be drinking despite me dripping water on his nose and snout and leaving a shallow lid of water in the tank. THe dehydration has caused him to be very drowsy and unactive, he has also stopped eating as of today (which is unusual as he loves his food). I am misting the tank and keeping the humidity high and have resorted to forcing minimum amounts of water into his mouth but he still seems unwell.I am also concerned as he is currently shedding and without being able to bathe himself he seems to be struggling with it. I have been gently wiping him down with warm water to help with the shedding and keep him moist but it doesn’t seem to be working. Any ideas on how to get him better and help hydrate him would be greatly appreciated, i really don’t want to lose him thanks, zara.
The warm water wipedown is a good idea. Keep trying to drip water onto his nose to see if he will take any. You may need to force a little bit of water in his mouth, but don't overdo it--you don't want to overstress him in a time when he is already stressed out. Is he on any pain medication? Does the leg seem to be causing him any discomfort? If his leg is causing him pain, it could explain his reluctance to eat or move around. It's very hard to assess pain in reptiles, however, and your vet may not have wanted to give him anything if he wasn't showing any signs of it before... Could you tell us a little about his enclosure so we can make sure his change in behavior is not related to any husbandry issues? If you can answer the following questions, that would help: 1.) What are the temperatures in your cage? What kind of thermometer are you using to get these temperatures? (stick on, mercury, digital, temp gun?) 2.) What kind of UVB light are you using? (Brand, style, strength--If you can give us a link to the exact product that would be best.) How close is the UVB bulb to the basking site? When did you last replace the UVB bulb? 3.) What is the humidity in the cage? 4.) What are you feeding your water dragon (when he was eating)? What kind of supplements are you using (calcium, vitamin)? 5.) Any other details that might be important for us to know? Sorry for the delayed response to your question. I completely overlooked this thread and apologize for that. Welcome to the boards, and I hope we can take care of your problem. Hope your water dragon feels better soon!
