Quote:
Originally posted by alphagam-alum
My son got a bearded dragon for his birthday in July. She was over a year old and about 20" long. Very sweet, docile lizard.
She was getting a bit thin, so I took her to the pet store and the reptile guy suggested SuperWorms (which are hard bodied beetle larvae that are about 2.5" long). She has been eating them for about a month-- I went to the pet store Wednesday about bought a few for her dinner.
Thursday morning she was walking around her tank, Thursday night I went in to cover up my son and I looked in and she was belly up. I decided to just buy a new one and not tell the 6 year old his lizard died. Friday, before we could get the lizard out and to the pet store, my son saw his dead lizard.
He and I took the lizard to the pet store, so they could try to determine the cause of death--- they told me the SuperWorm probably was not chewed up all the way, which would allow the worm to live in her belly and it ate her insides and killed her!!! ewhhh!!!
So we bought a new bearded dragon for my 6 yr old-- and my 3yr old son had a lizard on his Santa list-- so we got him one too---
and we left there with tree frogs for both boys too!!
-wendi
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Wendi, I am not trying to be mean, but was this reptile guy a board certified herpetologist? Or even a veterinarian? Because usually, if this dude didn't do a physical examination and guessed at your lizard's illness, worms would probably not be the first recommendation...
And chewing up from the inside out... Did the stomach bloat out?
I will ask my husband who is a veterinarian about this and he is board certified in lab animal medicine specializing in aquatics so if he cannot get an answer, a vet friend of his can... Depending on where you live, I bet you can take it to a university animal laboratory and they "might" do a necropsy for you, maybe for free.
But, I think that depending on the age of your animal, that it was probably okay and was thinning because it was getting longer at a certain age... I seriously doubt she needed those kind of worms unless it was for snacks... And if this place was Petco... My husband and all most of the vets I have spoken to do not really like that place...
And I highly suggest that you give your children a book on caring for reptiles. It will increase their basic knowledge about animals and help them care for them as they get older. And take them to a "real" herpetologist who can teach them a thing or two as they get older--your sons might become great veterinarians one day!!!
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