Regurgitation? HELP!

[xashax]

I acquired two young beardie babies - about 10 inches long or so - on Saturday. One of them is bright, alert, responsive, and otherwise lively. The other, however, is lethargic, thin, and spends all of it's time with it's eyes closed, even if she's being held. While the lively one has been eating and pooping normally, the thin one hasn't eaten at all. They were both looking a bit on the dehydrated side, so they each got a nice warm bath yesterday. While that seemed to help at least a little (the wrinkles on their skin are less severe) the thin one only seems to be getting worse. Her belly is concave, and she just seems stiff and sleepy all the time. She isn't interested in eating anything, and I've tried everything - crickets, PW's, minimeals, roaches, even wax worms, and nothing. I bought a variety of pre-made/packaged foods, from pellets to those squishy moist cubes, and still...nothing.

When I brought them home, I set them up in a spare tank with a ReptiSun 10 and a CHE but the temps weren't getting high enough, so today, I bought a Power Sun and, almost immediately, the thinner one did a little dance on her basking spot and really seemed to perk up. She sat for about 10 minutes, and when I checked her temp with my temp guns, she was 108*. Then, out of nowhere, she jumped to the bottom of the tank, began hopping and thrashing around pretty violently, and something flew out of her mouth. She hasn't eaten ANYTHING while here. It was green and brown, and was definately not vegetable matter - it was some sort of insect.

Now, she's on the bottom of the tank, crammed into a corner with her beard pressed up against the glass. She's alive and breathing, but isn't responsive to anything, including touch.

Is there anything I can do to help her without stressing her out even more?

[eileithia]

If it helps, our beardie Yoshi did that a few times when we first got her, freaked me right out. She threw up a few crickets.  We later found out they were too big for her, and it was relocation stress. I suggest (other than the vet which is a good idea) to get her really small crickets and bath her at least once a day in a big tub on a facecloth with warm (quite warm) water. she may run off the facecloth, but keep putting her back. Also, let them warm up for 2-4 hours in the morning before offering the crickets. let them drop in one at a time.  We find this still works best..they'll eat 10-15 at a time..where, if we give them too early, they let them hop around and then the crickets hide under rocks. 
Also, our beardies get veggies offered every day,...but don't eat them yet. There are a variety of worms mentioned on this site and our beardies go bonkers for worms. But we use them as treats. The first week is really hard as your beardie can act totally petrified of you. Try making slow movements, take them out a couple of times and just hold them and don't really let them run around or do anything that could scare them.
Good luck!

[zebrajanie]

Are they possibly housed together ?  If so, than this might be a sign that the other is dominating the weaker one. 
Just a thought.  If they are housed together, please separate before something worse happens.
Janie.

[eileithia]

so true! ours were housed together at first, and one got bigger fast, and the other got scared, and timid and is still recovering.

[xashax]

She's just passed.  :'(

I know she was only "mine" for a few days, but I'm really heart broken about this. It could have been prevented.

Here's some background info that I didn't post initially:

There was a reptile expo in town on Saturday. A friend and I went looking for feeders and cages for large snakes. We left empty handed, but when we got to the parking garage, we overheard a woman yelling at her teenage son, something along the lines of 'I don't care, put it down!' and, after some squabbling, he put two deli cups down on a wall in the parking garage. When he walked away, I went over to see what it was: two babies. I couldn't leave 'em there to die, so I brought them home.

I didn't have any appropriate housing for them separately, so I put them both in a 20 long until I could get a second 20 long set up to house them seperately. I know it wasn't the ideal situation, but I wasn't really thinking it out when I made the decision to bring them home, and I knew I'd have the second tank set up this afternoon. From the moment I brought them home, something about her was "off" and I guess I probably came here either looking for reassurance that there was, indeed, nothing I could do, or wondering if there was anything I could do even though I didn't thing she would survive.

I have contacted my vet and will be having a fecal done for the remaining baby, and will also be looking at what, exactly, the baby regurgitated.

Honestly, after really looking at it, it looks like it's a piece of green bean with some chomped up cricket. The cricket(s) may have been a reasonable size, but the green bean was WAAAAAYYY too big. At no point did she eat anything while in my care. There was only one breeder selling babies that small at the expo, and one of their business cards were sandwiched between the deli cups. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe it was just laziness, who knows, but for whatever reason, she ate something too big.

I really feel like there needs to be some sort of regulation here, too (and not in the way that the government is suggesting) - why sell to a minor? Especially without a parent present? Why even allow - let alone encourage - people to drag animals around show to show, let those animals be man-handled for hours on end, stuff them in deli cups, disregard basic husbandry stuff, and send them home with just anyone? I mean, I understand that beardies aren't dogs and probably don't have the mental or emotional capabilities that dogs do, but they're not made of plastic, either, and I don't think anyone is doubting that reptiles are, without a doubt, more prone to stress-related disease and death, and that it tends to happen much faster than with dogs or cats.

UGH.

Sorry for the rant. I really am very upset about this. I had no idea that I'd get so attached to these girls, especially so quickly, and especially thinking that I wouldn't be keeping them.

[zebrajanie]

xashax.
HUG !
That was horrible this has happened.  However, not all breeders are like this one.  And you found us, you still have one dragon, when you didn't expect to have any.  All these are positives, and you MUST focus on that !  I agree with Crystal, and I am sorry this happened to you.  But, you have one baby, who will live a long, loved life with you, so this is where you must focus on, and go on, for it's sake, not to mention yours !
HUG... Keep this one in your pocket, just in case.  We are here for you, support you, so no worries.
All our love and support....
Janie.

[eileithia]

ooh that is so sad    You for sure did nothing but help those little guys! I am so sorry for you. You gave them the best care possible in the end. I'm sure that being together at that small size had absolutely nothing to do with anything. It sounds like they weren't fed right before and possible went through some trauma before they found their way to you! I really hope the other one is happy and healthy and thrives for you.
Keep us posted with pics and news!

[krissy]

ooh that is so sad    You for sure did nothing but help those little guys! I am so sorry for you. You gave them the best care possible in the end. I'm sure that being together at that small size had absolutely nothing to do with anything. It sounds like they weren't fed right before and possible went through some trauma before they found their way to you! I really hope the other one is happy and healthy and thrives for you.
Keep us posted with pics and news!

Hi, just read your story that is so sad, i'm new to this site and only had my beardie for 10 days and know how quickly they can get under your skin, now i worry about him.
And can understand how you feel about losing the poor little baby, i agree with Janie, you did all you could for her at least she found you in her last couple of days, and you cared for her.
Keep your chin up the other one needs you now.
All the best.

[xashax]

Thanks, guys (and gals!) - I really appreciate it.

I burried her in the garden under some lillies, and made her a nice little stone marker.

The other girl is doing well, and I'm trying to come up with a name for her. At this point, she's not going anywhere - she'll be living her life out with me. She spends all her time watching me where ever I go, and looks me right in the eye when I'm holding her. She's a good little girl!

[2tall4this]

I'm so sorry for your loss.