Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 2 baby beardies. One of my cats tore through the tank last night and tried to get them. One was sleeping in their hiding spot behind a trellis I have in there but the other was asleep on the branch on the floor. I know once in there(the cat) he tried to get the one on the floor. Things were turned all around. He doesn't seem to be hurt, he moves well, but he is in shed- there are spots that now show new skin on him and small pieces of skin that you can tell is lifted but its not like shed- not dry looking- but there is no blood on him. What do I do to help him? I am so worried that he will be in shock. Should I bathe him? He had cat hair in his mouth!! Needless to say- I believe I'm gonna be minus a cat today. I took him in when my sister was having their baby and she still doesn't want him back. My babies(dragons) will be only 2 months on the 15th this month.
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0.0.2 Bearded Dragons- Nick/Jessie
2.0 Cats- Smokey3yr reg black/Geo 4yr orange munchkin
0.2 Dogs- Wendy 7yr Lab/Tori 4 yr Boxer
3.1 Kids plus Hubby

just keep an eye on them make sure theres no stress around them for a while, and if any thing seems to be off then have it checked out. Check the movement and make sure you look over the whole lizard to see if theres any bite wounds. If not and it seems all well they should be ok and take it as a lesson learned. Scott

If there are any fleshwounds you can put Neosporin on them and keep it clean.

Well I'm really worried. I don't see anything that is bloody. I do see some skin that was about to shed lifted with new skin underneath. He seems so scared. He hasn't eaten and doesn't move from one place to another like usually. Where I put him he stays. If I hold him he holds on to me and when I was looking at his tummy he scrambled so all limbs move. I gave him a small bath just to wash him off. When do the alarms go off? Will it take a couple of days for him to be himself? How long can he go without eating? He is 5 1/3 inches long and about 10 grams.
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0.0.2 Bearded Dragons- Nick/Jessie
2.0 Cats- Smokey3yr reg black/Geo 4yr orange munchkin
0.2 Dogs- Wendy 7yr Lab/Tori 4 yr Boxer
3.1 Kids plus Hubby

I think he's dieing. He has attempted to walk though he moves his limbs he can't seem to lift his body. He looks weak. I put him in the food bowl and he couldn't even lift himself out. He's breathing so slowly- this is heartbreaking. My son is sitting next to the tank crying. Nick was his christmas present.
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0.0.2 Bearded Dragons- Nick/Jessie
2.0 Cats- Smokey3yr reg black/Geo 4yr orange munchkin
0.2 Dogs- Wendy 7yr Lab/Tori 4 yr Boxer
3.1 Kids plus Hubby

So sorry ur son must be heartbroken. If the back was scratched the cat may have done internal damage to the poor little guy. That is so heartbreaken.
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

>>I think he's dieing. He has attempted to walk though he moves his limbs he can't seem to lift his body. He looks weak. I put him in the food bowl and he couldn't even lift himself out. He's breathing so slowly- this is heartbreaking. My son is sitting next to the tank crying. Nick was his christmas present.
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>>0.0.2 Bearded Dragons- Nick/Jessie
>>2.0 Cats- Smokey3yr reg black/Geo 4yr orange munchkin
>>0.2 Dogs- Wendy 7yr Lab/Tori 4 yr Boxer
>>3.1 Kids plus Hubby
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Rob

I wish I could right now but I have to wait til my husband is off to go. He has a cousin that works with exotics at his office but we have to travel to Houston and we probably won't be there til 7 or 8pm. We live in Galveston and most of these places are closed early and don't have nearly as much as the experience that we know his cousin does. I just hope there is chance but in my heart- by the looks of it- I think we are about say "goodbye" to Nick. This is him 1 week ago.

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0.0.2 Bearded Dragons- Nick/Jessie
2.0 Cats- Smokey3yr reg black/Geo 4yr orange munchkin
0.2 Dogs- Wendy 7yr Lab/Tori 4 yr Boxer
3.1 Kids plus Hubby

Definately take him to the vet when you get the chance, but in the mean time I would say to not handle him much. He's been through a traumatic experience and is really stressed out. The last thing he needs is more giant creatures reaching into his tank. If he makes it I would give him his space for a week and only handle him to take to the vet. He will probably not eat, which happens when their stressed. I really hope he makes it, he's definately a great looking baby. Let us know what happens.

try to keep him as comfortable as possible. I know that's gotta be tough for you and your son to go through. Take care.
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Rob

It is possible there may be some internal damage, but if you don't see anything on the outside there is a good chance he is OK on the inside as well. He has definitely been traumatized and the biggest thing to worry about right now is stress. I would set him up in his own enclosure with a good hide spot and block all 4 sides of the enclosure so he can see nothing outside of his enclosure. I would also not handle him AT ALL unless it is absolutely necessary. He may stop feeding for a few days or more, but again, don't handle him and don't try to force any food on him unless you seem him drasticly losing weight....and DEFINITELY keep the cat away. It may also be a good idea not to handle either one of the dragons after touching your cat without washing your hands well. The scent of the cat could cause relapse in the high stress level. I know this is probably hard to hear, but in this situation I would not take him to the vet. If there is internal damage, by the time you get there, there is probably nothing they could really do and the trip would just add to the stress. Good luck. Keep us posted.
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Paul Morlock
of CaptiveCreations and
Retail Sales Rep. for Sandfire Dragon Ranch

I was also wondering of the same thing. What could they do if it were internal damages?? I really can't see a solution but I'm happy with the sugestions that you have given me and I'll try that. I hate to say but Smokey is gone now. We got him because my sister was having a baby and she worried about having a cat and a new born. We were trying to find a home for him but couldn't so at this point we gave him the the adoption center. I will give him time and space- he drank very little but I was happy to see he drank. Thanks everyone
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0.0.2 Bearded Dragons- Nick/Jessie
2.0 Cats- Smokey3yr reg black/Geo 4yr orange munchkin
0.2 Dogs- Wendy 7yr Lab/Tori 4 yr Boxer
3.1 Kids plus Hubby

they often seal back up on a reptile. It's an infection that is the biggest worry.

Working with rescues we have seen mammal bites on them and they usually only look like slight breaks or raised area of the scales, many times we can not even see a wound until it starts swelling.

The good news if that is the case, the infection usually moves slowly and we have used baytril to clear it up effectively. If the cat did puncture into the dermis or tissue at all.... it will get infected

As paul said, keeping him peaceful now is vital to avoid any more shock, even a reptile not injured (or any animals) can go down hill fast due to shock, in the wild he would hide totally, in a dark area and go into a slow down mode for self preservation. Just watch for any signs of swelling (it will be slight are hard to see unless in a joint area.
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www.reptilerooms.com

Don't give up. Get him to a vet and get him started on antibiotics. These guys are tougher than you think. If you had seen my Irwin, my previous beardie, you would be a believer. He survived a year and half being fed mealworms,carrots and bananas ONLY! He was very small and deformed but alive and afer I rescued him lived another eight years.

Also, don't blame the cat, it is their natural instinct. You need to make sure the cage is animal proof. I thought I saw a dog in your signature. If the dog gets in you won't have any beardies to be worried about. I am not trying to be harsh but I have a lot of predator mammals and I am SUPER vigilant with my littler guys. You have to be. Good Luck. Wishing the best for you, Nick and your son!
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Stacey

I just want to say how sorry I am that you lost your beardie. We lost one, too, the exact same way. He was, also, my son's (4 yrs old) birthday present. I cried for days and wondered wether or not to get another beardie for our son. In the end, we kept the cats (we have 4, but I KNOW who the culprit was) and got another beardie. We reinforced the cage tops and BOLTED the tops to the tank. Now, the only way to get the top off is to unscrew a wing nut. Our second beardie is a host of all new problems....but I just wanted you to know that I know exactly what you are going through!!!!

I hope your beardies are OK and you take that cat to the freakin pound. (and not the no kill shelter)

Robert

It would be like having a pet mouse and your free roaming monitor ate it. Sheesh! Lighten up on the poor kitties.
My husband used to feel the same way and now he lives with me and my six cats (I know, I'm bordering on "crazy old cat lady".
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Stacey

Sorry freaky cat lady but they suck... shed everywhere cause my allergies to hit the cieling, spray the furniture with their "scent", carry parvo, and I just don't like the way they look at me either! All sneaky like thet're plotting something behind my back. DEATH TO THE DEMONS I SAY!!!! I did have one cat that I thought was pretty cool once as a teenager, but in the end it showed it's true colors.

The only good cat is one that is doused with lighter fluid, set on fire, and turned loose in the alley. J/K...... I didn't turn it loose in the alley I was afraid it would catch a nieghbors house on fire...... hehehe.... J/K But they do suck bad enough to make me think of that so......

I dont like cats either.I think the same thing.Very sneaky and they always stare at me in weird ways.My friends cat latched onto my face while i was sleeping and i about had a heart attack.

He's is at time what I think is gasping. He opens wide and sticks out his tounge a little and the closes his mouth. Whats happening???? I did have a neighbor take Smokey to a no kill shelter but the thing is that we had been looking for a home for him already and couldn't. The kids are so upset. I have to say I think I would go crazy if I didn't have somewhere to vent and ask questions right now. Thanks all
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0.0.2 Bearded Dragons- Nick/Jessie
2.0 Cats- Smokey3yr reg black/Geo 4yr orange munchkin
0.2 Dogs- Wendy 7yr Lab/Tori 4 yr Boxer
3.1 Kids plus Hubby

I'm sure it is hard for you and the kids both to go through. I know it is a terrible feeling to lose something you love right in front of your eyes and not be able to do something about it. They not only have to face the possibity of losing the beardie but they have to let the cat go to. I'm sure that is very dreadfull for them. I hope that Nick pulls through.

Robert Wood

You know- when I first wrote in here and asked for advice on beardies cause I was interested in getting the kids 2 someone wrote in-" you can never have just 2". These guys are my first lizards. Man- I never thought they could be addicting. I love those guys and yes- I was planning to get one for myself! Its just terrible that this happened. The kids are all alright about not having Smokey (cat) because from the get go he we talked about getting him a home. We knew that he was going to be a handful- our other cat is a muchkin( short front legs) and has a hard time getting onto everything high(counters, tables) But Smokey was on everything high and low. Anyways-
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0.0.2 Bearded Dragons- Nick/Jessie
2.0 Cats- Smokey3yr reg black/Geo 4yr orange munchkin
0.2 Dogs- Wendy 7yr Lab/Tori 4 yr Boxer
3.1 Kids plus Hubby

Well I seperated him from the other and is a quiet room but when picked him up I noticed that he has started to poop but its not all the way out. It looks normal otherwise. He is very limp but is still breathing lightly.
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0.0.2 Bearded Dragons- Nick/Jessie
2.0 Cats- Smokey3yr reg black/Geo 4yr orange munchkin
0.2 Dogs- Wendy 7yr Lab/Tori 4 yr Boxer
3.1 Kids plus Hubby

Thank you for being there. Didn't make it to the vet but I tried all I could. Gotta go call to cancel visit-

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0.0.2 Bearded Dragons- Nick/Jessie
2.0 Cats- Smokey3yr reg black/Geo 4yr orange munchkin
0.2 Dogs- Wendy 7yr Lab/Tori 4 yr Boxer
3.1 Kids plus Hubby

..
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Stacey

>>Thank you for being there. Didn't make it to the vet but I tried all I could. Gotta go call to cancel visit-
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>>0.0.2 Bearded Dragons- Nick/Jessie
>>2.0 Cats- Smokey3yr reg black/Geo 4yr orange munchkin
>>0.2 Dogs- Wendy 7yr Lab/Tori 4 yr Boxer
>>3.1 Kids plus Hubby

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I was pulling for the little guy, from his picture he had mad style.