Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My water dragon (klyde)recently suffered from a broken arm with an infection and the vet put him on Baytril. My water dragon will not eat. He isn't going to the bathroom either, and I am wondering if the medication is imparing his renal function. His abdominal area appears full. Does anyone know of any problems with Baytril in water dragons? I am calling the vet tommorow. But if anyone has any input, please respond.

Jaime & Klyde

Baytril is the antibiotic of choice for most herps. I do not know of any complications arising from its use. Athough its fairly gentle on the microflora, you should probably ask your vet for a probiotic, or just suppliment your Waterdragon's diet with yogurt to help replace the microflora affected by the antibiotic. Its most likely that the stress of the injury that is affecting the appetite, and if you have an adult that was otherwise healthy, going off feed for a few weeks, is not a major concern as an adult will have plenty of fat reserves and can endure months without eating anything.

One thing I should mention, bloating, costipation, can be sign of MBD, that along with a broken bone, makes me think that you could have a problem there. Did your vet check for a calcium/D3 imbalance?

Yes, we did check him for MBD. He is now taking liquid calcitrate gel to prevent this from happening. I am concerned with the bloating and constipation because I read that the renal function can be affected by antibiotics in reptiles. It seems that he is retaining fluid and is constipated. I stopped feeding him the baby food since this has got worse. However, the dragon is alert, active, and frisky like usual. I spoke with vet today. I am taking him in on Friday. I will ask him about yogurt. Thanks for your help.

Jaime