atadenovirus / adenovirus in bearded dragons
Atadenovirus is a contagious disease that affects bearded dragons and can cause serious illness and death. It is also known as "wasting disease" and "stargazing", among other names. Unfortunately, this disease is very common in bearded dragon collections. Older literature refers to the disease as Adenovirus.
Signs to watch for:
Atadenovirus (ADV-positive) baby bearded dragons are often underweight and are generally in poor health and some may not live past 90 days. They may not grow as fast compared to healthy dragons, lose weight, spend a lot of time hiding and die without any other signs. In some cases the infected dragon may die from hepatitis, which is an infection of the liver.
ADV positive dragons will often be seriously ill from intestinal parasites such as coccidia, flagellated protozoa, amoebas and nematodes. Others will go on to develop bacterial infections of their intestines and liver. Those dragons that do make it past 90 days often have a hard time fighting other infections throughout their entire adult lives.
Some ADV positive dragons are always on the thin side and sleep a lot more than a healthy dragon. In some cases the virus spreads to the brain and spinal column and can cause twitching in the toes and tail tip, arching of the head and tail (stargazing), seizures, uncontrolled rolling in the enclosure and death. Dragons that become infected as adults may die suddenly from neurological problems, but more often they go on to develop liver disease and other health problems. Some baby and adult dragons seem to be resistant to infection, and some ADV positive dragons may appear healthy but are carriers and shed the virus throughout their lives.
How the virus is spread:
Atadenovirus spreads easily from dragon to dragon by direct contact, meaning fecal-oral, as well as from contaminated hands and tools.This is why it can spread so fast in a breeding colony or among baby dragons on tables at swap meets. Another way it is spread is when uneaten insects or other food items have been recycled and moved from one infected cage to another.
It is very important to understand that there are dragons which appear healthy but carry the Atadenovirus and they can spread it to uninfected dragons.If a male is a carrier, he can infect the females put in with him for breeding. If one of the females is then placed with another male the next season, then he in turn, can infect other females, and the cycle of spreading the virus continues. The virus is not spread by sexual contact alone, it can be spread simply from sharing the same cage, which is why it spreads so quickly in baby dragons, leading to an epidemic of ill dragons and unexpected death. Atadenovirus may be passed from mother to babies, and just a single ADV positive baby can easily infect all of the other babies in the incubator or the baby cages.
Precautions to take:
There are necessary steps that should be taken to ensure that you do not spread the disease. Never house an ADV- positive dragon with any other dragons, and DO NOT breed your ADV- positive dragon. Also, always wash your hands between handling bearded dragons. If your dragon goes poo in his or her viv, then you should clean the viv as soon as he or she uses the bathroom. It is very important to keep an ADV- positive dragons home immaculately clean. If you let your dragon free roam in your house, be aware that the disease is spread mainly through the fecal matter..so if your ADV- positive dragon may have feces on him, ie, feet, tail...then you should not let him roam where other dragons may also roam. If you are one of the lucky ones whose dragon only poos in the bath, or outside, then you should be safe letting him roam your house wherever he wants, of course, not while others are out.
You should have your feeder insects stored separately for your ADV- positive dragon also, with his own tools used for feeding. Clean dirty tools in warm, soapy water and soak them for 15 minutes in a disinfectant such as diluted household bleach. (1 cup to 1 gallon of water) Rinse the tool in fresh water. Never use the tools with any of your other dragons, and do not put any of the feeder insects that you have had in with your ADV- positive dragon in with any other dragons. NO recycling of insects or any other type of food. That is why using separate storage containers is much easier: if he doesn't eat them you can put them back in his own container.
Some people, myself included, have separate tubs for bathing along with separate brushes, etc. Always have the adeno positive dragon have his own syringes for feeding or medicating. Basically, just make sure that nothing can be spread orally or fecally.
It is very easy to end up with an infected colony if all of the adults are not carefully screened and managed to be sure they are ADV negative. Practice safe handling at Expos. Use a waterless hand sanitizer when you move from one vendor to another, even when handling babies from different containers at the same table. Even better, only handle the dragon when you are in the final stages of making a purchase. Do not be offended if the vendor asks you to use the sanitizer at the table before handling any of his or her dragons.
Diagnoses and Treatment
If you have an ill bearded dragon, young or old, a veterinarian can examine it and perform tests to better understand what is wrong. In some instances, baby bearded dragons may have a parasite that may cause loss of appetite, diarrhea, and weight loss or slow growth. If the baby is ADV negative and coccidia is diagnosed, your veterinarian may prescribe ponazuril as a safe and effective treatment. If the baby is ADV positive, the medication will still target the coccidian, but your dragon may not develop the immunity needed to fight this parasite and may be predisposed to coccidiosis the rest of its life. The same is true for other parasites, such as flagellated protozoa, as well as many other infectious diseases. Your veterinarian will want to do bloodwork to assess the white blood cell numbers, detect anemia, and rule out changes in liver and kidney functions. Test for Atadenovirus and other diseases will be sent to an outside lab to be done. There is also an organization called The Pats that you can contact and they will arrange for a test kit to be sent to your home so that you can get the test done affordably. There is a link to their site at the bottom of this page..
Unfortunately, there is no known drug that eliminates Atadenovirus. An ill, ADV-positive bearded dragon needs to stay warm, calm and stress free. ADV-positive dragons also tend to dehydrate easily, so frequent baths are necessary along with plenty of liquids. There are several supplements that are good for ADV-positive dragons. Serrapeptase is the enzyme from the silk worm and has properties that make calcium absorption more effecient, can reduce inflammation, pain and it can break down the plaque build-up on your dragons teeth. Vitamin C to boost the immune system. Bee pollen destroys harmful bacteria in the intestines. It also contains a natural antibiotic and helps flush toxins from the body. Also, a lot of people believe that using colloidal silver which is known to kill 650 different pathogens, including bacteria, fungus and viruses, in addition to many others, is beneficial to ADV positive dragons.They believe it will absorb so rapidly due to its small ion size that it is absorbed by the blood before it can reach the gut,(antibiotics have very large molecules which get absorbed so slowly as they travel into the gut that they kill the normal good bacteria needed for good health in the intestines). If your pet is lethargic from illness such as bacterial infections, parasites, etc, offering 0.5ml daily along with a pinch of bee pollen will boost his immune system.
Unfortunately, many baby dragons that are younger than 90 days old when they get infected will die or become so sick that they need to be euthanized. Some infected dragons live normal lives and don't need much in the way of medical care. They are fine as pets but should be kept away from other dragons, other than those known to be ADV-positive too. Other dragons may have flare-ups and loose their appetite, sleep a lot, have diarrhea or constipation, and may even develop swellings of the belly or under the chin. Some dragons develop more serious signs later in life, from the virus spreading to the nervous system. There is no way to predict which dragon will do well with Atadenovirus and which ones are going to have life-long medical problems.
Prevention
Every dragon that has Atadenovirus should be considered a threat to other dragons that are free of the infection. As stated before, it is important to keep the ADV-positive dragons away from healthy dragons. If you want to adopt or keep an ADV-positive dragon, you are responsible for keeping it away from other dragons, so it doesn't spread the disease and make other pets ill. You must be willing to seek veterinary help if it develops health problems. You need to be willing to euthanize your dragon when it is suffering despite medical care and it is no longer humane to keep it alive.
It is possible to manage breeding colonies so that the adults are free of Atadenovirus and produce healthy uninfected babies. The first step is to test your bearded dragons and determine their status. The breeders can take one sample from a cage that several dragons occupy, if the test comes back negative then simply retest two more times, 30 days apart. If it comes back negative, then that batch of dragons can be considered clean. If it comes back positive, then you should begin testing each individual dragon from that enclosure. Then you can begin the process of only breeding the ADV-negative dragons. If any of your dragons die, have a complete nercropsy performed by an experienced reptile veterinarian. This will help you know if the death was due to a serious, contagious disease like Atadenovirus; if it was something else that needs to be changed, such as the diet; or if it was some other unavoidable cause of death, such as aging.
Be very careful about how you manage your colony. Test all incoming dragons for Atadenovirus and keep them isolated in a separate room from your uninfected dragons until the test results are reported. Service the new dragons last, after you are done working with your breeding group, and do not go back to handle any of your uninfected dragons after caring for those in quarantine.
If the new dragons have negative test results, it is not 100% certain that they are truly free of this disease. Continue to quarantine them for a total of 60 days and consider retesting them after the first 30 days, just to make sure they are truly uninfected. If you notice any that are not doing well, retest them. If any are ADV-positive on the first or second screening, they all should be considered contaminated and should not be brought into your ADV-free breeding colony. If there is one that you absolutely must keep that tested negative but was exposed to ADV-positive dragons, you may keep it isolated for six months and test it at 90 days and 120 days. That means no other dragons come into quarantine until it has completed this six months process. If it tests negative both times during this six-month quarantine, then you may consider adding it to your breeding colony. However, there is still a very slight risk that this could introduce Atadenovirus into your colony, so ask yourself again if this new breeder is really worth the risk.
If you're thinking about buying your first bearded dragon as a pet, be aware that many breeders do not test their dragons, so it can be difficult to find "clean" babies. Be prepared to pay more for babies from a clean colony backed up by testing through a reputable veterinarian and laboratory. Get your dragon tested for Atadenovirus within the first week of bringing it home. If you discover that your dragon is infected, talk to your veterinarian and develop a lifelong preventive medicine plan.
If you already have bearded dragons, particularly if you are breeding them or planning to breed them, work with your local veterinarian to have them tested. What you do with ADV-positive dragons is a concern. I believe they can make good pets, but the owners should be informed their new pets are ADV-positive and what that means.
We all know that it will be difficult to eliminate Atadenovirus from bearded dragons, but by no means impossible. The cost of testing is minimal, and could be made up by the breeders in the cost that prospective buyers would be willing to pay for an Adeno-free dragon. Some breeders believe that they are breeding resistance to the virus. Viral researchers suggest otherwise, citing cases where viruses adapt quickly to any improvements in animals' immune systems. The co-evolution of a virus and its host may result in a benign virus that causes minimal illnes, or it may create more harmful strains, whichever best ensures that the virus survives and multiplies. Right now, Atadenovirus is somewhere in the middle, causing serious illness in many dragons. Whether it is still in captive bearded dragon colonies 20 years from now will depend on what consumers demand and what breeders provide.
Signs to watch for:
Atadenovirus (ADV-positive) baby bearded dragons are often underweight and are generally in poor health and some may not live past 90 days. They may not grow as fast compared to healthy dragons, lose weight, spend a lot of time hiding and die without any other signs. In some cases the infected dragon may die from hepatitis, which is an infection of the liver.
ADV positive dragons will often be seriously ill from intestinal parasites such as coccidia, flagellated protozoa, amoebas and nematodes. Others will go on to develop bacterial infections of their intestines and liver. Those dragons that do make it past 90 days often have a hard time fighting other infections throughout their entire adult lives.
Some ADV positive dragons are always on the thin side and sleep a lot more than a healthy dragon. In some cases the virus spreads to the brain and spinal column and can cause twitching in the toes and tail tip, arching of the head and tail (stargazing), seizures, uncontrolled rolling in the enclosure and death. Dragons that become infected as adults may die suddenly from neurological problems, but more often they go on to develop liver disease and other health problems. Some baby and adult dragons seem to be resistant to infection, and some ADV positive dragons may appear healthy but are carriers and shed the virus throughout their lives.
How the virus is spread:
Atadenovirus spreads easily from dragon to dragon by direct contact, meaning fecal-oral, as well as from contaminated hands and tools.This is why it can spread so fast in a breeding colony or among baby dragons on tables at swap meets. Another way it is spread is when uneaten insects or other food items have been recycled and moved from one infected cage to another.
It is very important to understand that there are dragons which appear healthy but carry the Atadenovirus and they can spread it to uninfected dragons.If a male is a carrier, he can infect the females put in with him for breeding. If one of the females is then placed with another male the next season, then he in turn, can infect other females, and the cycle of spreading the virus continues. The virus is not spread by sexual contact alone, it can be spread simply from sharing the same cage, which is why it spreads so quickly in baby dragons, leading to an epidemic of ill dragons and unexpected death. Atadenovirus may be passed from mother to babies, and just a single ADV positive baby can easily infect all of the other babies in the incubator or the baby cages.
Precautions to take:
There are necessary steps that should be taken to ensure that you do not spread the disease. Never house an ADV- positive dragon with any other dragons, and DO NOT breed your ADV- positive dragon. Also, always wash your hands between handling bearded dragons. If your dragon goes poo in his or her viv, then you should clean the viv as soon as he or she uses the bathroom. It is very important to keep an ADV- positive dragons home immaculately clean. If you let your dragon free roam in your house, be aware that the disease is spread mainly through the fecal matter..so if your ADV- positive dragon may have feces on him, ie, feet, tail...then you should not let him roam where other dragons may also roam. If you are one of the lucky ones whose dragon only poos in the bath, or outside, then you should be safe letting him roam your house wherever he wants, of course, not while others are out.
You should have your feeder insects stored separately for your ADV- positive dragon also, with his own tools used for feeding. Clean dirty tools in warm, soapy water and soak them for 15 minutes in a disinfectant such as diluted household bleach. (1 cup to 1 gallon of water) Rinse the tool in fresh water. Never use the tools with any of your other dragons, and do not put any of the feeder insects that you have had in with your ADV- positive dragon in with any other dragons. NO recycling of insects or any other type of food. That is why using separate storage containers is much easier: if he doesn't eat them you can put them back in his own container.
Some people, myself included, have separate tubs for bathing along with separate brushes, etc. Always have the adeno positive dragon have his own syringes for feeding or medicating. Basically, just make sure that nothing can be spread orally or fecally.
It is very easy to end up with an infected colony if all of the adults are not carefully screened and managed to be sure they are ADV negative. Practice safe handling at Expos. Use a waterless hand sanitizer when you move from one vendor to another, even when handling babies from different containers at the same table. Even better, only handle the dragon when you are in the final stages of making a purchase. Do not be offended if the vendor asks you to use the sanitizer at the table before handling any of his or her dragons.
Diagnoses and Treatment
If you have an ill bearded dragon, young or old, a veterinarian can examine it and perform tests to better understand what is wrong. In some instances, baby bearded dragons may have a parasite that may cause loss of appetite, diarrhea, and weight loss or slow growth. If the baby is ADV negative and coccidia is diagnosed, your veterinarian may prescribe ponazuril as a safe and effective treatment. If the baby is ADV positive, the medication will still target the coccidian, but your dragon may not develop the immunity needed to fight this parasite and may be predisposed to coccidiosis the rest of its life. The same is true for other parasites, such as flagellated protozoa, as well as many other infectious diseases. Your veterinarian will want to do bloodwork to assess the white blood cell numbers, detect anemia, and rule out changes in liver and kidney functions. Test for Atadenovirus and other diseases will be sent to an outside lab to be done. There is also an organization called The Pats that you can contact and they will arrange for a test kit to be sent to your home so that you can get the test done affordably. There is a link to their site at the bottom of this page..
Unfortunately, there is no known drug that eliminates Atadenovirus. An ill, ADV-positive bearded dragon needs to stay warm, calm and stress free. ADV-positive dragons also tend to dehydrate easily, so frequent baths are necessary along with plenty of liquids. There are several supplements that are good for ADV-positive dragons. Serrapeptase is the enzyme from the silk worm and has properties that make calcium absorption more effecient, can reduce inflammation, pain and it can break down the plaque build-up on your dragons teeth. Vitamin C to boost the immune system. Bee pollen destroys harmful bacteria in the intestines. It also contains a natural antibiotic and helps flush toxins from the body. Also, a lot of people believe that using colloidal silver which is known to kill 650 different pathogens, including bacteria, fungus and viruses, in addition to many others, is beneficial to ADV positive dragons.They believe it will absorb so rapidly due to its small ion size that it is absorbed by the blood before it can reach the gut,(antibiotics have very large molecules which get absorbed so slowly as they travel into the gut that they kill the normal good bacteria needed for good health in the intestines). If your pet is lethargic from illness such as bacterial infections, parasites, etc, offering 0.5ml daily along with a pinch of bee pollen will boost his immune system.
Unfortunately, many baby dragons that are younger than 90 days old when they get infected will die or become so sick that they need to be euthanized. Some infected dragons live normal lives and don't need much in the way of medical care. They are fine as pets but should be kept away from other dragons, other than those known to be ADV-positive too. Other dragons may have flare-ups and loose their appetite, sleep a lot, have diarrhea or constipation, and may even develop swellings of the belly or under the chin. Some dragons develop more serious signs later in life, from the virus spreading to the nervous system. There is no way to predict which dragon will do well with Atadenovirus and which ones are going to have life-long medical problems.
Prevention
Every dragon that has Atadenovirus should be considered a threat to other dragons that are free of the infection. As stated before, it is important to keep the ADV-positive dragons away from healthy dragons. If you want to adopt or keep an ADV-positive dragon, you are responsible for keeping it away from other dragons, so it doesn't spread the disease and make other pets ill. You must be willing to seek veterinary help if it develops health problems. You need to be willing to euthanize your dragon when it is suffering despite medical care and it is no longer humane to keep it alive.
It is possible to manage breeding colonies so that the adults are free of Atadenovirus and produce healthy uninfected babies. The first step is to test your bearded dragons and determine their status. The breeders can take one sample from a cage that several dragons occupy, if the test comes back negative then simply retest two more times, 30 days apart. If it comes back negative, then that batch of dragons can be considered clean. If it comes back positive, then you should begin testing each individual dragon from that enclosure. Then you can begin the process of only breeding the ADV-negative dragons. If any of your dragons die, have a complete nercropsy performed by an experienced reptile veterinarian. This will help you know if the death was due to a serious, contagious disease like Atadenovirus; if it was something else that needs to be changed, such as the diet; or if it was some other unavoidable cause of death, such as aging.
Be very careful about how you manage your colony. Test all incoming dragons for Atadenovirus and keep them isolated in a separate room from your uninfected dragons until the test results are reported. Service the new dragons last, after you are done working with your breeding group, and do not go back to handle any of your uninfected dragons after caring for those in quarantine.
If the new dragons have negative test results, it is not 100% certain that they are truly free of this disease. Continue to quarantine them for a total of 60 days and consider retesting them after the first 30 days, just to make sure they are truly uninfected. If you notice any that are not doing well, retest them. If any are ADV-positive on the first or second screening, they all should be considered contaminated and should not be brought into your ADV-free breeding colony. If there is one that you absolutely must keep that tested negative but was exposed to ADV-positive dragons, you may keep it isolated for six months and test it at 90 days and 120 days. That means no other dragons come into quarantine until it has completed this six months process. If it tests negative both times during this six-month quarantine, then you may consider adding it to your breeding colony. However, there is still a very slight risk that this could introduce Atadenovirus into your colony, so ask yourself again if this new breeder is really worth the risk.
If you're thinking about buying your first bearded dragon as a pet, be aware that many breeders do not test their dragons, so it can be difficult to find "clean" babies. Be prepared to pay more for babies from a clean colony backed up by testing through a reputable veterinarian and laboratory. Get your dragon tested for Atadenovirus within the first week of bringing it home. If you discover that your dragon is infected, talk to your veterinarian and develop a lifelong preventive medicine plan.
If you already have bearded dragons, particularly if you are breeding them or planning to breed them, work with your local veterinarian to have them tested. What you do with ADV-positive dragons is a concern. I believe they can make good pets, but the owners should be informed their new pets are ADV-positive and what that means.
We all know that it will be difficult to eliminate Atadenovirus from bearded dragons, but by no means impossible. The cost of testing is minimal, and could be made up by the breeders in the cost that prospective buyers would be willing to pay for an Adeno-free dragon. Some breeders believe that they are breeding resistance to the virus. Viral researchers suggest otherwise, citing cases where viruses adapt quickly to any improvements in animals' immune systems. The co-evolution of a virus and its host may result in a benign virus that causes minimal illnes, or it may create more harmful strains, whichever best ensures that the virus survives and multiplies. Right now, Atadenovirus is somewhere in the middle, causing serious illness in many dragons. Whether it is still in captive bearded dragon colonies 20 years from now will depend on what consumers demand and what breeders provide.
This is my bearded dragon Deuce. He is Adeno-positive, but so far he is asymptomatic, or sub-clinical, meaning he is a carrier, but so far has not really shown any symptoms.
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Deuce is my second dragon. I adopted him from a gentleman who had him posted on beardeddragon.org. He was free to a good home because his previous owner was not spending enough time with him and he wanted better for his boy. So, for a tank of gas I was able to go pick Deuce up and give him a new home. That was in August of 2012. My first dragon was adopted / rescued from Petsmart in August of 2011. Even though I had been a bearded dragon mom for a year already, there was still so much to learn. At this point, I hadn't even heard of Atadenovirus, much less had any idea I would be dealing with this disease on a personal level. I had my girl, Puff, tested first in February of this year and was thrilled when I got her results back and she was negative. Now, I realize that she will need to be tested again, in fact, two more times to be guaranteed to be Adeno-negative, but still it was wonderful news. Shortly after, I had Deuce tested, and sadly, his test results were positive.
When I brought Deuce home, I kept him and Puff separate but mainly because I had no plans of breeding and I had read enough horror stories of dragons maiming or killing each other, and that was not going to happen to my dragons.
But there were things I did let happen, and did myself, not thinking about the possibility of such a disease being spread. I used the same feeder tongs for both dragons, I used the same baby toothbrush for their baths, and I even failed to wash my hands between handling them. There were times I would hold them both at the same time, or let them sit on the same pillow in front of the window,,with me right there between them.
I am, at the moment, awaiting Puff's second Atadenovirus test, and praying that it comes back negative also. So while I am nervous and anxious about Puff's test results and feeling so guilty for not getting them tested sooner, I also am doing all I can to help ensure that Deuce will have the best chance of not suffering from this disease. He gets all of the supplements that are listed on this page. Greens and veggies slurries everyday because he refuses to eat them any other way. He went through a long brumation this winter. Both he and Puff went to sleep the third week of September and he is still wanting to sleep, and this is the first week of April! Of course, they were both awakened every week to ten days for a nice warm bath and a bite of slurry if they felt like eating, but still that is a long time to sleep! The thing I have noticed since Deuce has been getting up the past two weeks, with my encouragment, is that he is not wanting to eat any insects. I have offered him dubias, superworms, and hornworms, which he has never turned down before. I am hoping that he will begin eating them, but for now I have been adding a little turkey baby food to his slurries.
I have learned so much about this disease since getting Deuce's diagnosis and will continue to research and learn all I can to help him. I have had a lot of help in learning what I can do to help him from a dear friend, Tracie Kretzschmar, who also provides the swabs for the PCR testing and gets the test swabs to the lab in Dallas, TX for the actual test. Tracie also runs The Pats, The Pogona Adenovirus Testing Society. She has a website that I will post a link here for. There are a lot of interesting facts and information about testing that you will find useful. Along with Tracie, there is also another wonderful lady who has helped me greatly, Nancy McBride of NorthenDragons, in Canada. Nancy is the only known breeder to have tested her entire colony and guarantees Atadenovirus free dragons. She does have one dragon, Charlie, who is ADV-positive. You can go to her page and read his story and she also has alot of other wonderful information on her site.
It is my hope that Deuce will live a long and trouble free life, but the future is quite scary - not knowing when or if the symptoms of this disease will rear its ugly head. But I will love and take care of Deuce to the best of my abilities and he will know what it is to be loved and cared for!
I will update this as more information becomes available, and Puff's test results come back.
There is a lot more research that needs to be done, and I plan on letting Deuce help with that in any way possible. There are not a lot of studies done long term on dragons due to the fact that for a long time the only way to diagnose ADV was by necropsy. There is enough information though to make it clear that this disease needs to be gotten under control, and the only way for that to happen is for the breeders to begin testing.
It is my hope that all breeders will begin testing for this disease, for the sake of these wonderful little creatures. Perhaps the way this will come about is by the buyers demanding ADV-negative dragons to be available for purchase. However it comes about is fine with me, as long as we do all we can to protect the survival of future bearded dragons.
UPDATES BELOW:
When I brought Deuce home, I kept him and Puff separate but mainly because I had no plans of breeding and I had read enough horror stories of dragons maiming or killing each other, and that was not going to happen to my dragons.
But there were things I did let happen, and did myself, not thinking about the possibility of such a disease being spread. I used the same feeder tongs for both dragons, I used the same baby toothbrush for their baths, and I even failed to wash my hands between handling them. There were times I would hold them both at the same time, or let them sit on the same pillow in front of the window,,with me right there between them.
I am, at the moment, awaiting Puff's second Atadenovirus test, and praying that it comes back negative also. So while I am nervous and anxious about Puff's test results and feeling so guilty for not getting them tested sooner, I also am doing all I can to help ensure that Deuce will have the best chance of not suffering from this disease. He gets all of the supplements that are listed on this page. Greens and veggies slurries everyday because he refuses to eat them any other way. He went through a long brumation this winter. Both he and Puff went to sleep the third week of September and he is still wanting to sleep, and this is the first week of April! Of course, they were both awakened every week to ten days for a nice warm bath and a bite of slurry if they felt like eating, but still that is a long time to sleep! The thing I have noticed since Deuce has been getting up the past two weeks, with my encouragment, is that he is not wanting to eat any insects. I have offered him dubias, superworms, and hornworms, which he has never turned down before. I am hoping that he will begin eating them, but for now I have been adding a little turkey baby food to his slurries.
I have learned so much about this disease since getting Deuce's diagnosis and will continue to research and learn all I can to help him. I have had a lot of help in learning what I can do to help him from a dear friend, Tracie Kretzschmar, who also provides the swabs for the PCR testing and gets the test swabs to the lab in Dallas, TX for the actual test. Tracie also runs The Pats, The Pogona Adenovirus Testing Society. She has a website that I will post a link here for. There are a lot of interesting facts and information about testing that you will find useful. Along with Tracie, there is also another wonderful lady who has helped me greatly, Nancy McBride of NorthenDragons, in Canada. Nancy is the only known breeder to have tested her entire colony and guarantees Atadenovirus free dragons. She does have one dragon, Charlie, who is ADV-positive. You can go to her page and read his story and she also has alot of other wonderful information on her site.
It is my hope that Deuce will live a long and trouble free life, but the future is quite scary - not knowing when or if the symptoms of this disease will rear its ugly head. But I will love and take care of Deuce to the best of my abilities and he will know what it is to be loved and cared for!
I will update this as more information becomes available, and Puff's test results come back.
There is a lot more research that needs to be done, and I plan on letting Deuce help with that in any way possible. There are not a lot of studies done long term on dragons due to the fact that for a long time the only way to diagnose ADV was by necropsy. There is enough information though to make it clear that this disease needs to be gotten under control, and the only way for that to happen is for the breeders to begin testing.
It is my hope that all breeders will begin testing for this disease, for the sake of these wonderful little creatures. Perhaps the way this will come about is by the buyers demanding ADV-negative dragons to be available for purchase. However it comes about is fine with me, as long as we do all we can to protect the survival of future bearded dragons.
UPDATES BELOW:
the pats
The Pats is an excellent place for information and to order test kits.
Northern dragons
This is Charlie. He will be 6 years old in June and was born with Adenovirus
atadenovirus cells
Electron microscopy colorized photo showing Adenovirus (red) and associated dependovirus (yellow).
References: Kevin Wright, DVM, Nancy McBride, NorthernDragons.
Bearded Dragon Health – Atadenovirus (Wasting Disease, Star-Gazing)
6-27-2013
Update on Deuce and Puff:
Puff had her last two test for adenovirus,,,and both were negative!! Deuce continues to do well. Since I began giving him the extra supplements he has gained a bit of weight and is doing very well. He now weighs 689g. at 22 inches long. I hope he continues to do so well!!!!
Update on Deuce and Puff:
Puff had her last two test for adenovirus,,,and both were negative!! Deuce continues to do well. Since I began giving him the extra supplements he has gained a bit of weight and is doing very well. He now weighs 689g. at 22 inches long. I hope he continues to do so well!!!!
10-29-13
Well...just like last year,,,both Puff and Deuce went down the third week of Sept. for their winter nap. They are both in full brumation. Earlier this year Deuces' test result came back as negative...quite exciting...but knowing that there are times that they aren't shedding the virus,,I didn't get my hope up too high, and of course tested again. This next time the test came back positive again. When Deuce wakes up from his brumation I am going to be giving him a different type of colloidal silver in his slurries....a new study being conducted by the amazing Tracie.
I have noticed that there have been a lot more cases of Atadenovirus popping up all over...so sad...and it always amazes me when someone who has dragons ask me "what is Atadenovirus?" I think it is so sad that people are learning about it because they are finding out that their own dragon has this virus. Even more sad is the fact that there are still so many people who think they need to put their dragon down as soon as they get a positive test result. Hopefully in the future there will be someplace for these darling dragons to go to spend their days being loved and cared for the way they deserve!!! That is my plan for the future...but hey,,,if anyone can do this for them before I do....please do!!
That is the update for now....shouldn't be anything new until Spring now....hope you all have a wonderful winter!
Well...just like last year,,,both Puff and Deuce went down the third week of Sept. for their winter nap. They are both in full brumation. Earlier this year Deuces' test result came back as negative...quite exciting...but knowing that there are times that they aren't shedding the virus,,I didn't get my hope up too high, and of course tested again. This next time the test came back positive again. When Deuce wakes up from his brumation I am going to be giving him a different type of colloidal silver in his slurries....a new study being conducted by the amazing Tracie.
I have noticed that there have been a lot more cases of Atadenovirus popping up all over...so sad...and it always amazes me when someone who has dragons ask me "what is Atadenovirus?" I think it is so sad that people are learning about it because they are finding out that their own dragon has this virus. Even more sad is the fact that there are still so many people who think they need to put their dragon down as soon as they get a positive test result. Hopefully in the future there will be someplace for these darling dragons to go to spend their days being loved and cared for the way they deserve!!! That is my plan for the future...but hey,,,if anyone can do this for them before I do....please do!!
That is the update for now....shouldn't be anything new until Spring now....hope you all have a wonderful winter!