Sick beardie help

Help please my 3 1/2 month old beardie all of a sudden within the past couple days belly is bloated & now also his beard. He went from a very active beardie 3 days ago to eyes droopy beard swollen & belly now color is pale & now opening mouth like he is having breathing problems what is causing this sudden change with in past 48 hours

Hello,

I am sorry your dragon is having trouble.
Can you run over your tank setup real quick with us to be sure it is all correct.
Could he have ingested something toxic or poisonous like a spider or bug? What have you recently fed him?
Tonight, keep him warm overnight, around 80, to help when he isn't feeling well.

Tracie

His tank is 40 gallons the humidity on the cool side is 55 temperature is 75 to almost 80 the warm side of his tank temperature is between 95 and 100. Today seems a little bit more active his beard is not swollen no more but his belly still is real bloated he's staring at me like he wants to eat he ate about 7 crickets earlier this morning while he was eating his stomach seem to get larger,not relieve himself yesterday or so far today I'm going to give him a warm bath now I gave him one day before yesterday and he relieved himself wasn't that much I'm hoping and praying that I can help him if he's impacted with the warm bath I can't afford to take him to the vet. His coloring seems to be back to normal appetite still good. I just dropped the door to the cabinet that is tanks it's all right where he knows his food is at and boy he perked right up.I'm not going to give him no more to eat until I see if he really it's himself.I've been testing the cricket that I feed him with repti calcium without D3 but I also have the calcium powder with D3 should I be giving him that one instead I bought the one with the D3 in it myself the one without the D3 came with the tank along with all the other accessories it was a starter pack .I don't see how he could have got a bug of any kind but not saying that it is not impossible. I am using their carpet that came with a tank for the bottom of it but I have noticed that some loose strings coming from the carpet where he's does scratch . The light bulbs I use also came along with the tank for nighttime I use the infrared one that came with the tank also

Hello,

Are you using a UVB source at all? What type of basking light are you using, a bright white light or a colored bulb?
How are you measuring his temperatures? You will need either a digital probe or a temp gun to accurately measure his temperatures.
The recommended temperatures are 78-82F on the cooler end with a basking spot of around 95-110F.
He is probably not warm enough to digest & he could be slightly impacted.
How large of insects do you feed him? Since he is small, the crickets shouldn't be any larger than the space between the eyes, to avoid impaction issues.
He will need calcium 5 or so times per week. You can use the D3 a couple of times per week & non D3 2-3 times. You can try getting some sugar free applesauce & canned unspiced pumpkin, mixed with a drop or two of olive or coconut oil to help out along with warm baths.

How is he doing today?

Tracie

Yes I'm using a UVB light that came with the starter kit & his basking light is white & I use the infrared one at night time. (Both these came with starter kit also) and both of the thermometer's are Zoo med thermo-Hydrometer's but not digital .I have one on each end of his tank. Small - Medium sized crickets, small portion of greens every other day & once in awhile I give a small portion of mixed together (greens, turnip greens, kale, peeled grean squash & collard greens) all blended in my food processor . and occasionally I've given him Blended peeled Apple,.I gave him another warm bath today and in no time he pooed a pretty good size poo. He actually perked up more than he has been, I then gave him a few small crikets & it's like the moment he ate the first one bloated up again & looks as he did last night. He is not sleeping like he Normally does , he would sleep so sound you could actually wiggle him & still took awhile to wake up. Now he does not close eyes all the way but is very alert to the surroundings, that has not changed. I can just walk past his tack to check on him & he's following me or looking out the corner of his eye.With the look like (hey what are you doing it's late) witch I should mention, I haven't had much sleep last couple nights, I'm Constally checking on him . Will get the baby food & olive oil first thing when store opens Thank You

Today his belly still is droopy real soft to the touch he is all alert self though running around his cage .Belly doesn't seem as bloated though just look saggy now his eyes are still a little droopy but not as bad

Hello,

Are you using a compact/coil light? Most of the start up kits include those lights. They are not very good quality UVB lights.
We recommend either the Reptisun 10 tube or the Arcadia D3 12%, for a much higher quality UVB light. Without good quality UVB, he wont be able to absorb his calcium properly.
The stick on type of thermometers are not very accurate. The better type to get is either a digital probe thermometer or a temp gun to more accurately measure the temperatures.
The food mixture you are giving sounds very good, a nice variety. Has he eaten anything today?
How is he doing this evening?
You might want to consider using a ceramic heat emitter for overnight heating, instead of a red night bulb. The color red can disturb the sleeping pattern.

Tracie

I will be getting everything as you indicated changing the light system and the ubv. I think I've located the problem with Bruno also I noticed he has worms is there any way that It can be treated or I can treat him without having to take him to the vet I can't afford to. The only veterinarian around here in my area that does the reptiles charges $81.00 dollars just for the examination. I already know he has worms just need to get the medicine to treat them if that's any way possible without taking him to the vet. And I want to say thank you to you Tracy for all your help you have given me with Bruno

Hello,

How is Bruno doing today? Did you see worms in his stool or did you do a fecal on him?
If that's the case, you can get dewormer fairly easily, if you can find a Tractor supply or PetAg nearby. They do sell Panacur which is the most commonly prescribed med for it.
Has he eaten anything today?
While he isn't feeling well, be sure to keep him warmer overnight for awhile, around 80 right now.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

I notice them in his stool & yes there is a tractor supply about 1/4 mile Down the street from my house, OMG, THANK YOU for that information. Now just a couple of questions, would it be a liquid form if so how do I determine the dosage, I know it goes by their weight but how in the world am I supposed to weigh or figure out his weight & do I just asked for the dewormer by name or is there a special one four different kinds of animals? I will be reading and following up on this before I give him the dewormer I don't want my baby to feel any worse. His appetite is still really really healthy. I have been giving him a warm bath everyday he relieves himself every time . His belly is so droopy & mushie feeling. I read that if they have parasites their
un detectable @ first, that it takes some time before you will notice a change in your pets behavior & looks, I am wondering if you possibly would know how long they could have them before you would see changes in them & also that quick of a time frame from 1 day normal self to looking sick the next. And is the 100 w Powersun UV mercury vapor lamp good to use for him during the day & then the ceramic heat emitter @ night. On the heat emitter it says for use in high humidity terrariums or wire cages or should I get the under tank pad. He's in a 40 gal glass tank so not sure if I should use the emitter I got or not. Thanks Again you are a GREAT help. TRACIE.

Hello,

Terrific, I'm glad to hear there is a Tractor Supply around. Most panacur is a standardized 10% in stores. If you get a large tube, you wont use much of it but you could keep it on hand.
I can help with dosing if you need, it should be paste form. Panacur is used for reptiles, mammals & livestock as a standard dewormer.
How is he doing today?
As far as knowing how long they have had worms, etc before it shows symptoms, that is very individual because some dragons handle it better than others. If they have low counts, you may or may not notice any effects but higher counts, you would see lethargic behavior, loss of appetite, etc. Since you have noticed he is bloated, then chances are they are affecting his digestion a little bit. So, if you treat early then they will get under control & he shouldn't have anymore trouble for awhile.
The Powersun MVB 100 watt has been a good quality light & is safe. It will need to be placed at or around 12 inches from him. While it isn't the strongest MVB on the market, it is safe. If you have enough room, you could add a tube UVB, such as the Reptisun 10 tube or the Arcadia D3 12%, for a more balanced UVB exposure.
The ceramic heat emitter can be used at night, no problem at all. If the nighttime temperatures don't fall below 65 or so then you don't absolutely need it. If you used an undertank heater be sure there is something in between him & the heater so it doesn't get too warm.

Tracie

Sorry lost my phone but now just got to get caught up. I got the Safe-guard from Tractor Supply & have been following directions. So far his appearance has improved except for the saggy belly, his appetite is like normal except he is eating larger amounts. But every time he eats his belly balloons out looks like he's going to pop & this comes as soon as he takes first bite. He very energetic & alert. Just that belly????

OK Bruno has been eating wonderfully & bowel movements no problem there either. Still can't seem to find the answer to why his belly is so saggy & droopy. It's not hard it's very mushie feeling as soon as he takes the 1St bit of greens or eats 1St cricket it balloons up to where it looks like he's or she's gonna explode. Very alert with movement around tank has no trouble moving very fast to see what's going on, but now noticing scratching @ newspaper on bottom of tank then lays down in the spot just scratched & then looks to be tired but doesn't close eyes. And also should the his spot be on cool side or warm. I have looked I think everywhere to get some kind of direct or even close a possible answer but every place I've gone to there has been nothing answered about what is possibley causing this. I know it's not impact I on there's no problem there appetite increases daily, very alert & on the go, just balloons up with 1st bite or 1st cricket. Poop is normal green in color & firm no darling or signs of blood. Just would possible like a reason this start basically over night. I was giving him wax worms until I read for treat only due to being very fatty could this just be he was eating to many but that still would not explain the ballooning up with feeding. Note:it's not from puffing himself up like everything says that's normal, it is like that when laying flat, standing up @ glass in bath etc. There's no lumps that I feel when massaging his belly. Don't show signs of discomfort either when being massaged or rubbed. Any help is appreciated .

Hello,

Did you need help with the dose for the safeguard?
I usually recommend giving once weekly, every 7 days for an estimated 3 treatments.
Do you have pictures of his belly? He only swells up after he eats? How much are you feeding him at one time?
He could be having some digestive issues, if he has had worms/parasites for awhile. Can you get some probiotics for him, such as non dairy soy yogurt plain or flavored, or even a non dairy acidophiliz too.
Is his beard black or not?

Tracie