New bearded dragon: unatrentive, not eating nor drinking.

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Hey guys I really need your help. Me and my partner have just brought a bearded dragon. We have other reptiles, but he is our first.

We brought him, and he's tank together. He's tank is 90x45x30 and it's the eco terra natural tank. It's got hes lights, and stuff. It also has some wood for him to climb, hay and a little thing he can hide under.

When we first got him, he was very docile. We fed him around six criquets and placed some salad in his food ball, he was awesome with the crickets, he even came at the cricket box aha.

But since then, he's been sleeping a lot, not eating much or not at all, he doesn't drink water. He just falls asleep. He is constantly star gazing. He's in my room, which is quite private nobody comes up here expect me and my partner.

He's very lathorgic and lazy with his food these last couple days, he keeps bobbing he's head but that's just showing dominance, and he's eyes not wide open. I'm worried that he is getting really ill. We want to find out what is wrong with him.

By the way when we first got him, on one of his ears it looked like he bled a tiny bit, but I don't know if that's how he is or not... he's 18 months old, and I need help please ...
 

CooperDragon

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Did you just get him very recently? It sounds like something in his setup is off. Perhaps the lighting or temperatures aren't right. Can you provide details about what you have? You can upload photos here https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ and post them to your thread using the XIMG button. Are the dimensions for his tank in cm or in?
 

beardedfred

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It is not letting me upload the pictures, but this is the link to my google image thingy where you can see his tank. It is a cm i think, its a nice size and he moves around in it pretty well.

We have a UVB light, and a heat light. We are going to get a heat mat, because the lady did not have one, unfortunatly we cant order one till thursday due to money issues. Im being serious where you can pick him up and he just lays in your hands, not moving or anything, he isnt alertive at all.

This is making me super sad, the lady said that they wouldnt really give him much attention due to it being a birthday gift to her 12 year old daughter who no longer wanted him. She also wouldnt feed him properly due to being scared of the crickets, so she wouldnt remove them at night.

link: https://photos.google.com/?pageId=none
 

CooperDragon

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That's the exo terra tank that I have. My guess is the inadequate lighting is the problem. That's an old repti glo bulb they don't make those anymore and even new it wouldn't put off enough UVB for a tank that size. A heat mat isn't needed, but proper lighting overhead is. I can help you with the correct lighting for that tank - it's the same one I use. You'll need to make an investment in it, but it should make a big difference.

For now, I would bring him outside if the weather is nice. Let him sit on your lap and enjoy as much natural sunlight as possible. The natural sun will provide him with what he needs until you can get the lighting straightened out.

The main thing for lighting is two components. Good UVB light, and proper heat from a bright white basking bulb. For that tank you will need a high power UVB light like this one http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/ This is what I use and it's a fantastic, long lasting bulb.

For heat, I suggest a dome fixture. You can use the reptile branded ones but I've found cheaper, better ones (brooder lamps) at a local farm supply store. Just get one with a ceramic base and that is rated at least 100w to handle proper lighting. For a basking light, I like to use PAR38 halogen flood lights, also available at a hardware store. They are dimmable so you can fine tune the output. I use a 90w version but have it suspended up above the tank. You might find that a lower wattage, maybe a 70w version will work well. You can hook it to a manual lamp dimmer or a dimming thermostat to fine tune the output. You can also use an adjustable lamp stand or rig one on your own. The key is just to have it at a height that produces proper temperatures.

It's important to have accurate temperature readings and provide a good temperature gradient across the tank. I suggest using a digital thermometer with a probe on each side of the tank https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017N8W90/ or an IR temp gun to spot check surface temps https://www.amazon.com/Nubee-Temperature-Non-contact-Infrared-Thermometer/dp/B00CVHIJDK You want the basking side surface to be between about 100-105 with areas around that in the 90s. The cool side should be about 75-80 or so with a nice gradient between. The UVB light should sit over the basking side of the tank.

Once you have the UVB and heat all sorted, it should make a really big difference. Proper heat and light exposure is critical for their wellbeing and I'll bet not having proper lighting has taken it's toll on him.
 

beardedfred

Member
Original Poster
Hey,

I've just been looking at the light and the reviews for it and their fantastic, only problem is that we are not in America, we live in England..

Till we can get him these things, what should I do to keep heat in the tank? Every day he seems to be less active, he usually gets up in the morning with us, right now he's just laid there unmoving?

How to we keep him stable for a while?
 

beardedfred

Member
Original Poster
I'm really worried about him.. when you pick him up his body is so limp. Please please help if there is any suggestions on quick fixes till we have some money it would really help..

Can he die from this??? I'm really scared for him..
 

Crowley

Member
Beardie name(s)
Crowley
Ho there,

I'm sorry to hear your beardie is having some trouble. First thing I've noticed is the hay- this can be a dangerous substrate if injested by the beardie. Please remove and replace with paper towels, I promise he won't mind :)

Is he showing signs of impaction? When was his last bowel movement? When you rub his tummy, do you feel any lumps?

I understand you aren't able to get proper lighting yet, but that does seem to be the culprit here. I don't know how the weather is in England, but if its not raining I would try taking him outside. I know it may be cloudy but I'm sure he'll absorb some UVB. It's better than nothing.

He looks a bit underweight and dehydrated, try giving him a nice warm bath, and throw some crickets in his cage (NO HAY) for 15 minutes or so, and let us know if he eats or seems at all interested. If not, get some baby food and a dropper or small soft spoon and try rubbing it on his mouth. There are also plenty of threads on gentle force feeding if you are really scared.

Don't panic. He might not show any signs of improvement until the lighting is fixed. I don't think he is in death's arms just yet, so relax. It sounds like he's been in a poor situation for a while now and needs time to recover. Just keep us updated and we will help you every step of the way :)

Hope to hear from you soon.
 

CooperDragon

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Staff member
Moderator
Yes, time outside and just making him as comfortable as possible is the key for now. Since you're in England, you have access to a fantastic supply store that has better stuff than we can get over here for the most part. This is the light kit you want but they appear to be sold out of the 22'' which is the one you want. You might call them and ask about availability or good T5 substitute. Perhaps the bulb and controller can be purchased without the reflector for now depending on which components are available. https://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/arcadia-complete-uv-light-kit-desert-reptiles/
Their site also has digital thermometers and temp guns similar to what I mentioned in my last post.
 

beardedfred

Member
Original Poster
You guys are amazing.. you have honestly re-assured me a lot.

The weather in England is what you may describe as emotional. It's only ever sunny for a couple days a month,depending where you live. Although this year has been warmer and we've had a couple heat waves ahah.

At night I've been placing on of my tank tops over him to keep him a little bit warm, and he's reacted really well to it, he's much more active since I started doing that. I know they like to be cooler at night..

I will look int buying the equipment that the above person has suggested (sorry I forgot your username) just because it is in England aha, and thank you both incredibly!

Have a wonderful day!
 

beardedfred

Member
Original Poster
I've removed the hay, and he's eating really well. He's eaten about 12 crickets today, which was in the 10 min ratio. He's been outside, I have a turtle plastic tank outside and I have him a bath, the water was up to his elbows. He did what he needed to do with it ahah.

Honestly without your tips, I would of took him to the vet for no reason. Oh and I have moved his tank into direct sunlight. It's been quite warms these past couple days so the sun has been out.

Thank you!
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
That's very encouraging! Just be careful to monitor temperature closely when the tanks are near direct sunlight or outdoors. They can heat up in a hurry and get dangerously hot if not tended to closely.
 

beardedfred

Member
Original Poster
HEs been amazing, it's really hot in the uk right now so I have been with him outside all day. He's drank a lot of water today, you were absolutely right. The right climate can make such a change, he's been more active and eating better , he even drinks water which I thought he'd never do!!!

I just really want to thank you, because you've been amazing and patient with me!!!

Also I accidentally potty trained him to only poo when I bathe him...
 

Crowley

Member
Beardie name(s)
Crowley
Oh my goodness I'm so glad to hear it!!! See, all he needed was a little sunshine :) We are here to help!!

Yes, I'm so grateful that my dragon Crowley is potty trained! Scooping up the extremely smelly poops from his terrarium is a nightmare for me!!!
 
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