Help! My sons bearded dragon ate my son’s TOOTH!

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Lrm1010

Member
I took his @ 6 month old bearded dragon out of the cage to hold it and decided to give it a bath in the bathroom sink. My son has lost a tooth and it was sitting on the counter. And before I knew it, the bearded dragon ATE IT!
I tried to get it out but couldn’t. Can he digest that?
Will it cause him to be impacted?

Thanks
 

VenusAndSaturn

Sub-Adult Member
I dont think it'll be too much of a problem.... i doubt he'll be able to digest it though so watch him closely and if he acts weird take him to a good reptile vet. It could cause impaction depending on how big it is... and if he can get it out which im sure he could possibly.

Do you mind posting a picture of his setup though since this is your first post, just wanna make sure that the setups good so there wont be any future problems.

If you dont know how to do that go to https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/
Then upload the pic and when you go to post it hit "XIMG" to select it.
 

Lrm1010

Member
Original Poster
Here’s his setup. Other than swallowing a human tooth ?, he’s doing good.

So there is a good chance he can pass it with no problems?
 

VenusAndSaturn

Sub-Adult Member
Okay i see two things wrong so far, the way your monitoring temps and then the uvb lighting. And theres a high possibility he'll be just fine. For monitoring temps you want a digital thermometer with a probe and a 22 inch reptisun t5 10.0 tube light and fixture with a reflecter. You can get both on amazon, if its a 20-40 gallon the 22 inch should fit nicely on there.

Are you using any night time heat sources and how much are you feeding him anyway and what are you feeding? And what supplements your using.

Also can you post a picture of the lights as well?
 

Lrm1010

Member
Original Poster
I am not using any night time light source. The vet said I didnt need any.
The lights above him are a double light dome with a UVB light and a basking light. The vet also said that was enough.
And yes I probably should get a probe thermometer. I hear they are more accurate then the stick on kind.
He eats 5-10 crickets per day.
 

VenusAndSaturn

Sub-Adult Member
the vet saying the uvb coil/compact bulb was enough i wouldnt trust him after that..... The coil bulbs eventually make beardies go blind and produce no uvb unless the beardie is within 4 inches and no screen blocking it which would just cause the beardie to go completely blind faster. And then the compact bulbs have to be placed a certain way and 4-8 inches with no screen blocking them and have to be 24 watts at least. Also as long as it doesnt drop below 65 then you dont need a CHE.

And for feeding him he needs way more than just 5-10 crickets a day.
Usually 1-4 months eat 3 times a day 10-15 each feeding or 10-15 minutes of giving all he wants each feeding. 4-11 months eat twice a day, 12-20 months eat once a day and then at 20+ months i'd say they should only get insects 2-3 times a week as much as they want in 10-15 minutes. Make sure your offering collard greens, mustard greens and turnip greens and other good veggies daily so he can at least get used to them at a young age before switching over to them most of the time around 12-20+ month.

Also make sure your dusting his food at least once a feeding with supplements. Usually calcium 5 times a week and multivitamins twice a week.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

He should be able to pass that through, without any issues. He is a small dragon so hopefully
he wont have any problems.
I agree, it would be a good idea to change out the UVB bulb to a long tube bulb so the light
is a higher quality.
Has he shown any odd behavior yet, or is he just his normal self? Definitely give more feedings
for him, at his age. He is growing rapidly & needs the food.
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Lrm1010":1ylth250 said:
I am not using any night time light source. The vet said I didnt need any.
The lights above him are a double light dome with a UVB light and a basking light. The vet also said that was enough.
And yes I probably should get a probe thermometer. I hear they are more accurate then the stick on kind.
He eats 5-10 crickets per day.

It is a very small viv.

I concur with the comments regarding the analog stickon thermometer - I suggest getting hold of bunch of these
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Refrigerator-Digital-LCD-Probe-Fridge-Freezer-Thermometer-Thermograph-Electronic/222683557423?hash=item33d8f96e2f:g
, I have 3 per viv.

Regarding the double dome with a basking globe and a compact UVB globe in it
>> it's sitting on top a fine mesh lid - this will cut the UVA & UVB by at least 40% from the getgo.
>> being on top the mesh lid, it's highly likely the UVB compact is too far away , the extent of this will depend on
>>> brand of the compact (IMPORTANT) not all UV globe and tubes are created equal or made properly
>>> the wattage of the UVB compact (is it a 25W or a 13W ?)
>>> the %UVB rating of the compact (2% , 5% or 10%)

Can you check
>>> the wattage of the UVB compact
>>> the %UVB rating of it
>>> the physical distance from the bottom of the compact to the basking spot
>>> the physical distance from the bottom of the compact to the floor of the viv.
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
I hope he passed the tooth, I'm assuming it wasn't a huge molar or anything that would cause a problem, I'm sure you'll be able to see it when he passes it, so I would be checking his bowel movements daily, and if you see him straining to go at all or black bearding then you'll know he's having issues passing it.

I would encourage you to ditch the coil/compact UVb light immediately, he's basically gotten no UVB light at all since he's been under that light, and he's going to definitely end up with a calcium deficiency and MBD soon if you don't buy an adequate UVB tube and long tube fixture. I don't have a clue why any Reptile Specialist Vet would tell you that your UVb setup was okay, but I would never go back to that vet again because this is Bearded Dragon Care 101. Seriously, I'm not trying to be a smart ass, but the #1 cause of sick dragons we see on here, dragons who stop eating, dragons who have severe eye or neurological issues, and dragons who are very stunted in size is due to them using a Compact or Coil UVB bulb.

First off, even if you had a Compact or Coil UVb bulb that wasn't being obstructed by a mesh lid, it still wouldn't be adequate (even the Reptisun 10.0 compact/coil bulb is only a 13 watt bulb and half the UVB output a dragon needs). Then you have the mesh lid blocking over 40% of the already far too weak UVB light. So the bottom line is that for most any Compact or Coil UVb bulb to deliver adequate UVB light to a dragon it must me totally unobstructed by anything, and must be at least within 3-4" of him while he basks, and putting a light that close to him is dangerous.

Even the weaker T8 strength UVB tubes, like the 18" Reptisun 10.0 T8 UVB tube is too weak to sit on top of a mesh lid, and it's 17 watts as opposed to your bulbs max of 13 watts or less. So even the very common Reptisun 10.0 T8 tubes must be mounted underneath the mesh lid and inside the tank so they are not obstructed by anything, and they must be within at least 6" of the basking spot to emit adequate UVb light to a dragon. The weaker T8 tubes also must be replaced once every 6 months (if they are 10% tubes, or 10.0 tubes, 5.0 tubes or 5% tubes must be replaced once every 3 months). So most experienced Bearded Dragon owners and breeder just skip over the much weaker T8 tubes and go right to the much stronger and money saving T5 tubes.

You can buy both the Reptisun 10.0 T5 High-Output UVb tubes (16", 22", 34") or the equally good Arcadia 12% T5 UVb tubes (18", 24", 36") on Amazon.com for much less money than you can buy the much weaker T8 tubes in any store, the 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVB tubes cost around $23 at most. And then you will be offered a 24" fixture with it as a package deal. Just be sure that whatever tube fixture you buy includes a metal reflector inside it so that the UVB light can be reflected throughout the tank.

Your tank is a bit small for an adult dragon, but more importantly it's tall, so there's another reason that your UVB bulb is doing nothing for him at all, and another reason to skip the T8 tubes, which must be within at least 6" of the basking spot where he lays. The T5 tubes can sit on top of a mesh lid, they are strong enough to still emit adequate UVb light through the mesh just as long as they are within at least 11" of the basking spot. This is what is absolutely required for a tank that high with a dragon. ALSO...the T5 strength UVB tubes only need to be replaced once every 10-12 months, as opposed to the T8 tubes and ANY of the compact or Coil bulbs like yours, which must be replaced once every 6 months at the longest...this is because UVb light decays, and so even though the bulbs/tubes will not be burnt out at 6 months old or a year old, they will only be emitting plain white light and no UVB light at all.

Most all UVB lights on the market today (I'd guess 90% of them or more) are not at all adequate for any desert reptiles, even the ones who attempt to suggest that they are adequate by putting a photo of a bearded dragon on the box. They are perfectly fine for Tropical reptiles, who live in rain forest, jungles, etc. where they are living either underground, within tree cover, etc. and never get much direct sunlight at all. In contrast, a Bearded Dragon comes from only the Australian deserts, which are vast, wide open deserts made up of hard, rocky terrain (no sand) with scattered vegetation and little cover. So they are built to not only live all day, every day in high heat and intense, direct sunlight, but their bodies REQUIRE it to live and survive. Your dragon needs at least 13-14 hours under a strong, adequate wavelength UVB light and a bright white basking white, both placed right along side each other and directly over his main basking spot on the Hot Side of his tank. Without adequate UVB light he cannot manufacture his own Vitamin D3, which in-turn will make him unable to absorb or process/use any of the nutrition he takes in from either his food nor from any supplements you give him, like calcium or multivitamins. So Dragons kept under either a compact or a coil UVb bulb eventually lose their appetites, become lethargic, stop growing to their full potential, and then they usually first develop a Calcium Deficiency and then a Vitamin B1 Deficiency...and then it's a downward spiral. So please, order him a proper length (at least 22") Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVB tube or a 24" Arcadia 12% T5 UVB tube and a matching 24" T5-rated fixture with a metal reflector ASAP....
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Any updates for us on him passing the tooth through?
I hope that he hasn't had any issues with his digestion... Keep us posted on him.

Tracie
 

Lrm1010

Member
Original Poster
Hi everyone! Sorry I haven’t responded earlier. Thanks for all the great responses.
Oddly enough he has not passed the tooth and it has been almost two weeks. I have been watching him and checking his poop daily. He has been eating and pooping just fine. Wondering if there was a chance his stomach broke it down. It was my son’s baby tooth so it was small.

About his viv....I have a 40 gallon tank. He/she is about 7 months old. And you all agree I should get rid of the coil light and get a tube, correct?
 

VenusAndSaturn

Sub-Adult Member
Entirely get rid of the coil bulb. Its caused so many problems to many different dragons and he could possibly have stunted growth, become blind, or develop mbd because of it.

Definitely get either a 20" or 30" reptisun t5 HO 10.0 tube light with a reflective fixture. You can get it on amazon.
 
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