Cant Decide If Its Time To Visit the Vet

bfeg272 · Oct 21, 2018

My bearded dragon Leo is a couple months old. Just recently this past week I have noticed that he has been dragging his body around and not being very active. His back right foot seems a little swollen but he does not seem like it is painful when I touch it. I've also noticed that his stools seem to be a little bit runny. I feed him dubia roaches as well as greens every day dusted with calcium powder. His basking spot is around 108 and the opposite side seems to be around 80 degrees. I use a t8 uvb bulb which i just recently found out to take the plastic cover off of so that the bulb is not being blocked. Both the basking lamp and uvb fixture sit on top of the screen of his 20 gallon tank. I've also noticed he does not want to come out in the a.m. and bask and he seems to avoid me more and go hide which is not normal. Please Help! I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong and I don't know what to do

kingofnobbys · Oct 21, 2018

Diet ?
Feeding schedule ?
age & weight ?
UV source , exactly what is it and how is it installed ?
Temperatures (basking spot, warm zone, cool zone) ? and how are you measuring these ?

Wont hurt to collect a stool sample and ask the vet to check for parasites.

From the images provided -
>> he's very thin.
>> he's suffering MDB

kingofnobbys · Oct 21, 2018

bfeg272":2xfd6ewx said:
My bearded dragon Leo is a couple months old.
<<<< needs THREE (3) meals of live insects each day at the age indicated .
choose from viewtopic.php?f=45&t=244111&p=1859195#p1859195

Just recently this past week I have noticed that he has been dragging his body around and not being very active. His back right foot seems a little swollen but he does not seem like it is painful when I touch it.
<<< the injured foot needs to be checked / assessed by a REPTILE VET ASAP.

I've also noticed that his stools seem to be a little bit runny. I feed him dubia roaches as well as greens every day dusted with calcium powder. His basking spot is around 108 and the opposite side seems to be around 80 degrees. I use a t8 uvb bulb which i just recently found out to take the plastic cover off of so that the bulb is not being blocked.
t8 but what is it's UVB rating ?
and
is it in a reflector hood ?
and
how far is it from his basking spot ?

Both the basking lamp and uvb fixture sit on top of the screen of his 20 gallon tank. I've also noticed he does not want to come out in the a.m. and bask and he seems to avoid me more and go hide which is not normal. Please Help! I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong and I don't know what to do

bfeg272 · Oct 21, 2018

Diet ?: Dubia Roaches and Mustard Greens (lately)

Feeding schedule ?: Twice a day of dubia, fresh greens every morning
age & weight?: I'm not 100% sure

UV source , exactly what is it and how is it installed ?: In an 18" hood on top of wire cage top directly in the middle of enclosure.

Temperatures (basking spot, warm zone, cool zone) ? and how are you measuring these ?: Basking spot is 109, warm is 100, cool is 92. Just checked with laser thermometer.

t8 but what is it's UVB rating ? and is it in a reflector hood ? and how far is it from his basking spot ?: 10.0 UVB bulb in a reflector hood. about 3" in height away from his basking spot and 6" away from his basking corner. The fixture sits directly in the middle of the lid of the enclosure.

kingofnobbys · Oct 22, 2018

bfeg272":3gi135ah said:
Diet ?: Dubia Roaches and Mustard Greens (lately)

Feeding schedule ?: Twice a day of dubia, fresh greens every morning
age & weight?: I'm not 100% sure

UV source , exactly what is it and how is it installed ?: In an 18" hood on top of wire cage top directly in the middle of enclosure.

Temperatures (basking spot, warm zone, cool zone) ? and how are you measuring these ?: Basking spot is 109, warm is 100, cool is 92. Just checked with laser thermometer.

t8 but what is it's UVB rating ? and is it in a reflector hood ? and how far is it from his basking spot ?: 10.0 UVB bulb in a reflector hood. about 3" in height away from his basking spot and 6" away from his basking corner. The fixture sits directly in the middle of the lid of the enclosure.

A T8 10% UVB tube , even with a GOOD QUALITY REFLECTOR HOOD is not going to provide adequate UVA or UVB if sitting on top a mesh lid ….

AHBD · Oct 22, 2018

Hi bf, your prpoblem was easily spotted in your first post.....you had the plastic covering the reflector. Now he has had no uvb at all since you've had him, not you fault because this shows how little the pet stores know about beardies + the equipment sold to you. Now that you have the plastic off, mount it inside ASAP !! like this :

https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/

I attached this with twist ties, you can use those or even a little fishing line looped through the screen.

Once he starts getting the proper uvb he should improve. This was all caused by lack of uvb because without it they can't absorb any calcium which affects every part of their body.

If it's warm where you live take him out for natural sun, but not on a glass tank, just set with him on your lap or in the grass, even a large cardboard box as long as it's not TOO hot + there's some shade. With the right lighting he should recover. If yo DO take him to a vet, be sure that the vet has dealt with beardies and has good veviews, otherwise they can do much more harm than good because most just don't know much about beardies.

bfeg272 · Nov 20, 2018

Hello everyone! I just wanted to give an update and ask for any more suggestions with leo since the last time we were on here. Since the last posts I have placed his uvb light and fastened it to the lid towards the back of the enclosure. I have been giving him liquid calcium and the usual greens and dubias every day. He seems to have some more movement in his tail but still has no use of his legs. His back seems to have kind of a kink in it. He still isn't as active as he used to be. (which i would'nt be either if i couldnt use my legs) I have noticed that his stools are a little loose still. If anyone has any more suggestions I would appreciate it and thank you all for the help you have given me so far.

CooperDragon · Nov 21, 2018

You may want to consider using a T5 bulb and fixture for a tank that size. https://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-904296-NanoTech-Fixture-Reflector/dp/B00AKKUBDQ/
http://www.reptilebasics.com/arcadia-desert-12-uvb/arcadia-d3-12-uvb-t5-bulb-22/

That fixture/bulb combo would be a good fit.

Since he's having trouble moving around, I'd also try to keep things flat and more easily accessible so he can get to food and bask more easily.

Pastella · Nov 21, 2018

How many dubia exactly is he eating twice a day? Because he looks very underweight to me. This could be from not enough food or parasites causing issue with getting nutrients.

kingofnobbys · Nov 21, 2018

More to the point : what size are the insects he's eating ?

A lot of very small insects will not provide enough nutrition , he needs insects just shorter than the space between his eyes.

Cant Decide If Its Time To Visit the Vet

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