Help!! Sick beardie?? Can't use legs!

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CheyRose

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So I got a dragon, Paarthurnax, around six months ago while he was a baby. I've followed all of the set up, food, and any other advice I've been told. He is in a 40 gal breeder tank. He typically eats crickets and mealworms, the size between his eyes, occasionally a bit bigger since its hard to get them all the same size. I've been trying since I got him to get him to eat veggies or fruits but he won't.

He started acting kinda weird about a month ago. I thought he was possibly brumating since its been getting colder where we live, even with his set up staying consistent. So i figured i would just keep an eye on him to make sure. He was very inactive, rarely ate, and seemed sleepy. He started to come out of it a bit recently and started eating more. However, I noticed about a week ago that he was limping. He has a hammock going from the ground to his basking ledge and I thought he might have hurt himself on it so I took it down and moved his driftwood to reach up there.

Yesterday he couldn't use his back legs and was dragging himself around. I did a bunch of research and thought it might be a calcium problem. His lighting set up was two heat lamps, one with uvb. Today, I got him new lights, a stronger basking/heat with uva and a uva/uvb light. And got a liquid calcium supplement and gave him a couple drops. He's not eating or drinking water and hasn't tried going anywhere all day.

I took him out for a bit earlier tonight and he started to twitch his toes and legs slightly. I'm so worried about him and don't know what to do! I haven't been able to find a rep vet in my area but will drive a few towns over tomorrow to find one. I just wanted to see if anyone has some opinions/advice for me. Thank you! Sorry its so long, just wanted to add info



Also, he has had sand in his tank and it was changed to repti carpet. I gave him a few baths the past couple of days and he has pooped a few days ago, but hasn't really been eating since. I've been dripping water and easy crushed foods on his nose to try and help. He doesn't seem like he's bloated or anything either. His eyes aren't sunken and his fat glands on his head still seem okay.
 
I would do a stool sample first, at least. But the best would be to take him to the vet. Maybe it's a bad shed, or if he really did fall then maybe it's a fracture.

Raise his temperature slightly to boost his immune system.

What kind of UVB are you using? Is it a coil?
 

destiny1998

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Hi. Sorry your baby is having issues. It sounds like you are using a compact/coil uvb. That is probably the problem. They do not produce enough uvb rays. The are very week and if it's on top of the screen that blocks a lot of it. You want a reptisun 10.0 T5 tube. They are strong enough to put on the screen. Also make sure you are dusting his feeders with calcium once a day 5x a week. Stop mealworms. They cause impaction. Crickets are fine. However I would probably order some Phoenix worms. Those are soft and loaded with calcium. Hope he gets better :D
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Hi there, I know you must be devastated + I'm sorry your dragon is not well. What Destiny said about the uvb bulbs is exactly right. It is VERY critical to get the bulb she mentioned. Without a good uvb bulb it will only get worse so order one ASAP. If you live in a warm area take him out in the sun for an hour every day [ not in a glass tank ] Just let him sit in the grass/dirt or on your lap.
 

CheyRose

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Thank you everyone!! He is using coils. I got him another one yesterday so he currently has a reptisun 10.0 13 watt that does not have the metal cover in the way, another uvb but I'm not too sure which that one was, and a 75 watt basking lamp with uva by zoomed. He has two thermometers, the middle of his tank is typically around 80 while the basking area is 90-95. But I will be sure to order different lighting! It might take awhile with where I live but all yesterday he was under the uncovered lamp. Today he seems to be doing a bit better. He seems more alert, had some water and ate some prune baby food in case it is impaction. He is in the bath and seems pretty happy about it. He started wiggling/twitching his toes a little bit. The vet unfortunately wasn't in town today so I will try for tomorrow. What else can I do for today? I was rubbing down his tummy super lightly while he was in the bath and I think he may possibly be impacted :( so I'm hoping with all this he might be a bit better tomorrow.
 

CheyRose

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Also, is there an easier way to find herp vets? I've been calling around everywhere but I feel like there's gotta be some sort of registry or something for them. The closest place would be Reno/Sparks Nevada or Lake Tahoe. I'm not sure how long the vet at the office I talked to is going to be gone and I don't want him to have to wait. There might be one in Carson City, which is much closer, but all the places I've talked to have said no.
 
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