Please help - Beardie front legs are limp :(

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Ash1

Member
Today when I got home from running errands, I came in to feed my five month old male bearded dragon, Ash, and he was laying on his basking spot normally, except I noticed that both front legs were laying back against his sides.

I fed him crickets and he went after them, but was only using his back legs. So part of his neck and stomach were dragging against the ground while running because he wasn't using his front legs for support at all.

He doesn't look like he's in pain. But he only ended up eating 3-4 crickets which is much less than normal. He hasn't taken any more crickets today or eaten his salad. In fact, the crickets are crawling all around him and even on him, and he doesn't try to eat them. He will sometimes try and shake them off if on him. He has made a couple slight movements with both front legs, but they're quite limp.

He is alert and looking around like normal, but less active. His coloration is good and normal. He looks healthy.

I have been feeding him the proper amounts, but I do not think he is quite as large as he should be.

He has a spiral uvb bulb and a 100 watt basking bulb about 12" above his basking spot.

I have been dusting his crickets and salads with calcium with d3. I give him salad 2-3 times/week, dusting with calcium every time. I have been dusting his crickets about once a week. This is what the breeder instructed me to do, but now I'm worried that maybe wasn't enough?

He has had no prior symptoms of any health issues or calcium deficiency until today.

I went and got some liquid calcium to add to his water but have not yet seen him drink it. He will not let me hand feed him salad or crickets.

Any ideas??? I'm so so worried about my sweet little guy. I don't know what to do.

Thanks so much for your help.
 

Ash1

Member
Original Poster
kingofnobbys":1miqkldc said:
Are they always like this (tucked under and dragged and wrist walking) or just occasionally ?

They are either tucked on the sides, or hanging off to the side, pretty much at all times. Just now though on his basking spot, his arms were hanging limp towards the front of his body, kind of hanging off the front.

Sometimes one side seems worse than the other (one will have a little bit of strength in it, while the other is completely limp). But earlier today, the stronger was the right. Now it seems the left has a tiny bit of strength to it, while the right has none.

When he runs, he is now kind of hopping a little bit to make up for the limp front.

I was able to pry his mouth open and give him two dusted crickets and a bit of calcium water in a syringe, but he refused any more than that
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
There are a lot of issues I can see here.

Some are :
>> bark used as substrate , this is not a good material for bearded dragons , I strongly advise that you remove it (best place for it is on a garden bed). Replace with either loosely laid tiles, or a sheet of lino, or some absorbant kitchen paper towels.

>> lights (including UV) are all ontop a mesh lid.
---- the mesh will be blocking about 45% of the UV from the UV globe
---- the compact UVB globe in the dual hood is too far from the dragon to be any use to it.
see this : viewtopic.php?f=34&t=235611
I strongly advise you
1) replace the compact UVB globe (which is likely only a 13W (too weak) and too old) with a t5ho reflector hood + a t5ho 12% UVB tube , about 2/3 the length of the tank , one end adjacent to basking globe.
2) mount the new UVB source under the mesh lid , no more than 12" from the basking spot.

I think this may be early signs of MBD, I suggest you locate a reptile vet and have them assess your dragon's bone density and level of VitD3 and Ca in the serum.
 

Ash1

Member
Original Poster
kingofnobbys said:
There are a lot of issues I can see here.

Some are :
>> bark used as substrate , this is not a good material for bearded dragons , I strongly advise that you remove it (best place for it is on a garden bed). Replace with either loosely laid tiles, or a sheet of lino, or some absorbant kitchen paper towels.

Can you tell me what the bark can do? I actually just put that in his enclosure, replacing the paper towels that had been there, about a week ago. Maybe that has something to do with it?

I do plan to get a new hood light this week, but am unsure how I'd mount underneath the screen?

If I take out the bark and replace the light, can he get better?

Thank you!
 

Ash1

Member
Original Poster
Ok, so I'm looking through the link you provided (thank you) and am wondering which brands of bulb you WOULD recommend... Most that I find online or in stores are the ones listed to avoid.

Also, any certain hood type you would recommend?

Thank you!
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Sorry to hear about Ash, it sounds like he is a bit weak right now. The most likely culprit is the
lack of strong UVB coupled with no enough calcium.
As suggested, the compact/coil UVB light is just not strong enough & we recommend either the
Reptisun 10 T5, or the Arcadia D3 12% or 14% T5 tube, both of which are very good. You will
need a T5 light fixture also. What type of basking light are you using?
You can get the Arcadia D3 T5 tube along with a light fixture from here:

www.lightyourreptiles.com

It is best if it's mounted underneath of the screen, about 10 or so inches from him, alongside
of the basking light, too.
As far as the calcium goes, for his age he does need calcium 4-5 days per week, at least on one
insect feeding for the day to support bone growth. Since he isn't drinking the water with the
calcium in it, you will need to dust his insect before feeding them to him. Or you can dose the
liquid calcium you have & give via a plastic dropper or syringe.

How is he doing today?

Tracie
 

Ash1

Member
Original Poster
Thanks so much Tracie!

We just got home today, and Ash was in his hide. I have only seen him in there one other time. Could he be going into brumation? I thought they were a bit older when they started doing that.

He is still not active, however, he is using his left arm at about 30% and even his right arm at about maybe 20(?) now, which is great. Much more than yesterday and the day prior. So when he walks, he IS using his arms now, but he's just walking slowly and not attempting to run at all.

He ate two crickets again yesterday that I hand fed him. He may have eaten more yesterday because I noticed that he actually got down from his basking spot and was on the ground. However, it looks like most of the crickets I left for him this morning are not eaten. I tried hand feeding him again, even prying his mouth open and he is absolutely refusing to eat anything. So his appetite is far from normal.

He just drank some calcium water from a syringe for me. I am noticing he has a little bit of saliva when I feed him with the syringe. Is that normal? He has no signs of a RI...

I remembered that I have a fish tank hood I'm not using. Would that work with a new tube light?

Thanks again for all your help.

ETA: Here is a pic of the hood we already have... It would go a little more than 3/4 the length of his enclosure.
103312-6231610598.jpg
 

Ash1

Member
Original Poster
Here he is today... You can tell even from him being still that his placement of his front legs is much better.

He is looking kind of tired and sad today. :( It would normally be funny under different circumstances, but when I try and feed him, he turns his head and closes his eyes, kind of pouting like a human child.

103312-269771787.jpg
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

He sure is cute, & he is looking a bit better.
Yes, the old fish aquarium light hood should work, if your tube bulb will fit. Does it have any type
of reflective backing on it, I couldn't tell from the picture?
It will work if you get a regular Reptisun 10 or an Arcadia D3 12% or 14% T8, but if you want to
get a T5 high output bulb, you'll need to get a T5 light fixture. Those lights are slimmer than their
traditional T8 counterparts are.
Did he eat anything today?
They are extremely smart & are masters at pouting, indeed. Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie
 

Ash1

Member
Original Poster
No, the hood doesn't have the reflective backing, it's just white, so we would need to add that, right?

He is refusing food. Even when I pry his mouth open, he won't eat the dusted crickets.

I did manage to get him to drink some calcium water with a syringe.

He was in his hide when I got home, which he never uses. Is it possible he's also going into brumation even though he's a bit young for that?
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Ash1":10xzr95q said:
No, the hood doesn't have the reflective backing, it's just white, so we would need to add that, right?


<<< very good idea , if there is space above the tube , you might get away with an Arcadia Slip On Reflector (they slip onto the tube itself) see
SLIP-ON-REFLECTOR.png


He is refusing food. Even when I pry his mouth open, he won't eat the dusted crickets.

I did manage to get him to drink some calcium water with a syringe.

He was in his hide when I got home, which he never uses. Is it possible he's also going into brumation even though he's a bit young for that?
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

I am glad to hear you did get some calcium water into him. He is too young to go into a
brumation phase, yes & especially with him having some problems right now also.
The reflective backing will just help increase the overall UVB emissions & will help to
direct the UVB rays downward onto your little one, also.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie
 

Ash1

Member
Original Poster
I got him the Reptisun 10 today and put it in the hood and mounted underneath the lid. Works well. Thanks for the help.

Ash does not seem well today. He is refusing all food and hasn't eaten anything today. I was able to pry open his mouth and thought he might like a bit of blueberry, but he spit it all out. Now I'm trying with a cricket and can't even pry open his mouth. I was able to get him to drink just a bit of his calcium water with the syringe.

He's just been laying on the ground of his enclosure today, he isn't moving much at all, not even wanting to bask. He did poop a bit.

It's so strange because just the day before this happened, he had such a great busy day! Was running around, hung out with me most of the day, had a bath... I just don't understand.

I'm not sure what to do at this point... :( :(
 
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Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
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