a few questions please

before I start, please DO NOT judge, DO NOT hate me please, UNDERSTAND I am trying my best and I mean NO HARM to you and the bearded dragon world :|

lately I’ve noticed a few changes in my beardie JIMMIA, I do not know if it’s my imagination or I am reading or watching into things so much and it’s concerned me!

so let’s talk the ——> TOPIC: MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease) and seizures


> I have JIMMIA in a 4ft long, 2ft high and 2ft wide tank,

> he has water with a little neutraliser in it which is changed every 2 days,

> he has crickets, he has boc choy/ apple/ squash/ carrot/ strawberries/ super worms/ woodies- roaches! I change them everyday and take out the old BUT he doesn’t touch the fruit or vegetables - he only goes for the worms and doesn’t touch the crickets or woodies/ roaches! and sometimes I help mist him so he can drink as I do not know if he drinks on his own when I’m not around!

> his lights are usually a 14 hour time period, I usually turn them on around 7am in the morning and turn them back off when I get home at night at around 10pm!

> his tank is usually around 30 degrees, I do not keep track of it so I can not evaluate what the average temperature would be like in there!

> I take him for walks out in public so he gets some natural sunlight and he seems to enjoy it but around 5-30pm in the afternoon he is usually trying to hide in my/ his hat and goes to sleep and at home he usually is asleep by 5-30 6pm if I don’t take him uptown!

> I pick him up all the time, he seems so placid, easy going, doesn’t want to run off if put him on the table or the ground or leave him unattended outside of his tank etc

so NOW MY CONCERNS

> lately he is sometimes not all the time, say about 10% of the time he squirms and twist his body awkwardly so IS HE OKAY? WHY IS HE DOING THIS? I pick him up from the body and make sure both hands are secure when holding him!

> as mentioned above he is not eating all of his food so WHY IS THIS? I know they all got own appetite and eat what they want when they’re hungry

> why is he so placid, nothing bother him and will let strangers hold him? is it because I pick him up and talk to him everyday? but note he has always been this way since day one and has never thought about running, he just tries snuggling up to my chin when laying in bed patting him!

> it’s hard to video record but his head is slightly twitching and he closes his eyes when I give him pats- so does this mean he enjoying it?

> he also doesn’t beard much at me anymore, I guess because I taught him no and stop, so did I do wrong?

> he has been around 140 to 145 grams and around 35 centimetres for the past month and not grown or gotten any fatter so is he okay? I know I’ve seen him eat but he is not eating a lot like how you all mention (50 crickets a day)

> I’ve only seen him walk to my mum and brother about 4 times, and I do not know if normal but looks like he wobbled but he gets there, so is that normal if they don’t walk far?

> when I bath him in a little warm water he seems to sometimes duck his head under water or he tries to head but the side of the container but I reassure him that it’s okay - is that normal?

> when should they poop? I’ve not seen a poop for about 3 days and he usually goes about 2 times a week when I bath him

> I have never given him any calcium powder, well I have but over the crickets and he never wants to eat them so is there any other way I can try give it to him?

> I’ve had him 11 months as of the 3rd of April / he will be 1 year in his terms as I don’t really know how old he was when I got him as I didn’t get him from a breeder, I found him on the road on the walk home one nigh so is he older enough to brumate this year?

so anyway that’s all I can think of, I’m sorry if I’m stupid or doing wrong, please do not hate me, I’m only trying my best and still learning everyday! :|

I will try to answer all of your questions but some of them will most likely be repeat answers because a lot of issues in dragons are from two main things. Improper lighting and improper temperature.

JIMMIA":u2y7wrw2 said:

> his tank is usually around 30 degrees, I do not keep track of it so I can not evaluate what the average temperature would be like in there!
First issue. You need to KNOW the temperatures. You can not be guessing. You need to know the basking SURFACE, the hot side, and the cool side temps.

> I take him for walks out in public so he gets some natural sunlight and he seems to enjoy it but around 5-30pm in the afternoon he is usually trying to hide in my/ his hat and goes to sleep and at home he usually is asleep by 5-30 6pm if I don’t take him uptown!
Outdoor time is fine, but it's no replacement for 12-14 hours a day of proper lighting in the enclosure. Unless you are leaving him outside for that long.

so NOW MY CONCERNS

> lately he is sometimes not all the time, say about 10% of the time he squirms and twist his body awkwardly so IS HE OKAY? WHY IS HE DOING THIS? I pick him up from the body and make sure both hands are secure when holding him!
Would you describe the twisting and squirms as involuntary? Like you would describe a seizure being involuntary, or is it just kinda twitchy. Either way, not a good sign.

> as mentioned above he is not eating all of his food so WHY IS THIS? I know they all got own appetite and eat what they want when they’re hungry
Most likely because his temperatures and lighting isn't proper. Dragons (along with many reptiles) rely heavily on proper lighting for almost every single bodily function.

> why is he so placid, nothing bother him and will let strangers hold him? is it because I pick him up and talk to him everyday? but note he has always been this way since day one and has never thought about running, he just tries snuggling up to my chin when laying in bed patting him!
Some dragons are just mellow. It could also be because he is weak from improper husbandry.

> it’s hard to video record but his head is slightly twitching and he closes his eyes when I give him pats- so does this mean he enjoying it?
Up for debate. Twitching is never a good sign, but closing the eyes when the head is getting rubbed is common.

> he also doesn’t beard much at me anymore, I guess because I taught him no and stop, so did I do wrong?
Nope!

> he has been around 140 to 145 grams and around 35 centimetres for the past month and not grown or gotten any fatter so is he okay? I know I’ve seen him eat but he is not eating a lot like how you all mention (50 crickets a day)
How old is he? A Young dragon should definitely be putting on weight over the course of a month. And an older dragon should definitely weigh more than 145g. My dragon that is less than 2 months old is coming up fast on 13 inches

> I’ve only seen him walk to my mum and brother about 4 times, and I do not know if normal but looks like he wobbled but he gets there, so is that normal if they don’t walk far?
if he is having difficulty walking, that is 99% going to relate back to improper temperatures and improper lighting.

> when I bath him in a little warm water he seems to sometimes duck his head under water or he tries to head but the side of the container but I reassure him that it’s okay - is that normal?
I don't know if I'd say normal. They will dip their heads in to drink, but none of mine have ever put their heads completely under and just left it there.

> when should they poop? I’ve not seen a poop for about 3 days and he usually goes about 2 times a week when I bath him
A young growing dragon should be going every day.

> I have never given him any calcium powder, well I have but over the crickets and he never wants to eat them so is there any other way I can try give it to him?
calcium can be sprinkled on greens too. If his appetite was greater he most likely would eat the dusted crickets too.

> I’ve had him 11 months as of the 3rd of April / he will be 1 year in his terms as I don’t really know how old he was when I got him as I didn’t get him from a breeder, I found him on the road on the walk home one nigh so is he older enough to brumate this year?
wow ok I, I've been working my way down the list without prereading it. I was under the assumption we were dealing with a young dragon.
While he is old enough to brumate, I don't know if such an immaturely developed dragon would.

so anyway that’s all I can think of, I’m sorry if I’m stupid or doing wrong, please do not hate me, I’m only trying my best and still learning everyday! :|

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No one is going to hate you or think you're stupid. We are here to help and we can't help anyone if they are afraid to ask. So I, and everyone else here, should be very happy that you are coming here for help.

Now let me ask you some questions and follow it up with some advice.

You have a bulb producing heat. Do you have a uvb bulb at all?
You NEED one. You need to get a reptisun 10.0, a reptisun 10.0 T5 HO, or the arcadia 12%. Note these are all fluorescent fixtures, not bulbs you screw into domes.

You NEED to get an IR thermometer, or a digital thermometer with probe end. Get both if you want. Temperatures are just as important as remembering to feed your dragon. You can not guess at it, you need to know. Without the proper temperature, your dragon won't digest properly. Which means it won't absorb all the nutrients it needs.

It sounds like your dragon is suffering from the effects of improper lighting, and poor temperatures. And that has clearly caused a stunt in growth (which can be reversible, seen it happen plenty of times) and has most likely caused MBD, but to what degree I don't know.

The advice I gave about the uvb bulb and the thermometers are not suggestions. They are something you NEED to address if you want your dragon to turn around and start living a happy long life.

We have other suggestions we can make but you really need to focus on those first two needs today.

-Brandon

thank you very much for all your input and taking the time to answer my questions Brandon so let me try answer you back -

1) yes I ordered a reptisun T5 about 2 weeks ago (I’m awaiting for it in the mail as we speak),
2) he is usually outside of his enclosure for about 5 hours when I take him for walks he just sits on my shoulder or he climbs into my/ his hat when I take off my hat
3) the twisting doesn’t happen all the time it’s not a regular occurrence it just happens sometimes so I would not be concerned as it could of been him just trying to get a grip or a better position
4) okay I will try dust his vegetables with a little calcium powder but remember I said he doesn’t touch them much he has always been like that way since I’ve had him as a baby
5) the twitching is just him trying to move around and curl up on my hand or just trying to get a better grip
6) as I said he is 11 months in my terms but could be 1 year in his life as he was only a very tiny baby weighing 5 grams and about 12 centimetres when I got him and also - I am from Australia the land where they originate from so it could be each dragon is different but from what I’m told he looks central but he also looks like a dwarf central and he is not a leatherback or smooth, he a little rough and always a grey even when he peels
7) I have never seen them walk so it was my first time seeing him walk outside of the enclosure and he is always in different spots of tank so I guess he knows how to walk and he also climbs on top of his log so nothing wrong with his hands and feet as far I’m guessing

anyway I hope I answered you, if need me try give a little more information i will try but as far I’m concerned that’s all I can see and think of

here is a recent photo of him today on the 24 of March to when I got him

today
June last year

sorry :|

That's great news about the reptisun you've ordered. It will be a big improvement.
Have you been able to get a thermometer yet? They have become so cheap nowadays. I just bought a two back of digital with probe ends from Amazon for less than $10. But if you have a petstore near you you should be able to find something.

He does look happy cuddling with you in the picture

And it is hard to tell from the pictures what he is. He doesnt look full eastern to me but he could potentially be a mix.

As far as the dusting and salads, I really do think his appetite will grow once you get the reptisun and once we make any adjustments to your temperature, if needed.

-Brandon

It could be temps and lighting and, the new one should fix most of it as long as you ordered to 10.0 to put in the fixture (reptisun comes with a 5.0).
It could also in part be puberty, they tend to get weird around that age, LOL!!!
Can you post a pic of his current setup, this will help us determine if there are other issues that we can see, that you can't pick up on?
And, We would never Hate you buddy!!!!

How's everything been going the past few days?

-Brandon

thank you very much again he is going good I guess, he’s been very gentle, he’s been sleeping off and on through out the day, he sleeps in awkward positions and still eating his worms here is a recent photo of him today