Constant black beard, sunken eyes, not eating, and lethargic

My beardie Carla is around 9 years old and ive had her since she was just a month old. She lives in a 36” x 18” x 12” tank with a UVB and heat bulb. The basking side is typically around 95 degrees Fahrenheit and the cool side is around 76. She was acting normally earlier this week, but yesterday i noticed that she stopped eating. I tried giving her pea sprouts and offered crickets but she wouldnt take anything. Last night she threw up some blueberries i had given her the day before. Really not normal because she never throws up her food. Today her beard has been black all day and now her eyes have sunken in a bit. I gave her a warm bath which normally she absolutely hates and thrashes about trying to escape, but she just sat there which is also not normal for her! Ive read around the internet and it seems that dehydration might be the cause. Ive tried giving her water on the nose but she wont lap it up. Im considering using an oral syringe to give her water directly. I dont know what else to do. I would like to take her to a vet but they can be pretty expensive and i want to make sure the problem isnt something i can fix. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Please review your tank husbandry first ---- we need to see what she has for lighting -- I know you said she is 9 but that is usually the first thing asked ---- how are you taking your basking temps ? If shes not drinking when offering water its something else --- what do her poops look like - are they moist firm and dark along w/ the urate? moist firm and white or are they runny? How old is the UVB and what is it ? Brand and bulb please--------------where in the tank is it positioned ? on top of screen or inside the tank ? If you can post a pic of her and her tank / lighting that would be most helpful
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/click on XIMG at top of message box then the pic
Karrie

I use reptisun 10.0 bulbs for UVB and exo terra infrared bulbs for heat. I use a wall mounted thermostat for temp on the heat side. She hasnt pooped much today besides a little bit of watery urate. Usually her poops are dark, firm with a urate, which is also firm, but occasionally both are a little runny. I replaced the UVB bulb a few months ago. All light fixtures are on top of the screen.
Im going to head out the store tomorrow to see if she will eat some superworms, which are her favorite. I hope to take her to a vet soon if she doesnt get better.

What is in the domes -- a basking bulb and a UVB???? If its the 13 watt UVB that is the issue here --- you need to get a TUBE fixture w/ a reflector and a T 8 or a T 5 ---- I would do this ASAP----- and the red bulb you need to get rid of that as well --- they are harmful to their eyes and can cause long term eye damage --- dragons sleep in the dark and like it cool which brings me to the dial thermometer on the side of the tank which is inaccurate of basking temps-- you need to get a digital probe from Petco or Petsmart for $5 and I would recommend a infrared heat gun from your local home improvement store -- $10-12 --- you will use it! Basking temps should be 95-105 for her --- what size tank is she in?
Karrie

Poor Carla, she does look very ill. : ( Sunken eyes and vomiting in a beardie , especially an older one are usually kind of serious. Not to scare you but strangely enough stomach cancer in beardies is not uncommon . Hopefully it's something far less serious. BTW have you always had the red heat light ? EDIT...I see Karrie is mentioning the uvb bulb but that would not cause sudden sickness like this, especially if that's what you've used all her life.

I have uvb in one dome and a heat bulb in the other, both are reflective. i had recently transitioned to the red bulb several months back after i couldnt find the ones i normally use, but i dont think thats the issue here. The dimensions of the tank are 36” x 18” x 12”, i believe 40 gallons total. Im very concerned by how suddenly she declined. Im really worried for my girl . Is there anything i can do besides changing the lights to help her out? I of course want to get those fixed but her lethargy and sickly behavior doesnt seem to be from the lights as they have been in place for quite a bit.

As AHBD mentioned there is something else going on w / her its best to make a vet appt -- here is a website to find a vet in your area if you dont have one already --- but please get rid of the red bulb they are harmful to her eyes and she needs to sleep in the dark ----------- the black beard is not a good sign ---- she will need a good UVB tho so I would look at getting that changed out ---
https://arav.org/
Karrie

I concur, she's in a bad way and I think this is a vet emergency …. I wouldn't be delaying getting her the vet to assess her very thoroughly and determine exactly what is going on , bloods, swabs to test for infection and id the most effective antiobiotics , fecals, xrays , the full battery .

Then you will know if she has a chance of recovering her health and having a good quality of life.
At the moment she's suffering and is critically ill.

Ditch the red globe replace it with a colorless basking globe.

Upgrade her UV.

A vet check ASAP is the best thing, be sure they are experienced with reptiles . And changing the red to a bright white heat bulb [ and be sure the temps. not too hot in the tank ] Best wishes to you + Carla .

Thank you guys so much for the advice. Im going to try to set an appointment up for tomorrow. I hope she hangs in there. I’ll post updates on how she does.

Hello,

Poor Carla, she is very ill. She may be having kidney or liver issues. As AHBD said,
stomach cancer has increased in the last few years.
How long has her beard been that black? If her eyes are sunken she is having a hard
time maintaining her hydration status.
I hope you are able to get her into a vet quickly. I will be thinking about you both & hope
things get better for her. Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

Im so sorry to tell you all this but she passed away last night. I cant even describe how horrible i feel. I should have called a vet sooner. I miss my baby so much. I had her for over half of my life. I’m going to bury her today. Im sorry everyone.

I am so sorry!
Karrie

Aw, I'm really sorry to hear this and feel very sad for you. Don't feel guilty at all, we don't rush to the Dr. if we vomit or if our dog/cat vomits so how would you have known and anyway she was dying at that point and no vet could have saved her. She was 9 years old, obviously had a good life and most likely developed kidney disease [ just like humans ] or my best guess is cancer because it pops up in the forums pretty common and these are the signs, like Carla had. Carla was well loved + well cared for and thankfully she did not suffer + linger with her illness. You were a good beardie parent.

So sorry to hear. I had been watching this thread since yesterday but didnt chime in as you were already getting good advice. But I did agree with the other posters. She was 9 years old. That's quite a good age for a dragon. Sometimes their bodies just shut down with age and there isnt really anything you can do about it.

You had 9 great years with her. I know it's hard but just try to remember those years and not beat yourself up over this. There was nothing you or a vet could have done.

-Brandon