Please please help me. I think that my Beardie Norbert is really sick.
Norbert is a 4 year old bearded dragon. I adopted him from another family a few months ago and he has been a dream. He loves to cuddle and explore and run around. But the past two weeks have been really concerning. I moved him to my new apartment where he got a tank upgrade. Hes now in a 75 gallon tank as opposed to the 40 gallon he was in. But once he got here, he started acting weird. At first I thought it was relocation stress but now I'm not too sure, he's not usually this stressed for that long.
On Tuesday 6/22 Norbert started coughing in his cage. I never heard a lizard cough before so I knew it wasn't good. He was coughing for about 4 hours off and on but calmed down when I took him out of his cage to run around. I saw his humidity levels were a little high in the new tank so I went and got a dehumidifier for him to bring them down.
Following that Tuesday, he has been lethargic and lazy and stressed. He is extremely dark in color and has stress marks all over. He has been eating his insects and some veggies (he's really bad with them) which will sometimes perk him up but not that much. I was leaving him in his cage at this time to try and get him acclimated and not stress him out more than he was.
Then on Sunday 6/27 I took him out to try and get him moving and just give him some cuddles. He was perking up a bit and wanting to crawl around which was great. But then he saw his reflection in the mirror and became super freaked out. He puffed up and went black and wanting to attack himself. I got concerned so I blocked off the mirror for him. I then tried to pick him up to put him back but he puffed up on me so I let him chill for a while. I tried again later and he puffed up but I picked him up anyway and put him back. He has never puffed up at me before.
Since then he has still been dark and stressed and lethargic in his cage. He isn't basking that much. He finally pooped after a week on 6/28 but he just was lying right next to it, didnt even move. And now today 7/1 I just walked in to check on him and he was asleep in his hammock at 1 pm. He never does that. I am really concerned that something has happened.
I have an appointment at the vet on 7/5 but I am worried that he won't do well over the next 4 days and will somehow die. I am also worried he won't let me pick him up to take him to the vet on 7/5 or that they will want a fecal sample and I won't have one because he doesn't poop too often (except he did poop last night) Please if anyone has any insight on what to do please help. I am so concerned.
Tank Set up:
75 watt heat lamp
T10 UVB bulb in tube form
75 gallon tank, 21 inches tall, 18 inches deep, 48 inches long
Current Basking temperature (measured with probe): 105 F, usually ranges between 97-105
Cool side temperature: 82 F
Humidity: 35%
Diet:
Protein: Crickets, Dubia Roaches, super worms, horn worms for treats
Veggies: brussel sprouts, clover, dandelions, zucchini, peppers. I try a lot of other veggies but he is absolutely terrible about it. He barely eats these.
Fruit: occasional flowers, blueberries, raspberries, mango, strawberry
Calcium supplements
I also should mention that on 6/16 Norbert did eat a honey bee while we were in my yard with our clovers. But he seemed fine afterwards and went to eat some more clovers and even tried to catch another (which I stopped).
Norbert is a 4 year old bearded dragon. I adopted him from another family a few months ago and he has been a dream. He loves to cuddle and explore and run around. But the past two weeks have been really concerning. I moved him to my new apartment where he got a tank upgrade. Hes now in a 75 gallon tank as opposed to the 40 gallon he was in. But once he got here, he started acting weird. At first I thought it was relocation stress but now I'm not too sure, he's not usually this stressed for that long.
On Tuesday 6/22 Norbert started coughing in his cage. I never heard a lizard cough before so I knew it wasn't good. He was coughing for about 4 hours off and on but calmed down when I took him out of his cage to run around. I saw his humidity levels were a little high in the new tank so I went and got a dehumidifier for him to bring them down.
Following that Tuesday, he has been lethargic and lazy and stressed. He is extremely dark in color and has stress marks all over. He has been eating his insects and some veggies (he's really bad with them) which will sometimes perk him up but not that much. I was leaving him in his cage at this time to try and get him acclimated and not stress him out more than he was.
Then on Sunday 6/27 I took him out to try and get him moving and just give him some cuddles. He was perking up a bit and wanting to crawl around which was great. But then he saw his reflection in the mirror and became super freaked out. He puffed up and went black and wanting to attack himself. I got concerned so I blocked off the mirror for him. I then tried to pick him up to put him back but he puffed up on me so I let him chill for a while. I tried again later and he puffed up but I picked him up anyway and put him back. He has never puffed up at me before.
Since then he has still been dark and stressed and lethargic in his cage. He isn't basking that much. He finally pooped after a week on 6/28 but he just was lying right next to it, didnt even move. And now today 7/1 I just walked in to check on him and he was asleep in his hammock at 1 pm. He never does that. I am really concerned that something has happened.
I have an appointment at the vet on 7/5 but I am worried that he won't do well over the next 4 days and will somehow die. I am also worried he won't let me pick him up to take him to the vet on 7/5 or that they will want a fecal sample and I won't have one because he doesn't poop too often (except he did poop last night) Please if anyone has any insight on what to do please help. I am so concerned.
Tank Set up:
75 watt heat lamp
T10 UVB bulb in tube form
75 gallon tank, 21 inches tall, 18 inches deep, 48 inches long
Current Basking temperature (measured with probe): 105 F, usually ranges between 97-105
Cool side temperature: 82 F
Humidity: 35%
Diet:
Protein: Crickets, Dubia Roaches, super worms, horn worms for treats
Veggies: brussel sprouts, clover, dandelions, zucchini, peppers. I try a lot of other veggies but he is absolutely terrible about it. He barely eats these.
Fruit: occasional flowers, blueberries, raspberries, mango, strawberry
Calcium supplements
I also should mention that on 6/16 Norbert did eat a honey bee while we were in my yard with our clovers. But he seemed fine afterwards and went to eat some more clovers and even tried to catch another (which I stopped).