SICK BEARDIE

My BD "Buddy" has been acting strange for over 3 weeks. He won't eat, he is sluggish and losing weight. I hand fed him about 3 days ago crickets. Apparently he ate them, but now he is not and feeding. He is skinny and has a black area under his head. I don't know his age exactly, but I had him about 3 years or so, the guy I got him for had him for a few months and who knows before that. He was near a foot when I got him. Maybe he is old, but it only seemed to happen within the past month he stopped eating. Any ideas? I have an amphibian style heat lamp, change water daily, sometimes twice, I have fed him meal worms in the past, but he always loved crickets. He does not eat the veggies I give him. I am lost and am praying he will come out of it, but it doesn't look well. I do not know of any reptile vets in the area. Please advise me. Thanks I am near tears. He is my pal, he also loves Red Sox baseball and watches TV with me while sitting on my shoulder.

Thanks

What are the temps of the basking area and the cool area? Reptiles need high temperatures to digest their food properly, improper heating and they lose their appetite. How are you measuring your temperatures? Stick on thermom? Digital probe?
Also, you mentioned no UBV light, do you have one? if so what sort? Coil, compact or flourescent tube? Can he get within 6-8 inches of it?
UBV light is INCREDIBLY important. In the wild, beardies get extreme amounts of UV from sunlight, and thus have adapted to living with it. It helps their bodies produce the calcium and vitamins they need, without it, they get ill, lethargic, and can develop MBD, metabolic bone disease. Not good.
A sign that a beardie is feeling unwell is that it stops eating, so tell us about its habitat, and we'll try to get to the bottom of it and make buddy feel better

How is Buddy doing? It is important to go over your cage set up and husbandry to see if there is an environmental cause. Has he pooped lately? Is he feeding any better? Let us know how we can help!

Buddy is nearly lifeless at this time. I hold him to comfort him, but it doesn't seem to help. I know he recognizes me when I hold him against me. At this moment, he is over the water bowl I have for him. I am checking to see if he drinks. I tried to feed him a cricket, but he kept closing his mouth. I guess nature will have to take it's course, though I want it to be the other way. He is almost a foot long, in a 20 gallon aquarium, I clean it as often as possible, a red heat lamp is on 24/7 and a uv light is above. Not sure what the next step is.

He has not pooped in the last several days as he has not had intake from what I see.

Dont worry too much, Im sure it can be sorted out.
My beardies are extremely fussy and the slightest change can cause them to be put off eating.

Well first things first.
Do not keep the lights on at night.
Dragons prefer TOTAL darkness, and NEED it, so they can get a good sleep. Without a good nap their immune systems dont funtion properly. They dont need either the UV or the red lamp on all the time.
About 12 hours on, 12 hours off.
He may even just be tired from lack of sleep! Turn them off tonight so he can rest.

Secondly, he sounds like he is an older dragon.
Now, as dragons are cold blooded creatures, they do not need to eat food to keep themselves warm, unlike we do. If we dont eat food we die because we cant maintain our body temps.
Dragons get their heat from the sun, and most of their FOOD is used for GROWTH, not maintaining their body temps.
So TEMPERATURE is really important. Check the temps under the light, on the basking spot. It should be around 100 degrees F.
Maybe replace the bulb.
If its any reassurance, most adult bearded dragons don't eat every day, sometimes not at all in a week, because they get their energy from the light. And they dont usually eat live food as much, mostly greens, so make sure theres loads of them. Favourites are: Collared greens, mustard greens, squash.
Try putting some chicken baby food (or something similar) (softened and warmed slightly in the microwave) on the end of his nose carefully. He will probably lick it off, and get a taste for it, this may help his appetite.
Avoid spinach, lettuce and cabbage.


Thirdly, dragons get lethargic and motionless if their calcium levels are low. They get their calicum via their food, but the UV light makes their bodies process it.
Make sure he can get about 8 inches away from the UV light.
Make sure it is a ReptiSun 10 flourescent tube, its one of the only safe brands for dragons. And if you haven't replaced the light in about 6 months, then do so straight away, with the ReptiSun 10 flourescent tube.
Dust some of the food in Calcium supplement every day.
Both the UV light and the calcium supplement are easy to find and relatively cheap.

A few more things you could try are running a warm bath up to his shoulders and soaking him in it for 15 minutes, this will help him absorb water if you are worried about dehydration.
Adult dragons dont usually poo every day either, so dont panic if he doesnt.

They usually live for a good few years, so I dont think old age is an issue if hes only about 3years old

Hope that helps!

ANY questions please PM me, and reply soon, keep us posted.

You have been given some great info, please do your best to follow it. It's very possible that he is dehydrated and since he hasn't pooped, would be a good idea to give him a bath in a transparent container or sink. Be sure to put a washcloth down to give him something to hang on to. Test the water temp by the inside of your wrist, should be warm but not hot. Add enough water to cover his front legs and don't be surprised if he puts his head down to get a drink. Good luck and please keep us updated.

Thanks wow Never seen so many people love BD's. There are good people out there. I soaked him in the tub for a short time, then put him back in his home under warm heat lamp. I will keep a close eye on him. Darkness, ok, I will try it. Thanks all.

Hello,

Please keep us posted on your dragon.
As already instructed, a bright white light such as a halogen is best so turn off the red light during the day & replace it with a bright white light. The UVB light is crucial for his health, as well.
The recommended basking temps are 95-110 & on the cooler end around 78-82. It is best measured with either a digital probe or a temp gun. If you are using a stick on type of thermometer, it will not be accurate for your basking spot.
Are you supplementing calcium several times per week? If not, he does need that even at 3 or so years old, to help maintain his bones. Repcal calcium is the best powdered calcium & you can get that from http://www.reptilesupply.com or your petstore nearby usually carries that too, but it is more expensive there.


Tracie

Thanks so much. I fear the worst, but I will hope and pray he will be okay. Thanks again!

I think I lost him. I am praying I haven't.

Oh gee, please keep us updated, hope he is ok.

Did you make any of the changes that were suggested besides the bath? Did you replace the red bulb with a bright white one? You didn't fill us in on your temps, what thermometer you're using, UVB light or basking bulb wattage, supplement, etc. All of these things can affect their total health.

I soaked him a bit in the tub, darkened the area a bit, used a spray bottle with room temperature water to mist him real fine. He still opens his mouth and appears sleeping. Could I be going nuts for no reason? My son will keep an eye on him after school and let me know his status. :roll: :? :? :? :? :? :?

Did he eat anything today? If not, I think you should start feeding chicken babyfood (a small amt) mixed in with some squash, garden vegetable or green bean babyfood with a little water to thin it. You can use a plastic medicine dropper and put drops on his nose for him to lick off.

Please answer the questions as soon as you can, sometimes making small changes makes a BIG difference. Are you using a coil or compact UVB bulb?

My UV light is like a fluro type. He had no problems these past 4 yrs, now suddenly, wham.