please help

ok i have some questions about my beardie its been fine sence i got it but lately its been really sluggish all it wants to do is sleep (it gets plenty of sleep a night) and it can barly keep it right eye open it eats fine it eats crickets and vegatables its basking zone is a solid 100F and the cool zone is probably 85F theres no exotic pet vet around here so if anyone could provide some information that would be great i can give any specific information you need upon request

Hello, Im Liz,
How old is your beardie? What kind of UVB light do you use, and how close to it can it get?
Do you dust any of the feedings with calcium and D3 supplements?
Sometimes dragons get lethargic and relucant to move when they have a lack of calcium in their diet.
The fact that its eating regularly is a good sign.

Liz

hey the uvb light if the one that came with my bearded dragon setup its a zilla bulb also my beardie slept from like 5:30 yesterday till 1:30 today and all it still wants to do is sleep and no i dont dust them in calcium stuff because i dont reallly know what that is i think my pet store has it but im not sure

EDIT: im not sure how old the beardie is i bought it back in early november and its about 14 inches if that helps

Are you in the Uk or USA?
If in the UK please replace that bulb with Arcadia 12% D3.
If in USA please replace that bulb with ReptiSun 10 (not reptiglo).
Or either would be fine, they are just the easiest to get hold of in whichever country you are! And are relatively inexpensive and last for 6-10 months.
Make sure the lizard can get within 8 inches of the bulb.
They emmit relatively no heat so if youre stuck for fixtures you can even leave the bulb close to the dragon on the floor of one side of the viv, until you figure out a permanent solution. As long as it can get close enough to it.
If you havent replaced the bulb since you got the lizard then you probably should anyway.
Sounds like your dragon is not a youngster, meaning that if he has been exposed to bad UV lighting since he was born (its usually not your fault, most pet shops/unexperienced owners dont know exactly the right kind of lighting to use, and shops sometimes even use the lowest lighting possible as it is cheaper for them and makes the dragon stay small, so they dont have to use as much food) then he is probably showing signs of calcium deficiency.

It makes the dragons tired and lethargic because they have difficulty moving their legs, and in serious cases calcium defficiency can cause MBD (metabolic bone disease).

You see, in the wild they are exposed to mass amounts of sunlight. Thus they have adapted to survive in those conditions. The UV in sunlight helps them process calcium in their body. A UVB light simulates the sun, and thus allows them to produce calicum. Poor UV lighting can cause all sorts of problems.

Calcium supplements are relatively easy to use and find, and cheap. It comes as a dust, ususally a white powder. In UK id reccomend NutroBall, as it supplies Calcium, D3, and multivitamins, but almost identical products can be found in any good reptile or pet shop.
Basically, the standard way to feed a dragon is to give it as much LIVE food as it will eat in 5 minutes, and repeat this 3 times a day. Well, when its young anyway. If yours is still eating a lot of crickets continue to do this.

When its young, 1 feeding out of the 3 a day is dusted with calcium/supplement, 6 days a week.

For your beardie Id say dust 2 out of the 3 feedings with a little calcium, to help pick up its levels.
If it doesnt eat that many crix then dust whatever it will eat. And sprinkle a little on the veg. (make sure youre not giving it spinach or cabbage, these can bind to calcium and make it so the dragon cant absorb it right, just adding to the problems.)
But most importantly, get that bulb sorted out.
Changing that, making sure he can get within 8 inches of it, and dusting your crickets with calcium supplements 2 out of every 3 feedings should see an improvement over the next few days or weeks.
And if it doesnt seem to be helping, then try to get him to a vet, as it could be MBD.
The faster you act the better

hope this helps!

LIZ

i live in the usa the uvb bulb is fairly new my beardies condition s worstening im going to get some of that calcium powder stuff probably on wednesday im getting a new tank for it tommrrow i noticed a lump on the left side of my beardies body it kinda buldges out

The UV is important, ReptiSun 10 is the best make. Make sure that when you replace it, you get that brand.
How close can the dragon get to the UV?

Is it a hard lump when you touch it? Or is is just a soft lump under his skin on his belly that is poking out?
Sometimes when my dragons eat a lot of food or dont chew it right, they get small lumps poking out the side of their belly, especially when they lay down, but it usually passes as they digest the food.
Try giving it a warm bath. Run some warm water in a bath up to its shoulders, and soak it for 15 minutes. Check the temperature with your wrist, make sure it is warm but not too hot.
This should help the dragon digest the food and also get rehydrated.
Dragons usually poop when they are in the bath!

ok its the softt lump you were talking about ill give it a bath also i dont think i can get that kind of uv bulb i have never seeen a uv bulb at the lps and the ones at pet stores in other towns only have the bulbs i have

You can order it online http://www.petmountain.com
its cheap and anyway youll have to replace the bulb soon so you might as well get the best one.
How close is your dragon to the UVB? You haven't answered this, its pretty important

sorry its about 6 inches or less i can provide pics if you give me a email address also i gave my beardie a bath and he hated it he didnt poop but he looks a lot more awake

Well thats a good distance!
It takes a while for them to get used to baths, just leave them in there even if they dont like it much. Just make sure the water is warm and up to their shoulders, and put a wash cloth at the bottom of the bath so they can grip on to it.
He might have been a bit dehydrated then?
Give him a bath for about 15 minutes daily. They absorb water through the vent at the base of their tails so that will really help get him hydrated! Dragons are supposed to have a bath about every 3 days or so. If you make it a routine they will get used to it.
How were you hydrating him before?

Good news that he is more awake!

Don't forget the calcium supplements

ok well he is back to being sleepy now thats the first bath he has ever got im so worried about him im getting him a 55 gallon tank tomorrow that should make him happy im getting some of that calcium power i put on crickets soon how much do 55 gallon tanks normally cost because im getting mine for $70 also i have never seen him drink out of his water bowl and i bought a water dropped but it doesnt drink from that ethir so maybe you could give me some advice

Well the bath is a good start!
Having standing water in the tank isnt usually a good idea. It breeds bacteria really quickly and unless youre cleaning it out everyday its not good.
Plus it gets cold quickly, and lizards dont usually lap up water like dogs. The best way to hydrate them is to give them a warm bath. They soak, which helps their skin shed, and also they absorb tons of water.
Get a spray bottle too!
Gently spray his nose a few times a day, so water droplets are on his nose, and he will lap them off if he is thirsty. If he keeps lapping keep spraying the water on him a few times. The spray bottle is great because you can spray his veggies too so he can get moisture when he eats them!
If thats the first bath hes had, and you havent seen him drink from his bowl, then he is probably dehydrated.
Lizards dont usually see standing water as drinkable. He might just be thirsty
And about your other question on Vivs, Im not so sure because I live in England. That sounds about right though.

yeah i clean out his water bowel he has hermit crab calci sand for sub right now (is way finer the regular calci sand and i also feed my beardie in a seperete tank) but i read this is dangerous so im not going to use any sub in the 55 gall also i can then feed it in the 55 gallon and run around and get them (i feed it in a 10 gallon and it never has to move lol) thanks for telling me they can drink in the bath that helps a lot have spray bottle for my tarantulas and i sprayed his nose a couple times before but i stopped when i got a water dropper because i can just drop a water drop on its nose i also spray his veggies and most of the time hand feed them to him annd i thought it was a pretty good deal for me at least cuz the LPS is selling a 55 gallon for $168

That all sounds pretty good to me.
Try using tiles as a substrate, they are easy to clean, not dangerous, and wear down his claws .
I used the water dropper for a while, but found the spray works really good because it actually covers his entire head and he realizes he is getting wet and starts drinking. When I used the dropper, he didnt even notice the water was on his head!
So try misting him with the spray for a while and see if it works.
Keep us updated on him!

you want me to mist his whole head doesnt that bother his eyes?