Please help..

Nicky101":2joklkc0 said:

Hi guys
I am really out of options, googled everything regarding rankins and bearded dragons. I am not sure which one i have, so i attached some photos.
If you can please let me know which one i have. <<<< looks like a central to me .... can you get a photo of the top of his head and neck ? will be able to tell for sure from the looks of that.

I have had bearded dragons before, but none of them reacted like stitch, that i have now.

Once i got him, i got a basking light and i have the repti zoo light, 10.0 UVB that the guy at the petshop said i should get. I am giving him crickets, small ones and his salad is the mixed herb salad i get from the store - as i have used it for my previous beardies as well. I also give him calcium +D3 and dust his crickets with it once a day. Its still summer in south africa, i got him in December so i dont have the ceramic heater light as yet. Will buy it shortly though. The heat in his cage and humidity is perfect. He does have a waterbowl in his tank as well, we change the water every day. He likes taking baths in there and when he feels impacted, he goes into the waterbowl by himself, he lays in there for about 5min and poops.. <<< very typical beardie .... doesn't take them long to discoved poos submerged in the water don't stink as bad . Remove the water dish as it's becoming a biohazard and a breeding ground or viruses and bacteria .... not good.

My problem is, although since my previous experience regarding bearded dragons and reading up more about them, there seems to be something wrong with stich, and i don't know what to do.

It seems, whenever he runs too fast, gets a fright or eat his crickets out of the tongs i feed him with too fast it's like he gets a spasm/seizure of some sort. Sometimes only his back legs go stiff, but other times his front legs as well.. i dont know how to explain it correctly, but his front legs pulls stiff to the back, his beard goes black and it takes him 30 seconds then everything is back to normal.. <<<< it's likely the crickets are too large for him and are hurting nerves in his neck as they are swallowed : make sure no criclets are LONGER than the space between his eyes , go down a size if necessary , pace the eating of his crickets so he doesn't guzzle them down too quickly too.. it hasn't happened a lot, but seems to be more frequently now.. and whenever that happens i can see that he is in pain but i cant help him when its happening.. He doesn't like us touching him or taking him out of the cage, we do try to give him lots of attention so that he gets used to being handled but he doesn't want any of it..

<<< might be worth buying some BSF maggots to use as staples in stead of or along with the crickets. Small (1.5 inch long) silkworms are very good and very soft feeder insects too.

He opened his mouth when he picked him up just now as he was having one of his, what i call "seizures" and i saw that the back of his mouth is yellow as well as the tip of his tongue, thats why i am thinking he might be a rankins dragon.

I have tried everything.. correct food, lighting, temperatures.. but is doesnt seem to helping. Please can you help me?

<<< I don't like the look of the bedding , particulate beddings are a real impaction risk as young beardies are apt to ingest the particles accidentially. Strongly suggest replacing the existing bedding with paper toweling or loosely laid ceramic tiles .

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