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NoodlesMommy":1f802xtp said:

I am SO WORRIED as a new beardie mom and EVERYTHING on the internet is telling me what I am doing is wrong and all have different info!!! someone PLEASE tell me EXACTLY what i need to change, whats going on, and what i can do for my baby!!!!

<<< .... we all go through these kinds of anxieties in our first few years living with our scaley fourlegged masters and mistresses..... it is a very steep learning curve ;
I'm only a noob as I've only been keeping beardies as an adult (and right , I had a pet wild caught beardie as child way back in the 60s) for about 6 years and pet lizards for about 8 years (skinks) and i'm still learning.
yes there is a lot info on the web, much of if wrong and even downright dangerous to the health and wellbeing of pet reptiles.

Firstly are you north or south of the equator ? this is important.
see you are in California so it's summer there , she is very unlikely to be trying to brumate, maybe the weathers been nasty / wet / stormy ?
or she's just being a typical teenager and wants to sleepin and has simply become lazy (again, very much normal as they mature and become more laid back and efficient in their energy use).

I have questions if someone wouldn't mind answering; My bearded dragon has been sleeping alot lately and been sluggish - is she about to shed? Could she be trying to go into brumation? Is she sick?
answer to above will tell us what season you are in .
can you also tell us what the local weather has been like this week (or since you first noticed the changes in her behavior ?

....., the weather outside can and does influence them.

I've been feeding her (she's a female) a balanced diet of greens and veggies, crickets and meal worms (although she hasn't been alot and she prefers the bugs to her veggies- i try to make her eat her veggies first)for a 12-13 month old bearded dragon regularly
>>>> mealworms are at beast an occasional treat , yes I know they go bananas for them (and superworms) but their high fat content and hard to digest exoskeleton are problems and can cause impaction.
at 12 months old she still needs mostly live insect protein but should be on one live insect feast per day at her age and for the next year or so while she is still growing. (She has a LOT of growing to do yet).

if she loves worms , I can't recommend highly enough silkworms .... she'll easily handle medium sized silkworms (up to 2 inches long) , they are hoovered down by most lizards once they've had one they can't get enough of them , which is great because they one of best (near perfect) feeder insects around and highly nutritious (worth the expense and the bother to feed them and keep them healthy).

I recommend , BUGS first , AS MANY AS SHE WANTS , then give her salad and greens to her to nibble on.

and giving her enough proper uva uvb light(and natural light) and all of my bulbs are new-
<<< excellent , but just incase (since not all UV sources and basking bulbs are created equal or made properly can you tell us exactly you have

Basking light
........ is it a coloured globe ? (BAD)
........ what is it's wattage ?
........ how far from the basking spot ?

TEMPERATURES ?
>>> daytime
.......warm zone
.......basking spot
...... how are you measuring your temperatures ?
TOO COLD = SLEEPY DRAGON
>>> overnight minimum viv temperatures ?

UVA AND UVB ADEQUATE ?
>>> is the uv rated AT LEAST 10%UVB ?
>>> is it a COMPACT (curly globe & WATTAGE ?
>>> or a T8 tube ?
>>> or a T5 tube ?
>>> or an MVB ?
VERY IMPORTANT : what is the brand ?
Not all UVB compacts and tubes are created equal or as well , many shops sell their own brand (Zilla, All Living Things, Reptile-One, Nat Geo , Natural Selections (in green boxes) which are cheap Chinese clones made very cheaply using very poor quality quartz glass and cheap phosphors ==> very poor UV spectrum produced incl UVC band and bad parts of the UVB band.

>>> also is it covered (in a domestic fluorescent light fitting )? == BAD
>>> also is it sitting ontop a mesh top ? == BAD
>>> how far from basking spot ?
too far and the UVA and UVB WILL BE TOO DILUTE.
UVA FLUX TOO LOW where dragon is ==> a very lethargic dragon w/ a very poor apetite just in the short term , and neurological problems if this persists , not to mention MVB if UVB flux too low long enough with inadequate metabolisation of dietary calcium or inadequate intake out calcium

TANK
>>> size (L x W x H) and construction , photos of the setup are often helpful .

SUBSTRATE ?
>>> is it sand ? == BAD AND IF CALCISAND this is EXTREMELY BAD/LETHAL when ingested
>>> is it particulate ? == BAD

TOO SHORT A PHOTOPERIOD (lights are not kept on long enough each day , will make beardie think it is winter , recommend at least 14 HRS PER DAY)

she doesn't drink much water (ive only ever seen her drink from drops i put on her nose ONCE since we got her a month ago)
<<< this is quite normal for beardies , most keepers in the know have no water dish in their beardies' viv at all . If the diet is right, a bearded dragon will get most the hydration it needs from it's live insects, and fresh greens and salad.
I simply drip water on my beardie's noses and as it drains to their lips they will drink it if they feel thirsty.
Some beardies also drink when in the bath, but beardies don't need frequent baths.

so Ive been offering it to her via syringe every chance i get (she gets mad at me haha) and been giving her daily baths/soaks- (maybe its an issue with water quality?-ive been using strickly tap water (hard water in SanDiego CA i think))she has been pooping regularly so it isn't impaction and i have been trying to get her out for natural sunlight and exercise/cuddling every chance I get (she's in a glass tank and i can imagine how boring it can get in there) she's got a cool end of her tank which stays around 76-80 and her basking end of the tank at around 86-98
<<< this seems OK to me .... I aim for basking spot temperatures for my beardies at 40-42 degC

But need to be sure you are getting accurate temperatures so , how EXACTLY are you measuring the zone and basking spot temperatures ?

: i have attempted to adjust both temperatures a bit higher just in case they were too cold but she opens her mouth (which is a sign she's trying to cool off) and have since gone back to her normal temps- (she had recently upgraded to a larger tank with a branch, her log hide her water "tub" and her salad bowl that is tegreshed daily and with plenty of room to dig and move around in )
What substrate is she on ? THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT..., you tell us wood chips :O ... see comments below
<<< she is a very colorful citrus dragon and her colors have been looking dull/greyish lately which is why I suspect shedding- could she just be overly exhausted? Her red warming bulb stays on all night
<<< get rid of the red infrared bulb, if it's cooler overnight in the room she is in than 21 degC, I recommend investing in'
a CHE like this
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/ceramic_heater.php
and controlling it via a simple thermostat like this
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Digital-Thermostat-for-Reptile-Snake-Lizard-Aquarium-Incubator-Heat-Mat-Lamp-AU/281418169471?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20140106155344%26meid%3D9c7b8ad150a549a1add7a822db5552c0%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D201828381242
position it's temperature probe where she usually sleeps and dial up a setpoint (warming mode) of 26 degC, you can essentially leave it on 24/7 as the thermostat will turn off the CHE when the viv is warmer than 26 degC .
NO LIGHT PRODUCING GLOBES FOR AT NIGHT.
and her mvb AND basking bulb are on during the day- does she need COMPLETE darkness to sleep properly?
<<< Mine do find in our living area , where the TV is .

could someone "shed" (haha) some light on this for me please? Ive also been told that kale
<<< kale is fine , see http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutritionframeset.html for the preferred greens and veg list , I use kale occasionally , mostly it's buk or puk choi greens , dandelion greens and flowers , and occasionally nasturtium greens and flowers for my beardies, as well as raw peas and chopped up raw green beans
and meal worms are bad for beardies
<<< mealworms & superworms OK AS TREATS for beardies older than 12 months old.
- but this was what Noodle's previous owner had used (in addition to the loose wood chips that we use for her tank
<<<<EXTREMELY IMPORTANT , DO IT RIGHT NOW , toss the loose wood chips out onto the flower beds , great mulch , diabolical / LETHAL substrate for lizards and expecially tasty feely beardies.... if she ingests the stuff and it can't be passed with her poo IT WILL KILL HER and it's a horrible drawn out and excruciatingly painful way for a bearded dragon to die.
NO sands , clays, pebbles, stones, wood chips, bark , coco fibre, kitty litter , or any other particulate substrates for a bearded dragon.
Paper toweling (from the pantry), butchers paper, news print, lino, or loosely laid ceramic wall or floor tiles are the best options for a bearded dragon.
- she has sometimes eaten a bit of it but it always comes out in her poop) - can she be going into brumation?
<<< check her tummy , if you feel hard masses , this is very bad.
Even worse if she's sporting a black beard and is lethargic because of the illness caused by her impaction - food accumulates and rots and this is VERY BAD.

Even if you feel no lumps / masses (you may not be able to feel them unless you know what to feel for) and she's not BBing , and because she's been on wood chips and may have ingested some which is stuck in her gut somewhere , I think it will be very wise to take her to a good reptile vet for a thorough examination and to have xrays taken to determine if she's impacted and how to deal with this if she is. There are risks with vets intervening too - so be aware of this. I would not wait on this , as taking a wait and see approach can result in this situation to a beardie taking a sudden turn for the worse and becoming critically ill and too weak to treat.

I am SO WORRIED as a new beardie mom and EVERYTHING on the internet is telling me what I am doing is wrong and all have different info (i also use mercury vapor uvb/uva/heat bulb btw) someone PLEASE tell me EXACTLY what i need to change, whats going on, and what i can do for my baby!!!!

Click to expand...

kingofnobbys":1obcunm4 said:

NoodlesMommy":1obcunm4 said:

I am SO WORRIED as a new beardie mom and EVERYTHING on the internet is telling me what I am doing is wrong and all have different info!!! someone PLEASE tell me EXACTLY what i need to change, whats going on, and what i can do for my baby!!!!

<<< .... we all go through these kinds of anxieties in our first few years living with our scaley fourlegged masters and mistresses..... it is a very steep learning curve ;
I'm only a noob as I've only been keeping beardies as an adult (and right , I had a pet wild caught beardie as child way back in the 60s) for about 6 years and pet lizards for about 8 years (skinks) and i'm still learning.
yes there is a lot info on the web, much of if wrong and even downright dangerous to the health and wellbeing of pet reptiles.

Firstly are you north or south of the equator ? this is important.
see you are in California so it's summer there , she is very unlikely to be trying to brumate, maybe the weathers been nasty / wet / stormy ?
or she's just being a typical teenager and wants to sleepin and has simply become lazy (again, very much normal as they mature and become more laid back and efficient in their energy use).

I have questions if someone wouldn't mind answering; My bearded dragon has been sleeping alot lately and been sluggish - is she about to shed? Could she be trying to go into brumation? Is she sick?
answer to above will tell us what season you are in .
can you also tell us what the local weather has been like this week (or since you first noticed the changes in her behavior ?

....., the weather outside can and does influence them.

I've been feeding her (she's a female) a balanced diet of greens and veggies, crickets and meal worms (although she hasn't been alot and she prefers the bugs to her veggies- i try to make her eat her veggies first)for a 12-13 month old bearded dragon regularly
>>>> mealworms are at beast an occasional treat , yes I know they go bananas for them (and superworms) but their high fat content and hard to digest exoskeleton are problems and can cause impaction.
at 12 months old she still needs mostly live insect protein but should be on one live insect feast per day at her age and for the next year or so while she is still growing. (She has a LOT of growing to do yet).

if she loves worms , I can't recommend highly enough silkworms .... she'll easily handle medium sized silkworms (up to 2 inches long) , they are hoovered down by most lizards once they've had one they can't get enough of them , which is great because they one of best (near perfect) feeder insects around and highly nutritious (worth the expense and the bother to feed them and keep them healthy).

I recommend , BUGS first , AS MANY AS SHE WANTS , then give her salad and greens to her to nibble on.

and giving her enough proper uva uvb light(and natural light) and all of my bulbs are new-
<<< excellent , but just incase (since not all UV sources and basking bulbs are created equal or made properly can you tell us exactly you have

Basking light
........ is it a coloured globe ? (BAD)
........ what is it's wattage ?
........ how far from the basking spot ?

TEMPERATURES ?
>>> daytime
.......warm zone
.......basking spot
...... how are you measuring your temperatures ?
TOO COLD = SLEEPY DRAGON
>>> overnight minimum viv temperatures ?

UVA AND UVB ADEQUATE ?
>>> is the uv rated AT LEAST 10%UVB ?
>>> is it a COMPACT (curly globe & WATTAGE ?
>>> or a T8 tube ?
>>> or a T5 tube ?
>>> or an MVB ?
VERY IMPORTANT : what is the brand ?
Not all UVB compacts and tubes are created equal or as well , many shops sell their own brand (Zilla, All Living Things, Reptile-One, Nat Geo , Natural Selections (in green boxes) which are cheap Chinese clones made very cheaply using very poor quality quartz glass and cheap phosphors ==> very poor UV spectrum produced incl UVC band and bad parts of the UVB band.

>>> also is it covered (in a domestic fluorescent light fitting )? == BAD
>>> also is it sitting ontop a mesh top ? == BAD
>>> how far from basking spot ?
too far and the UVA and UVB WILL BE TOO DILUTE.
UVA FLUX TOO LOW where dragon is ==> a very lethargic dragon w/ a very poor apetite just in the short term , and neurological problems if this persists , not to mention MVB if UVB flux too low long enough with inadequate metabolisation of dietary calcium or inadequate intake out calcium

TANK
>>> size (L x W x H) and construction , photos of the setup are often helpful .

SUBSTRATE ?
>>> is it sand ? == BAD AND IF CALCISAND this is EXTREMELY BAD/LETHAL when ingested
>>> is it particulate ? == BAD

TOO SHORT A PHOTOPERIOD (lights are not kept on long enough each day , will make beardie think it is winter , recommend at least 14 HRS PER DAY)

she doesn't drink much water (ive only ever seen her drink from drops i put on her nose ONCE since we got her a month ago)
<<< this is quite normal for beardies , most keepers in the know have no water dish in their beardies' viv at all . If the diet is right, a bearded dragon will get most the hydration it needs from it's live insects, and fresh greens and salad.
I simply drip water on my beardie's noses and as it drains to their lips they will drink it if they feel thirsty.
Some beardies also drink when in the bath, but beardies don't need frequent baths.

so Ive been offering it to her via syringe every chance i get (she gets mad at me haha) and been giving her daily baths/soaks- (maybe its an issue with water quality?-ive been using strickly tap water (hard water in SanDiego CA i think))she has been pooping regularly so it isn't impaction and i have been trying to get her out for natural sunlight and exercise/cuddling every chance I get (she's in a glass tank and i can imagine how boring it can get in there) she's got a cool end of her tank which stays around 76-80 and her basking end of the tank at around 86-98
<<< this seems OK to me .... I aim for basking spot temperatures for my beardies at 40-42 degC

But need to be sure you are getting accurate temperatures so , how EXACTLY are you measuring the zone and basking spot temperatures ?

: i have attempted to adjust both temperatures a bit higher just in case they were too cold but she opens her mouth (which is a sign she's trying to cool off) and have since gone back to her normal temps- (she had recently upgraded to a larger tank with a branch, her log hide her water "tub" and her salad bowl that is tegreshed daily and with plenty of room to dig and move around in )
What substrate is she on ? THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT..., you tell us wood chips :O ... see comments below
<<< she is a very colorful citrus dragon and her colors have been looking dull/greyish lately which is why I suspect shedding- could she just be overly exhausted? Her red warming bulb stays on all night
<<< get rid of the red infrared bulb, if it's cooler overnight in the room she is in than 21 degC, I recommend investing in'
a CHE like this
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/ceramic_heater.php
and controlling it via a simple thermostat like this
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Digital-Thermostat-for-Reptile-Snake-Lizard-Aquarium-Incubator-Heat-Mat-Lamp-AU/281418169471?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20140106155344%26meid%3D9c7b8ad150a549a1add7a822db5552c0%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D201828381242
position it's temperature probe where she usually sleeps and dial up a setpoint (warming mode) of 26 degC, you can essentially leave it on 24/7 as the thermostat will turn off the CHE when the viv is warmer than 26 degC .
NO LIGHT PRODUCING GLOBES FOR AT NIGHT.
and her mvb AND basking bulb are on during the day- does she need COMPLETE darkness to sleep properly?
<<< Mine do find in our living area , where the TV is .

could someone "shed" (haha) some light on this for me please? Ive also been told that kale
<<< kale is fine , see http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutritionframeset.html for the preferred greens and veg list , I use kale occasionally , mostly it's buk or puk choi greens , dandelion greens and flowers , and occasionally nasturtium greens and flowers for my beardies, as well as raw peas and chopped up raw green beans
and meal worms are bad for beardies
<<< mealworms & superworms OK AS TREATS for beardies older than 12 months old.
- but this was what Noodle's previous owner had used (in addition to the loose wood chips that we use for her tank
<<<<EXTREMELY IMPORTANT , DO IT RIGHT NOW , toss the loose wood chips out onto the flower beds , great mulch , diabolical / LETHAL substrate for lizards and expecially tasty feely beardies.... if she ingests the stuff and it can't be passed with her poo IT WILL KILL HER and it's a horrible drawn out and excruciatingly painful way for a bearded dragon to die.
NO sands , clays, pebbles, stones, wood chips, bark , coco fibre, kitty litter , or any other particulate substrates for a bearded dragon.
Paper toweling (from the pantry), butchers paper, news print, lino, or loosely laid ceramic wall or floor tiles are the best options for a bearded dragon.
- she has sometimes eaten a bit of it but it always comes out in her poop) - can she be going into brumation?
<<< check her tummy , if you feel hard masses , this is very bad.
Even worse if she's sporting a black beard and is lethargic because of the illness caused by her impaction - food accumulates and rots and this is VERY BAD.

Even if you feel no lumps / masses (you may not be able to feel them unless you know what to feel for) and she's not BBing , and because she's been on wood chips and may have ingested some which is stuck in her gut somewhere , I think it will be very wise to take her to a good reptile vet for a thorough examination and to have xrays taken to determine if she's impacted and how to deal with this if she is. There are risks with vets intervening too - so be aware of this. I would not wait on this , as taking a wait and see approach can result in this situation to a beardie taking a sudden turn for the worse and becoming critically ill and too weak to treat.

I am SO WORRIED as a new beardie mom and EVERYTHING on the internet is telling me what I am doing is wrong and all have different info (i also use mercury vapor uvb/uva/heat bulb btw) someone PLEASE tell me EXACTLY what i need to change, whats going on, and what i can do for my baby!!!!

Click to expand...

At least you have enough gumption to ask for help and advice, and a bit of luck , we can help you make necessary changes to prevent problems , and you may she may be lucky and have no impactions / blockages in her intestines and bowels.

Click to expand...