Elderly Rescue Beardie

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NekahRae

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A few days ago I was given an eight year old beardie (male) whose previous owners felt they were somewhat neglecting him. I don't have a lot of information about his previous care, but when I picked him up I noticed that he did not have a UVB light (he does now) and a heat lamp that may not have been high enough wattage for his tank. (This has also been taken care of.)

I have not had a dragon this old before (my only other one died young from gout complications) and want to make sure I'm giving him proper care. I read another thread on here with some tips, but still had some questions.

Below are images of him:
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I know that loss of muscle mass and fat in common in older animals, but wanted to know if I should worry about his weight at all. He seems light when I pick him up and his legs look very skinny. I was told that he had been fed "salads", but I don't know what greens they meant. He is about 20inches long and weighs 398 grams.

In the day and a half I've had him, he's readily eaten bok choy. He's also had some superworms and is actively hunting them. I do not plan to make superworms a staple...they were the only readily available insects. Are dubia roaches an appropiate choice for an elderly dragon or is some other kind of insect better?

I'm also wondering if anyone knows what's happening with his claw. Some of his are really curled, but they do not seem to bother him. I wanted to trim them, but there doesn't appear to be a way to do so without hitting the quick. Should I just let that go or do something about them?

Any other general advice is also appreciated! While he seems to be climbing well, I am also planning to create "steps" to a basking spot in case that becomes more difficult for him.

Thank you!
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I think dubias would be good- a good healthy diet of salads greens also - I would feed as much he will eat-- what kind of UVB do are you using- I would get some butter worms for him too- they can be fed as treats to help w/ some weight gain- others might have more ideas for you-- a healthy diet will put weight back on but slowly- you don't want to blow him up
Karrie
 

NekahRae

Member
Original Poster
KarrieRee":4aekegzv said:
I think dubias would be good- a good healthy diet of salads greens also - I would feed as much he will eat-- what kind of UVB do are you using- I would get some butter worms for him too- they can be fed as treats to help w/ some weight gain- others might have more ideas for you-- a healthy diet will put weight back on but slowly- you don't want to blow him up
Karrie

He has a 10.0 UVB fluorescent Reptisun bulb on a 75 gallon tank.
I've been refilling the bok choy whenever it's low so he can have as much as he wants! I also plan to get some blueberries for him, especially since I was told that they were a favorite food.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Ok bok choy is all the greens your feeding? I would give him collards turnip kale and mustard-- mix them up along w/ squash yellow zuccinni or butternut shredded- the blueberries feed sparingly they are sweet and you don't want his blood sugar high- apple would be good - no citrus-- strawberries - the UVB is good- is it a T 5 or T 8?
Karrie
 

NekahRae

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Original Poster
KarrieRee":1jo1e5ho said:
Ok bok choy is all the greens your feeding? I would give him collards turnip kale and mustard-- mix them up along w/ squash yellow zuccinni or butternut shredded- the blueberries feed sparingly they are sweet and you don't want his blood sugar high- apple would be good - no citrus-- strawberries - the UVB is good- is it a T 5 or T 8?
Karrie

Bok choy is it for now, but I did want to mix in some of the others as well. I'll grab some the next time I'm at the grocery store. Blueberries were always only going to be a treat! I'll try some of the others as well. My last beardie was super picky and ignored most of the foods I tried, but this one seems a lot more open to new things.

The UVB is a T8.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Ok and you have that T 8 inside the tank 6-8 inches from basking--- w/ no cover over the bulb?
Karrie
 

NekahRae

Member
Original Poster
They're currently over a mesh lid, which I know isn't the greatest. I am in the process of figuring out a safe way to mount them so it isn't in the way.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
You can use long plastic zip ties picture hanging wire 3 m Velcro fasteners-- fishing line- make sure you hang it directly over him-- the sooner the better+-- NO COVER ON THE FIXTURE- bulb needs to be exposed
Karrie
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Aw, poor guy has been very underfed, he's not so old that he'd be that thin. That's just not enough food + hydration . Feed him small amount of insects at first just once a day, later as you see that he is pooing you can offer small amounts twice a day. Be extra careful about superworms, give about 5 per feeding at the most for the first couple of weeks, once a day for a while [ alternate with dubias or other insects ] tthen twice a day if he wants. It's great that he likes the bok choi, you can add the other veggies Karrie mentioned . When you give him his salad he will get more hydration if the leaves are freshly washed + still wet or sprayed with water from a spray bottle. You can also drip water on his mouth/nose for a drink . Here's how to attach the uvb under the screen.

https://www.beardeddragon.org/media/30028/full
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hi there,

Wow he doesnt look like he weighs that much. Poor guy was definitely underfed. But getting him back on a good healthy diet will do him wonders :)

He looks like a sweetheart.

I wouldnt focus too much right now on trying to put weight on him. Let him eat his salads and a few bugs a day and he will do just fine. Too many people see underweight dragons and the first goal is to fatten them up. The first goal should be to get them healthy! So no need to make him est enormous amounts of feeder insects.

5 or so supers a day is more than enough fat and protein for him. And a big salad on top of that will give him some much needed nutrients :)

-Brandon
 

NekahRae

Member
Original Poster
Thanks for the replies!
I just made him a nice salad with a mix of greens and vegetables. He was already looking at it with interest, but it was close to his bed time so he only took a bite before falling asleep. He's been eating well and I was planning on periodically weighing him to see how he's doing, but it's good to know that I don't have to overly worry about his weight. I plan to order him some dubia, and perhaps some hornworms, soon! What is a normal weight range for an eight year old beardie? I can't find the information anywhere. (I'm mostly just curious.)

Most of his water has been coming from water on the veggies. I've had mixed results with dripping it on his nose, but as long as he keeps taking it sometimes I'm going to keep doing it. Worst case is that he gets a little wet and ignores me. :)

For the light: I'll have to try something like that, thanks! My lid is hinged so I'll modify it slightly, but that helps.

As for his nails...does anyone have any suggestions for that? Is it best to just take him to a vet and have them handle it?
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Please dont feed him before bedtime -- he needs 2 hrs at least before he goes to bed after eating so he can bask -- that starts the digestion process - I feed my two in the morning and pull dishes out around 3 or so --- and I feed them around 8 30 - 9 30 -- I have my two on textured slated ceramic tile so I never mess w/ their nails -- but it would be best to go to the vet for that but some others on here can tell you how as well --- average weight for a adult dragon that is healthy around 400 grams or better - it can be less depending on the size of the dragon -- dont order large quantities of horn worms they grow really fast -- the most I order at one time is 12--
Karrie
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
At 8 yrs. old he's not that old, just very neglected. He should be the same as a 4-5 year old. He looks like he needs at least another 50 -70 grams on him so he does need to gain weight. As for his nails , you can snip that long nail , just use nail clippers and do it quickly. If he struggles + tries to get away just let it go until he's more calm with you. Here's a video showing how to cut their nails if you need to but it's better to leave it if he doesn't cooperate, or you can try to just get the long one. Have a tiny bit of cornstarch or flour on hand to dab on it [ it clots /stops the bleeding ] in case you cut too short.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1QcHCT_6SU
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

He is a bit thin & his fat pads on top of his head are sunken.
How is he doing this evening?
Since he is in need of nutrition, go very slowly with feeding him any protein for a few days or so
to be sure his kidneys are functioning well. I would recommend giving a good amount of oral fluids
& monitor his urate output to determine kidney function.
Has his beard been dark in color at all or not?
Be sure to keep him a little warmer overnight right now in his tank. Around 78-80 should be fine
to help boost his system.
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie
 

NekahRae

Member
Original Poster
I had always heard that 8-10 was the average lifespan for a dragon, hence why I thought he was older, but looking around on here I'm seeing that that may not be the case. He's doing really well though! He's been eating his salads, has no trouble exploring his tank, and has been getting some, but not too many, insects. His lighting has also been upgraded so the lid mesh no longer blocks the lights.

Thank you for all the help!

For other questions asked: He really isn't taking much water when I try dripping it on his nose, so I've been making sure his salads have moisture on them and hoping he eats them before they dry out. He eats them when I'm at work, so I'm not sure when he actually gets around to eating them. I've been giving him some small snacks when I get home (early enough for him to be able to bask afterwards) and making sure that has moisture so he at least gets some.

As far as I can tell, his urate looks normal. His beard has not been dark at all.

78-80 is about what his tank has been at night as well. I have a thermeter on both sides of his tank to monitor the heat and have made sure his daytime basking temp is higher.
 
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Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

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