Mojo Jojo is SICK!

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LibbiRN13

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My daughter has had him Since December and the day before yesterday he became very pale/bluish on his under-side and very lethargic. (I do not know the actual sex) She looked up some info on the Internet and said that he needed a heat rock. I am a lover of reptiles, but know nothing about Bearded Dragons. I bought the heat rock and some crickets and she said that there was a huge difference. I went to check on him today and he is pitiful! He is very lethargic and so skinny!!!! There are no reptile vets near us so I was wondering if anyone could give me some ideas.
The temperatures are correct according to what I have looked up today.
I changed his water bowl to a smaller one so it would be easier for him to access.
I have only been able to get him to drink a small amount of water off of the tip of my finger, but am getting ready to try a dropper.
There are 2 small crickets in his home right now.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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JessPets

Gray-bearded Member
Hello, please give me rundown of her setup (temperature, daily food, lights, etc). As for the heat rock, please get rid of it for the safety of your beardie along with the sand. Heat rocks commonly malfunction and cause burns, and beside that, bearded dragons don't absorb heat through their stomachs. Sand can cause extreme impaction, which, if bad enough, can lead to death. Replace it with a non-partical substate such as non- adhesive shelf liner, tile, and reptile carpet/ outdoor carpet. As for UV, you will want to this bulb, making sure it is the tube and not the compact: https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun

You can get a t5 or a t8, with the 5 being better although usually more expensive. Here is also a great care sheet: https://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/caresheet/

and here is a good list of good/bad foods for beardies: http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
 

LibbiRN13

Member
Original Poster
I don't know what type of lighting it is. We bought her a starter kit specifically for a BD. I can take a picture. I have gotten him to drink with a syringe and I have removed the heat rock. I also took out the under tank warmer because the sand was so hot. I am going to the pet store to buy the things that you have recommended. I have been checking on him VERY often and have noticed that he is not opening his eyes at all. I read that you can buy baby food, chicken and squash, and feed them that. Also, I read about pellets soaked in pedialyte. If you don't care, could you tell me what to feed him while he is not well (he does swallow when I give him water from the syringe) and what to have available for him to eat when he gets better. Thanks so much for all of your help!
 

LibbiRN13

Member
Original Poster
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His right eye is opening a little bit now. We have him out in the real sunshine! Again, I appreciate all of your help!!!!
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
I agree that this is probably caused by improper lighting. The natural sunlight is very beneficial so keep providing that. I recommend investing in a high quality T5 UVB light like this one http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/ it will provide basking levels of UVB at about 12'' below the bulb. I would replace the sand with something solid like non adhesive shelf liner or even some fleece in this case to provide a nice soft washable flooring.

He is very underweight and malnourished at the moment so I would focus on getting him hydrated via drops of water on his nose from a dropper or plastic syringe. You can offer him some baby food green beans or squash too. Just little bits at a time several times per day. Take small steps at a time with him and hopefully his energy levels will start to come back up.
 

kyleena29

Sub-Adult Member
He looks severely malnourished. You should get some squash or green bean baby food and put some on the tip of his snout so he can lick it off. Put a pinch of calcium mixed in 5x week and vitamin 2x week. Make sure you get the uvb because he's not going to absorb much without it. His basking spot should be 105 ish and the other side around 80s. You should have a digital thermometer with probe on his basking spot to constantly monitor the temp. http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-thermometers-hygrometers/11442-511260/zoo-med-zoo-med-digital-thermometer-for-terrariums.html He really needs to get some food and water in him. Most beardies don't know how to drink from a bowl so it is probably useless to have one in there and could raise the humidity too high.
 

SpacialCoogs

Sub-Adult Member
He looks super skinny. Most likely he wasn't getting proper uvb with the bulb you were sold. A lot of times there is junk in those kits. The lights will be a start, make sure he gets a good hour of solid sun minimum a day until those lights get in and potentially after.

What is his diet? Does he get any greens? They should be eating as many crickets as they can in a 10 minute span, you can also try some phoenix or calci worms to see if he'll eat those. Water using the syringe is a good start, you may need to repeat this for a while. IF he hasn't eaten in a while you may need to feed him some baby food, a good veg mix with some protein mixed in. If he hasn't had protein in a while then too much can actually make him sicker. If he eats he should go out in the sun for a bit, they digest usually 1.5-2 hours after eating and require UVB and proper heat.

What were the temperatures in the tank? If he wasn't at the proper temps then he wouldnt' have bee properly digesting, basking area should be 100-110 for a baby, 100 ish for an adult. Cool side should be minimum 80 with some areas for him to hide like a rock or branch and stuff.

When was the last time he pooped?
 

kyleena29

Sub-Adult Member
It would be a good idea to read the articles under "care and husbandry" on the right side if you haven't already done so. I'm sorry you are going through this. It sounds like you didn't know they are a little more complicated than you thought. Another tip, most uvb lights have to be changed every 6 months even if the light itself works. With the 10.0 T5 HO it only needs once per year. Just make sure there is no plastic or glass between the light and your beardie. UVB doesn't penetrate through those.
 

LibbiRN13

Member
Original Poster
Color is much better! He ate a cricket and just now used the bathroom. I'm attaching a picture....not that anyone really wants to see....but I'm wondering if anyone has seen it before....if it's anything that I need to worry about. Thanks....and sorry!
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CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
That looks like urate with some excess water which is a good sign. I'd keep up with the extra hydration but also go easy on the protein/bugs. It's good if he's going after bugs on his own but they may overwhelm his system so I'd stick with primarily syringe feeding for now until he builds up some more strength.
 
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