Possible Impaction.

Hello, everyone I'm a brand new bearded dragon owner and my baby beardie montequilla that I got a week ago was shaking uncontrollably this morning pretty much paralyzed after I pick him up for his morning cuddle before work. After a few minutes he seemed normal and gave me the saddest look like he was trying to tell me to help but I'm stuck at work for the next 9 hours and worried he might pass before I can treat him. What course of action should I take when I get home tonight to treat my little buddy?

I followed the care sheet from petco and I suppose I put too much trust into petco.

All help is appreciated.

Also to note I offer him crickets with tongs but he won't touch them but when I offer meal worms he gobbles them up like crazy. He has a 30 gallon tank with his 70w reptisun basking beam and a uva and uvb combo light from zoomed.

Oh man, it could be that he ate too big of an insect, or that he doesn't have the correct lighting and is developing MBD.
What size of cricket did he get? you might get home to some vomit if he can expel it himself otherwise you can try to help him pass it with a arm bath and some belly massages.

Can you give a rundown on your temps?

My temps are around 95 tank wide and about 100 for basking. Unfortunately when I got home he was limp and I ran him to the vet and the vet told me that he has neurological issues most likely due to how he was taken care of at pet co since I have only had him for a week. The vet prescribed some ora calcium gel but said the prognosis is grim and he most likely will not survive more than 24-48 hours.

?
I'm so sorry.

Hello,

Oh I am so sorry about your little one. Sometimes the care at the stores is so atrocious that there is nothing that can be done.
Don't give up though, they can pull through & really surprise us. Which UVB light are you using right now?
Are you able to get any food into him?
The liquid calcium should help him out. Did he dose him for you & are you giving it to him twice daily?

Tracie

My little guy is still fighting so I'm going to care and love him until the end even if it's 2 hours or 10 years from now. Yes I have been given the dosage for calcium and since I have started administering it he has perked up a lot but can still be very drowsy and lethargic. To my pleasant surprise I dusted some crickets for him with reptical and he chased and gobbled them up so progress has been made! I switched my buddy to a 10 gallon tank I had until he is rehabilitated for the most part and ditched the crushed walnut substrate and put newspaper down to avoid an impaction (don't need him getting combo of impaction and MBD).

Right now I believe he has a zoomed 50w uvb for the 10 gallon. The vet said I'm not the cause of his problems but I'm his guardian so I can't help but feel responsible. I will do whatever I can to give him a good life.

Update for you all on montequilla. The vet said he wouldn't survive the weekend but here we are on Monday and he is doing 100% better! I had an easier time giving my 13 pound cat his meds than wrestling a tiny 6 inch lizard his meds though lol

I ditched the crushed walnut as soon as possible and he is now strictly on newspaper and I will down size him from the 30 gallon fish tank to an actual 20 gallon exo terra vivarium tonight that is appropriate for him. Last time I trust pet co and take their word on care for pets because when I went into the shop to get reimbursed for the vet visit the one "keeper" told me to put him on sand as a juvenile!

But montequilla is alive and back to his overly sassy self.

Thank you all for your help and concerns this is an amazing site

That's great news