Bearded Dragon Lethargic, Constipated, Anemic

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My bearded dragon seems to have not been feeling well for quite some time. He had only been pooping every few weeks and I started to get worried. I gave him a bath and stroked his belly and he pooped quite a bit, but then went 5 more days without doing it so we took him to a vet and she took an x-ray and there was a tiny piece of metal in his system. The blood work showed it wasn't affecting his organs, although she also noticed that he's anemic and dehydrated. Additionally, he's constipated. She gave us a syringe which contains laxatives and gave that to him. Later we took him home and he seemed a bit better and even pooped a little bit. The next morning, he was back to being lethargic and he just sat in the corner all day, not under his basking spot. I came home later that day and he was still there. Anyone have any ideas on what I can do?? I'm really worried...

- His basking spot is usually around 110 - 120 degrees Farenheit
- I feed him every 3 or 4 days, either with collard greens, apples, carrots, or crickets
- I put calcium and vitamins on his food
- I spray him with water twice a day
- I change the UVB bulb every 6 months, it's a 10.0
- The tank is about 40 gallons
- The floor is made of zoo med green carpet lining
- He is 6 years old

So yeah, any help would be much appreciated.
 

destiny1998

Extreme Poster
Photo Comp Winner
Hi. How do you take the temps? Also his basking temps are too hot. Try 95 to 100. What kind of uvb is it? Coil/compact or a long tube?
 

Reptilelady

Sub-Adult Member
Hi, Wow for a 6-year-old bearded dragon temps are way too high. They prefer much cooler around 95 degrees. Is your 10.0 a linear long tube or the compact coil one?
 

ToughGuy32

Member
Original Poster
Reptilelady":14a33od7 said:
Hi, Wow for a 6-year-old bearded dragon temps are way too high. They prefer much cooler around 95 degrees. Is your 10.0 a linear long tube or the compact coil one?

Linear Long Tube
 

ToughGuy32

Member
Original Poster
destiny1998":ztk6y2ft said:
Hi. How do you take the temps? Also his basking temps are too hot. Try 95 to 100. What kind of uvb is it? Coil/compact or a long tube?

I have a temperature laser gun. And it's a long tube
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
ToughGuy32":2500mybu said:
My bearded dragon seems to have not been feeling well for quite some time. He had only been pooping every few weeks and I started to get worried. I gave him a bath and stroked his belly and he pooped quite a bit, but then went 5 more days without doing it so we took him to a vet and she took an x-ray and there was a tiny piece of metal in his system. The blood work showed it wasn't affecting his organs, although she also noticed that he's anemic and dehydrated. Additionally, he's constipated. She gave us a syringe which contains laxatives and gave that to him. Later we took him home and he seemed a bit better and even pooped a little bit. The next morning, he was back to being lethargic and he just sat in the corner all day, not under his basking spot. I came home later that day and he was still there. Anyone have any ideas on what I can do?? I'm really worried...


<<<< how much does he weigh ?
<<<< how long have you had him ?
<<<< how long has this been going on ?



- His basking spot is usually around 110 - 120 degrees Farenheit

<<< anything above 110F (43 degC) IS TOO HOT !
see viewtopic.php?f=5&t=233516

120F is in the LETHAL temperature range for bearded dragons !

- I feed him every 3 or 4 days, either with collard greens, apples, carrots, or crickets
<<<< .... he's a dragon , not a snake, daily feeds are mandatory even for adult beardies .
<<< his diet is totally inadequate.

- I put calcium and vitamins on his food
- I spray him with water twice a day
- I change the UVB bulb every 6 months, it's a 10.0
<<<< what brand is it ?
<<<< it's wattage ?
<<<< in a reflector dome or mini-hood ?
<<<< ontop or under mesh lid ?
<<<< how far from his basking spot ?

- - The tank is about 40 gallons
The floor is made of zoo med green carpet lining
- He is 6 years old


A 40Gal viv is totally inadequate for an adult bearded dragon. See this viewtopic.php?f=34&t=236462&p=1817571#p1817571

So yeah, any help would be much appreciated.

A lot of issues ... see above.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
ToughGuy32":qzjeq21g said:
Reptilelady":qzjeq21g said:
Hi, Wow for a 6-year-old bearded dragon temps are way too high. They prefer much cooler around 90-95 degrees. Is your 10.0 a linear long tube or the compact coil one?

Linear Long Tube
T8 tube or T5HO tube , and brand ?
 

ToughGuy32

Member
Original Poster
kingofnobbys":1mkfgpzb said:
ToughGuy32":1mkfgpzb said:
Reptilelady":1mkfgpzb said:
Hi, Wow for a 6-year-old bearded dragon temps are way too high. They prefer much cooler around 90-95 degrees. Is your 10.0 a linear long tube or the compact coil one?

Linear Long Tube
T8 tube or T5HO tube , and brand ?

Zoo Med T8 ReptiSun 10.0 UVB
 

ToughGuy32

Member
Original Poster
kingofnobbys":1jw1jg8x said:
ToughGuy32":1jw1jg8x said:
My bearded dragon seems to have not been feeling well for quite some time. He had only been pooping every few weeks and I started to get worried. I gave him a bath and stroked his belly and he pooped quite a bit, but then went 5 more days without doing it so we took him to a vet and she took an x-ray and there was a tiny piece of metal in his system. The blood work showed it wasn't affecting his organs, although she also noticed that he's anemic and dehydrated. Additionally, he's constipated. She gave us a syringe which contains laxatives and gave that to him. Later we took him home and he seemed a bit better and even pooped a little bit. The next morning, he was back to being lethargic and he just sat in the corner all day, not under his basking spot. I came home later that day and he was still there. Anyone have any ideas on what I can do?? I'm really worried...


<<<< how much does he weigh ?
<<<< how long have you had him ?
<<<< how long has this been going on ?



- His basking spot is usually around 110 - 120 degrees Farenheit

<<< anything above 110F (43 degC) IS TOO HOT !
see viewtopic.php?f=5&t=233516

120F is in the LETHAL temperature range for bearded dragons !

- I feed him every 3 or 4 days, either with collard greens, apples, carrots, or crickets
<<<< .... he's a dragon , not a snake, daily feeds are mandatory even for adult beardies .
<<< his diet is totally inadequate.

- I put calcium and vitamins on his food
- I spray him with water twice a day
- I change the UVB bulb every 6 months, it's a 10.0
<<<< what brand is it ?
<<<< it's wattage ?
<<<< in a reflector dome or mini-hood ?
<<<< ontop or under mesh lid ?
<<<< how far from his basking spot ?

- - The tank is about 40 gallons
The floor is made of zoo med green carpet lining
- He is 6 years old


A 40Gal viv is totally inadequate for an adult bearded dragon. See this viewtopic.php?f=34&t=236462&p=1817571#p1817571

So yeah, any help would be much appreciated.

A lot of issues ... see above.

- He is underweight...only about 3/4ths of a pound
- I've had him 6 years
- This has been going on for about a month and a half
- Zoo Med T8 ReptiSun 10.0 UVB
- UV bulb is under a hood, heat lamp under a reflector dome
- On top of mesh lid
- Lamp is about 4 or 5 inches from his basking spot
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
You've got a lot of issues with your lighting, temps, and the other husbandry that has already been pointed out and I won't address them again, only to say that 110 degrees should always be the absolute maximum temperature anywhere inside his enclosure. Between 110-115 or so is very dangerous, and if exposed to these temps for long periods of time it certainly cause a host of issues...from 115 and higher is the LETHAL temperature range, and if exposed long-term, as it looks like your beardie has been, will cause severe dehydration, neurological issues and confusion, dizziness, blindness, severe lethargy, and death. So this is no doubt most of your beardie's issue, and I hope by now you have gotten his temperature gradient corrected:

Basking Spot Surface Temperature: between 98-103 degrees for an adult, max

Hot Side Ambient Temperature: between 88-93 degrees, max

Cool Side Ambient Temperature: between 75-80 degrees, max

***No nighttime heat source is needed at all!!! Your beardie will not sleep well at all if his enclosure is not #1) Pitch Black all night long, and #2) The temperature inside his enclosure is not considerably cooler all night long than it is during the day. These 2 stipulations replicate his natural, desert nighttime conditions. AS LONG AS HIS ENCLOSURE IS AT LEAST 65 DEGREES AT NIGHT, MEANING YOUR HOUSE WOULD HAVE TO BE 60 DEGREES OR COLDER AT NIGHT FOR HIS ENCLOSURE TO DROP BELOW 65 DEGREES, HE NEEDS ABSOLUTELY NO NIGHTTIME HEAT SOURCE, AND DOESN'T WANT ANY!!! ESPECIALLY AFTER HIS DAYTIME TEMPS BEING IN THE LETHAL RANGE!!! So please, if you are using any type of nighttime heat bulb or Ceramic Heat Emitter, please get rid of it and just turn his lights out for the night and allow it to be pitch black and cool so he can sleep comfortably.


I'm going to assume that you've drastically lowered his temps and gotten the rest of the husbandry issues corrected. If so, your beardie should perk up quite quickly and will be much healthier and happier. Any dehydration and lethargy he had was absolutely caused by his enclosure temperatures. That being said, DID THE VET IDENTIFY AND/OR REMOVE THE PIECE OF METAL THAT WAS SEEN IN HIS GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT? I haven't seen anyone comment on this, including you, and this is extremely concerning...I'm not fully understanding what happened at this vet or what they did. So this vet took an x-ray, identified a "piece of metal in his gastrointestinal tract somewhere", and then did blood work to identify if the metal was causing any metal poisoning, it was not, so that was it? I mean, if she is having trouble pooping or you think she's impacted or constipated, don't you think it probably has to do with the piece of metal inside her gastrointestinal tract?

It's not unusual for adult bearded dragons to only poop once a week or even every two weeks, I don't get alarmed until at least 12-14 days have passed since they've pooped. However, "Months" or even a single month is alarming, but especially alarming if you know she has a piece of metal inside her. Did the vet say anything about the metal causing the bowel movement issues, or what to do about it, etc.?
 

ToughGuy32

Member
Original Poster
EllenD":16onra1m said:
You've got a lot of issues with your lighting, temps, and the other husbandry that has already been pointed out and I won't address them again, only to say that 110 degrees should always be the absolute maximum temperature anywhere inside his enclosure. Between 110-115 or so is very dangerous, and if exposed to these temps for long periods of time it certainly cause a host of issues...from 115 and higher is the LETHAL temperature range, and if exposed long-term, as it looks like your beardie has been, will cause severe dehydration, neurological issues and confusion, dizziness, blindness, severe lethargy, and death. So this is no doubt most of your beardie's issue, and I hope by now you have gotten his temperature gradient corrected:

Basking Spot Surface Temperature: between 98-103 degrees for an adult, max

Hot Side Ambient Temperature: between 88-93 degrees, max

Cool Side Ambient Temperature: between 75-80 degrees, max

***No nighttime heat source is needed at all!!! Your beardie will not sleep well at all if his enclosure is not #1) Pitch Black all night long, and #2) The temperature inside his enclosure is not considerably cooler all night long than it is during the day. These 2 stipulations replicate his natural, desert nighttime conditions. AS LONG AS HIS ENCLOSURE IS AT LEAST 65 DEGREES AT NIGHT, MEANING YOUR HOUSE WOULD HAVE TO BE 60 DEGREES OR COLDER AT NIGHT FOR HIS ENCLOSURE TO DROP BELOW 65 DEGREES, HE NEEDS ABSOLUTELY NO NIGHTTIME HEAT SOURCE, AND DOESN'T WANT ANY!!! ESPECIALLY AFTER HIS DAYTIME TEMPS BEING IN THE LETHAL RANGE!!! So please, if you are using any type of nighttime heat bulb or Ceramic Heat Emitter, please get rid of it and just turn his lights out for the night and allow it to be pitch black and cool so he can sleep comfortably.


I'm going to assume that you've drastically lowered his temps and gotten the rest of the husbandry issues corrected. If so, your beardie should perk up quite quickly and will be much healthier and happier. Any dehydration and lethargy he had was absolutely caused by his enclosure temperatures. That being said, DID THE VET IDENTIFY AND/OR REMOVE THE PIECE OF METAL THAT WAS SEEN IN HIS GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT? I haven't seen anyone comment on this, including you, and this is extremely concerning...I'm not fully understanding what happened at this vet or what they did. So this vet took an x-ray, identified a "piece of metal in his gastrointestinal tract somewhere", and then did blood work to identify if the metal was causing any metal poisoning, it was not, so that was it? I mean, if she is having trouble pooping or you think she's impacted or constipated, don't you think it probably has to do with the piece of metal inside her gastrointestinal tract?

It's not unusual for adult bearded dragons to only poop once a week or even every two weeks, I don't get alarmed until at least 12-14 days have passed since they've pooped. However, "Months" or even a single month is alarming, but especially alarming if you know she has a piece of metal inside her. Did the vet say anything about the metal causing the bowel movement issues, or what to do about it, etc.?

She didn't know metal was the issue andthat there really is no way to know. She also said the temperature was fine. She said her best guess was that he got a parasite from one of thr crickets.
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
Well, unfortunately, any vet that would say that a bearded dragon's enclosure temperatures being over 110 degrees, let alone up to 120 degrees is fine knows absolutely nothing about bearded dragons. This is not a parasite at all, and I certainly hope that this vet did not needlessly put him on an antiparasitic or antiprotozoan medication, which will only make him much, much worse.

The vet when told that his enclosure was between 110 and 120 degrees should have immediately identified this as the cause of the sever dehydration, among other problems...obviously I'm only the last of many people that have already commented on the dangerous and lethal temperatures, and if this vet was either a general vet or an "exotics" vet then this is unfortunately not unusual at all.

Also, I find it really, really terribly suspicious and just plain *****ic that a bearded dragon who has not had a bowel movement for a month and who they then find a piece of metal inside it's gastrointestinal tract is not treated for severe impaction and the piece of metal is not even discussed...How could a vet not relate a lack of bowel movement for a month to the piece of metal they found inside the poor dragon????

Have you gotten the temperatures down to the normal ranges? This is crucial for the health of your dragon and is step number one in correcting his issues...he's horribly dehydrated due to the temps...and that certainly is not helping him have a bowel movement.
 

ToughGuy32

Member
Original Poster
EllenD":1k1m783m said:
Well, unfortunately, any vet that would say that a bearded dragon's enclosure temperatures being over 110 degrees, let alone up to 120 degrees is fine knows absolutely nothing about bearded dragons. This is not a parasite at all, and I certainly hope that this vet did not needlessly put him on an antiparasitic or antiprotozoan medication, which will only make him much, much worse.

The vet when told that his enclosure was between 110 and 120 degrees should have immediately identified this as the cause of the sever dehydration, among other problems...obviously I'm only the last of many people that have already commented on the dangerous and lethal temperatures, and if this vet was either a general vet or an "exotics" vet then this is unfortunately not unusual at all.

Also, I find it really, really terribly suspicious and just plain *****ic that a bearded dragon who has not had a bowel movement for a month and who they then find a piece of metal inside it's gastrointestinal tract is not treated for severe impaction and the piece of metal is not even discussed...How could a vet not relate a lack of bowel movement for a month to the piece of metal they found inside the poor dragon????

Have you gotten the temperatures down to the normal ranges? This is crucial for the health of your dragon and is step number one in correcting his issues...he's horribly dehydrated due to the temps...and that certainly is not helping him have a bowel movement.

Yes, I have moved his temperature down. It is now at 100 degrees.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
ToughGuy32":16otbtca said:
EllenD":16otbtca said:
You've got a lot of issues with your lighting, temps, and the other husbandry that has already been pointed out and I won't address them again, only to say that 110 degrees should always be the absolute maximum temperature anywhere inside his enclosure. Between 110-115 or so is very dangerous, and if exposed to these temps for long periods of time it certainly cause a host of issues...from 115 and higher is the LETHAL temperature range, and if exposed long-term, as it looks like your beardie has been, will cause severe dehydration, neurological issues and confusion, dizziness, blindness, severe lethargy, and death. So this is no doubt most of your beardie's issue, and I hope by now you have gotten his temperature gradient corrected:

Basking Spot Surface Temperature: between 98-103 degrees for an adult, max

Hot Side Ambient Temperature: between 88-93 degrees, max

Cool Side Ambient Temperature: between 75-80 degrees, max

***No nighttime heat source is needed at all!!! Your beardie will not sleep well at all if his enclosure is not #1) Pitch Black all night long, and #2) The temperature inside his enclosure is not considerably cooler all night long than it is during the day. These 2 stipulations replicate his natural, desert nighttime conditions. AS LONG AS HIS ENCLOSURE IS AT LEAST 65 DEGREES AT NIGHT, MEANING YOUR HOUSE WOULD HAVE TO BE 60 DEGREES OR COLDER AT NIGHT FOR HIS ENCLOSURE TO DROP BELOW 65 DEGREES, HE NEEDS ABSOLUTELY NO NIGHTTIME HEAT SOURCE, AND DOESN'T WANT ANY!!! ESPECIALLY AFTER HIS DAYTIME TEMPS BEING IN THE LETHAL RANGE!!! So please, if you are using any type of nighttime heat bulb or Ceramic Heat Emitter, please get rid of it and just turn his lights out for the night and allow it to be pitch black and cool so he can sleep comfortably.


I'm going to assume that you've drastically lowered his temps and gotten the rest of the husbandry issues corrected. If so, your beardie should perk up quite quickly and will be much healthier and happier. Any dehydration and lethargy he had was absolutely caused by his enclosure temperatures. That being said, DID THE VET IDENTIFY AND/OR REMOVE THE PIECE OF METAL THAT WAS SEEN IN HIS GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT? I haven't seen anyone comment on this, including you, and this is extremely concerning...I'm not fully understanding what happened at this vet or what they did. So this vet took an x-ray, identified a "piece of metal in his gastrointestinal tract somewhere", and then did blood work to identify if the metal was causing any metal poisoning, it was not, so that was it? I mean, if she is having trouble pooping or you think she's impacted or constipated, don't you think it probably has to do with the piece of metal inside her gastrointestinal tract?

It's not unusual for adult bearded dragons to only poop once a week or even every two weeks, I don't get alarmed until at least 12-14 days have passed since they've pooped. However, "Months" or even a single month is alarming, but especially alarming if you know she has a piece of metal inside her. Did the vet say anything about the metal causing the bowel movement issues, or what to do about it, etc.?

She didn't know metal was the issue andthat there really is no way to know. She also said the temperature was fine. She said her best guess was that he got a parasite from one of thr crickets.

Based on this
1) SACK THE VET , find another who ACTUALLY knows what he is talking about as the current vet IS INCOMPETENT.
2) was a float done on her fecal matter ? no antiparasitic med UNLESS YOU KNOW FOR SURE she has a GIT parasite infestation.
3) I'm gobsmacked that your dragon has a piece of metal in her GIT and no effort has been made to remove it , especially if this is causing SEVERE IMPACTION, the vet is incompetent and seems to have decided you wont be interested in paying for it's removal and has decided to let your dragon die a slow agonizing death due to extreme impaction.
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
Thank you Knobbys, I thought I was the only one who was really disturbed by this and thought that it might be a cause of the problem, lol..."No, a piece of metal inside him isn't the problem, it's probably parasites. Here's some unnecessary meds"...Wow, just wow...
 
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