Is my baby bearded dragon sick? She is not growing

I got her on November 18th and I have almost had her a month and the first day I had her she would hunt crickets and now she does not even eat them. She has been about the same size she is 7 inches and I tried to weigh her but the thing told me different weights each time. 15-20g is a safe bet. I had to buy repta boost and she eats it when I put it on her nose. Since she does not want crickets I put some calcium in the repta boost and the calcium I use is repti calcium with no d3. I have only been doing this a week and I think her belly has gotten a little bigger but not her whole body. She is usually kind of tired. I have a sister who got one also and he has grown so much. They have baths together and he is always getting bigger. I use repti sun 10 coiled I’m going to buy the tube once I get more money for Christmas I have already used a lot on my Beardie and I just want her to be normal. My sister uses the wrong UVB and I told her but she does not care about that she has the repti sun 5.0 tropical. The thing is her Beardie has grown with the wrong stuff while mine is the same size and has better stuff. Her warm side is 98-105 and her cold side is 75-83.
I don’t have enough money to take her to the vet my parents don’t want to be a part of it. I have about just $80 right now. Is it just because she is growing slower or is something g actually wrong.
That was when I first got her she has a bit of an angle on her in this pic.
Now
Both of them now

Hi. Cute little buggers! I would not put them together at anytime. The bigger one can see yours as lunch. Glad you are getting a better uvb soon. Have you tried different feeders? Phoenix worms, silk worms and dubia are very good. She might be tired of crickets. Make sure she gets fed 2x to 3x a day. How are you taking the temps? What are they?

Replacing the ineffective coil bulb with a Reptisun T5 10.0 UV tube light will go a long way toward helping your dragon grow. Additionally, you should try BSFL (also called calciworms or reptiworms) or dubia roaches (appropriately sized) to stimulate her appetite. Baby beardies are insect eating machines, and if she isn’t voraciously wolfing down insects, then the lack of crucial protein will also affect her growth. You need to keep trying different feeders until you strike gold (just avoid hard to digest Mealworms and superworms). For the sake of your sister’s dragon, I highly encourage you to convince her to get the proper UV lighting as well so that her dragon doesn’t develop health issues down the road. Show her the care sheet on lighting featured on this site (which also explains why coil bulbs are ineffective). Both of you need to get the 10.0 Reptisun tubes. Because they’re both young, if you and your sister fix this issue ASAP you can avoid health complications down the road. Your baby is very cute and with a few tweaks to the husbandry she can grow to be a big happy dragon.

Are they housed together or in vivs where they can see each other all day everyday ?

Failure to thrive is usually due to :
>>>> domination (they need not share the same tank, only need to see each other)
>>>> poor diet
>>>> insufficient dietary calcium & insufficient UVB exposure
>>>> not enough high quality LIVE insect protein each and every day.
>>>> temperatures are either too high or not warm enough, usually due to poor quality inaccurate analog thermometer located in wrong place
>>>> very short photo period
>>>> sick hatchling (unfortunately very common for breeders and pet shops to sell hatchlings who are sick , some even suffering from ADV or heavy GIT parasite infestionations
>>>> genetics also plays a role.

We need a very through run down on
>> your husbandry,
>> feeding schedule and diet given to your dragon,
>> the lights you have in your dragon's tank (EXACT wattages, colours, brands, and rating in %UVB for the uv light, and how the lights are set up = distance from basking spot and floor of tank, in reflector dome or hood, ontop mesh lid) , >> and how you are measuring your temperatures .
This will help work out what's wrong - viewtopic.php?f=6&t=236150&p=1815390#p1815390

It may be necessary if she's a poor feeder, some are, it's perfectly acceptable to assist feed her , this will have the following benefits :
>> you will know exactly how much she is eating , keep a log of this.
>> you will develop a very strong bond between the dragon <==> you
Here is how : viewtopic.php?f=18&t=235583

I use the reptisun 10.0 coiled desert type it’s bright white. Her heat lamp is zoo med repti basking spot lamp 100w it’s not bright white but more yellow-white. She is 6-8 inches from her basking spot. The UVB is a little over to the left I try to put it as close as I can. I feed her the repta+boost from flukers. She has 1.0-1.5cc of the mix with 2.5cc of water. I add calcium with a .625cc scoop and I do about 2 scoops. That was all I did with calcium this week because she ate 6 crickets with it calcium when I got back (I was gone for 2 days someone took care of her for me). She lost all spirits for crickets in the next day or 2. Please help on the calcium thing how much does she need in cc. She is in a 20gal tank until I buy a new one when she is full grown. I’m dealing with her tail thing she had some tail rot it fell off now there is just a little more left to fall off. I soak it in betadine then but anti bacterial on it. It’s getting a lot better. She is not with my sisters dragon she is by herself in my room.
This is her tank idk why the light looks blue but it’s not.
This is what’s in the repta boost
Kiley

I know I already mentioned this but you and your sister need to get rid of your coil UV bulbs ASAP. Again, coil bulbs are weak, cause eye problems in reptiles, and if there’s a screen between the bulb and the lizard, up to 40 percent of the already weak/subpar UV emissions will be filtered out. You need a Reptisun 10.0 UV tube or an Arcadia UV tube. These are the only UV lights proven safe and effective. If you and your sister care about the wellbeing of your pets you will buy these immediately. If your baby is only eating 6 insects a day, part of her lack of appetite can easily be due to the fact that she isn’t getting enough UV exposure. Proper UV light stimulates appetite, aids in growth, and contributes to the animal’s wellbeing. She hasn’t grown because she doesn’t have the most essential thing a beardie needs to be healthy. And even if your sister’s beardie has managed to grow a little despite weak UV light, her dragon will likely develop health issues down the road. But both of you can change your animal’s fate if you buy the lights they should have had from day one. As for calcium and vitamins, here’s my vitamin schedule for my beardies:
2x a week = multivitamin
2x a week = calcium with D3
3x a week = calcium without D3
As far as dosage, I just use a pinch (enough to coat the insects lightly, but not so much that the insects look like powdered donuts). I only coat the first insect feeding with vitamins or calcium.
Her appetite is very concerning (but this will likely pick up when you get her the correct UV light). Baby beardies are voracious and can (and should) easily plow through 30-60 a day. I again encourage you to try BSFL or small dubia roaches, as many beardies that have grown bored with crickets will find their appetite reignited when offered a variety of feeders. Make sure her basking temperature is between 100-110 degrees so she can properly digest her food. Take the temps with a digital thermometer or you won’t get accurate readings.
Right this second: go on Amazon and buy the 10.0 Reptisun tubes (they were less than $20 there last time I checked). No amount of vitamins or gutloaded insects can help these animals if they don’t have the most essential thing they need to be healthy.

I will buy the reptisun 10 tube 22inch t5 tomorrow but The only thing is do you know a cheap hood I could buy? They are like $45 for the zoo med hood but I think that’s just name brand I’m sure there is others.I think I’m going to order 25 Dubia Roaches to see if she likes them. They come after Christmas though. Anyway any of you know cheap hoods?

The Reptisun 10.0 T5 tube is the best UV light you can buy—so that’s great news for your little girl. They have a UV output of up to 11”, so when you upgrade her tank (ideally to something larger than 40 gallons if her current tank is less than this) as she grows, just remember that if the tank is on the taller side her basking platforms need to be within 11” of the UV. And the T8 only has an output of 6”, so I prefer the T5. As far as a fixture, many people just go to the hardware store (or where I live, Walmart) and buy an inexpensive fluorescent light fixture that fits the length of their UV light. Whether you buy your fixture at a hardware store or buy one specifically made for reptile lighting, just be sure you remove the plastic component over the light (if applicable). Any plastic compartments blocking the tube must be thrown away or they’ll block the UV light and render the Reptisun worthless. You’ll also need to look into a reflector if you go this route so the UV is properly distributed. Buying a fixture meant for these lights that includes a reflector is honestly your best bet, pricey as it is. But it’s a great long-lasting investment for your beardie. It’s been a while since I’ve had to buy a fixture so hopefully someone else can contribute some other options. As far as the dubias, that’s great. They’re high in protein and have a much better meat ratio than crickets. Just make sure you don’t gutload them with any food you wouldn’t feed your dragon (no cat or dog food, for example. A lot of people do this and the uric acid levels in the roaches can get very high, eventually causing gout in the reptile). Since your sister also has a bearded dragon, you two might consider starting a roach colony (I know this may not sound appealing but if you breed them yourself you can save a lot of money down the road on insects and dubias are very easy to keep/care for). But hopefully your baby likes the dubias. Offer her as many insects as she’ll eat in a sitting twice a day. Because dubias can be pricey you can rotate them with crickets, BSFL, etc.
I’m glad you’re getting the Reptisun—it will go a long way toward getting her growth back on track.

Kiley":3em1why0 said:

I will buy the reptisun 10 tube 22inch t5 tomorrow but The only thing is do you know a cheap hood I could buy? They are like $45 for the zoo med hood but I think that’s just name brand I’m sure there is others.I think I’m going to order 25 Dubia Roaches to see if she likes them. They come after Christmas though. Anyway any of you know cheap hoods?

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Think about the best quality reflector hood you can get, this is a ONE OFF expenditure for each bearded dragon, and a good quality hood for each dragon will last the entire life of the dragon (maybe 10 years or more) whereas a cheap (budget hood) is very likely to fail in under a year or a few years if you are lucky.

With reptile lighting you pay for what you will get.

Regarding the compact coils
If the compact UVB coil globe is 25W and rated AT LEAST 10% UVB and made by Zoo Med , Exo Terra or Arcadia (in Germany) they are fine to use in SMALLER rearing vivs PROVIDED
> the compact is located UNDER THE MESH LID
> the compact is in a good quality reflector (dome or better still a small reflector hood)
> the 25W 10%UVB compact is NO FURTHER THAN 8 inches from the basking spot (will provide between 180 - 200 microW UVB / sq.cm at the basking spot and about 100 microW UVB / sq.cm elsewhere.

Telling people that all compacts are bad is simplistic - many who say all compacts are bad are very inexperienced themselves and just aping what others have told them without any real understanding of what causes issues when cheaper poorly made clones are used.
I invite you to do your own research.
Not all UV sources are created equal or made well. See viewtopic.php?f=6&t=234738&p=1806050#p1806050 for more details on what brands to avoid.

Kiley":3ps6h1ix said:

I will buy the reptisun 10 tube 22inch t5 tomorrow but The only thing is do you know a cheap hood I could buy? They are like $45 for the zoo med hood but I think that’s just name brand I’m sure there is others.I think I’m going to order 25 Dubia Roaches to see if she likes them. They come after Christmas though. Anyway any of you know cheap hoods?

Click to expand...

This will help, but don't expect an overnight change in the dragon's appetite and activity levels.

I suggest if are not already weighting both dragons weekly, and keeping a very detailed log of their food consumption and behaviours, that you start doing this . Weighing weekly is more than adequate to monitor real growth in a hatchling / juvenile lizard and to pick up on issues.

So this morning I found a exotic pet store the guy had some dubia so I bought 10 just to see if she likes them. So far she has ate 3 and I think she will eat more which is great. I think she likes the roaches But I have to order the UVB because non of the stores had the right ones. Another thing is that she had some nasty stinky poo this morning. I changed her log to a different one that is probably better anyway.
Thats her poop.

I’m just going to start feeding her repta boost once a day because I think this can make her get used to the dubia. I don’t want her to think she is just going to get feed by hand everyday. Eventually I will not feed it to her snd by then she should be used to it.

That’s great that she tried the dubias! Eventually you can transfer the roaches to a “no escape” feeder dish, which will allow her to gobble them up easily (dubias are definitely trickier to feed by hand). These are available at most pet stores and fairly inexpensive. Another great thing about dubias is that they have a longer digestive tract so gutloading them goes a long way. Sometimes I’ll feed them Repashy Bug Burger, but you can also just load them up with all the healthy veggies you feed to your dragon. You also may find that your dragon is a worm lover, and if offered Phoenix worms (also called reptiworms or BSFL) or tiny silkworms her appetite explodes. Every dragon has their personal favorites. One of mine is a complete cricket snob but will go absolutely insane for BSFL or silkworms. Another dragon prefers dubias and crickets (if it doesn’t attempt to sprint away from her, apparently it’s not worth eating). So I recommend experimenting with different feeders to coax out her appetite. Hopefully she takes to the dubias really well, because they’re one of the most nutritious feeders. I think the Reptisun tube will go a long way toward perking up your baby so that’s awesome that it’s in the works. Every herp vet and breeder I’ve encountered is a huge advocate of these UV lights, and my own dragons have thrived beneath them (I know the Arcadia tubes are also very well regarded, but they just don’t seem to be as readily available in my country so I don’t have personal experience with them). It may take a while to see a change, but if your baby has stellar lighting, her basking temps are on point, and she’s eating her buggies, she’ll start to thrive. Regarding the poop issue, if a bearded dragon has bowel movements that are consistently runny/watery and have an incredibly strong odor, this can sometimes be a symptom of coccidia, parasites, etc. So if this becomes a pattern with your baby I’d encourage you take a fecal sample to a herp vet so they can test it. Many parasites are easily treatable with medication, so just keep an eye on her bowel movements and if they fall into the category mentioned pretty consistently I’d plan a vet visit. I think things are looking up for your little girl. She’s very cute and hopefully soon you’ll be able to post pics of a rapidly growing beardie.

Ok thanks for all of y’alls help! Very much appriciated. I will post pics later on.

You're best bet is ordering both the 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVB tube and a 24" T5-rated tube fixture for it is on Amazon.com. You can buy both for about $50 shipped. You cannot buy a T5-rated tube fixture at most Lowes, Home Depot, etc. stores, and definitely not at Walmart. They only sell T8-rated tube fixtures, and I think the last time I checked Lowes had one singe T5-rated fixture you can order, but it's a direct-wire fixture and has no on/off switch, it's meant to be wired straight to a wall switch.

The 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVB tube costs around $24 on Amazon.com, and they sell a Sunblaster brand 24" fixture that is a T5-rated fixture for up to 24 watts, for around $28. That's by far the cheapest place I've seen both. I'd get it ordered immediately, as your dragon has gotten zero UVB light because #1) The 13 watt coil bulb is far too weak for a dragon to begin with unless it's within 3-4" of your dragon, which you cannot do because it causes severe eye damage and neurological damage, and #2) That mesh lid is blocking 40% of the already far too weak UVb light, so he's getting and has gotten no UVB light at all, and at his age he needs it badly to grow and develop.