Bearded Dragon Shaking, Not eating

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Zilla117

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My Bearded Dragon, Zilla is just under a year old. I was told that she was brumating, but I was worried since she wasn't eating. I gave her a bath, which I was told would help, and it did. She perked up and even ate a little. However, a few days later she was back to the way she was before, but almost worse. She would stop and shake her head as she walked, and still wouldn't eat. This has been going on for about a week. She also seems to be venting, bit a lot even when she's cold, and it looks like she swallows air. About 2 days ago, I found her upside down in her tank. She was on her back, head under her log. I picked her up and she seemed alright after. I think this might have been because she injured her arm, and when she walks she looks like she would flip over. She hasn't done that again, and was moving around more in her tank, but still not eating. I've been giving her baths every day/ every other day. Today I gave her her bath, and she seemed bothered so I picked her up, which bothered her more. I set her back down in the water and it was almost like she fell asleep. I took her out of the bath, and she had her eyes closed, I poked her and she slowly turned like she was writhing in pain. I set her back in her tank. I am probably going to take her to the vet soon, but I was just hoping someone could tell me what could help her. I'm thinking maybe I just shouldn't have bothered her while she tried to sleep the winter out. Thanks.
 

CooperDragon

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This isn't brumation. It sounds like she is sick. It could be atadenovirus or possibly a lighting issue. Can you provide details about your setup? What are the temperatures around the tank? Which UVB light do you have and how far away is it from the basking area? Do you dust feeder bugs with calcium supplement? You can upload photos here https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ and post them using the XIMG button when you reply. If you can provide further info I'll do my best to help. Given the head shaking and flipping over I think you should probably line up a visit with an experienced reptile vet to have her checked out though as this could be a serious issue.
 

Zilla117

Member
Original Poster
Distance to uvb light (From ground) 14 inches
Distance from basking log to uvb 15 inches
Basking Temp 96.1 degrees Fahrenheit
warm side temp 81.3 degrees Fahrenheit
cool side temp 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit
Uvb light Reptile uvb 150 26w desert uvb by exo terra
tank is a 40gallon breeder
and I keep her on paper towels
I give her crickets/ superworms with calcium. I hadn't been feeding her greens but now she's offered dandelion greens with mixes of red pepper, strawberries, carrots and blueberries
It’s also winter where I live so the temps are lower now than the rest of the year
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
I'd try to bump the basking surface temp just a little bit to have an area over 100. The UVB light is too far away and out of it's effective range. The 26w UVB 150 bulbs are better suited to smaller enclosures. When it's shining through a screen top it doesn't produce much UVB beyond about 6''. I suggest moving to a 22'' T5 UVB light which should make a big difference in UVB exposure. It's possible that inadequate UVB exposure over time has led to a calcium deficiency due to inability to digest and process nutrients properly. It's also possible that this is something separate such as atadenovirus or a neurological problem. I'd still have a vet check her out and do an atadenovirus test and possibly a blood test. Upgrading the UVB light in the meantime is a good idea either way.
 

Zilla117

Member
Original Poster
Thanks for your help! I’ll see what I can do about the uvb. The vet appointment should be happening later this week.
 
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