Weird bump on his spine, Mpd?

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So my young beardie, Hydra, developed a slight bump on his tail a few months ago (pictures will be down below), I've been giving him normal calcium, and been trying to get him adequate sunlight since it's been difficult trying to figure out how to get a UVB in his tank (I read that it can't be on the mesh, but I can't remember why), recently I noticed a small bump on his lower spine, it doesn't seem to be affecting him (Besides possibly being a cave-body, but he's been like that since I got him a hide though) but I'm terribly worried about him. Please help!
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VenusAndSaturn

Sub-Adult Member
He most likely has MBD because of the coil/compact uvb which are entirely useless. I'd suggest getting a MVB and a proper tube light like the reptisun t5 HO 10.0, both can be placed on top of the screen since they are stronger than the other weaker bulbs. Uusally just a tube light would be good but honestly i feel like it would be best to get him a MVB so that he has a lot more uvb than what he was getting.

The reptisun t5 HO 10.0 and MVB's are the only ones that can be placed on top along with the arcaida bulbs. The reason this is, is because they are stronger and produce correct amounts of uvb that can go through screen and be enough unlike t8 10.0's, t8 50.0's and t5 5.0's.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

I agree, it is most likely due to a calcium deficiency. Have you been using a compact/coil
UVB Light? How long have you had Hydra?
If you wanted to consider a Mercury vapor bulb, the better ones are the Arcadia D3 MVB,
or the Megaray. Those are the two best ones. Using them in conjunction with a T5 tube
bulb would be a great combination & excellent UVB exposure.
How often are you giving him calcium? At his age, he will need a good dusting, once daily,
4-5 days per week right now since he's growing.
What types of foods are you giving to him?
Can he walk & climb normally?

Tracie
 

SweetSpicyDragon

Member
Original Poster
Drache613":1qkgzz5n said:
Hello,

I agree, it is most likely due to a calcium deficiency. Have you been using a compact/coil
UVB Light? How long have you had Hydra?
If you wanted to consider a Mercury vapor bulb, the better ones are the Arcadia D3 MVB,
or the Megaray. Those are the two best ones. Using them in conjunction with a T5 tube
bulb would be a great combination & excellent UVB exposure.
How often are you giving him calcium? At his age, he will need a good dusting, once daily,
4-5 days per week right now since he's growing.
What types of foods are you giving to him?
Can he walk & climb normally?

Tracie

I haven't been able to get him a UVB light for the 9 months I've had him (Due to at home complications, but I'm working on figuring out a way to get one).
I will admit I wasn't able to give him calcium for at least a week or two during the month of August, which is when the crook in his tail appeared. I've been giving him calcium at east 2 times a week, but I shall up the intake now. He acts normal, running, climbing, hunting and even scratching at his face shed with his hind leg. (Even as I was typing this he started bobbing at Red)
I've been giving his waxworms, superworms, mealworms, and crickets as well as romaine lettuce.
I'm waiting for the lights to cool, but I think his most recent light was a coil since the halogen light burned out.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
VenusAndSaturn":11xh3glo said:
He most likely has MBD because of the coil/compact uvb which are entirely useless. I'd suggest getting a MVB and a proper tube light like the reptisun t5 HO 10.0, both can be placed on top of the screen since they are stronger than the other weaker bulbs. Uusally just a tube light would be good but honestly i feel like it would be best to get him a MVB so that he has a lot more uvb than what he was getting.

The reptisun t5 HO 10.0 and MVB's are the only ones that can be placed on top along with the arcaida bulbs. The reason this is, is because they are stronger and produce correct amounts of uvb that can go through screen and be enough unlike t8 10.0's, t8 50.0's and t5 5.0's.

Yes I also think MBD.

Issue caused by inadequate UVB because the compact UVB globe is likely only a 13W
and is too old to be effective (over 6 months old)
and it is located
>> too far away to be effective
>> and ONTOP of fine mesh lid which is blocking about 40% of all the UVA & UVB emitted by it.
See for guidance : viewtopic.php?f=34&t=235611&p=1811914#p1811914

The insects used are mostly very poor in Ca / P as well which will have contributed to the problem see viewtopic.php?f=76&t=234999&p=1807834#p1807834

Eyes are a bit bulgy too ==> insufficient UVA and like other health issues as well.
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
Yes, he definitely has MBD, but "Upping his Calcium Intake" isn't going to help him at all without an adequate UVB light that is mounted correctly, and actually giving him extra Calcium without an adequate UVB light can actually cause more issues for him. You must get him an adequate UVb light ASAP or the MBD is going to only get much, much worse until he cannot walk at all. He's also quite thin, and this too is due to not having any UVB light. He is a desert reptile and they need at least, at the very least 13-14 hours every single day of adequate UVB light and a bright white Basking light together. Your compact/coil UVB light is far too weak for a Bearded Dragon to begin with, and then the mesh lid is blocking about 40% of the already far too weak UVB light. In addition, those weak compact/coil UVB bulbs also stop emitting ANY UVB light at all at 6 months old. The bulb will still turn on and light up, but all of the UVb light decays away at 6 months old. So he's gotten no UVb light at all for however long you've had him, and this has caused severe MBD and an appetite problem, and probably also a malnutrition issue.

Here's why upping his Calcium won't help at all, and also why he's thin and malnourished: Desert Reptiles obviously get bright, intense, natural sunlight all day long, every day. As such, their bodies rely upon the different spectrum of light in order to pretty much do anything at all, including live.

Bearded Dragons need at least 13-14 hours every single day of adequate and strong UVB light. Without this, their bodies stop making any Vitamin D3 and stop absorbing ANY of the nutrition that they eat, including Calcium and all other vitamins and minerals. They also cannot use/process any nutrition that they eat, not in supplement form or contained in their food. So if you feed him an adequate daily diet and give him a Calcium supplement and a Multivitamin supplement but he has no adequate UVB light, he's just going to excrete all of the vitamins and minerals he takes in, including the calcium. This results in weakening of his bone density, deformities, paralysis, a lack of appetite, malnutrition, and eventually death.

So the bottom line here is that you absolutely must find a way to get him an adequate UVB tube (a long tube, at least 18" long, not another compact/coil UVb bulb, as they are not going to help him), and a matching length, long tube fixture for the UVb tube. Your dragon needs a T5-strength UVB tube and fixture, because it is the strongest UVb light you can buy, and also because you'll save money in the long run, which is something most people don't realize. If you buy a much weaker T8 UVB tube and fixture, you'll have to be replacing the T8 UVb tube at least once every 6 months, because they stop emitting any UVb light at that age. Also, the T8 UVB tubes have to be mounted underneath the mesh lid, but the stronger T5 UVb tubes can sit on top of the mesh lid, just as long as his basking spot/platform is within at least 11" of the T5 UVB tube....in contrast, the weaker T8 UVB tubes have to be within at least 6" of his basking spot/platform to get effective UVb light to him. So the T5 UVb tubes not only give him the best chance for survival and some recovery from this severe MBD and malnutrition, but the T5 UVB tube will save you money too (they actually cost less on Amazon.com than the weaker T8 UVb tubes do in the stores, by far), and are also easier to mount and get set-up properly.

You need to come up with $50 that you can use to order a 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5 High-Output UVB tube ($23 on Amazon.com) and then also a 24" T5-rated tube fixture with a Metal Reflector inside it ($25 on Amazon.com)...this is the cheapest place by far to buy both the UVB tube he needs and the long tube fixture for the UVB tube (the metal reflector is very important). Amazon.com offers a package deal when you buy both the UVb tube and the fixture together, and they offer free shipping. If you were to buy a 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVb tube in a store (if you could even find one, usually all they sell are the much weaker T8 versions) the tube alone would cost you $40. Then a 24" tube fixture that is rated for a T5 UVb tube (24 watts) would cost another $30 or so. So that's why Amazon.com is by far the best place to buy this for him.

So if you can come up with $50 you can get him both an adequate and easily set-up UVB tube and a fixture for it. Without a long, UVB tube (either a Reptisun 10.0 or an Arcadia brand, stay away from All Living Things, Zilla, and ReptileOne brands, they emit harmful light rays that cause eye and neurological damage, and they are very weak T8 UVB tubes that decay in less than 6 months and must all be mounted extremely close to your dragon at all times to deliver any effective UVb light)...

Without getting him a long UVB tube and fixture and getting it set-up correctly ASAP, he's not going to get better, no matter what you do (unless you live somewhere where it's warm all year-round, then you can take him outside for a couple hours every day for direct sunlight).
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
SweetSpicyDragon":1mbfm6wp said:
All that's coming up for the search on Amazon is T8 lamp fixtures, which I don't think would work

Hang on, let me find the link for you....
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
Here's the link for the UVB tube, from different sellers. You can see that the one with free shipping is $25, and underneath it are "other sellers" that have it for the $23, take your pick...

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_11/134-0971995-6483037?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=22%22+reptisun+10.0+t5ho+uvb&sprefix=22%22+reptisu%2Caps%2C157&crid=27MK723G1BB11

Here's the link for the 24" T5 tube fixture...it comes with a generic 22" tube you can throw out, but it is rated for 24 watts, is the correct length, and comes with a metal reflector inside. I have 3 of them, work great. Cheaper than the $32 from "other sellers".

https://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-Output-Fluorescent-Strip-2-Feet/dp/B00AKKULI6/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1512927926&sr=1-4&keywords=24%22+T5+fixture

Let me know if you need anything else or have any other issues. They also sell very cheap Digital Probe Thermometers for like $5 if you don't already have one.
 

SweetSpicyDragon

Member
Original Poster
Update!
Hydra is doing a lot better now, his MBD symptoms have disappeared almost completely and he's doing really well now!
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SweetSpicyDragon

Member
Original Poster
AHBD":1osqlhdb said:
That's great ! It's nice to read a positive update. He looks overall quite well there. :)
Yeah, he's even stopped doing a weird hoppy walk and is walking just fine! I'm glad I caught it so early
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Holy Toledo, that is awesome he has recovered so well. :D It is always so great to see a positive
update, as most are not good & don't end well.
I'm happy to hear he is doing so good now, do keep us updated on him. You can post more
pictures of him here too if you would like.

Tracie
 

SweetSpicyDragon

Member
Original Poster
Drache613":3ue8hmul said:
Hello,

Holy Toledo, that is awesome he has recovered so well. :D It is always so great to see a positive
update, as most are not good & don't end well.
I'm happy to hear he is doing so good now, do keep us updated on him. You can post more
pictures of him here too if you would like.

Tracie
I think I might also start uploading regularly about him, he's so interesting and sweet!
Here's him asking to go outside, I've been able to kind of train him to do this
86034-4319069404.jpg
And here' s him giving the camera a look
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He still has a small kink in his tail, but I'm glad that that's all
 
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