New Baby Bearded Dragon Owner - HELP!

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kcc

New member
Hey there!

I'm new to owning a baby bearded and I have some concerns about my little guy. I've only had him for two days, and I understand that there is a period of stress due to relocating and a new environment in general, but I want to make sure he's alright.

My baby beardie doesn't move hardly at all and always appears to be sleeping. I've researched brumation, but it's my understanding that that only really occurs in older beardies as they prepare for mating season (please correct me if I'm wrong).
He doesn't seem particularly "freaked out" by anything, he breathes normally and when he does move around he's bright and alert, but he's literally only moved of his own accord maybe 3 times since I put him in his tank.

Speaking of his tank, he's in a 20 gallon with sand colored reptile carpet, a food bowl, water bowl, and two large pieces of driftwood (I got a zoomed tank kit with him). It came with two lights, one for heat and one for UV exposure for activity. My thermometer says the right side of the tank is 80-82 degrees and the left side is cooler. His basking area is around 100, I used the drift wood pieces to make it so that he's closer to the light for a warmer temperature.

I'm kind of at a loss. To me, he doesn't seem alright and just lays exactly where I put him in the tank and keeps his eyes closed, even to the point where his leg will just be floating in the air or look awkward underneath of him (I move it carefully so it's at least forward). He has not eaten or really had anything to drink, but I've been spritzing him with some room temperature water to make sure he's a little hydrated. The pet store gave me two different mixes to feed him to start out, both from zoomed. One is a "gourmet" food medley of dried mealworms, blueberries, and dried rose flower petals. The other is a natural mix of protein, calcium and fiber pellets. Both types of food I am supposed to keep moist in the food bowl. They told me I did not need to get crickets until he was done with this food (which I thought was strange at the time based on all of the things I've read online).

Please help this new concerned lizard mom!
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Please post pics of your tank and little one-- we can better help you- your baby should be eating live bugs whether its crickets or dubia roaches -- roaches I recommend -- easier to care for and they dont stink-- he / she should be eating those bugs 2 times per day and as many as he / she can eat in 10 minutes or so and no bigger than the size between his / her eyes - and the roaches are better for the baby - I am guessing the lighting is not what your going to need especially w/ the pet store telling you he doesnt need crickets till that other stuff your feeding is gone--- the bugs should be dusted w/ calcium d3 5 x per week and vitamins 2 x per week - his/ her main diet at this point is bugs --- they need all the protein he / she can get for growing- greens like mustard collard squash any kind green beans should be offered daily - he / she may not eat it but still offer it as his / her main diet will be bugs for now - the 20 gallon tank will not be big enough here soon as they grow fast - the smallest he/she can be in is a 40 and then he / she will outgrow it -- most people recommend a 75 -120 gallon tank for full grown beardie-- my guess is the UVB lighting is not adequate and that will affect his / her digestion and all around behavior-- you can post pics by going to top of page click on User Image Uploader --down load pics - click on reply at top of message box click on XIMG - pics should post thanks
Karrie
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Hi there, I'm sorry to hear about the little one's problems. :( When you got him were there other dragons in the tank at the store and were they active ? Sadly the packaged food is not at all sufficient for a baby dragon, some of the pieces are probably too hard + large and babies really need lots of insects + are attracted by movement. It's good to keep dripping water on his snout to try to hydrate him. Get him some very small crickets or bsfl [ sold as Phoenix or calci worms ] ASAP and try to give him a few. If the crickets are lively stun them so they are weak + wobbly and easy for him to get.

He may have a number of health concerns....calcium deficiency, impaction, hopefully not atadenovirus. If they did not have proper uvb at the store this could all be related to that. You'll need a long tube Reptisun 10 for better uvb. Hopefully we can help your little guy out. Can you post pics of the baby [ close up ] as well as the entire tank, lights, view of the top of the screen, etc ? Here's how :

https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then use the XIMG to upload them
 

kcc

New member
Original Poster
full


full


full


When I got him the other ones in the tank were active, there were four I think and one was hiding and the other three were pretty active/running away from the employees hands.

I also have the specs for the two different lights that I have:
-ReptiSun 10.0 UVB 13 WATT Desert
-Repti Baksing Spot Lamp 75 WATT

I ordered crickets and they will be here tomorrow. The kit also came with a powder to dust on the crickets called ReptiCalcium

Thank you both for your replies!
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
You're welcome Yes, Karrie was writing as I was and asked the same Q's. How were the other babies in the store ? I'm sorry to say that I can see this one is not well at all + needs some nutrition badly. They did not know how to care for beardies at that store + sold you a sick one. I've been around beardies + raised them since the 90's + I know the look. You will need a long tube uvb bulb as we mentioned but if it's warm out where you live + you can get her in the sun that can help so she gets some good uvb. Try to get her to take some chicken + squash baby food with a syringe [ no added ingredients ]


Can you get a picture of the screen from the top ?
 

kcc

New member
Original Poster
Great... That's what I was worried about. I've been around animals my entire life and could tell something was just sort of off. The other beardies in the tank seemed more alert (full of life).

full


This is from above, I'm not particularly tall so I apologise that it's out of focus somewhat.

Chicken and squash baby food from the grocery store?
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Yes, with no salt or anything. If you had crickets right now you could try what I mentioned about stunning them so they're weak + wobbly or even smashing one slightly so the guts come out and rubbing it lightly on his nose. Foor now try some of the softened pellets by putting it right on the tip of his mouth just to see if he'll take some.

And sorry I'm bugging you about the scree, I was trying to see if it was the very fine mesh like windowscreen or if it was like this with bigger holes which allows much more uvb through.

https://www.beardeddragon.org/media/30004/full

Is your screen like my picture or like the tight window screen.
 

kcc

New member
Original Poster
It's a tight window screen~

I did get him to eat three mealworms earlier and yesterday I got him to eat some of the pellets, but that was with me kind of wiggling my fingernail gently over the front of his mouth and then as he opened his mouth I popped it in there. He seemed to perk up a little when he was eating the mealworms (very small ones) and was crunching on them and eating them normally.

The crickets will be here tomorrow~
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
That poor baby- they were starving him-- w/ the proper care and advice given he should bounce back-- I feel so bad for the little one- meal worms are too hard on their digestive system please don't feed him anymore- try the other things and see how he\ she does
Karrie
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
That's a good sign that he has an appetite ! A couple of very small mealworms is O.K in an emergency and the pellet food. Hopefully he doesn't have hidden issues , hopefully he'll go for the crickets and will bounce back . :)
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
How is the baby doing? Did you get him / her to eat? I cant get that picture of him standing in front of the glass tank out of my head!!! You will need to replace the UVB lighting in your tank -- this is what you should have a Reptisun 10 T5, or the Arcadia D3 12% or 14% T5 tube, both of which are very good. You will need a T5 light fixture also. This is crucial to him eating and digesting his/ her food-- what size tank do you have him in?
Karrie
 

Lifesadrag

New member
I'm new to the bearded dragon world, but looking at the condition of this guy, how long would you all say it typically takes a bearded dragon in this size & situation to bounce back, once the necessary lighting/environmental changes have been made?
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
You should see improvements like eating and coming around right away-- he should be basking and sitting under his / her UVB - I am not sure exactly how long some others on here that have experienced this would be the best to ask --
Karrie
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Poor little one, he has definitely not gotten enough food at all. That's great he has eaten a
little bit. Hopefully he will like the crickets. Go slowly with him & the feeding so it doesn't
overwhelm his system.
Hopefully in a few weeks, he will have made some great improvements. I would expect for
him to be on the right track within a few months time with some work. Though as mentioned,
with lighting improvements you will see fast progress.

Keep us posted on his progress.

Tracie
 
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