What should I do?

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erlabella

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My bearded dragons are having digestive issues, and I don’t know what to do. They both eat as they should and do have quite the appetite. They’re being fed mostly different kinds of greens and salads, and occasionally squashes and other veggies and fruits. They’re alao being fed superworms, around 7-9 per week (superworms are the only insect feeders avaible in the country). They’re both active and alert, but don’t seem to bask a lot. I use a white basking spot lamp for both of them and also Reptiglo 10.0 and 12.0 around 15-19 inches above their basking spot. Their stools are mostly smelly and runny, and have some undigested foods in them occasionally. They poop a few times a week. They’re both 18” long. My male dragon weighs 306 grams and my female 349 grams. My male dragon is having a hard time trying to gain weight. Both of them loose weight easily. I’m thinking about bringing them to the vet? Does this sound like a parasite infection?
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
First off are they housed together? A Reptiglo UVB is not a very good one--- here is some info for you on that subject
Which UVB light should I use?
The best UVB light is a ReptiSun 10.0 fluorescent tube HO (Or Arcardia 12% in the UK). Compact or coil bulbs do not emit the proper amount of UVB light for a bearded dragon, and should not be used. Other brands, such as the Zilla Desert Series and ReptiGlo have been known to cause eye problems and other health issues with bearded dragons, and should be avoided. The reason that some UVB lights (Zilla, ReptiGlo, coils/compacts, ect.) are considered dangerous is because the wavelength of UVB that they emit is shorter and more intense than the wavelength of the "safe" lights (ReptiSun, Arcadia).
UVB lights should be replaced every 6 months. The T5’s are a strong bulb and only need to be replaced once a year – the T 8 every 6 months--- where as the T 8 are not as strong—they need to be placed inside the tank the T 5 10.0 bulb approx 10-11 inches from basking spot – the T 8 approx 8-10 inches from basking spot—the cover needs to be off the bulb for full effect of the UVB rays-- I would recommend changing out the UVB's before taking them to the vet --------------lighting plays a huge role in their overall health and behavior----------
Karrie

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Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
It could be parasites based off what you've described.
Something I'd look into first would be the temperatures in your tank. If they aren't warm enough they won't be able to digest properly. And that will also explain the symptoms you are complaining about.

What is your basking surface temp.
What are you using to measure this temp?

-Brandon
 

erlabella

Member
Original Poster
KarrieRee":1zgoz02t said:
First off are they housed together? A Reptiglo UVB is not a very good one--- here is some info for you on that subject
Which UVB light should I use?
The best UVB light is a ReptiSun 10.0 fluorescent tube HO (Or Arcardia 12% in the UK). Compact or coil bulbs do not emit the proper amount of UVB light for a bearded dragon, and should not be used. Other brands, such as the Zilla Desert Series and ReptiGlo have been known to cause eye problems and other health issues with bearded dragons, and should be avoided. The reason that some UVB lights (Zilla, ReptiGlo, coils/compacts, ect.) are considered dangerous is because the wavelength of UVB that they emit is shorter and more intense than the wavelength of the "safe" lights (ReptiSun, Arcadia).
UVB lights should be replaced every 6 months. The T5’s are a strong bulb and only need to be replaced once a year – the T 8 every 6 months--- where as the T 8 are not as strong—they need to be placed inside the tank the T 5 10.0 bulb approx 10-11 inches from basking spot – the T 8 approx 8-10 inches from basking spot—the cover needs to be off the bulb for full effect of the UVB rays-- I would recommend changing out the UVB's before taking them to the vet --------------lighting plays a huge role in their overall health and behavior----------
Karrie

-
No they are not housed together. They’re not even in the same room.
Only Reptiglo lights are available here. I believe I’ve read that they’re safe to use, but I might be wrong. I change the lights every 6 months. Last time I changed them was in november last year, which actually makes them 6 months old now. Though, I haven’t changed them yet. I’ll keep you posted.
 

erlabella

Member
Original Poster
claudiusx":3a459hr3 said:
It could be parasites based off what you've described.
Something I'd look into first would be the temperatures in your tank. If they aren't warm enough they won't be able to digest properly. And that will also explain the symptoms you are complaining about.

What is your basking surface temp.
What are you using to measure this temp?

-Brandon
Temperatures are warm enough. I have a temp gun and a digital thermometer. Right below their basking spots measure around 40° celsius. The warm side a few degrees cooler (36-38° C), and cold side around 23-26°. Nighttime temps are 22-23° C.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Hi there, how long have you had the dragons ? The Reptiglo bulb is fine but needs to be about 8-10" away to be effective rather than so far away as you have them. If the bulbs are mounted inside that will help too. A fecal test should be done as was mentioned, that may be the problem which should be dealt with [ usually] quite easily.
 
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