LittleDragonMama
Member
I regret this being my first post here, but I could use some advice from experienced beardie owners. I took in a 2 year old male beardie this January, and he was in reasonably good health despite the fact that his lighting (which I was given with him) was old and insufficient. I replaced them with a 100 watt zoo med heat bulb (I tried 150 but he hated it. The temp gradient is tested and appropriate with 100) and a 36" T5 uvb hood with a 5.0 fluorescent HO bulb included also from zoo med. I cut out the screen beneath the bulb as well. His basking spot and an area for just uvb basking are all a full foot from the bulbs. His health went from fair to great almost immediately. Then Spring started and he became restless, demanding to come out of his tank and beelining up the stairs to the best sunny window all morning, and only settling down back in his tank in the afternoon once the sun no longer came in. His appetite also lessened, but from what I was reading, it seemed like he was going through mating season, and he wasn't losing any weight or energy.
With all the time he wanted to spend out of his tank, even though he was in sunlight, it was also behind glass or screen, so I was worried about MBD. I got a new brand of calcium that he doesn't like (it's a popular brand with D3 added) so I've been gutloading his roaches with it. For the past couple months I've kept a very close eye on him, looking out for jaw swelling, bumps on his legs/spine, lethargy, leg swelling, etc. Even today there is none of that, but yesterday I noticed some tremors in his legs, and then this morning out of the blue he can't seem to move his right front leg forward at the shoulder joint. I felt it up and he gave no sogn of discomfort, no bumps, and I could articulate it just fine on my own. He was upset by a loud rainstorm yesterday and refused to eat anything, and today all I can get him to eat is mashed butternut squash that I've mixed with his calcium. The way he's seemed annoyed with his lighting, and so determined to sunbathe that he wants out even when he knows there's none (I live where it's mostly cloudy) it's the same behavior he showed with his old uvb… could it be the new one has already pooped out? I've orderes a replacement today, it's not sold in stores near me, but I'm just a little confused that he hasn't had any bumps or swelling, and gone straight to leg problems. His poo the other day had some yellow in it, like he had too much calcium, but he's only getting what the dubias have eaten, which is definitely not more than if they were dusted. Could it just be going through him, then?
For now I've put his old uvb light back on to see how he feels about it. He's alert and active, but not being quite as stubborn about coming out as usual. He's eating in small increments, but willingly. He had a good poo as well. If the new uvb gets here and he doesn't improve or if he gets worse at any point, I'll of course get him an appointment, I probably will anyway, but I wanted to hear from others as well.
With all the time he wanted to spend out of his tank, even though he was in sunlight, it was also behind glass or screen, so I was worried about MBD. I got a new brand of calcium that he doesn't like (it's a popular brand with D3 added) so I've been gutloading his roaches with it. For the past couple months I've kept a very close eye on him, looking out for jaw swelling, bumps on his legs/spine, lethargy, leg swelling, etc. Even today there is none of that, but yesterday I noticed some tremors in his legs, and then this morning out of the blue he can't seem to move his right front leg forward at the shoulder joint. I felt it up and he gave no sogn of discomfort, no bumps, and I could articulate it just fine on my own. He was upset by a loud rainstorm yesterday and refused to eat anything, and today all I can get him to eat is mashed butternut squash that I've mixed with his calcium. The way he's seemed annoyed with his lighting, and so determined to sunbathe that he wants out even when he knows there's none (I live where it's mostly cloudy) it's the same behavior he showed with his old uvb… could it be the new one has already pooped out? I've orderes a replacement today, it's not sold in stores near me, but I'm just a little confused that he hasn't had any bumps or swelling, and gone straight to leg problems. His poo the other day had some yellow in it, like he had too much calcium, but he's only getting what the dubias have eaten, which is definitely not more than if they were dusted. Could it just be going through him, then?
For now I've put his old uvb light back on to see how he feels about it. He's alert and active, but not being quite as stubborn about coming out as usual. He's eating in small increments, but willingly. He had a good poo as well. If the new uvb gets here and he doesn't improve or if he gets worse at any point, I'll of course get him an appointment, I probably will anyway, but I wanted to hear from others as well.