Baby bearded dragon lethargic and disoriented

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Kallred76

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I hope I am doing this right. I am new tonthis form. My roommate just purchased a 4 week old bearded dragon. She has had him for 2 days. Not knowing how toxic d3 could be, we dusted mealworms (I know they aren't great, and won't be giving h th. Again now that the let store has crickets again) with calcium and d3. We have him in a 10 gallon tank for right now with a under tank heater ( we stuck it to the basking side of his tank). He has a solar glo all in one 80 watt bulb. He is lethargic, with no control over his body. Help!! Getting into an exotic vet here is almost impossible!
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
How many meal worms did he eat?? They are too harsh on babies stomachs --- please no more---- the basking temp what is it at? How are you taking it ? w/ a infrared temp gun ? stick on? probe therm? The all in one is sometimes too hot especially for a 10 gallon tank -- I am not real savvy on them as I have never used them --------------- the D3 is good that should not be making the baby lethargic --- please post pics of the tank and lighting
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/
use the XIMG on the message box to post pics thanks
Karrie
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
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The d3 wouldn't cause any issues, especially in such a short time.

What do you mean when you say he has no control of his body? There are two things that could be if it's what I'm picturing, but I'll let you elaborate before I mention them.

-Brandon
 

Kallred76

Member
Original Poster
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Thank you for your replies. His basking area is between 99 to 100. It is a probe digital thermometer, he ate about 8 small meal worms, and by no control it's like he flips around, and once in awhile ends up on his back, then looks don't, out shocked. Thanks again for your help!
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
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Oh boy he's really not doing good. Honestly it sounds like he does have one of the two conditions I was thinking of based on what you've described.
He's suffering some form of neurological issue which can either be caused by pretty severe metabolic bone disease, or from adenovirus.

If it's caused my mbd, things can get better. You need to make sure you're lighting is perfect, and the rest of your husbandry is perfect. Having a proper uvb bulb is crucial for dragons, especially those with MBD.

If it's ADV, unfortunately, in most cases when they are exhibiting symptoms this bad this early, they don't usually make it past 90 days. That's the big reason some are against buying petsmart dragons, they often times have major health issues such as this.

Poor fella, he really does look he's not feeling good at all. :(

So the best you can do now is upgrade your uvb bulb to preferably a reptisun 10.0 long tube. Or the Arcadia tubes.

I'd get rid of the heat pad. If hes that lethargic he might overheat himself if he doesn't have the energy to move.

I'd also try to bump your basking SURFACE temp to around 105. Babies like it warmer at the basking site.

And try to feed his as healthy a diet as you can. Continue dusting your feeders once a day. But it's important to have that proper uv so that the calcium can be absorbed better.
Mealworms aren't the best option, but if hes able to digest them fine and he's pooping fine, they can be PART of his diet. Some other options would be crickets, dubia roaches, silkworms, butterworms, and black soldier fly larva.

Good luck to your and the little guy!

-Brandon
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
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Hello,

Oh my, your poor boy, he doesn't look well at all.
This came on all of the sudden then?
I agree, it is likely a neurological problem, like onset of metabolic bone disease, or even
adeno virus. The Solar Glo MVB light is an ok UVB source, but not real strong. I would
recommend adding a supplemental tube UVB to help him out. A 10 gallon tank is very
small. What are the basking temperatures in the tank, is the Solar Glo mounted on top
of the tank screen? You could get a Reptisun 10 tube or an Arcadia D3 12 % tube &
have it mounted on top of the screen.
Are you sure he isn't getting overheated? As suggested, I would turn the undertank heater
off during the day. If you need any overnight heating, you could turn that on.
He is very critical right now. Care needs to be taken when feeding him, so that he doesn't
aspirate fluids/foods, if you do need to assist feed him.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie
 

Kallred76

Member
Original Poster
Yes it came on all of a sudden. Ok, so the lighting is not correct. I am posting a picture of the box with all of the rating system, etc. I will turn off the heater during the day. And keep a healthy diet but be careful also.. I have read with sick babies sometimes baby food and a syringe? Is this a good or bad thing.. I am just lost.. and heart broken!!
 

Kallred76

Member
Original Poster
Also, we have already decided meal worms are out of his diet for sure! He has small crickets, collard greens, butternut and acorn squash, strawberries, blueberries, and apples(of course not all at the same time) , and we are trying to find a store that sales dandelions..
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
If hes eating on his own that's always best. Syringe feeding is more so a last step before force feeding.

You can syringe drip baby food onto his snout if hes not eating on his own, but as long as he is that's how I'd continue.

-Brandon
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
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According to the stats on the box, you'll want the bulb to be about 8-12'' above the main basking area for UVB output, but it may not produce enough heat. That sounds a bit overestimated based on tests I've seen with the 125w version of that bulb, but I can't tell for sure without testing the output of the bulb. Surface temps in the main basking area should be around 100-105 or so as mentioned earlier.

It might be a good idea to invest in a T5 bulb so you can adjust heat independently of UVB output. Taking him outside for some natural sunlight may also be beneficial.
 

Kallred76

Member
Original Poster
Ok. WhereI purchased than bulb? I guess just Google it, right? And he had not eaten at all today. So how long until I try to syringe feed him? Thank you so much for your time and input. It is greatly appreciated...
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Kallred76":2rl71slu said:
Ok. WhereI purchased than bulb? I guess just Google it, right? And he had not eaten at all today. So how long until I try to syringe feed him? Thank you so much for your time and input. It is greatly appreciated...
I would check your local Petsmart or Petco -- sometimes they have the T 5's in the store --- you need the hood/ fixture -- and since this is a dire need I would do this first before ordering cuz it takes a while to get this in you can check this website this is where I got mine
http://www.pangeareptiles.com --- or http://www.lightyourreptiles.com--- the bulb you need tho is the 10.0 and the one from pangea comes w/ a 5.0 ---- so either order it extra or what I did was get the Arcadia 14% bulb --- it will go into that same T 5 fixture---- I would try and food in him -- letting him go w/ out food is going to make him weaker but do it in small amounts and more times during the day - others may give other advice
Karrie
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

How is he doing today?
If he has not eaten, since he is ill & small I would recommend going ahead & feeing him some
baby food to help keep him from losing weight. Try getting chicken or turkey baby food, along
with some sweet potato & or squash baby food mixed. Give small amounts a few times per
week for him.
The Solar Glo is fine, but might be getting the tank too hot. You could get a light stand so you
can get it to a bit further distance. You can purchase either the T5 lights or the T8, for him. Are
you planning on getting a larger tank soon? Even a 20 gallon right now, would be easier to
maintain the temperatures than the 10 gallon one.
You can also purchase the T5 lights here:

www.lightyourreptiles.com

Please let us know how he is doing.
Tracie
 
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