Question about baby not eating/eyes closed

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We have had our baby beardie for about a month now. He is currently in a 20 gallon tank with a 50 watt basking bulb and a 14" T5 UVB tube, both from Reptisun. The tube is set up on his tank with no screen, about 9 inches from his basking rock. His basking temp is about 105 usually. When we first got him, we were told to get the wrong UVB light. At first he was chasing and eating crickets and salad really well, but about a week ago he stopped. We ordered the right light and got our shipment in and setup on Monday. We are planning to upgrade his tank and get a longer UVB when we do so, but this is what we could get immediately. We have offered crickets and calciworms, but he hasn't eaten any. He was eating some salad, but for the past few days hasn't eaten that either. He will drink. He will drink from a spoon and in a warm bath, so he has had urate, but no poops for a few days. We are not really sure what to do. He looks very skinny and we know he needs to be eating. Trying to find some roaches to offer those up, but we haven't had any luck just yet with everything happening around us. What do we need to do or change for our little guy? It seems like his lights and temps are all what they should be now. He is also having some issues with one eye in particular. It is closed most of the time.He can open it, but seems to have a hard time actually keeping it open. No crickets stay in the cage for more than a few minutes if he doesn't eat them. Thanks for any tips and help!
 

DorgEndo

Sub-Adult Member
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Devlyn
Did you ever take him to a vet? Unfortunately a lot of beardies catch parasites from either the breeder or a pet store. Usually the vet will use a poop sample to examine for parasites. But with him not eating the vet can help determine if he needs to be assisted or force fed to keep up his weight so that he can recover from what is causing this.

Have a hot spot and the UVB like you say are what a dragon needs. Could you post some pictures? Use this link https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/#list to upload pictures then use the XIMG button when typing a post to add pics. Pics of your beardie, the tank, and how you are measuring the temperature can help us online see what is going on. I'm sure a vet would appreciate pics too. If you aren't sure about vets in your area use this site to find some http://www.anapsid.org/vets/index.html#vetlist
 

komododragonsrock

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We have since gotten a probe thermometer so we can get an accurate temp. His basking spot is between 100 and 110. I think his eye might be a stuck shed, because he started shedding shortly after we got him and that is when he eye issue started. He is still not eating at all though. He was chasing crickets and eating his salad, but lately he ignores everything. We have tried hand feeding and taking him out to feed and nothing.
 

komododragonsrock

Member
Original Poster
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Our little guy. Being syringe fed a slurry we made with crickets, worms, salad 3x a day. Also trying to keep hydrated with water on his nose and warm baths, which he seems to drink up. Trying salad, crickets and calciworms, but he shows zero interest in them. They can crawl all over him and he doesn’t care. Weighing 5 grams right now and 6 inches long. We’ve had him for a month and he came to us during a shed, so not sure what age that might indicate. Started out chasing and hand eating crickets and eating his greens, but stopped. Fixed out basking temp and UVB issues a week ago, but no progress in appetite or energy. He will Move from rock to log occasionally, but that’s about it. Vet is an hour away in the city and we have 3 kids, so trying to stay away from that area if we can bc it’s got a high jump in cases within the past week. I’ve been trying my hardest to nurse him back to health at home thinking maybe adjusting his lights would work.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

He is so super tiny, poor thing. You are getting slurries into him a little bit?
How is his eye doing? If it's stuck shed you can try getting some sterile saline solution to
flush out his eye. Has he opened it up at all?
The lights look placed correctly. They are 9 inches or so from him without a screen in between
him & the lights? You could consider moving the T5 to a 10-12 inch distance since he is in a
20 gallon tank. It could be a bit much. Is the other eye ok?

Tracie
 

komododragonsrock

Member
Original Poster
His other eye is totally fine. This one he can open and he usually keeps it open for longer periods now, especially when we bring him out of the tank. We've got a reptile saline rinse we have been using and using a very soft bristle toothbrush with warm water and I think it has really helped. We are trying our hardest to get slurries into him 3x a day. We bought some baby food to add to it with some apple and zucchini to try to help with the taste and get him more interested and it seemed to help. He's not opening his mouth much at all, but we can see the tiniest swallow movements as he's licking it. Trying to keep him hydrated, too. This morning, though, he lost a gram, so I just don't know what to do for the poor thing. We have certainly been trying so hard to nurse him through it. I have noticed when we bring him out and while he is licking, he puffs up his throat and swallows really big a lot. I am not sure if that is his "I'm puffing up because I am pissed at you" look or if he really is having some difficulty swallowing or breathing? I am very careful, because I don't want him to aspirate. I just am feeling very bad for our guy. We have had 3 deaths in our family within the past year and a week after we got him we lost my husband's aunt and my daughter is so sensitive to it all, so if anything happens to her Quilbi, she is just going to be devastated.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

How is your little one doing?
So the one eye is fine but it's just the other one having trouble. Did that eye shed at all?
That sounds promising the saline rinse is helping, hopefully his eye will continue to get
better.
It is hard to get food into them, without them aspirating, especially when they are so small!
Does he puff up only when you get him out of his tank? If so, then it's likely just a reaction
to everything. He knows that you are going to try & get some food into him. Are you able
to keep him a little warmer overnight?
I hope that he pulls through, poor thing. It is hard to lose a pet & a family member.
Keep us posted on his progress.

Tracie
 

komododragonsrock

Member
Original Poster
He is still hanging on. He's pooped 3x today, which I don't know if that is a good or bad thing, but he still has managed to gain an ounce even though he has pooped several times. He just still is not moving, though. He CAN move. I've made sure he can actually still walk around, because there are times I am unsure. I go to check on him and have to really make sure he is still breathing, because he is just so unresponsive to us and not moving sometimes. I just don't know about the little dude. I really hope if I can get his weight and strength up, he can pull through.
 
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Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

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