My baby beardie Leo having problems

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Kyzer

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Hi everyone I'm a new beardie owner my girlfriend has had one in the past with an ex but never a baby.

We got Leo from a big box pet store September 6th he was about 7 to 9 inches long so we assumed he was about 2 months old. From the onset things have seemed off based on everything I've read about how much he should be eating. Leo since we've had him would only eat 4 to 10 small crickets a day, and often would never hunt the crickets and only eat if I brought the food to him, he also eats sweet yellow peppers a few times a week and collared greens. We spoke to a staff member at the reptile store we began buying crickets at and she thought maybe he was scared of the crickets because of their size, so we started purchasing extra small crickets and although he still wouldn't hunt alot , (well he would try but give up if he didn't get a cricket on his first try) he began eating abit more around 10 to 12 a day. Then all of a sudden at the beginning of November his appetite became great he was eating 20 to 30 of the extra small a day. So we thought we solved his eating problem and went back to getting small crickets because often times it seemed he had an issue seeing the extra small ones.

He instantly began only eating 3 to 5 crickets again so we went back to the extra small 5 days ago.

The last 8 days or so he has began sleeping almost all the time opening his eyes occasionally for a few seconds. He has only ate like 3 crickets in a week and nothing else, he's jumped into his water bowl a few times and drank water, and he drinks when we Bath him every few days. This morning when we woke up his light had been on for about 2 hrs already we found him asleep in his water bowl with his head propped up against the side.

Were in Canada so it is starting to get colder and darker alot Faster his tank is sitting at 100 under his basking spot, humidity 26, and on the uvb side it's at between 80 and 85 and humidity 28. Night time temps on basking side go to 72 to 75 and to 70 on uvb side. The last 2 weeks he doesn't seem to want to ever bask and often spends his time on the uvb side. From what we read all signs point to brumation but he is only 4/5 months old.

Were just worried and not sure whats going on any advice would be appreciated

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
How are you taking the basking temps ? NO stick ons please --- UVB this extremely important--- what are you using brand and bulb coil or tube and where in the tank is it ? 4/5 month olds do not brumate-- these two things are the most important thing in that tank
Karrie
 

Kyzer

Member
Original Poster
Hi what do you mean by stick ons? Im just using the thermometer reading from within his tank we have one on each side , the lights are at the back of his tank there is 3 the basking light,a black light for additional heat , and the uvb the basking light is 75 w black light 60 w and uvb 13 w all the lights are bulbs all thrive brand
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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
The stick on is the gauge stuck to the side of the tank they give inaccurate basking temps --- you need a digital probe thermometer https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/zoo-med-digital-thermometer.html- 22" --- the basking light should be a bright white basking bulb NO colored bulbs -- please get rid of all those lights your dragon does not look good -- lighting and basking temps are the two most important things in the tank -- you want to mimic the sun and all those colored lights do not do that -- and the UVB is inadequate I cannot stress this enough
Karrie
 

Kyzer

Member
Original Poster
We got the black light for extra heat because his tank was only sitting at 85 to 90, and because winter time in Canada is cold and the tank was already dropping pretty low in October. We will get those things hopefully we can pick them up at the store in person, as I rather get it asap, and ordering online will probably take days. Do you recommend a trip to a vet as well?
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Not at this point please get rid of the black light and get this a CHE ceramic heat emitter they emit heat and NO light - get a 100 watt you will need a dome that has a ceramic socket --- and of course the wattage for it as well --- but please start there once you get these things replaced and on him you will notice a difference in behavior ---- let me know what you get for the UVB so I can help you get it placed -- the basking light I would get a 100 watt but you may haft to get a 150 watt I would get both you can always take the other one back but make sure you have the digital probe thermometer that is a MUST you do not want to burn him up --- you will need to run the heat emitter if your tank is falling below 65 at nite - the stick on you can use for that --- it will give you ambient temps in the tank -- if you need place it in the center of the tank towards the back -- dragons like it cool and dark at nite when healthy if they are sick then we recommend the temps be a little higher at nite like closer to 78-80 or so so it keeps the immune system up
Karrie
 

Kyzer

Member
Original Poster
Ok Karrie thank you so much for all the help and advice we really appreciate your taking the time to help us with the lol guy, when I get everything done tomorrow I'll post an update and we can go over setting up the UVB.

Thanks so much! Kyzer
 

Kyzer

Member
Original Poster
So I went to the reptile local reptile store in my area, unfortunately we just moved in to another lockdown this morning so I was not allowed in the store.

The lady who worked their though was super helpful, but she advised me against the t5 long tube type UVB setup she said it's super costly and instead advised me to get a stronger UVB instead of 13 W she said get the 26 W, I also got a new 100 w basking bulb and a 60 W ceramic heat emitter. When I came home today my beardie wouldn't open his eyes until I opened his terrarium and touched him poor guy looked at me and looked so helpless his skin felt extra dry and wrinkly.

I described all of this to the lady and how we found him asleep in his water bowl Sunday Morning so she suspects it's dehydration she recommended I give him a warm bath and put a little bit of the yellow Gatorade until the water changes color a little.

I think I'm going to order a thermometer off Amazon.

So I've put the new bulbs in got rid of the black light and have the ceramic heater on, he keeps avoiding the the basking and UVB light and the lady at the store told me to make sure the UVB and basking light are over him at all times, his hammock is 6 inches below the lights, every time I've moved it over him he moves away, when he went to move away he was off balanced and sort of tripped and fell and then again later lost his balance and fell off his hammock.



We just spoke to a vet, they said wait and see if things improve with the lighting after a few days.

I duno ?‍♂️
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I wish you would not have listened to the pet store owner --- the 26 watt bulb is iffy-- you need to have that bulb unobstructed and 6-8 inches directly over his basking decor --- the heat bulb sounds like its too hot -- that is why you need a digital probe ASAP that pet store lady should of known that -- I am not happy w/ pet store owners or petco / pet smart people they dont have a clue about dragons -- the Gatorade is an ok idea but I would offer regular water on his nose and see if he will drink or give it by syringe VERY slowly so he does not aspirate --- the T 5 is not super costly and is a much better set up than that coil UVB she talked you into ---- your dragon is getting weak from not eating and incorrect basking temps and improper UVB --- I would take the hammock out and get a different piece of decor under that 26 watt light -- as far as the basking light w/ out a digital probe thermometer he wont stay under it if its too hot ---
Karrie
 

Kyzer

Member
Original Poster
Unfortunately we had to euthanize Leo today we took him to a vet as he declined even further today. The vet suspected atadeno virus. He was extremely under sized, she told us we were doing everything properly based in all the information we filled out. I suspected something was off about our little dragon shortly after we brought him home, compared to what I read from everyone else and from the vets on omissions he was not eating nearly the amount he should have been. My girlfriends devastated and has been balling her eyes out the last hr.

Thanks for all your help and encouragement Kerri, I was willing to let the Dr do a fecal sample as he went to the bathroom right as we arrived to the vet we were even willing to let the vet keep him a few days to try rehydrate him , but the vet said he was far to weak and even if she tried to treat him she does not think he would last much longer.

I'm never shopping at pet smart again, we got everything that their so called experts recommended, fed him properly, changed water daily bathed him every other day, but their just running a breeding mill over there it seems. I hope to find a reputable breeder in the Toronto area again one day after we get over the loss of Leo.

Sorry little Leo we tried ?
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I am so sorry and hear so many horror stories of little dragons coming from Petco or Pet Smart sick -- :(
and so many people start off w/ the wrong husbandry its a ruling out process from the get go -- you dont know if its the lighting or they are sick or both ---- and some wait till its too late to seek out help--- most times I am frantic trying to get them to get the correct lighting before anything gets worse -- if you need more help in the future please come here and not to the pet store people
Karrie
 

Kyzer

Member
Original Poster
Thanks Karrie the pet store I started going to after getting Leo at PetSmart was called All Reptiles and as the name suggest they only had reptiles. Immediately after My First visit their I noticed such a huge difference in the way their baby dragons ate and the energy they displayed. The girl that helped me I believe was knowledgeable and she showed she cared she stood outside with me in a tshirt in snow for 20 mins talking trying to help me. In Canada the setup you suggested to me for the UVB was around $100. As the vet said I think he was just very sick from the start it's so unfortunate, my ex wife bought our son a baby beardie from PetSmart in 2019 and theirs died within two months of owning it as well

Thank you for all your help and responses we really appreciate it
 
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