14 Year Old Beardie - Lethargic, Shaky

[bekah]

Hello -

We have a beardie, Spike, who is at least 14 years old...probably older. We got her at an unknown age but we've had her 14 years -- she's potentially 16-17. The last week, Spike has been lethargic and her movements are shaky. She also keeps her head down a lot. Last weekend she was shaky but active and eating. We got her crickets last night and she has no interest in them or her fruit/veggies (which isn't surprising because she's always eaten them with disdain anyway :lol: ). We gave her some water with a dropper last night and sprayed her with water as well thinking she may be dehydrated. We know she's at the top of her life expectancy, but didn't know if there was something we could try. New UVB light? Increase basking temp? We're at a loss!

Thanks in advance....

 

[Pixall]

Hello,

First I would like to say good job getting the little guy to 14+ years old! That's not a super common accomplishment and you should absolutely feel great about providing such excellent husbandry over the years! Also, thank you for taking in an adult(I assume since unknown age) dragon.

Now, tell me about your UV source. What type is it? brand? age? how close can your dragon get to it? Are you using a calcium supplement? What type? Has your little one lost any weight recently?

Sorry for so many questions, but knowledge is power!

 

[bekah]

Hello,

First I would like to say good job getting the little guy to 14+ years old! That's not a super common accomplishment and you should absolutely feel great about providing such excellent husbandry over the years! Also, thank you for taking in an adult(I assume since unknown age) dragon.

Now, tell me about your UV source. What type is it? brand? age? how close can your dragon get to it? Are you using a calcium supplement? What type? Has your little one lost any weight recently?

Sorry for so many questions, but knowledge is power!

We have a really simple set up and always have. UVB is a tube fluorescent which is probably a year or older, think it is a reptisun 5 or 10. Honestly, we've always used a regular 75-100 watt light bulb for her heat source (not compact fluorescent bulbs though!). She can get within 4-5 inches of the lights.Her crickets are dusted when we buy them but we don't supplement otherwise. No weight loss as of yet, but it'll be happening fast if she continues with her lack of appetite!

Thanks for any suggestions you might have. We'll do anything we can for her, but are realistic about her circumstances as well.... :?

 

[destiny1998]

Hi. Wow ! I hope mine live that long! You definitely need a new uvb. Those tubes need to be replaced every 6 months. Hopefully that'll help with the shaking. The shaking could be a calcium deficiency or it could be neurological.

 

[bekah]

Thanks. We'll pick up a new tube this evening and see if it helps. I feel like they should make those tubes burn out sooner since it makes me forget that the need replacing more frequently!

 

[Pixall]

That's why I like MVBs, they tend to put out UV for longer. Granted, not the full life of the bulb, but for longer than a tube.

Age of the bulb being what it is, that hopefully will resolve the issue.

Oral D3 supplementation has been shown ineffective in dragons anyway, so I wouldn't worry about the dusting.

You could also go the route of natural sunlight, as research has shown that artificial UV exposure(ALL types: compact, tube, MVB etc etc etc) is NOT effective at completely mimicking natural sunlight, to the detriment of the animals studied. Take that how you will. I still offer an artificial source part time.

I like to switch off all UV bulbs in the summer and put my critters out during the day.

EDIT: Recently this came up in another post about safe outside temps. The lowest ambient temp at which a wild dragon was observed basking was 15C, about 59F.

 

[bekah]

Great suggestion about re: natural sunlight. It's 75 here today. Maybe we can take her outside for a little while this evening as well...

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is wonderful to have one that age, he is a lucky guy!
I agree, try replacing your UVB source right now. You could try getting either the Arcadia or the Reptisun High Output tube bulbs. They are T5 lights & so you would need a light fixture that fits that but it is worth it. The output would be great for him. What do you use for basking?
How often do you give him calcium? I would recommend getting some liquid calcium for him, & giving vitamins once a week, just to help with any type of nutritional deficit he may be having.
Do you have any pictures of him we could see?

Tracie

 

[bekah]

Update: So when we got home from work she had pooped and it looked ok so everything seems to be ok in that department. Hubby took her outside for a little while and she did perk up a little but not much. She was still having trouble getting around (shaky/weak). We got a new UVB and heat lamp bulb from our local pet store so we'll see how that goes. She drank a little more water from a dropper. So I guess it's just a wait and see game.

Here's our girl. She's moved into her "cave" for the night and wondering why in the world I'm bothering her! This is her normal sleep spot and she got here on her own from her tree perch.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Which brand of UVB did you get for her? Some are not as good as others. I hope she gets to feeling better, she looks good in the picture.
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

 

[keith167]

14!! That's inspiring!! I hope I can get my guys to 14...

 

[bekah]

Hello,

Which brand of UVB did you get for her? Some are not as good as others. I hope she gets to feeling better, she looks good in the picture.
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

They didn't have the fluorescent tube size we needed so we got this one to go in a regular fixture: ZOO MED™ REPTISUN™ 10.0 UVB Compact Desert Reptile Lamp

 

[Madzilla101]

WOW!!!!! He is one old dragon ! You should be proud. I am sorry to say this but I think it is his time. It seems like he is passing away slowly and painfully. Do everything you can to keep him comfortable.

 

[Pixall]

Hi,

How is your dragon doing this morning? Any improvement?

 

[bekah]

Hi,

How is your dragon doing this morning? Any improvement?

She seemed to have a little more energy this morning...clearer eyes, more "present," less lethargic. But she's still shaky and not moving much.