Bearded dragon died suddenly

[Rjwipswich]

I was wandering if anyone can shed any light on this as I feel so guilty right now. Over the last month or so Bruce (my bearded dragon) has been going through what I thought was brumation. He has been eating plenty of salad over the course of the month but no bugs along with the usual sleeping a lot. He appeared to snap out of it yesterday and ate his first bug for a while which I was so happy about! I got home from work today to find that he had sadly passed away. Any idea why this could be? He was barely 2 years old and I absolutely loved him. I feel so bad for him and I feel like I've failed him in some way.

 

[wente013]

What was his environment like? Substrate? Temps? What, specifically, were you feeding him (types of greens, bugs)?
Im sorry to hear about your loss

 

[Rjwipswich]

He had wood chip flooring, temperatures were always spot on (85/110), he loved locusts and mealworms and his greens would consist of rocket, peppers, grapes, carrot now and again, dandelion and water cress. That's the types of greens he prefered.

 

[wente013]

I've read that wood chips can be risky- with germ harboring and impaction etc. Had he been pooping regularly?
I couldn't imagine loosing my "babies"

 

[Rjwipswich]

Yeah it appeared to be quite regular up too the point of what I thought was brumation. He started going less but I put that down too him eating less. I feel absolutely gutted for him more than anything.

 

[Rjwipswich]

Another thing I noticed after I found him was his eyes were really sunken into his head, is this sign of any illness he may have had or does this happen after death as I hadn't noticed this before?

 

[daner923]

This is often a sign of severe dehydration. How often were you bathing him? They sometimes lose their appetites when they are dehydrated, as well.

 

[Esther19]

It is very possible that he was dehydrated. It is common for the eyes to sink in after death, though. I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Rjwipswich]

I used to bathe him 2–3 times a week, he would quite often lay in his water bowl and drink from that aswell.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

It is very difficult to know for sure, without a necropsy. He was young but sudden death can be from renal or liver issues. He possibly could have had a heavy load of worms or parasites that took over while he was slown down & made him very ill.
Did you have a UVB light for him?

I am so sorry for your loss, it is very devastating to lose a precious dragon.

Tracie

 

[Rjwipswich]

Yeah he had one of the best UVB lights I could find. I think it was called arcadia? I really appreciate everyone's help on this, I just want to make sure I wasn't doing anything wrong incase I get another one. It is heartbreaking to lose him, I can't even bring myself to look at his house yet.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Yes, the Arcadia D3 12% tube is a very good bulb.
It likely is going to be something like a liver or kidney issue. There are not a whole lot of other variables.
I know, it is hard when the tank is empty. Take your time, you need time to grieve. They are impossible to replace.

Tracie

 

[diamc]

I am so sorry to hear about your beardie dying. It's hard to know for sure what caused it.

In case you get another beardie, I did want to mention that wood chips aren't a good substrate to use. A solid substrate like non-adhesive shelf liner, slate tiles, reptile carpeting, or paper towels are much safer & healthier.

I also noticed that your temps went up to 110, that's a little too high for a 2 yr old and they seem to prefer a basking temp of 100 to 103 instead. It's also VERY important that you're using either an infrared temp gun or a digital thermometer with a long wire & probe end as those are the only 2 ways to get accurate readings.

Are you planning on getting another beardie or haven't you decided yet? If you do, please let us know and we can help you make sure everything is perfect for the new one.