Hello! My female 6 year old bearded dragon, Kipster, has been perfectly fine but all of a sudden she hasn’t been able to move her front legs. They aren’t paralyzed as they twitch a bit when she tries so move them. Today, she now refuses to eat. She gets fed greens including kale and Swiss charred with carrots and raspberries with calcium on top. She also gets fed superworms dusted with calcium and D3. I gave her a warm bath and she pooped just fine and has been. She has a 75 watt basking and 100 watt UV bulb about 8 inches above her basking spot. The cage has a basking side at around 95 and a cooler side at around 75. She has a repti carpet substrate and two hides that she can go on top of. One on the basking side and one on the cool side in a 40 gallon tank. She was perfectly fine before and I don’t know what to do.
Some more info:
-she has a 10.0 UVB bulb
-there is a large water dish for her that she goes in
-there are some fake plants
I would like to get your inputs before I take her to the vet. Please let me know if you guys have any idea what could be wrong!
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ click on XIMG at top of message box and then click on your pics they should post --- the UVB is a T 5 or a T8 ? distance is they key here so that is why I am asking and you said 8" from basking spot? If its the T 5 its too close they should be 12-15 inches the T 8 is good ---
Karrie
No it shouldnt - the bulb does not get real hot --- and its taken this long for the MBD to set in - shes been getting UVB just not adequately --- I would make it so she can get up under the UVB w/ some sort of handicapp decor -- is she not moving at all how is she getting around --- how have her poops been - they should be formed moist and dark w/ white urate the same
Karrie
Ok good watch her and see how she does- hopefully she will start using her legs again-- what are her basking temps? And how are you taking them? Digital probes are good for an accurate temp or infrared heat guns-- you want them 95-105-- the lighting in the tank is crucial to their overall health
Karrie
Her basking is around 95. I have two thermometers on the basking side that are different brands to compare. I have another on the cool side as well. I don’t have any digital probes.
Ok so dial thermometers are terribly inaccurate -- you need to get a digital probe from Petsmart or Petco for $5 -- and you can get a infrared heat gun from your local home improvement store for around $10-12 ---- I would invest in both -- that 95 degrees your getting is inaccurate --- that is ambient temp I am guessing --- so get those temps w/ one of them or both and see where your at --- if she has a log that she can sit on w/ different places for her to sit would be good - they call it a gradient heat --- I would invest in one of these for her to sit on https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/habitats-and-decor/habitat-decor/all-living-things-gnarled-wood-reptile-ornament-14947.html?cgid=500116
they are good for different places to sit-- my two dragons have them and they love them --- place it under her basking light --- and the decor for her UVB needs to be able for her to climb on as well --- she needs that UVB for sure --
Karrie
They took a blood test which all came back normal so she’s very healthy. But they suspect a neurological infection and are sending the blood to another research facility for further testing. She’s being put on antibiotics every 3 days for 15 days in the meantime as it could be in her brain or spinal cord. They suspect it’s encephalitis or meningitis. I’m extremely worried for her.