Beardie barely opens eyes and barely moves

[TazzysMamma]

Well the fact that he has been running up your arm is encouraging. ANY energy at all right now is a good thing. If the pet store was only feeding him once a week, we know part of what's wrong with him. The baby food, the right substrate, the right temperatures and the right UVB bulb are the most important things you can do for him. He needs to eat ALOT. A baby can and will normally eat anywhere from 30 to 50 crickets within 15 minutes! And these should be offered 2-3 times a day. Salad should be available at all times. The pieces of his salad should also follow the rule of being no larger than the space between his eyes.

Here is a good link for nutritional information for beardies. http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

HUGS to you all,

Sandi

 

[TazzysMamma]

I also wanted to add that you can use a standard household light bulb (not soft white or coil) to use as a basking light. Beardies like bright light, and it helps their mood and appetite. It also draws them toward it to bask.

The heat emitter, as someone else mentioned is only needed if his cool side temp falls below 65 degrees at night.

Sandi

 

[Psychosis131]

The pet store was feeding him twice a day. He was also in the habitat with 2 other beardies. I got him because his marking were darker and he was more active then the other 2.

It does get cold in my house, we usually keep it aournd 68 but we have fans on as well to circulate the air. One happens to be above my bed so it gets really cold.

I'll be buying greens for him tomorrow (I didn't know anything about that, the pet store didn't say anything, nor was there greens in there tank.)

Thanks again for the help and advice. It is much appreciated

- barbara

 

[TazzysMamma]

Hi Barbara,

Im here alot, so if there's anything more I can do, or really any of us here, please feel free to ask. We are here for beardies and their owners (aka slaves LOL) and only want to help.

HUGS

Sandi

 

[Ruby2uesday]

i hope your beardie starts feeling/doing better!!! makes me sad to hear stories of petstore beardies doing bad due to misinformation on the stores part to the buyer!

You said he seems really tired like he hasn't been sleeping? have you turned off the red light? that could be keeping him up at night. If you need it to get warmer you need a Ceramic heat emitter (CHE) to keep the temps above 65 at night. They have a "3rd eye" that can sense that light at night time so they need it really dark at night.

Also, don't forget to get a digital therm w/ probe or a thermometer gun type. Place the probe on the highest basking point and the box on the cool end. I bought 2 digi therms because i coudln't figure out how to work them, so i have a probe on the basking spot and one on a log on my cool side! This ensure proper temp gradients for the beardies.

good luck!!! ruby

 

[TazzysMamma]

How's he doing today? Any update?

I sure hope he's doing better!

HUGS

Sandi

 

[Psychosis131]

He is a bit more active, but only in terms of glass dancing. he is still doing everything with his eyes closed. We talked to a pet specialist who breeds her own beardies and she said that he might be starting the stages of shedding. We got the digital thermometers and they are helping a lot more. Right now the warm side is 107 and the cool side is 82. He is still not eating the crickets so I'm going to go and buy some baby food that you mentioned earlier.

Thank you and I will you keep you posted.

Barbara

 

[TazzysMamma]

Glass dancing is VERY good news!!! How soon can you get him the proper UVB bulb? (Repti-Sun 10.0 tube light)

Please continue to bathe him, and yes feed him the baby food asap, and as often as possible (ever 2 hours while you're home) to get him eating. At this age, it's imperative that he eats and basks A LOT lol

HUGS!

Sandi

 

[Psychosis131]

We are getting a new bulb and a new tank for him today. The baby food we are getting before that. We want him to eat as soon as possible since he wont take to the crickets

 

[TazzysMamma]

Awesome! Sounds like he'll be on the right track in no time!

HUGS! Keep us updated and post PICS!

Sandi

 

[Psychosis131]

I'll post some pics later today! Thanks for all your help

 

[Psychosis131]

Hi TazzysMamma, this is her boyfriend(Dustin) we did what you said to do. They had no 20gallon tanks that would fit with the right tube/top. So for the moment we bought a 10g tank. We bought the top and a Repti Sun 10.0 Tube, as well as a rock, and for now we put newspaper in there instead of sand, right now the base temp is reading...

Basking Side: 100 degrees
Cool Side: 87 degrees

I'm assuming it needs to be a bit cooler in there, we have no screen covering the top so he is getting full uvb, and heat. He seems to keep his eyes open more often and isnt moving in the area much but he keep switching his positioning on top of the rock. He also was glass dancing for a bit as well. Were going to try and feed him tonight with baby food, we haven't gotten the chance to since we had a lot going on earlier. Myself being in the military I have to follow the work schedule(lol 9-5) and she had issues earlier with her bank so she didnt have a chance to go, but within the hour we will be trying.

Here is a picture of it, I will be posting pictures later on tonight as well if I get the internet running better.

Edit: Also a friend of hers who has raised 2 beardies said its quite possible that he is getting ready to shed, we did notice a lighter pigmentation in his tail.

 

[TazzysMamma]

You did a wonderful job!!!! They only thing is to get an accurate reading you need to leave the temperature probe on the area for at least 45 minutes.
I wasn't sure if you knew that, but it's important to know.

Im so glad to hear that he's keeping his eyes open more! I think his eyes were hurting him due to the coil bulb, and as they become more comfortable now that he has the repti sun tube bulb, he should keep them open all the time. He should have access to basking and bright light for about 14 hours a day, and complete darkness and temps about 65 degrees for the night time.

If you are using a 10 gallon tank, just use a 40 to 60 watt household bright light bulb (not coil, and not energy saving or you wont get the heat lol) and that should get your temps about right.

Let me know how he likes his baby food!

HUGS!

Sandi

 

[Psychosis131]

Hey Sandi, we fed a little bit to him, he didnt eat to much but he ate some of the baby food! We're so happy that he did! Right now were using a 100 watt basking bulb, but the temp is only reading 90-100 degrees still in the basking area, i might have to readjust the light to get it perfected.

Ah! lol lol my girlfriend was feeding him from the tank with the needless syringe and there was an air bubble in it and squirted the back of the glass and under his neck! He didn't get any in his eyes! But yea we got him eating!

edit: The reason we fed him from the tank cus it seemed like when we took him out he didnt eat as much, we left a little on his mouth and he started eating it again, so we fed him from there.

 

[TazzysMamma]

:lol: Yup, I know about that! Ive had baby food on my office chair, the ceiling, the pantry door, the dog.... :shock:

That syringe can be HARD to control! LOL

So glad he's eating!!!!!

I normally put them on a towel on my chest, and we BOTH use it like a bib.... LOL and I feed that way..... a bit at a time.

Keep offering the crickets. I think the 100 watt is too much.... is the reading taken after 45 minutes?

Sandi