Ok so just today a friend brought me a beardie that is pet at a "boys home" it was a class pet previously then it was donated to them... Over the last few months we've been trying to help maintain it by supplying food, proper daily veggies & some live food. BUT I've learned now it has inadequate lighting also as it has only been given a white heat lamp so NO UVB & no night lighting & now no calcium/D vitamins. I asked before if it had lights & was told it had all that it just wasn't eating well so we started helping with food thinking that was what needed most as the boys were basically feeding it from their own meals what they thought it would like... Now it has become sickly... It's tail seems to have tail rot & it also has a black spot on its chin... I'm trying to help the poor beardie best I can & need any suggestions that may help.I do believe it is due to inadequate lighting & poor diet so I am giving her those things now I'm just hoping its not to late for me to help her? Her toes even seem to be awkward compared to our healthy 2yr old Beardie so I'm concerned for her in many aspects & will try to find a local vet but probably won't happen reasonably over the weekend so looking to do anything to help her for now. The pic of her chin is not great but trying not to stress her out in new environment/home but the spot is bigger & is black compared to picture. Thank you!
Hi there it sounds like your trying to do a good job and you are right about your lighting situation it does need to be improved in order for the dragon to be healthy so lets start there - if you have not gotten a UVB please invest in a 24" fixture for a 40 gallon tank + I suggest a Zoo Med fixture it comes w/ a 5.0 bulb you can keep that bulb but the distance and placement for it would be different from the one you need for the 40 gallon tank which is this a 22' Reptisun 10.0 T 5 or you can get a Arcadia Pro T 5 w/ a 12% bulb -
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Next is the basking bulb - they should be a clear bright white bulb that keeps temps 95-100 and this is a basking surface temp that should be taken w/ a digital probe thermometer
Infrared Digital Thermometers or like this
Zoo Med Digital Thermometer
basking bulbs -
Zoo Med Basking Spot Lamp
or one like this they can be found at PetSmart or Petco
Exo Terra® Intense Basking Spot Light | reptile Bulbs & Lamps | PetSmart Please start w/ a 100 watt basking bulbs are trial and error w/ temps so please make sure you have the digital probe thermometer when you get the bulb you dont want to burn her up place the probe on the spot where she basks you want surface temps
Please no night time lighting dragons like cool and dark temps at night should be 65-75 if its colder than 65 then you want a ceramic heat emitter
the toes that are off could be MBD that would be my first guess - the mouth or lip I am not sure whats going on there does she glass surf a lot? It looks crusty I am going to have AHBD take a look and she can guide you on helping w/ that
When you get the UVB please post back on here so we can help you get it set up for the tank - they have certain placement and distance they need to be and your screen on the tank will determine that
