Beardie kink in tail and darkened tail PLEASE HELP

[M0rrowind]

I recently adopted my bearded dragon Indigo from a girl I have classes with who could no long care for him. When I bought him, she told me a lamp fell and burned his tail and he has two little healed cuts in it at the very tip. She also did not use a UVB lamp and has had him since October. I'm starting to think he is developing MBD in his tail because it is starting to bend. I haven't been able to afford a UVB tube light and fixture yet but I am buying one this Friday with my paycheck after having him for a week. She also had him in only a 10 gallon tank. I am using a 20 gallon I had from when I had a turtle and plan on upgrading to a 50 gallon soon.

I've noticed his tail is darkened at the tip too, and I see that this could either mean he is shedding or has tail rot. I am really scared because I am already in love with the little guy and I want to take great care of him and I don't want him to suffer. I felt so sick knowing the possibility of him developing MBD and before I pay for a vet visit I would like some of your opinions.

 

[M0rrowind]

bump :?

 

[CooperDragon]

How does the rest of his skeleton look? It could be a combination of a shed and some nips but I'm not certain. I'd think that MBD would show itself in other parts of the skeleton as well but I'm not certain.

 

[M0rrowind]

How does the rest of his skeleton look? It could be a combination of a shed and some nips but I'm not certain. I'd think that MBD would show itself in other parts of the skeleton as well but I'm not certain.

Great! He is very active and moves, jumps and runs without problems. He also isn't sluggish and has a great diet of dusted crickets, cut up super worms, and salad. The only issue was the previous owner only kept him with a basking lamp and in a small terrarium :| The end of his tail was dark when I got him. I'm not sure if it's just trying to shed or what, I've been allowing him to soak 2-3 times a week to begin the shedding of his tail but nothing has happened

here are some other pics of him

 

[CooperDragon]

Cute little guy. If he's pretty active and the rest of the skeleton looks OK, I'm not sure what to try other than giving him time to grow in a healthy environment. As for the tail I'm not sure what treatment options there are, I'd speak with a vet. May not be urgent if it doesn't appear to be bothering him though.

 

[M0rrowind]

Cute little guy. If he's pretty active and the rest of the skeleton looks OK, I'm not sure what to try other than giving him time to grow in a healthy environment. As for the tail I'm not sure what treatment options there are, I'd speak with a vet. May not be urgent if it doesn't appear to be bothering him though.

Thank you! Not sure what morph he is, according to the girl I bought him from he is mixed. He is a sweetheart though and I already want another beardie! But right now I don't have the money to buy a second terrarium and such so that will have to wait

The only thing left is for me to purchase his UVB light and fixture which I'll be doing friday after his vet visit. I am just worried and I want him to grow and live without problems.

 

[CooperDragon]

The worry is normal, I'm sure everyone on here can relate. It's a sign of caring and being a good friend to your pet. I'm sure he'll love being a spoiled only child =) If you do go to the vet please let me know what they say. I'm curious to know how it turns out.

 

[M0rrowind]

The worry is normal, I'm sure everyone on here can relate. It's a sign of caring and being a good friend to your pet. I'm sure he'll love being a spoiled only child =) If you do go to the vet please let me know what they say. I'm curious to know how it turns out.

He definitely is spoiled! My appointment is Friday morning at 11:45AM, so I will update you on the vet's diagnosis. Finger's crossed that it isn't MBD or that I've caught it early enough

 

[Esther19]

If it is warm where you are you can take him out for some natural sunshine that will give him UVB. Hold on to him, or put him in an enclosure (not glass) and stay by him. They are very fast and can get lost very quickly.

 

[Taterbug]

You can also let him bask in front of a open window (with the screen) or a patch of light from an open window to get some UVB. This works for me when it's not warm enough to go outside. The screen is ok, but glass blocks UVB.

Glad to hear you are taking him to a vet, hopefully you found a reptile specialist. They should be about to check him out and set you up with a good plan for taking care of him, make sure you detail his previous care to the vet. He may have some problems from low UVB but he looks overall quite well.

When you get a new tank get at least 36x18x18 size, the bigger the better from there. Normal aquariums are too narrow.

 

[M0rrowind]

If it is warm where you are you can take him out for some natural sunshine that will give him UVB. Hold on to him, or put him in an enclosure (not glass) and stay by him. They are very fast and can get lost very quickly.

I live in Florida, so I've been taking him out nearly every day for an hour or opening my window (there is a screen behind it) and letting him sit atop some pillows against it to get some sun as well. I'm just worried all those months without a UVB lamp hurt his health.

 

[M0rrowind]

You can also let him bask in front of a open window (with the screen) or a patch of light from an open window to get some UVB. This works for me when it's not warm enough to go outside. The screen is ok, but glass blocks UVB.

Glad to hear you are taking him to a vet, hopefully you found a reptile specialist. They should be about to check him out and set you up with a good plan for taking care of him, make sure you detail his previous care to the vet. He may have some problems from low UVB but he looks overall quite well.

When you get a new tank get at least 36x18x18 size, the bigger the better from there. Normal aquariums are too narrow.

I have been and taking him outside and whenever I go to petsmart he goes with me I did thankfully, she is the closest one in my area, and specializes in reptiles and other exotic animals.

Do you recommend a specific brand for terrariums? Ideally an exo terra would be my choice but that's out of my price range at the moment.

 

[Tonja]

Window screens also block UVB as most of it cannot pass through the screen, This is why most of us tell people to mount their UVB lights inside the tanks. Screen will block it just as glass will.

 

[M0rrowind]

Window screens also block UVB as most of it cannot pass through the screen, This is why most of us tell people to mount their UVB lights inside the tanks. Screen will block it just as glass will.

When I get the UVB friday I do plan on mounting it inside with command hooks.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How is your little one doing?
That is great you are getting the UVB light & will be mounting it underneath of the screen so he can get great exposure.
Is he eating well for you? It sounds like he is already spoiled, too.
What calcium are you using for him now? I hope the vet visit goes well also!

Tracie