Beardie was skinny/not moving or eating! Now seizing as well

[zebraflavencs]

Oh I am so sorry to hear this... Big hugs, and remember, she will be waiting for you at the Rainbow stairs... Rest in Peace sweet lady !
Janie.

 

[khglynn]

I feel terrible about Lucky's death, and since I didn't get a chance to take her to the vet I want to make sure that it was MBD that killed her so the same doesn't happen to my other lizard. I will add more UVB lighting, what is a good brand of light? But would the seizing have been caused MBD? And if my lizard had lived in his enclosure for around 6 years and was seen running around less than a week ago could it really have been MBD?

 

[zebraflavencs]

It could have been anything to be perfectly honest, and even more, it could have been a number of things.

What is the height of the viv ? I can tell you if you need a mvB (which are totally awesome if the viv is tall enough) or a Reptisun TUBE.
Janie.

 

[khglynn]

Viv? They are kept in a shed, so the cage peaks at 6ft tall. Could it have just been old age?

 

[zebraflavencs]

Yes it could have indeed. Most live around 8 years, though there are several that have gone beyond that age. Now, where are you located, so I can get you the correct link for a MVB ?
Janie.

 

[khglynn]

Ok. Well Lucky was at least 8. Thank you. I live in orlando FL

 

[zebraflavencs]

Okay, you want at least 1 Mega, those are the best, Use that at the highest point and two house hold flood lamps , 1 at the same level as the Mega, and one more about 2' down from there.....
Link :http://www.reptileuv.com/megaray-sb-100-watt-flood-low-lamp.php

You will want to make sure that the fixture you use is rated for 250* or better, and burn in the Mega 4 days before using in the viv, as there will be some really high temps during days 2-3.

Let me know how things go !
Janie.

Oh, if you have any questions about the Mega, just pop me off a pm !

 

[khglynn]

Thank you very much. That site is perfect. I really want to know how quickly MBD shows itself. Could that have been the problem if Lucky was running around 5 days ago?

 

[zebraflavencs]

Dragons tend to hide illnesses, though I rather doubt if she was running about normally a few days ago, then suddenly this cropped up. More than likely something got into the "shed" and she either ingested it, or was bitten/stung.

I could be wrong, it happens.
Janie.

 

[khglynn]

By 250* rating what do you mean? Is that the watage I should buy? I'm looking at the 275w bulb. Is that too much?

 

[zebraflavencs]

Yep too much. You should only need the 160w tops, since you don't need to worry about heating until what....Late October/early November ?
The 250*F is the temps that the fixture can handle. If the fixture isn't rated for high enough temps, the light will shut off. No good. I found mine at Home Depot for around $12. Oh, and it is a ceramic fixture... like the kind you use for outside flood lights.
Janie

Oh, I live in Savannah, so I think that I can attest accurately on your temps and such

 

[khglynn]

Oh cool. Ok, so the wattage has little to do with the amount of UV and more to do with the heat? Awesome. Thanks

btw, I just shot u a pm. sry

 

[zebraflavencs]

No need to apologize ! I welcome Pms. Besides it's a bit more personal and I can really give you the attention, as I tend to respond to lots of threads
Janie.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I am sorry to hear about Lucky.
Honestly, the setup needs to be a little different. You mentioned that the rheastat turns off when the temperature turns 90. That is monitoring the ambient temps, correct?
They need a hot spot & a cool spot. The ambient temps when they reach higher than 83 or so they don't have anywhere to cool off. Do you have an air conditioning unit that helps keep it cooler in there?
She was awfully thin even if she was running around a week ago. She didn't get that thin in a week, so I think that based on the information yes, she had advanced metabolic bone disease. She did not have any UVB lighting, & they can only go for so long until their body begins to deteriorate.
If you are going to continue to keep your other one in the shed, it needs to have more specific lighting & the temps should be 95-110 on a certain basking spot & 78-82 for a cooler spot. At a 6 foot clearance, you could request the Zoo Megaray which reaches up to 6 feet I believe instead of the regular 100 watt Megaray. You will need to call Bob Mac as he will want to speak with you in regards to how to set it up etc before he sends it out because it is a much stronger light than the conventional ones are.

Let us know if you need more help.

Tracie