Brand New Baby and I'm Clueless

[JacksMom]

Hi Everyone -
I'm so happy I found this board. We brought home a baby bearded dragon, Jack, a week ago (he's about 3 weeks old). I feel like we're doing something wrong because Jack doesn't do much of anything. He hasn't eaten in 2 days but he did eat 7 crickets on day 1. He sleeps 95% of the time too.

I'm wondering if there's something wrong with our lighting and/or tank. We have a UV lamp on top of our 10 gallon tank. We also have a heat lamp with a 75 watt bulb on the left side. It's about 10-12 inches from the top of the tank. We turn off the lights at night, but I'm worried he might be getting too cold. We keep our home temp at 66 degrees overnight. Is this too cold? Should we be leaving the lights on?

On Day one, we put 30 crickets in the tank, as well as a bowl of meal worms (all with calcium powder). He ate 7 crickets and hasn't eaten since. The crickets are tiny (less than the size of the distance between his eyes). We also have a shallow plate with a tiny bit of water. He never drinks. Yesterday we set him in the water and he didn't do anything. I gave him a few tiny pieces of apple and a few peas yesterday but the crickets were more interested than Jack.

We pick him up gently once a day and have him hang out on our shirt. He just lays there and falls asleep.

Would anyone be willing to give us some suggestions or tell us what we're doing wrong?

Thanks so much!

Christy

 

[ZanyAmy]

What I did was that got a log and put it diagonally on the tank under the heat lamp so my beardie could get more heat. Also, 66 could be a bit cold for a baby, so maybe an undertank heater or a night heater would be a good idea. This sounds like he's a bit cold. Has he pooped since he ate? If he's still lethargic with extra heat, I would say you should take him to a vet, it's not normal for a baby to be still. Also, when you chose him form the store, was he active and running or was he chillin ?

Also, as for the water, a lot of dragons don't recognize standing water are drinkable since they're desert animals. I suggest either putting water on his snout with a dropper or spraying him twice a day. A good, warm bath might perk him up. I've also noticed that they like basking in natural sunlight, so maybe a bit of supervised playtime on the windowsill. Tell me how it goes! Don't be afraid to PM me

 

[zillathakilla]

If your light is a foot above the top of the tank thats not good,it should be on top of the cage or slightly above so as not to burn anything,but 66 is fine for night time,make sure the lights are off at night,never get a red "night" lamp or anything that says they cant see it,they can and it'll mess up there sleep cycle,if you have any more questions just ask

 

[JacksMom]

What I did was that got a log and put it diagonally on the tank under the heat lamp so my beardie could get more heat. Also, 66 could be a bit cold for a baby, so maybe an undertank heater or a night heater would be a good idea. This sounds like he's a bit cold. Has he pooped since he ate? If he's still lethargic with extra heat, I would say you should take him to a vet, it's not normal for a baby to be still. Also, when you chose him form the store, was he active and running or was he chillin ?

Also, as for the water, a lot of dragons don't recognize standing water are drinkable since they're desert animals. I suggest either putting water on his snout with a dropper or spraying him twice a day. A good, warm bath might perk him up. I've also noticed that they like basking in natural sunlight, so maybe a bit of supervised playtime on the windowsill. Tell me how it goes! Don't be afraid to PM me

Thank you so much for the reply. We have the undertank heater too. Sorry. Forgot to mention that.
He has pooped several times, but that was 3-4 days ago. He hasn't eaten since then so he hasn't pooped.
I'll try the water on his snout this afternoon and see if that makes a difference.
What are some foods he will definitely like? The crickets and meal worms are in the tank with him, and he could care less.

 

[JacksMom]

If your light is a foot above the top of the tank thats not good,it should be on top of the cage or slightly above so as not to burn anything,but 66 is fine for night time,make sure the lights are off at night,never get a red "night" lamp or anything that says they cant see it,they can and it'll mess up there sleep cycle,if you have any more questions just ask

I'm afraid we're going to scorch him if the heating lamp is any closer since our tank is only 10 gallons. Are you sure I should move it down more? It's a 75 watt bulb.
We do turn off the lights at night (both the uv and heating lamp).

I feel so bad for him. He looks so unhappy.

 

[zillathakilla]

well you should invest in a thermometer,the ones with the temp probe are best,put it on his basking rock and if the temp is under 100 degrees f i would move it closer,and you will definatley need a bigger tank very soon, they grow fast when there small!

 

[ZanyAmy]

What I did was that got a log and put it diagonally on the tank under the heat lamp so my beardie could get more heat. Also, 66 could be a bit cold for a baby, so maybe an undertank heater or a night heater would be a good idea. This sounds like he's a bit cold. Has he pooped since he ate? If he's still lethargic with extra heat, I would say you should take him to a vet, it's not normal for a baby to be still. Also, when you chose him form the store, was he active and running or was he chillin ?

Also, as for the water, a lot of dragons don't recognize standing water are drinkable since they're desert animals. I suggest either putting water on his snout with a dropper or spraying him twice a day. A good, warm bath might perk him up. I've also noticed that they like basking in natural sunlight, so maybe a bit of supervised playtime on the windowsill. Tell me how it goes! Don't be afraid to PM me

Thank you so much for the reply. We have the undertank heater too. Sorry. Forgot to mention that.
He has pooped several times, but that was 3-4 days ago. He hasn't eaten since then so he hasn't pooped.
I'll try the water on his snout this afternoon and see if that makes a difference.
What are some foods he will definitely like? The crickets and meal worms are in the tank with him, and he could care less.

Try "bearded dragon bites". they're small and red. My beardie LOVES them. Also, maybe he's TOO hot...try the bath and sunlight bask. If he still won't eat, it's vet time.

 

[AtlasStrike]

DO NOT FEED MEAL WORMS!!!!!!!!!! They cannot be digested and the shell can cause an intestinal blockage called impaction which can kill your beardie.

Also, don't flood him with crickets as they can and will bite him and even the little ones in a swarm will cause damage. Leaving uneaten crickets in the tank can and will stress out babies and cause them to stop eating. If they are in his tank now, make sure they have food, but you should probably remove them. You should be offering greens to your beardie daily, even if he doesn't eat them right away. They will be the majority of his diet as an adult. Crickets should be fed 3x a day in a separate enclosure. As many as he will eat in 10 minutes. Make sure you dust them with calcium powder 1 feeding per day.

A 10 gallon is too small to create the proper temperature gradient for a baby. A 20 long would be the minimum for a baby (up to 11 inches, I'd say), and a 40 gallon breeder is the minimum for an adult.

You NEED a digital thermometer with a probe. That is the ONLY way you will get accurate temperatures, and that will mean the difference between life and death for a tiny baby. Too cold and they cannot digest their food, metabolize calcium or other vitamins and the food they do eat can impact them or rot in their bellies and cause sepsis. Too warm can literally cook them, or they can die from dehydration. Both scenarios are very bad.

What type of UVB light do you have? You need a linear florescent (tube) ReptiSUN 10.0 or Arcadia D3 12%. These are the only bulbs that are not knows to cause serious health problems. They are absolutely critical to your dragon's health. Without UVB they cannot metabolize calcium and their bodies will start to steal it from their bones and other essential processes. Metabolic Bone Disease is a very serious health problem in reptiles.

 

[diamc]

Hi, sorry to hear that your baby isn't acting right. Sounds like he is very tiny. How long have you had him?

A 75 watt bulb is quite a bit of heat for only a 10 gallon tank so he may very well be over heating. If you're using any type of stick-on thermometer like a digital strip or round gauge (dial), you're not getting accurate readings. You will need to get either an infrared temperature gun or digital thermometer with a long wire & probe end. Babies are very particular with their needs and if the temps aren't right, that will really affect them.

You could pick up some chicken and squash baby food. Add a little water to thin it and heat in the microwave for a very few seconds to take the chill off, then use a needleless syringe or plastic medicine dropper and put drops on his nose for him to lick off. Once he gets a taste of it, he should really like it. It's important to get some protein into him since he hasn't been eating and the chicken will help with that.

You mentioned that you have a UVB light, can you give us the brand name and the type (coil, compact or strip fluorescent) and what is the distance of that particular bulb to him when he is in his basking spot.

A warm bath with him laying in your hand in the water would be a good idea. When babies become dehydrated, they can go downhill very quickly.

How often are you dusting the feeders with calcium and vitamins?

What type of substrate is on the bottom of the tank?

Mealworms have a chitin shell so it makes it hard for them to digest and pass them and can indeed cause impaction. We recommend softer worms like repti-worms, butters, horns or silkies.

Please keep us updated on him.

 

[JacksMom]

The UVB is a long tube. It's laying on top of his tank, about10 inches from his basking spot. It's a Zilla 15W 120V Desert 50.

We took the crickets and meal worms out of the tank.

We tried to feed him chicken baby food and sweet potatoes with Calcium powder on it. He only took a tiny lick.

We need to get a new thermometer (ours is a round), and we are picking up a larger tank tonight after work. I'm hoping they have Bearded Dragon Bites there too.

He seems so stressed out. Is it still okay to try to bathe him when he's stressed?

Thank you to all of you for replying. I'm hoping with your help we can nurse him back to health.

 

[ZanyAmy]

The UVB is a long tube. It's laying on top of his tank, about10 inches from his basking spot. It's a Zilla 15W 120V Desert 50.

We took the crickets and meal worms out of the tank.

We tried to feed him chicken baby food and sweet potatoes with Calcium powder on it. He only took a tiny lick.

We need to get a new thermometer (ours is a round), and we are picking up a larger tank tonight after work. I'm hoping they have Bearded Dragon Bites there too.

He seems so stressed out. Is it still okay to try to bathe him when he's stressed?

Thank you to all of you for replying. I'm hoping with your help we can nurse him back to health.

I dunno about others, but Azula can only be calmed down with gentle pets and a warm bath

 

[Spikey07]

Unfortunatey the Zilla UVB tube is not a great source of UVB. You should switch it off untill you can get another. You will need to get the Repti-SUN 10.0 or Arcaida D3 12% UVB, you may need to order online as pet shops often don't stock these bulbs.

When you mount the UVB tube there should be no plastic or screen between the bulb and your beardie. Some people use command hooks to mount it under the screen lid. Your beardie should be able to get 6-8 inches from the bulb at the closest point.

As mentioned before don't feed the mealworms. Crickets can be fed 2-3 times a day and you should give him as many as he wants in a 15min period. 1 feeding per day should be dusted with calcium powder. You can also dust 1 feeding 2x a week with vitamins, a good example is RepCal herptivite.

When you get the digital thermometer you will need to make sure the basking spot is 105-110 degrees F and the cool side should be around 80 degrees F. If you get a digital thermometer with a long wire and a probe, make sure you leave the probe in the basking spot for 45 mins and untill the temp stops rising, then you can read it. The other option is to get an infa red temperature gun.

When you first bring home a new beardie it can go through relocation stress and sometimes wont eat for the first few days.

Bathing is good for beardies, it helps to keep them hydrated and can help them poop. I would bath him every day and you can also offer him water with a plastic dropper or needleless syringe. It is very important to keep him well hydrated.

 

[JacksMom]

Hi again. We bought the correct UV Lamp and a larger tank. We also adjusted the lights and took out all the crickets. I put him in his old tank with 10 crickets for 15 minutes. He ate one. BUT - that's the only one he's eaten in 5 days.
Could he still be stressed from coming into our home from the pet shop? (It's been 5 days).
I've uploaded a picture. Can anyone tell from the pic if he looks sick?

 

[Jerichosdad]

We need to know your temps. 90 percent of the time it's a temp issue. Also do not put any more than 2 crickets in at a time when feeding ( more causes stress in babies and sometimes even juvies). Is he In a high traffic area like the living room. If so move him into a room with little traffic. I would make sure your UVB is 6 to 8 inches away and your basking needs to be around 100 to 105 degrees.His cool side should be 80 degrees. Just for reference we have a 20 gallon and use a 60 watt clear bulb( not frosted) for his basking rock. Also you may want to raise his Viv to atleast 4 feet high and add paper to all sides to limit his exposure to people walking about. I personally would not handle him. Many things can cause a baby to stress. Make sure you spray him so his skin can take in the moisture. Also I suggest getting Phoenix worms. They are awesome. Everything I have suggested came straight from a reputable breeder. Check his belly does he have black stress marks? Or does his tail get darker sometimes? I would not wait another day and get him to the vet

 

[JacksMom]

Thank you for your reply.
-Basking side temp is 94.9. Cool side is 74. We're on our 4th new light so hopefully today will bring up temp.
-He's in the living room on a low chest next to where I work all day, about 3 ft off the ground, so it's definitely the most high-traffic area of our house. We are putting paper on 3 side of the tank right now.
-We've been putting him in a diff tank to feed him the crickets. We put him in for 15 minutes and then take him out. We'll start putting the crickets in his tank today.
-UVB is 7 inches from basking area.
-Light bulb is coated.
-We haven't sprayed him but we've given him a bath every day. He just falls asleep.
-I'm not sure about stress marks because I don't know what I'm looking for.

Again, I can't thank you enough for the tips. It's such a frustrating feeling to see him so ill.
I'll let you know how he does after we make the changes today.