My friend gave me her three year old female beardie.
She thought she was unhealthy because she doesn't poop often, but I've heard that's fine for an adult.
I found a real problem, though.
She's lethargic, hardly eats her fruits and veggies, sometimes has no interest in her crickets either, and her limbs seem weak. I looked into it and discovered that supplementing phosphorus can cause calcium problems. I don't remember the reason. I think it was something about the phosphorus either binding to and cancelling the calcium, or a balance of the two that needed to be higher calcium than phosphorus. I'm not sure, but I do know that every source online and my pet store said it's BAD. She was using a calcium and phosphorus blend for supplementing the veggies. She also had been using a 2.0 emission UV-B light. For three years.
Since I got her a month or so ago, I've starting using my calcium +D3 powder. I sprinkle it on her veggies and dust the crickets. She gets six crickets on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and then three each day on the weekend. Normally, I would choose one or the other, but with the calcium deficiency she seems to have, I thought it better to give her more calcium. I also got her a 10.0 bulb like my male has. Since then, she has been slowly getting stronger, eating her veggies a little more frequently, way more interested in crickets, more active, and generally seeming healthier.
I just thought I'd ask here, for now, until I can manage a vet visit (the closest vet that can care for reptiles is about a 45 minute drive away, and charges about $50 for check-up, so it's just a matter of when we have the time and money to make the trip.) if you think this is a good way to tackle the problem for now, until I can get more help, or if you'd advise anything else. Thank you!
She thought she was unhealthy because she doesn't poop often, but I've heard that's fine for an adult.
I found a real problem, though.
She's lethargic, hardly eats her fruits and veggies, sometimes has no interest in her crickets either, and her limbs seem weak. I looked into it and discovered that supplementing phosphorus can cause calcium problems. I don't remember the reason. I think it was something about the phosphorus either binding to and cancelling the calcium, or a balance of the two that needed to be higher calcium than phosphorus. I'm not sure, but I do know that every source online and my pet store said it's BAD. She was using a calcium and phosphorus blend for supplementing the veggies. She also had been using a 2.0 emission UV-B light. For three years.
Since I got her a month or so ago, I've starting using my calcium +D3 powder. I sprinkle it on her veggies and dust the crickets. She gets six crickets on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and then three each day on the weekend. Normally, I would choose one or the other, but with the calcium deficiency she seems to have, I thought it better to give her more calcium. I also got her a 10.0 bulb like my male has. Since then, she has been slowly getting stronger, eating her veggies a little more frequently, way more interested in crickets, more active, and generally seeming healthier.
I just thought I'd ask here, for now, until I can manage a vet visit (the closest vet that can care for reptiles is about a 45 minute drive away, and charges about $50 for check-up, so it's just a matter of when we have the time and money to make the trip.) if you think this is a good way to tackle the problem for now, until I can get more help, or if you'd advise anything else. Thank you!