Hi guys! This is my first time posting, though I read through these forums alot. Be warned of the long post!
I have a new beardie called Ramona (unknown gender as yet, but I call her a she), and she is my first reptile.
I'm posting today because her health is not good, though I can't figure out why.
She runs around playfully, and hides at times, yet she spends majority of her time clinging onto the side of her heat lamp cage.
This is my setup:
Two main things - she doesn't eat of her own accord, and I believe she's starting to get MBD.
Firstly, she's never eaten a live cricket since I've had her (got her at 10 weeks, she's 14 weeks now). No matter what I do, she wont eat one. I've even held them by her face, or killed them.
I'm not sure if she's a fussy eater or she's just not used to her new environment yet. I've tried her on many different foods (see the questions below for details) yet she's never once eaten properly. Feeding time takes half an hour and even if she eats she'll only have one or two JurassiPet moist crickets.
Sometimes she opens her mouth if I hold food in front of her, but then turn her head away with her mouth still open (like she doesn't understand how eating works?)
She has never once lunged at food or shown any interest at all, really. I'm guessing she's either too stressed or the temperatures are wrong. Though, she must have eaten enough to grow a little as she's been shedding for the past two weeks.
Secondly, I'm pretty sure she has MBD. She walks on the back of her right hand, but only that one. It can't grip onto anything but she walks on it normally half the time. She's been walking like that for a week now.
I used to give her calcium with D3 once a week because my shaky hands accidentally give her a lump of calcium so I don't want to overdose her. I thought this could be the problem, so I've been trying to give her little bits every day for the past week, though she's extremely stubborn and barely consumes it. I've also taken her out into the sunlight around midday every day for four days, for 20 minutes each time. Its ~70 F or more temperature out there.
I'm just curious, if my UVB lamp hasn't worked since I got it 4 weeks ago, why are the symptoms only showing up now?
I'm guessing there's a few things I need to change, but as I said I'm not sure how to go about it, and you guys know much more and will probably pick up on things I thought were fine.
Information about my baby:
How old is your dragon? --- 14 weeks
How long have you had your dragon? --- 4 weeks
How long is your dragon? --- 5 inches, nose to tip of tail (breeder said the parents are naturally small)
What is the sex of your dragon? --- unknown, too young
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in? --- 24 x 12 x 12 inches
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank? --- plain paper towels
Do you use UVB lights? --- yes
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb? --- fluorescent tube
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)? --- Reptile One UVB Tube 10.0 18w 24in T8
How old is your UVB bulb? --- 4 weeks
How close can your dragon get to the UVB? --- 2 inches
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Is it a white or colored bulb? --- yes, red, Reptile One Infared Heat Lamp 150w in a cylindrical cage
What are the basking temps? --- 95-104 F
What is the cool side temp? --- 77-86 F
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun? --- stick on (im working on getting a digital)
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps? --- 1 inch above the basking rock in the air (with the thermometer on the rock, it reads 104 F and up)
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad? --- no, though the rock she basks on gets pretty hot as its black
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific. --- Attempted live crickets of different sizes many times but she's absolutely not interested, JurassiPet moist crickets, Fluker's buffet mix for juvenile bearded dragons (pellets, freeze dried crickets and mealworms, but i dont give her the mealworms), apple and mango baby food (only once, has nothing but pureed fruit in the ingredients list), grated carrot
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)? --- 10.30am, 6.00pm every day. She usually wont eat in the morning, and at night she might eat two crickets or a couple of pellets (after half an hour i give up)
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc? --- the live ones yes, with calcium dusted carrot. but she has yet to eat a live cricket even if i hold it by her face
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them? --- yes, Fluker's calcium with D3, phosphorus free. Once a week, because i accidentally give her over double whats recommended and i dont want to overdose her. for the past week i've mixed calcium with water every day and put one drop on her nose. though, she doesnt usually lick it off, it just dries on her face instead so i have to wash it off
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)? --- yes, once or twice a day (one time she ate 4 moist crickets and pooped three times, then didnt eat for two days)
Do you bath your dragon? How often? --- yes, once a week usually. she's currently shedding so i've bathed her every second day for the past two weeks (its her first i believe)
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath? --- yes, once a day usually. during shedding twice a day
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done? --- not yet
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon? --- no, but my flatmates have a leopard gecko and a cockatiel, and all three animals are in the same room at times
Important notes:
- The fluorescent bulb I'm using is in an Aqua One Reflector Fluroglow T8 18W 24".
(is it possible the UVB is somehow not being emitted due to it being a fish tank reflector?)
- Dragon is small for her age, should I treat her as if she was younger than she is? I.e like a baby instead of a juvenile
- Is it possible I have the wrong UVB bulb, one that isn't actually UVB? The tube doesnt fit perfectly into the reflector, it has room to move left and right. Could there be not enough power flowing through, therefore not using the tube's full potential?
- I hand feed her, so I have to take her out of her tank for feeding. I know this can stress her out, but the crickets just hide straight away and I have alot of things in her tank - any tips?
- She likes to climb onto her heat lamp cage, though she cant get closer than 2 inches to the bulb.
(to warm her belly up? Not warm enough basking spot? I keep an eye on her but the top of the cage where she hangs is cool to the touch)
(That cord is on the outside of the tank by the way)
If you made it this far down the post you're amazing!
To summarise, my 3 month old beardie needs to be hand fed, and only eats small amounts. Also, she's starting to get MBD due to lack of calcium/UVB or both.
Thank you guys so much, I hope we can work out a solution!
I have a new beardie called Ramona (unknown gender as yet, but I call her a she), and she is my first reptile.
I'm posting today because her health is not good, though I can't figure out why.
She runs around playfully, and hides at times, yet she spends majority of her time clinging onto the side of her heat lamp cage.
This is my setup:
Two main things - she doesn't eat of her own accord, and I believe she's starting to get MBD.
Firstly, she's never eaten a live cricket since I've had her (got her at 10 weeks, she's 14 weeks now). No matter what I do, she wont eat one. I've even held them by her face, or killed them.
I'm not sure if she's a fussy eater or she's just not used to her new environment yet. I've tried her on many different foods (see the questions below for details) yet she's never once eaten properly. Feeding time takes half an hour and even if she eats she'll only have one or two JurassiPet moist crickets.
Sometimes she opens her mouth if I hold food in front of her, but then turn her head away with her mouth still open (like she doesn't understand how eating works?)
She has never once lunged at food or shown any interest at all, really. I'm guessing she's either too stressed or the temperatures are wrong. Though, she must have eaten enough to grow a little as she's been shedding for the past two weeks.
Secondly, I'm pretty sure she has MBD. She walks on the back of her right hand, but only that one. It can't grip onto anything but she walks on it normally half the time. She's been walking like that for a week now.
I used to give her calcium with D3 once a week because my shaky hands accidentally give her a lump of calcium so I don't want to overdose her. I thought this could be the problem, so I've been trying to give her little bits every day for the past week, though she's extremely stubborn and barely consumes it. I've also taken her out into the sunlight around midday every day for four days, for 20 minutes each time. Its ~70 F or more temperature out there.
I'm just curious, if my UVB lamp hasn't worked since I got it 4 weeks ago, why are the symptoms only showing up now?
I'm guessing there's a few things I need to change, but as I said I'm not sure how to go about it, and you guys know much more and will probably pick up on things I thought were fine.
Information about my baby:
How old is your dragon? --- 14 weeks
How long have you had your dragon? --- 4 weeks
How long is your dragon? --- 5 inches, nose to tip of tail (breeder said the parents are naturally small)
What is the sex of your dragon? --- unknown, too young
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in? --- 24 x 12 x 12 inches
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank? --- plain paper towels
Do you use UVB lights? --- yes
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb? --- fluorescent tube
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)? --- Reptile One UVB Tube 10.0 18w 24in T8
How old is your UVB bulb? --- 4 weeks
How close can your dragon get to the UVB? --- 2 inches
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Is it a white or colored bulb? --- yes, red, Reptile One Infared Heat Lamp 150w in a cylindrical cage
What are the basking temps? --- 95-104 F
What is the cool side temp? --- 77-86 F
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun? --- stick on (im working on getting a digital)
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps? --- 1 inch above the basking rock in the air (with the thermometer on the rock, it reads 104 F and up)
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad? --- no, though the rock she basks on gets pretty hot as its black
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific. --- Attempted live crickets of different sizes many times but she's absolutely not interested, JurassiPet moist crickets, Fluker's buffet mix for juvenile bearded dragons (pellets, freeze dried crickets and mealworms, but i dont give her the mealworms), apple and mango baby food (only once, has nothing but pureed fruit in the ingredients list), grated carrot
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)? --- 10.30am, 6.00pm every day. She usually wont eat in the morning, and at night she might eat two crickets or a couple of pellets (after half an hour i give up)
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc? --- the live ones yes, with calcium dusted carrot. but she has yet to eat a live cricket even if i hold it by her face
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them? --- yes, Fluker's calcium with D3, phosphorus free. Once a week, because i accidentally give her over double whats recommended and i dont want to overdose her. for the past week i've mixed calcium with water every day and put one drop on her nose. though, she doesnt usually lick it off, it just dries on her face instead so i have to wash it off
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)? --- yes, once or twice a day (one time she ate 4 moist crickets and pooped three times, then didnt eat for two days)
Do you bath your dragon? How often? --- yes, once a week usually. she's currently shedding so i've bathed her every second day for the past two weeks (its her first i believe)
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath? --- yes, once a day usually. during shedding twice a day
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done? --- not yet
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon? --- no, but my flatmates have a leopard gecko and a cockatiel, and all three animals are in the same room at times
Important notes:
- The fluorescent bulb I'm using is in an Aqua One Reflector Fluroglow T8 18W 24".
(is it possible the UVB is somehow not being emitted due to it being a fish tank reflector?)
- Dragon is small for her age, should I treat her as if she was younger than she is? I.e like a baby instead of a juvenile
- Is it possible I have the wrong UVB bulb, one that isn't actually UVB? The tube doesnt fit perfectly into the reflector, it has room to move left and right. Could there be not enough power flowing through, therefore not using the tube's full potential?
- I hand feed her, so I have to take her out of her tank for feeding. I know this can stress her out, but the crickets just hide straight away and I have alot of things in her tank - any tips?
- She likes to climb onto her heat lamp cage, though she cant get closer than 2 inches to the bulb.
(to warm her belly up? Not warm enough basking spot? I keep an eye on her but the top of the cage where she hangs is cool to the touch)
(That cord is on the outside of the tank by the way)
If you made it this far down the post you're amazing!
To summarise, my 3 month old beardie needs to be hand fed, and only eats small amounts. Also, she's starting to get MBD due to lack of calcium/UVB or both.
Thank you guys so much, I hope we can work out a solution!
