Cranky Zod

[Maranda]

Hi everyone!

I am new to this place...been reading everything since I got my BD.

Well I have owned "Zod" m/f still not really sure what she is...lol! For about 6 months. She is as old I think. About a foot long or so. But just of lately she has been getting upset, not liking being picked up, flaring her beard and opening her mouth, digging in the corners of the tank and eating so much...We have to buy 40-60 crickets every 2-3 days and it's causing an issue. We also need to buy her a new tank. She is still in her 10gl and it's making me mad. I keep telling my husband she is unhappy and we need a new tank. So when taxes come in a week I will be getting a new one. But the attitude is a problem. She has bit me once due to no food in her tank. Which is my husbands fault because I was out of town due to my mothers well being (she almost died). I live 6hrs away from home.

Anyways. I told him to make sure she eats all the time. Give her the greens and fresh water and crickets. He was really good about it when we first got her and now is lacking. But she lunges at the tank at me and opens her mouth and flares her beard. I dont know what else to do, other then get her the new tank and which we have to wait on. I know she is stressed, but she just started the major digging and being "pissy" with me. She gets greens 2x a day, and eats crickets whenever she gets hungry. Fresh water is given 2-3xs a day. Her tank is clean, fresh sand and everything is always washed by me by hand.

I really just dont know what else to do other then a new tank but I cant even give her water today because she wants to eat my hand off...LOL!

So I need some help on that one. Also..quick question...can they tell when you are menstrating? I read on these beautiful lizards and yet..I dont know alot. I knew when she got sick...she almost died and then I took her to a specialist and got her well again. She had issues with calicium *lack there of* that was due to poor fed crickets I was buying. Now I give her meds once a week and I add cricket dust and food to them and put them in there for her.

Soon the new tank will be here but untill then...what can I do. She wont let me pick her up and she runs from me.

Thanks
Maranda "Zods" Mommy

 

[Ethelia]

Hi there,
Well firstly we need to consider your set up.
Once we're ruled out enviroment we can chat about taming techniques.
80% of the time an agressive lizard is just a lizard unhappy with their home.

10gallons is absolutely tiny for a 6 month old, and she may well be acting out because of it.
Can you tell me what lighting you are using for both basking and UV?
Please be specific as to the brand, its very important.
Are the bulbs round? strip? compact? coil?
What are your temperatures? Both cool side and basking?
What are you measuring your temperatures with?
How often is she pooping?

Holly

 

[Maranda]

Light: Tight Beam 100W EXO TERRA Sun Glo/Basking Spot Lamp-Round :: Same brand as the Sun Glo Reg light-75W I do believe. That one is round as well. Both are UV AND UVA.

Temps: 100-110 Hot side :: Cool Side 80
The kit I bought for the tank has 3 temp meters, nothing digital. One for hot and cool and one for the middle for it to read in the normal ranges.

She poops like 2-3x a day normally. It's in a good amount as well.

I know her tank is small and right now we are waiting for taxes to come in some time in 8 more days or so. We are getting a new tank. What size do you recommend? We were thinking a 50gal. Something she can stay in a for long time. Since she is now over 12 inches. She sheds alot. Which I know is great and she is in the middle of shedding now her back looks frosty kinda and fuzzy like she is starting to shed again. I took out her tree she had in there yesterday and just left her rocks and water/food bowls in. I am very new to this and I love her to pieces. I used to be able to hold her non stop when she was tiny and she would lay on me. But since I have a newborn it's kinda hard to give her that attention. We got her right after my son was born. So she is around the same age as he is. 6 months.

She finally after giving her crickets and a new taste of giant mealworms she was pleased and let me pet her and she wasnt angry with me. She is a fiesty thing! I am still unsure of her sex but when I looked at how to tell when I was handling her alot she looked to be female. I will post a few new pics of her soon. She doesnt mind that..LOL!

Thanks,
Maranda

 

[Maranda]

ZODA when I first got her Aug 08

ZODA IN NOV 08

ZODA IN JAN 09

She soooo needs a new tank..I know! Cranky lil being!!!

 

[Ethelia]

Hmmm your bulb concerns me, from what I read it is not an MVB bulb.
MVB bulbs are the only ones which put out UVA, UVB and heat.
It is advertised in the UK as a basking light and not as an MVB.
It is also only £8, whereas the MVBs are £40-60.

Im going to PM a moderator about the bulb to check for you, because I dont want to send you out for a new bulb unless you need one!

If its not an MVB bulb it would mean he hasnt been recieving an appropriate amount of UV, which is highly highly likely to be causing her agression.
In the lowest picture she seems to have a bump on her spine? Is this just the angle of the photo or does she have a small hunchback?
Are you supplimenting her diet with calcium?

You do however need to get yourself a digital thermometre with a probe. These are the only thermoms which accurately read your temp.
Dials and strips can be up to 20* off! and 20* will mean alot to your dragons temperment and well being.
You can buy one from walmart for $12. Its brand names is Accurite.

Holly

 

[Maranda]

I do indeed give her calcium sups that the vet gave me. But with her aggression it's hard for me to do anything with her. I dont want to be bit. I cant hold her, she wont let me. The hump is very small, it was a deform and that was when I had to take her to the vet when she was sick. She was very sick. We didnt know why either. I had thought that she hurt herself on her tree but that wasnt the case, she had calcium defficency (sp). Meaning lack of calcium. So thats when they gave me that. Also the angle she is at makes it look bigger when it's not. It's very small bump.

Personally I wish I had someone around me who knows this stuff to help me buy the right things for her. If someone can give me a list of things to purchase for her, then I will buy them all. Even if I have to go on line to buy them. I have no problems. I want her well and not mad at me. I love her and I care if she gets sick. She is expencive I know but that doesnt matter to me.

Her sand is calcium enriched sand. I gut load the crickets and I dust the crickets and the food in her tank. I slightly dust some of her greens.

I need to know where I can get everything too. Please help me out as much as you can I just want her well!!!

Maranda

 

[Ethelia]

Hello there,

Oh dear, upon investigating this bulb I cannot find anything which says it is putting out UVB aswell as UVA.
Dragons need UVB to produce their own calcium and to thrive.
The lack of lighting will be why she has calcium deficency. The bump on her spine looks worrying like she has MBD (metabolic bone disease) as that is a classic symptom. Id go so far to say im 99% sure of it.
You can read a little more about MBD here:
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/reptilesgeneral/a/metabolicbd.htm

It isnt the end of the world, but it means that she will need extra care in the future.

Because she has been without UVB for so long I would really suggest that you get her an MVB (mercury vapour bulb).
These are all in one bulbs which give out all the heat and light that she will need to be happy and healthy.
The recommended MVBs are:
MegaRay
T-Rex active uv
Powersun

A MVB bulb however needs to be a minumum of 12" away from your dragon at all times, and cannot be used in a 10 gallon tank. You would need at least a 40gallon. A 40 gallon viv will be all she ever needs.

If you cannot get her a 40gal and an MVB your other option is to add another bulb to her viv.
For this you want a repti-sun 10.0 strip bulb.
Not repti-glo, and not a compact or coil bulb.

Either way you need to get her some UV light immediately.


The next thing we need to discuss is the calciumsand.
You need to get this out of her tank right away.
This is the number one thing that bearded dragon owners loathe because it can be fatal to dragons.
Calci sand hardens when wet and so if they lick it (which the taste incorages it to do) it can clump and harden in their bowels like rock.
The fact that she is pooping regularly is a very good sign that she hasnt ingested it, but to be safe you need to get it out tonight.
Replace it with kitchen paper towel for now.
Safe long term substrates are:
Sifted playsand
Paper towel
Shelf liner
Lino
Tiles
Repti-carpet.


Dragons who are agressive are usually that way because they are unhealthy or unhappy, its their way of telling us that something is wrong.
Get her the bulb asap and you should start to see some changes in her as her health improves.

Holly

 

[Drache613]

Hello Maranda,

Do you have a Sun Glo or a Solar Glo? There is a huge difference between the two. The Sun Glo is a good basking bulb that provides UVA, but it does NOT provide UVB, unfortunately.
He has metabolic bone disease. He simply cannot absorb & metabolize his calcium or vitamins with UVB exposure.
You will need to start him on liquid calcium as soon as you can. You can find a good liquid calcium from Veronica at:
http://www.beautifuldragons.com

As suggested by Holly, you will need to purchase one of the following UVB lights.

The best flourescent tube bulb is the Reptisun 10 & you can get that from http://www.petmountain.com for around $20 or so.

There is also the Arcadia D3 12% flourescent tube light that you can get from here:

http://www.livefoods.co.uk/index.php?cPath=50

The Zoomed Powersun, which is a mercury vapor bulb, is a good & safe bulb, though quite a low output bulb for a mercury vapor bulb. It comes in 100 or 160 watt bulbs.
The Solar Glo by Exoterra is a decent bulb as well. It comes in 125 or 160 watt bulbs.
The T-rex active UV heat mercury vapor bulb is a great bulb. It comes in 100, 160 or 275 watts.
The Megaray is the best mercury vapor bulb around. It comes in 100 or 160 watts.

You can get the the Powersun, the Solar Glo & the T-rex at:
http://www.reptilesupply.com

The Megaray you can only get from:
http://www.reptileuv.com

However, you absolutely have to upgrade that tank from a 10 gallon to at least a 40 gallon or larger. It is extremely difficult to regulate temperatures in that small of a tank for him.

If you have any questions, please let us know.

Tracie

 

[Ethelia]

Hold off on my advice re: light
It appears the Solar Glo bulb sold in the UK may differ to the one in the US.
Waiting on a moderator to double check this for me.

EDIT:
Speak of the devil.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Just posted, Holly!

Tracie

 

[Maranda]

The brand of bulb it is EXO TERRA. I got it from Pet Smart. They hardly ever carry for some reason the Power Sun. I have seen them before. But everytime I go in, they are either gone or not even ordered. She has 2 bulbs the one is a UVA and the other is a UVB I do believe. I couldnt find the one bulbs box but it's sits on her cool side.

Here is the link for that bulb I was talking about.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3430233

I knew about the MBD. The vet told me.

So the sand is bad? Why do I read in some books that the sand is ok and then not ok..I dont know what to think. Other then talk to you guys on here. I will def put in some paper towels.

I am going to get her a much bigger tank then a 40 and I will be getting those bulbs. I tried to find one of the MVB's and even the vet told me to get but I couldnt find one and I got the one I got till I can get the one I know she needs. I still have to search again. I live in Maryland. I came from CO and We have pets stores but they even lack in food supply for the Reptiles.

She is starting to show signs again of not wanting to eat. I know it's the tank and lighting but what can ya do when the military screws up your pay. We are waiting for it to get fixed and our taxes. I can only do so much. What other suggestions do you have that could help me out for the next week. What do you think might work?

Thanks so much!!!

Maranda

 

[Maranda]

I have the sup from the vet that she has given me for her when we had this issue the last time. I just tried to give it to her but she wouldnt open her mouth.

Maranda

 

[Ethelia]

Hello there,
Its important we know the brand of your second bulb.
It will be embossed somewhere on the bulb itself. It may be small but it will definatly be on there.
Could you take a look for us please?
What shape is the bulb?
Is it coiled like this:

Is it a long strip bulb like this:

Is it a compact bulb?

I feel your pain about pet supples. I live in the UK and reptiles arent "big" here so I have to order 90% of my supplies from the internet.
Tracie has listed some very well respected sites in her above post.
You will be fine ordering from there.

Yes the calci-sand is very bad indeed.
I could link you to numerous autopsys of dead dragons who have guts full of this stuff, but I would rather you took my word for it as its not a pleasant sight to see.
If you search "calci sand" on this web site you will find endless threads which list its dangers and unfortunatly victims of the sand.
Sifted playsand is ok for adults, calci sand is not due to its clumping qualities.
When you get it out drop a few drops of water on a little section and see how hard it solidifies.
Even a little in your dragons intestines would cause a huge problems quickly.

The lighting is likely to be contributing to her lack of appetite.
If she stops eating for a few days you are best to feed her some slurry.
Slurry is easily made from chicken/turkey babyfood with calcium mixed in.
You can put a little on her nose and hopefully she will lick it off.
You can also offer it to her from a spoon. One of my dragons would only ever accept slurry this way for some odd reason.

Appart from the slurry Im afraid I cannot offer you any more advice that might help in the short term.
Its the tank and bulb you need, but ofc life isnt that simple is it?

Holly

 

[Ethelia]

PS.
To get her mouth open its easiest to put your thumb and first finger on the point of her mouth, slide it down about 2 or 3 cms and applying gentle pressure.
She may squirm and fight to get away but you only need her mouth to be open for a second to pop the syringe in.

 

[Maranda]

Thank you for all your help and consideration.

I take all this to heart and I will use everything you all have suggested.

I will be going to get her the Solar Glo bulb tomorrow if the weather permits.

But untill then I am kinda stuck with what I have. She is shedding that could be why she isnt into eating much. I will try again. I am going to get rid of the sand tonight.

I just gotta fish out the crickets...LOL!

WHAT FUN! :roll:

Thank you all again. If you have any other suggestions you can send me a PM.

Maranda