Does my dragon look healthy??

[Skls1202]

Hi! So i got my beared dragon a year ago. Lately she hasnt been pooping as much and she stop eating veggies and only eating crickets and mealworms. I tried not giving the insects and only veggies and then she doesnt eat at all. (she used to eat the kale out of my hand) since she was giving to me at about a year old and all her tank n stuff i am not to sure of what uvb bulb i have but i have a white and red one which is what she had before i got her. Her tank is usually between 95-90 during day and at night i believe round 80. If i post a pic can someone give me an idea if she looks okay? I thought her neck looked a little swollen but after looking at some pics on this site it definitely doesnt look as bad. Thanks a bunch!!

 

[Skls1202]

 

[Skls1202]

 

[AHBD]

Hi there, she looks pretty good over all, maybe a bit sleepy + with just a hint of an underbite but not enough to rule out possibly just her head structure. The uvb is very important, if it's not strong enough the dragon can't absorb + utilize calcium. So what exact uvb do you have [ take a picture ] and how old is it ?

 

[Skls1202]

Hi thanks so much for reply. Im trying to figure out how i uploaded my pics!! Sorry new to this site n forum thing.

 

[AHBD]

Here's how to post pics :

https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then use the XIMG to upload them

 

[Skls1202]

Thanks!! U r the best ?

 

[AHBD]

Definitely need to change the bulbs, red is not good for any reptiles, get a nice bright white bulb. You can even get a halgen bulb like a par 38 flood bulb [ around 72-100 watt ] from Home Depot or Walmart. What kind of bulb is the other bulb on the left ?

So right now your dragon has no uvb at all. You'll need to get a good one ASAP......the best ones are the Reptisun 10.0 t5 or the Acadia D3 12 %. You could also go with an all in one heat + uvb mercury vapor bulb like the Megaray 100 watt. But do that right away, she needs uvb to absorb calcium. If you live where it's warm, take her out in the grass daily to get real sunlight and you can order something like this to actually let her bask in there for hours while you're at home.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=22274

If your Walmart doesn't have it you can order it from them or from here :
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=22274

Dr. Foster + Smith also carries the Reptisun 10.0 uvb bulb.

 

[Skls1202]

Oh no. The white lamp says its 120v 100 watt type R. Sorry i really dont know anything about the bulbs. Can i get at pet smart? I will go pick it up now. Also is the uvb in a long lighting house or can i get one that goes in the lighting house i have now? Its freezing here prolly bout 32 today. I have to wait to spring summer to bring her outside. O jeez i feel horrible. I didnt know these were bad as the person who gave her to me told me this is what she uses. My walmart is horrible but home depot is close i can try them both.

 

[Skls1202]

Also whats a good lamp for sleeping hours please? I was using the red at night so she can be warm. If not her tank gets cold. And i do have a heating pad for her should i be using this? Def looks like i need to get a book about her. My aquatic turles have been so simple to care for the past 10 years i didnt realize that the lizard needs much more knowlegde to care for correctly.

 

[AHBD]

No. it's not your fault at all, the pet stores send you home with all the wrong stuff. You only need heat at night if your house gets below 63 F. If you do need extra heat, get a CHE [ ceramic heat emitter ] It gives off heat but no light. And a long tube bulb would require a new fixture but you can order them online for a better price than the pet store. Here are links to the bulb + the fixture. Shipping is free.

https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=6016+6028+25696&pcatid=25696

https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=6016+6028+25698&pcatid=25698

If you prefer you can probably get it at Petsmart but don't let the employees talk you in to the wrong thing or something else.

 

[EllenD]

Yeah, I'm going to back-up AHBD here, please do not buy a regular compact or coil UVB bulb that will fit into the fixture you have now, without a strong, long UVB tube inside a long tube fixture that has a reflector inside it, she will become seriously ill and eventually not be able to move, walk, she'll lose her appetite and sleep all day, and eventually die.

There are 2 strengths of the long UVB tubes: The much weaker T8 strength tubes, which is what you will find at PetSmart, and then the much stronger T5 tubes. Also, YOU MUST BUY A 10% UVB TUBE, OR A 10.0 UVB TUBE, NOT A 5% UVB TUBE, OR A 5.0, AS THEY ARE FOR TROPICAL REPTILES.

Please avoid the brands All Living Things (Petsmart's house brand), Zilla, and ReptileOne, and all 3 are extremely weak and all 3 seem to emit harmful light rays that cause eye damage, blindness, and neurological damage.

You want either the brand Reptisun 10.0 or the brand Arcadia. Reptisun 10.0 is what you'll find at Petco or Petsmart, but they usually only have the weaker T8 strength, or they'll have the stronger T5HO strength in a package deal with a hood, but it's only a 5.0 and not a 10.0 tube.

You can buy a 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVB tube for around $24 on Amazon.com shipped, and then a 24" T5-rated tube fixture with a reflector for about $28 shipped. Or the Fosters&Smith links that AHBD provided. That's definitely the way you want to go.

You'll also save money by buying the stronger T5 UVB tube, as the T5 tubes only need replaced once a year, while the much weaker T8 tubes much be replaced every 6 months. Also, the weaker T8 tubes have to be strapped to the underside of the mesh lid to the tank, they cannot sit on top of the mesh lid, as they are too weak to still emit adequate UVB light to you dragon on the other side of the mesh. Also, the T8 tubes must be at least within 6" of the dragon, while the T5 tubes only have to be within about 10-11" from your dragon, so that gives you a bit more leeway if your tank is tall.

 

[Skls1202]

Thanks so much for the advise. I did go and get a uvb light 10.0 just to get one in right away. I clicked the link you provided in previous post and order the long tube fixture and light you suggested. That website is great. I dont order much online and its actually cheaper than the pet store. Including some items for my other pets. So thats a double thanks. She has been active lately just not pooping or eating veggies as much as she was before. The young man at pet store did back up what you said and said she needed better lighting and heating. He also suggested the ceramic light for nite as it gets cold at nite. So i will order on the website you shared. Tonite i will montior as its a little warmer out tonite. After about an hour of changing the bulb she was all over the place n color got lighter like when she takes a warm bath so i see and feel the difference. Thanks for sharing. Glad i found this site and fellow dragon friends!!

 

[AHBD]

Good, I'm glad it was helpful. It's easy to go on a shopping spree there and they have excellent service and free shipping. Hopefully nothing was on back order, that only happened to me once, every other time I received everything within about 3 days.