Dragon flipping onto back constantly, lethargic

[SpacialCoogs]

I really commend you for what you're doing. This poor guy would probably be dead if not for you. Keep us informed.

 

[AHBD]

Great, so in a couple more days you'll have him . Hopefully he can be brought back to health or at least made more comfortable for now. A question for you, does he eat crickets well ? I just want to advise to not feed him superworms in his condition, if you do, just 1-2 at a time at first. Don't make the mistake of giving him a bunch of them which he may gobble up only to possibly vomit later. He might also refuse crickets once he gets superworms. If he's eating crickets then you know he's digesting them O.K, and if he eats greens then that's really good. Drache613 [ Tracie ] mentioned some greens you can feed him [ turnip, mustard, collard, dandelion, arugula and squash ] which are all loaded with nutrients. So stick mostly with crickets + greens for now.

 

[SilverGravity]

Alright, will do. He eats the crickets, but last time I heard (a couple days ago) he couldn't chase them, they had to feed him dead ones. He ate several of them though, so that's good. I'll stick to the crickets and collards for now, since that's what my dragon is getting. Thanks! c:

 

[AHBD]

You're welcome ! And if he can't catch them, just disable them and/or feed them by hand.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is wonderful news you should have Steve really soon then! He is going to be so happy to finally have more love & attention.
The coil light isn't real good no, but you had another light on order, a tube bulb?
He is lucky to have you looking out for him.

Tracie

 

[SilverGravity]

Yep, I've got a Reptisun T5 coming in eventually for both the dragons. Not sure why the first one hasn't gotten in yet, but hopefully Steves will get in sooner. They should be mounted inside the tanks, right?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

What sized tank do you have? The T5 is strong & if you are going to be using a reflector with it then it will be fine to mount it on top of a screen within 10 or so inches of him. If you have a really tall tank & can have him at 10 or so inches from it then you can mount the light inside of the tank.
Steve will love his new light!
Keep us posted on him.

Tracie

 

[SilverGravity]

My dragons tank is a 70 gallon, and she'd be able to get within 5-7 inches of the light if it were mounted inside, so I'm guessing it should be be outside the tank? If outside, it would probably be around 8 or so inches, but on top a screen. It's actually my first time getting one of these lights, so I'm not sure.

Steves current tank is probably only a foot or so tall, but I'm not sure. It's 3 feet long I think. After him getting a proper basking spot he'd definitely be within 10 inches of it if it were on top of the screen, but I think both dragons would be too close if it were inside the tanks. Sorry to ask, I feel like a bad beardie mom, but what's a reflector? I've never heard of putting a reflector in their tanks before.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Ok, great. Those sizes of tanks, you would definitely place the T5 tube bulb on top of the screen. They are close enough to where they are going to get good UVB exposure.
A reflector is usually built into a light fixture. It is just "reflective" aluminum most of the time around the bulb in the fixture. This helps to increase the UVB strength by directing the rays downward more & focusing it more intensely.
Oh dear you are not a bad beardie mom! There is so much to learn all of the time, it is a constant learning curve.
Let us know how things are going.

Tracie

 

[SilverGravity]

Alright, thanks! That'll make giving them the lights a lot simpler now that I won't need to mount them inside. And it really is, I keep learning more things about them and what I should be doing. Sapphire is a happy dragon, though, so I'm not too concerned. I'll be sure to update on Steve tomorrow, hopefully I'll be able to get him them.

 

[dezismom]

I have a reflector --it is basically an aquarium hood that you put the long flourescent bulb into. I have it resting on top of the screen. Works great with my reptisun 10, which I replace every six months.

And no, you are definitely NOT a bad beardie mom!!

I hope you can get Steve tomorrow, for his sake!! Poor dear. His story has me so distubed, I have lost sleep over it. I wish I was there, so I could talk some serious "teacher talk" to those people responsible. Teachers are supposed to set a good example for the students! When I taught science, then later worked at a wildlife sancturary and did the tours for local schools, I always stressed the importance of knowing the needs of an animal, and making sure you can provide for them properly.

I had a little fun doing my lectures...when the kids admired some super cute animal at our facility, I would pull out a zip lock baggie full of poop. (yep, I carried poo in my pocket! I would ask if anyone wanted to play with it, or sniff it? Of course,they all said "no! Gross!" Then I would tell them if this animal were their pet, they would have to play with a lot more poo than that little bag full, every single day, and if that bothered them, maybe they should think about that, before getting any pets!! ....Do I need to come lecture at your school, for the staff??

I also take my rather large Beardie to pet shops and talk to people who think their children would "just love" one...I explain that Dezi costs over $100 a month in live food alone; in his ten year expected life span, he will be a 12 THOUSAND dollar lizard! If they have that extra money just laying around, they should get a Beardie. Boy, does that cool their enthusiasm! I do not want to discourage all people from owning exotic reptiles, but I do want them to be informed about how much time and money is involved. We become responsible for these beautiful, fabulous creatures, and they cannot help themselves. It breaks my heart, to see them suffer. I am so glad that Steve has you on his side!! He needs an advocate. He has no voice of his own. kudos to you, for caring!

 

[SilverGravity]

I think they could really do with a lecture! That's such a good way to get through to kids, too. There's nothing that'll gross them out and make them seriously consider getting a pet more than that! xD And I wish I had been informed as to how expensive beardies can be before buying one. Luckily we can and will pay for her, but she's one expensive lizard! Love her though, she's a cutie. And it's summer so she gets all the garden crops

An update on Steve- sadly we could not get him today as the teacher wasn't there today, but my mom did talk to the principal of ag. He wasn't even aware there were animals that needed to go to the vet, or so he said, and that there was money for vet trips. So, the teacher either lied about having no money or that's what she was told. Not sure who's telling the truth or anything, schools will say anything to prevent parents from getting angry, especially when it could involve authorities for animal welfare at an agriculture school program.

He seems to doing a bit better though. I haven't seen him flip in several days, and he's more alert now. Not super alert and active, but he has his eyes open when I check on him at least.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh Steve looks so sweet! :love5: He is going to be so happy with you. That is great he hasn't flipped over in days, too!
I agree, it is always nice to inform people about the responsibility of owning one, just to give them more to think about before taking one in.
How is the lighting working out?

Tracie

 

[Derz13]

Aw he does look so sweet! but so very weak! How sad...

 

[SilverGravity]

The UV light seems to be helping him. He doesn't flip and he's more alert, and he also has a bright light in there. He's got more energy it seems too, I see him changing spots in the tank pretty often. I have no clue what caused him to flip or why he suddenly stopped, but I'm happy about it. It wasn't the UV that made him stop though, he stopped the day or so before.

Also- I can take him home any time starting tomorrow! For real this time. As long as my parents can pick him up, he'll be going home with me tomorrow! Then comes the task of getting him better. Is there anything I can do for him besides a better UVB, give him water, calcium, and better food, or will I just need to wait for him to feel better? At least until we can find a vet for him to go to soon.