Eyes closed, trouble eating, not moving

[AHBD]

Poor lil' girl. I'm definitely thinking of her + hope you see some improvement soon.

 

[pinkrambo13]

Awe poor girl. Yes please keep us updated and if she isn't getting any better i would suggest taking her to a qualified vet. I hope her eyes gets better. It could be simple as something got in the eye and its just irritated. If shes not better in the next few days be best to go to a vet they would be experienced and know what could be going on. Sending waves and hugs

That is the general plan. My roommate is taking her to a friend who has had bearded dragons their whole life so hopefully they can give me some insight. I'm just so worried about her

 

[kingofnobbys]

You would dust the calcium + D3 them lightly on your feeders: crickets, roaches, etc. Dust every other day, She might need a couple days to adjust. I would use a multivitamin once a week just to make sure shes getting all the vitamins and minerals she needs.

This may sound stupid but I bought some like Cricket food and Cricket water that says that has some vitamins in it?
Those products are worthless, and what's more, the water crystals / jel is downright dangerous as it will accumulate in your dragon's gut when he eats the crickets who ate it.
Best to stick with fresh greens, fresh veg , maybe some dry beardie pellets to feed the crickets & roaches , and carrot chunks to hydrate the crickets. Essentially feed the bugs rubbish you wind up with rubbish feeder insects.

Also I will definitely work on doing that once I get back on Monday. And where can I find that dust if it the cricket food and water gel stuff isn't worth it?

Any pet shop will carry a range of calcium powders and reptile vitamin powders.

 

[kingofnobbys]

What about these ones?

I've not used that particular brand ,but they should be OK , check the specs before buying.

 

[kingofnobbys]

No, shes far too young for brumation. Did you get a digital probe thermometer? If so, what are her 3 temperatures? It may take a few days under the UVB tube unobstructed plus being within the correct temperature zones to perk her up...

What brand of UVB tube did you buy? Is it a 10.0 T8 (instead of a 5.0)? Is it within 6-8" of her basking spot?

What has she been eating recently, and how much? Are her poops normal looking and smelling? Is she very dark in color or bright? I'm assuming this has to do with her temps being off and the UVB being inadequate, along with the coil bulb hurting her eyes, it can take a good solid week for them in the correct conditions to perk up. That's not to say that she doesn't possibly have parasites/worms or a bacterial infection, that's very common when they first come home from the pet shop. But getting her temps and lighting set up correctly and within the correct distance is step #1.

Unfortunately none of the pet stores around me have those type of thermometers for sale right now they're all sold out. I ordered some on Amazon hopefully they will get here by Monday or Tuesday. As of right now I think the temperatures are pretty close to correct. But as you said I do not have the correct thermometer. The lighting however is for sure in the right distances. Also unfortunately I have to go home and my roommate will be watching her all weekend and taking care of her so only be getting updates. Sadly I had a family emergency in which I cannot take my lizard with me and my roommate will be able to wash her and take care of her. She's still is not drinking at least not from what I've seen and she definitely has not pooped in 3 days. She seems to be eating normally lots of feeder crickets small ones and she's been eating some of her salad of greens.

Those a good signs (eating some bugs and greens).

Digital thermometer , Try a hardware shop , even a supermarket , I've seen similar sold in hardware shops and supermarkets (the are boxed as fridge thermometers) , or try a local Ebay shop.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Hmm, when you take your beardie out of its enclosure it doesn't shut its eye? Or does it? Also, are you supplementing with calcium +D3 or any supplements at all?

Sometimes it seems like that's the case but I think it's more or less she opens our eyes to move around and then guess where she wants to be and back close

what are your suggestions as far as getting those vitamins and such in to her? Like how would I go about it what would I be doing to get it in her?

If she's not getting calcium , I recommend CalciVet , this is dosed 0.2ml/100g body weight .
make sure the liquid calcium you buy has very clear dosing instructions on the bottle , else don't buy it.

I've not used liquid reptile vitamins, but expect good quality products will provide very clear dosage instructions on the bottle.

A small 1 ml or 2ml syringe with a tube type nozzle on the front will be perfect for giving these orally.

 

[EllenD]

Alright, so once the digital thermometer comes immediately take the 3 temps and see where you're at. I apologize as I didn't notice that you had more than one basking bulb, I thought you had only a single 75 watt basking bulb, which I assumed was not enough wattage together her temps up to the correct ranges, as usually a single 100 watt basking bulb gets a 40 gallon breeder tank within the correct ranges. If you have 2 75 watt basking bulbs that will definitely get the temps up to the correct ranges, but may actually be too much. If your temps turn out being too hot once your digital probe thermometer arrives, then I highly recommend buying a single 100 watt basking bulb and trying just that. It should get her temps within the correct ranges.

I think it may be time to start hand-feeding her some supplemental nutrition, as she's likely very weak from not eating. She will get all the nutrition and hydration she needs from a food supplement hand-fed to her, and that nutrition and hydration in combination with the correct UVB light and temps should get her going in the right direction. I'm assuming an experienced reptile vet will ask you to brink a fresh poop sample to test for parasites, worms,and a bacterial infection, which is very common with babies when they first leave a pet shop or breeder, and the vet would or should also give you a nutritional supplement made for reptiles, like Oxbow Critical Care, which is the best available. You can actually order the Oxbow Critical Care online without a prescription, it's a powder that you mix with water (I recommend using unflavored Pedialyte for the electrolytes) and it makes a paste that you feed her.

 

[EllenD]

So I think if your temps are correct (remember that it could still just be your temps being way off, those stick-on thermometers are really that bad) with the digital probe thermometer then it's time to see an experienced reptile vet. In the meantime I'd highly recommend hand-feeding her either a reptile nutritional supplement that you can most likely find at your local pet shop (Petco carries Reptaboost and/or Reptaid), or you can easily make one at home that would contain a pinch of her Calcium powder and a pinch of her multivitamin powder. When I brought my rescue boy home he had a severe impaction, and once it cleared he was still lethargic and had no appetite. So while I was waiting for the Oxbow Critical Care that I ordered to arrive, I made my own slurries and dripped them on his snout for him to lick off, and I did it twice a day. He perked right up after two feedings, and seemed to like the stuff. This is not a replacement for the reptile vet but rather a way to get nutrition, Calcium and multivitamins, and hydration in him in the meantime before you can get him to an experienced reptile vet.

I went to Walmart and bought everything I needed to make the slurries for under $20, though I already had Repcal and/or Mazuri Bearded Dragon pellets on hand, which are optional and not necessary, I just added them for the calories, protein, and fat because he was quite thin. I used butternut squash baby food as a base because they usually like it and I added two pinches of the Repcal Juvenile pellets to the baby food and let the soak and absorb the baby food so they would soften and mix in well. You can also use a blender and add greens, veggies, or even gut-loaded live feeder insects for calories and protein. I.then added a pinch of Calcium with D3 and a pinch of multivitamin powders, and also a pinch of Bee Pollen, which I buy at Walmart in the vitamin aisle, it comes in capsules you can empty powder out of. Bee pollen acts as a very good appetite stimulant for beardies.

 

[pinkrambo13]

Hmm, when you take your beardie out of its enclosure it doesn't shut its eye? Or does it? Also, are you supplementing with calcium +D3 or any supplements at all?

Sometimes it seems like that's the case but I think it's more or less she opens our eyes to move around and then guess where she wants to be and back close

what are your suggestions as far as getting those vitamins and such in to her? Like how would I go about it what would I be doing to get it in her?

If she's not getting calcium , I recommend CalciVet , this is dosed 0.2ml/100g body weight .
make sure the liquid calcium you buy has very clear dosing instructions on the bottle , else don't buy it.

I've not used liquid reptile vitamins, but expect good quality products will provide very clear dosage instructions on the bottle.

A small 1 ml or 2ml syringe with a tube type nozzle on the front will be perfect for giving these orally.

Thank you so much for being so helpful all of you. Hopefully I will hear good news today from the guy my room is taking her to. And hopefully she'll start feeling better today or tomorrow. I've kind of already decided that if she's not better by Tuesday or Wednesday it's time to take her to the vet. I'm really hoping it's just that she's adjusting her eyes did the new lighting or something like that. Thank you Ellen that was very insightful by the way. I will have to take a look at that. I know my thermometers will be here tomorrow or Tuesday which will be very helpful

 

[EllenD]

I also bought a bottle of Multi-Enzyme Digestive Formula with Probiotics at Walmart, and actually this stuff has saved the lives of several baby budgies and cockatiels I've bred who developed slow crop, crop stasis, or a yeast infection. It is also in the vitamin aisle and it's a probiotic (settles their tummies, replaces healthy bacteria in their gastrointestinal tracts, and is an appetite stimulant) with added naturally occurring digestive enzymes that help them digest their food. Again, not necessary but I'm a big believer in prebiotics and probiotics. Then I added unflavored Pedialyte to the mix, blended it all up, heated it up in the microwave, and dripped it on his snout for him to lick off. He seemed to like it a lot and he got two or three feedings of it a day, as much as he wanted each feeding. It perked him up big time by giving him much needed hydration, calories, protein, fat, and also no doubt simply raised his blood sugar. It helped boost him while giving time for his new UVB light (he never had one at all) and proper temps to kick in.

You really only need to make him a nutritional slurry that contains some baby food as a base (they love the butternut squash), then add in some fresh greens like collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, bok choy, arugula, etc. and then add in some live feeder insects like crickets, dubia roaches, Phoenix Worms/Calciworms/Reptiworms/BSFL, superworms, etc. and some unflavored Pedialyte along with a pinch of Calcium with D3 and multivitamin powders, then blend it on high in the blender, microwave it, and give it to him several times a day. This is recreating the Oxbow Critical Care pretty accurately and it will get some nutrition, vitamins/minerals, and hydration in him daily until you can get him to a vet. The extra supplements I mentioned above like the Bee Pollen and the Probiotics are great if you can get them, but your main goal is to try to keep him hydrated, get nutrition and his much needed vitamins in him, and keep him from losing weight until you get the thermometer to check and adjust his temps, and then get him to a reptile vet.

 

[EllenD]

By the way, you're an excellent beardie owner, don't you ever think otherwise. You've been seriously concerned and actively involved in helping your beardie since you realized there was a problem, and you immediately went out and bought the appropriate UVB light that he needed, and made all the essential changes that you needed to snake to his setup. You're obviously extremely worried about him and you're doing everything you can to help him. And you haven't even had him that long at all yet, but that doesn't matter, you're being a responsible pet owner regardless. And I myself and all the other members here appreciate what you're doing for your beardie so much, you have no idea. Unfortunately a lot of beardie owners (if not the majority) wait for weeks if not months before they even come on here to ask questions, then they refuse to make any changes to their setups, refuse to buy essential lighting, refuse to feed appropriate diets, and absolutely will not even think about taking their beardies to a vet. So when a responsible, caring, loving beardie owner comes here willing to do anything and everything they can to help their beardie get well, words cannot express how appreciative we are.

He'll be okay, I know you're frustrated (rightfully so) and extremely worried, but sometimes it takes a while at first to get everything straightened out with your husbandry and with any lingering infections or parasitic issues from the pet shop.

 

[pinkrambo13]

By the way, you're an excellent beardie owner, don't you ever think otherwise. You've been seriously concerned and actively involved in helping your beardie since you realized there was a problem, and you immediately went out and bought the appropriate UVB light that he needed, and made all the essential changes that you needed to snake to his setup. You're obviously extremely worried about him and you're doing everything you can to help him. And you haven't even had him that long at all yet, but that doesn't matter, you're being a responsible pet owner regardless. And I myself and all the other members here appreciate what you're doing for your beardie so much, you have no idea. Unfortunately a lot of beardie owners (if not the majority) wait for weeks if not months before they even come on here to ask questions, then they refuse to make any changes to their setups, refuse to buy essential lighting, refuse to feed appropriate diets, and absolutely will not even think about taking their beardies to a vet. So when a responsible, caring, loving beardie owner comes here willing to do anything and everything they can to help their beardie get well, words cannot express how appreciative we are.

He'll be okay, I know you're frustrated (rightfully so) and extremely worried, but sometimes it takes a while at first to get everything straightened out with your husbandry and with any lingering infections or parasitic issues from the pet shop.

Thank you that really means a lot to me. Everyone thinks I'm nuts in keeps telling me that she's going to be fine and that she's acting completely normal. And there's nothing even wrong with her. That's what my roommates are saying which is driving me insane. It seems weird that I love her so much after only having her for 8 days. I mean she's already now part of my family I feel like so I have to take care of her the best I possibly can. Hopefully she will get better soon and I know she will as long as I keep taking care of her and getting her what she needs. Come Monday I will go to the store once I get back to campus and get the essential vitamins and minerals she needs. The good thing that sounds like is though I do give her salad often. So she's at least getting some nutrition from the salad.

 

[pinkrambo13]

By the way, you're an excellent beardie owner, don't you ever think otherwise. You've been seriously concerned and actively involved in helping your beardie since you realized there was a problem, and you immediately went out and bought the appropriate UVB light that he needed, and made all the essential changes that you needed to snake to his setup. You're obviously extremely worried about him and you're doing everything you can to help him. And you haven't even had him that long at all yet, but that doesn't matter, you're being a responsible pet owner regardless. And I myself and all the other members here appreciate what you're doing for your beardie so much, you have no idea. Unfortunately a lot of beardie owners (if not the majority) wait for weeks if not months before they even come on here to ask questions, then they refuse to make any changes to their setups, refuse to buy essential lighting, refuse to feed appropriate diets, and absolutely will not even think about taking their beardies to a vet. So when a responsible, caring, loving beardie owner comes here willing to do anything and everything they can to help their beardie get well, words cannot express how appreciative we are.

He'll be okay, I know you're frustrated (rightfully so) and extremely worried, but sometimes it takes a while at first to get everything straightened out with your husbandry and with any lingering infections or parasitic issues from the pet shop.

Thank you that really means a lot to me. Everyone thinks I'm nuts in keeps telling me that she's going to be fine and that she's acting completely normal. And there's nothing even wrong with her. That's what my roommates are saying which is driving me insane. It seems weird that I love her so much after only having her for 8 days. I mean she's already now part of my family I feel like so I have to take care of her the best I possibly can. Hopefully she will get better soon and I know she will as long as I keep taking care of her and getting her what she needs. Come Monday I will go to the store once I get back to campus and get the essential vitamins and minerals she needs. The good thing that sounds like is though I do give her salad often. So she's at least getting some nutrition from the salad.

Hey so I have good news! She seems to be doing very well her eyes are open I am finally back in my room to be with her. So before we close this discussion assuming she continues being healthy and wonderful. I have one last question. Seeing how I am a very poor college student and crickets can sometimes be very expensive. Is it bad to only feed them salad and then the pellets you can get from the store? I just feel like it's may be a cheaper option for me. If not I will gladly keep buying crickets in feeding your crickets how was just curious

 

[AHBD]

Good to hear that she's doing better, you must be so relieved. And yes, she should still have live crickets at least once a day. Find the best price, buy them in bulk and set up a cricket tub [ medium plastic storage tote ] to keep them in.

 

[Reptilelady]

Awe yay im glad shes doing better as well If your going to buy crickets its best to buy them in bulk you end up saving money that way. You can find tons of crickets online, amazon, eBay, google search. I cannot recommend a good cricket website as i just buy mine locally from pet store and only a small amount but I've seen some good deals online much more cost effective