fred won't eat and all he does is sleep

[mackaroni]

I'm extremely worried about fred. i have had him since july 2016 and i bought him fro petsmart with his sister. his sister died in october 2016 but I'm worried bc no matter what i give him to eat, he won't eat. he doesn't chase crickets anymore and doesn't go after worms. he just sleeps all the time. he has got extremely skinny and doesnt seem like he can hold himself up for very long. is there anything i can do to help him?

 

[kingofnobbys]

I'm extremely worried about fred. i have had him since july 2016 and i bought him fro petsmart with his sister. his sister died in october 2016 but I'm worried bc no matter what i give him to eat, he won't eat. he doesn't chase crickets anymore and doesn't go after worms. he just sleeps all the time. he has got extremely skinny and doesnt seem like he can hold himself up for very long. is there anything i can do to help him?

Have you tried handfeeding/ forced feeding ?

For starters, what is your setup like ?

Need your warm and cool zone and basking temperatures ?
Need to know exactly what kind of UV you have (is it at least 10% UVB ? is it new or old / how old ? is it a compact coil globe ? a T8 tube ? a T5 tube ? or MVB ?)
What is the bedding material ?
How long are the lights on each day ?
What insects have you been trying to feed to him ? what size are they ? and how many per feed ? how many feeds per day ?
Has a vet seen your beardie ? (tested for illnesses, infections, paracites ?)

In the first instance I'd say you need to check your set up is right, insufficient UVA will result lethargy and lack of apetite in a beardie , insufficient UVB will result in poor metabolisation of dietary calcium, insufficient tank temperatures will mean he can't digest food, particulate beddings if ingested and indigestible can result in serious impaction and death, he may have one of those nasty paracitic infections so common amongst captive bred lizards in the USA (pet shops and breeders over there still breed infected lizards and sell the offspring ).

I think you might be able to save him if you get the tank and UV and heating and lighting right and get hold of some http://www.mypetwarehouse.com.au/vetafarm-herpaboost-100ml-p-14642 or and maybe some http://vetafarm.com.au/product/crittacare-reptile/ or equivalent
and http://vetafarm.com.au/product/calcivet/
and give these to directions orally using a feeding syringe http://vetafarm.com.au/product/reusable-feeding-syringe/.

I think you need to get the sick beardie to a VET ASAP ( don't delay this ).

 

[mackaroni]

on one end of his tank the temp says 88 (using fahrenheit) and the other says 80.. its usually a little warmer in there.
i think I'm using uva bulbs. they are mvb bulbs.
the bedding is a terrarium carpet.
i normally feed him small crickets and meal worms. there small crickets but a little bigger sized meal worm. i give him 6 or 7 crickets and 3 meal worms but since he hasn't eaten any i have put them in there and left them for 30 minutes or so and removed all of the ones he didn't touch. i feed him 2-3 times a day.

 

[kingofnobbys]

on one end of his tank the temp says 88 (using fahrenheit) and the other says 80.. its usually a little warmer in there.
i think I'm using uva bulbs. they are mvb bulbs.
the bedding is a terrarium carpet.
i normally feed him small crickets and meal worms. there small crickets but a little bigger sized meal worm. i give him 6 or 7 crickets and 3 meal worms but since he hasn't eaten any i have put them in there and left them for 30 minutes or so and removed all of the ones he didn't touch. i feed him 2-3 times a day.

Cut back , I suggest stop giving , mealworms .... very poor feeder insect for young beardie , even worse for a sick one.

If he really likes his worms, get him a stack of BSF maggots (excellent feeder insects) and some small (mealworm sized) silkworms (another excellent feeder insect).

If he refuses to eat , you have no option but to handfeed, even force feed him. See recommended reptile "liquid"/"slurry" type reptile suppliments from VetaFarm. Other good products to look at using to get Fred past this are http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/vets/products/carnivore_care which I believe are often given to very sick lizards in order to build them back up.

MVBs are very good, but I think their efficiency at producing UVA and UVB falls off with age and they need replacement every 6months or so depending on the brand and hours they are on each day.
Are you sure it's an MVB and not something else ?

If the max temperature in his tank is 88F, it's too cool , you need a basking spot temp about 100F.
You might find keeping Fred warm 24/7 while he's sick will help as it will increase his metabolic rate. SO overnight (non-luminous) heating for his tank to keep him warmer than 28degCelsius overnight such as a heatpad placed in a sandwich of ceramic tiles and placed under his hide and or a thermostat control CHE might be order.

Photos of Fred and his tank showing the lighting and setup are going to be helpful to give us some idea why he is so sick. I really think Fred needs intensive care at this stage and you need to have him seen by a good reptile vet as a matter of urgency , as is sounds like he's extremely sick.

 

[mackaroni]

i'm trying to schedule an appt for him at 4:30 today.. i bought him two new lights when i went out. one being a reptisun 10.0 uvb coil (its way more fluorescent than his others but idk if that affects him) and a repti basking spit lamp 75watts. i also bought a thermometer with a probe for better temp readings and a hammock so he can get closer to the lamps if he wants for basking. ill attach some images

 

[mackaroni]

 

[kingofnobbys]

i'm trying to schedule an appt for him at 4:30 today.. i bought him two new lights when i went out. one being a reptisun 10.0 uvb coil (its way more fluorescent than his others but idk if that affects him) and a repti basking spit lamp 75watts. i also bought a thermometer with a probe for better temp readings and a hammock so he can get closer to the lamps if he wants for basking. ill attach some images

Is the Compact this unit ? http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/EntryDetail.php?EntryID=50&DatabaseID=2&SearchID=5&SearchContext=YTo1OntzOjg6IlNlYXJjaElEIjtzOjE6IjUiO3M6MTA6IkRhdGFiYXNlSUQiO3M6MToiMiI7czo4OiJLZXl3b3JkcyI7czo4OiJyZXB0aXN1biI7czo4OiJTZWFyY2hfeCI7czoxOiIwIjtzOjg6IlNlYXJjaF95IjtzOjE6IjAiO30=
this is only 13W and not adequate for the height of your tank , even if you mount the compact 10%UVB under the screen rather than ontop . The screen is restricting the amount of UVA and UVB by blocking over 25% of the UVA and UVB emitted by the compact.
Also you need at the VERY LEAST to swap it for a 26W 10%UVB compact.

You'd be better off changing to a T5 24W 10-14% UVB tube and luminaire (mounted under the lid).

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you scrap the screen top and replace it with a precut 1/2in thick plywood top (which has a small screened area to allow access to inside the tank and air flow, personally, I'd have very small air vents and a solid "hatch").
I'd recommend mounting the UV lamp UNDER THE LID , much closer to Fred.

Regarding the ZOOMED repti basking lamp 75watts , this produces ZERO UVA and ZERO UVB and IMO you'd be better off swapping it for an 80W or 100W MVB (I favour Arcadia MVBs), MVBs produce bright white-yellowish light, stacks of UVA and UVB, and heat all in unit.
I'd also mount the basking lamp UNDER the lid. See http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/guide-bearded-dragon.jpg

I know screen tops on modified fish tanks are popular in the USA to keep lizards in , but they are totally inadequate :
--- hot air rises, guess where it goes, it leaves the tank through the screen top which does nothing to promote circulation of warm air to create a thermal gradient.
--- a solid top will hold heat in and promote warm air circulation inside the tank and help hold the heat , help create a good basking spot temperature, and good warm zone temperature with minimum basking light wattage.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Some things I see here that I think need changing :

1) Fred is too ill and disabled and weak to climb, so remove the stuff in his tank that encourages / forces climbing , this removes his risk of falling and injuring himself.
2) water dish , if Fred has been seen drinking from it regularly it's OK to leave, otherwise remove it.
3) screen top, see above post. Uptake , very bad on an lizard enclosure = replace with a solid timber lid
4) lights ontop screen top = move them under the screen
5) Pellets (?) if Fred is not eating them, don't offer them (give the pellets to the crickets to help gutload them)

 

[mackaroni]

to get the lamps under the plywood/screen do i get lamp clamps and do it that way? and i got the vet to seem him... he's 5% dehydrated and they gave him carnivore care which is supposed to help bring his weight up and stop the seizures, hopefully. we go back in two weeks for a check up to see his progress.

 

[kingofnobbys]

to get the lamps under the plywood/screen do i get lamp clamps and do it that way? and i got the vet to seem him... he's 5% dehydrated and they gave him carnivore care which is supposed to help bring his weight up and stop the seizures, hopefully. we go back in two weeks for a check up to see his progress.

Under plywood is better : simplest and easiest way to suspend under the lid is to make a loop using a cable tie (pulled as tight as you can manage) in the cable as close as possible to the top of the dome reflectors, slip the loop into a galvanised screw hook. (probably $1 to buy the hooks and cable ties at the local h/ware shop, the plywood lid will be most expensive part of the job if you have get the guy at the "trade desk" to arrange precutting to size.

I've never used carnivore care , I believe it's good stuff , did you get sold a suitable SS crop needle and feeding syringe to use to force feed Fred (I believe you can do like they do with birds but have to careful and gentle getting the crop needle down the throat into the stomache .... not done this but seen it done with a snake and also with sick skink .)

Keep us posted , did the vet take any poo samples and blood samples ?

 

[mackaroni]

thank you so much for the advice. fred has been eating the carnivore care off a spoon willingly. i will get a syringe in case. i have extra plywood at home. all he did yesterday afternoon and through the night was stay in his swimming bowl full of timid water. i couldn't sleep i was so worried... lol. i have hopes he'll be ok. will keep you posted

 

[kingofnobbys]

thank you so much for the advice. fred has been eating the carnivore care off a spoon willingly. i will get a syringe in case. i have extra plywood at home. all he did yesterday afternoon and through the night was stay in his swimming bowl full of timid water. i couldn't sleep i was so worried... lol. i have hopes he'll be ok. will keep you posted

I wouldn't encourage his sitting in the water for hours , he's too weak and sick to crawl back out (especially so when he's cooled down in the water) , and he'll not be warm enough to metabolise his food if he does that, and it'll take a LOT longer for him to recover. A bearded dragon's preferred body temperature is 38degC, if he's sleeping in his water bowl his body will not be any where near temperature AND there is risk of his drowning in it overnight or inhaling some water (leading to serious RI).
I also highly recommend you keep him warm overnight too, either a CHE controlled by a timer and a separate thermostat and /or a 7W heat slab (film type heatpad) sandwiched between two layers of ceramic tiles controlled by a thermostat (I recommend setting it to hold at 38degC) placed under his hide. see viewtopic.php?f=75&t=224976
Keeping him warm 24/7 will help keep his metabolism higher and will accelerate his recovery to health and strength and will assure he is metabolising his food properly.

I suggest taking his water dish away and giving water by dripping it on his snout daily (it will drain by capillary action to his lips and if he's thirsty he'll drink the drops as they arrive on his lips..