ringothedragon3
Member
Hi everyone! My beardie, Ringo, is about 12 months old and he has been a very happy and healthy boy ever since I got him. This post might turn out to be a little lengthy, but please read because I really need some help.
As of about a month ago, I took Ringo to the vet because his limbs looked a little large. The vet checked him out and took a fecal test and said he needed some parasite medicine, which he took very well daily for about a month. Lately, he wasn't basking very often and he was quite lazy with eating (he would eat crickets enthusiastically, but if a couple got away he would just watch them walk on by). I thought that maybe his lamp was too warm, so I changed it from 100watts to 75 and he has been basking much more often, but still likes to hang out in his hammock so I'm wondering if maybe hes just getting too big to be comfortable basking on a tree anymore.
Now onto my concerns with today in particular. Ringo poops every other day to every 3 days fairly regularly. He always poops a LOT, but it looks healthy. Today however his stool concerned me. I'll provide pictures of him and the stool in this post.
ADDITIONALLY: I recently read somewhere that placing the lamps directly on a mesh ceiling of the tank can cause your beardie to lose some of the UVB rays it should be getting. Is this true?
Some background info on tank and lifestyle:
He usually ate about 20-30 or so crickets twice a day, dusted with calcium but I have recently introduced him to superworms which he has been having 5 a day, every now and then. He gets dandelion greens everyday and we mix it up with carrots, bell peppers, green beans, apple (occasional), banana (rarely), and food pellets. Sometimes I will give him an omnivore mix with calcium from the pet store- a very small serving probably 2-3 times a week. His tank is 40 gallons and I already described the heat situation above (he has a UVB light as well). Everyday his food and water dishes are rinsed with hot water and replenished. The substrate used is paper towel, changed every other day unless needed otherwise.
Also,just a disclaimer in the photos: I'm kneeling on the ground when I am holding him. I am always very careful when handling my beardie so he is comfortable and is not at risk of falling!
As of about a month ago, I took Ringo to the vet because his limbs looked a little large. The vet checked him out and took a fecal test and said he needed some parasite medicine, which he took very well daily for about a month. Lately, he wasn't basking very often and he was quite lazy with eating (he would eat crickets enthusiastically, but if a couple got away he would just watch them walk on by). I thought that maybe his lamp was too warm, so I changed it from 100watts to 75 and he has been basking much more often, but still likes to hang out in his hammock so I'm wondering if maybe hes just getting too big to be comfortable basking on a tree anymore.
Now onto my concerns with today in particular. Ringo poops every other day to every 3 days fairly regularly. He always poops a LOT, but it looks healthy. Today however his stool concerned me. I'll provide pictures of him and the stool in this post.
ADDITIONALLY: I recently read somewhere that placing the lamps directly on a mesh ceiling of the tank can cause your beardie to lose some of the UVB rays it should be getting. Is this true?
Some background info on tank and lifestyle:
He usually ate about 20-30 or so crickets twice a day, dusted with calcium but I have recently introduced him to superworms which he has been having 5 a day, every now and then. He gets dandelion greens everyday and we mix it up with carrots, bell peppers, green beans, apple (occasional), banana (rarely), and food pellets. Sometimes I will give him an omnivore mix with calcium from the pet store- a very small serving probably 2-3 times a week. His tank is 40 gallons and I already described the heat situation above (he has a UVB light as well). Everyday his food and water dishes are rinsed with hot water and replenished. The substrate used is paper towel, changed every other day unless needed otherwise.
Also,just a disclaimer in the photos: I'm kneeling on the ground when I am holding him. I am always very careful when handling my beardie so he is comfortable and is not at risk of falling!