Health Problem (including Video)

[krolmariusz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3mrNyyW8y0

 

[ShannyBeard]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3mrNyyW8y0

I watched the video and saw your enclosures - they are very nice. I think you have a dragon that is bold and brave, and one that is very timid. After you move the timid one back onto the basking spot, it looked alert and able to move properly. It does not look sick to me, although when it was hiding in the corner I thought at first there might be something wrong with it, but after it perked up and moved it seemed fine to me.

They are so little!! How long have you had them? A week or two?

They are used to being as you said, in bins with a bunch of other baby dragons, so when you take them home and put them in these large enclosures they can take quite a bit of time to adjust. We call the behavior that your timid one is showing "relocation stress." It's hiding, sleeping, not basking or not eating, or all of these behaviors. Baby dragons are rewarding to raise but they take a lot of patience and time. We keep them in bins until they are about 70 grams with a basking paver stone and just their lighting and no hides. It's easier to make sure they are getting good heat, getting adequate UVB exposure, and we can monitor their eating.

When you were talking about the temps, you said they were from about 100-115, and going down to 95*F. The ideal basking temp for a baby is really no less than 105*F, and no more than 110*F. I try and shoot for 108*F at my house with the little babies, and go down to 105*F for the older dragons. Where are you getting the 115*F temp? And where are you getting the 95*F temp? What is the surface temp of the basking spot, directly under the basking light? What are you using to measure that temp?

The standard accurate way to measure temps for me is a sensor/probe thermometer. My husband uses a temp gun. We both check temps, lol. For babies especially, but also for all dragons, precise temps are crucial. If you don't get the temps right, they will never really be healthy and thrive and you will continue to have frustration with them.

Let me know some answers on the temps and we can go from there.

 

[krolmariusz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3mrNyyW8y0

I watched the video and saw your enclosures - they are very nice. I think you have a dragon that is bold and brave, and one that is very timid. After you move the timid one back onto the basking spot, it looked alert and able to move properly. It does not look sick to me, although when it was hiding in the corner I thought at first there might be something wrong with it, but after it perked up and moved it seemed fine to me.

They are so little!! How long have you had them? A week or two?

They are used to being as you said, in bins with a bunch of other baby dragons, so when you take them home and put them in these large enclosures they can take quite a bit of time to adjust. We call the behavior that your timid one is showing "relocation stress." It's hiding, sleeping, not basking or not eating, or all of these behaviors. Baby dragons are rewarding to raise but they take a lot of patience and time. We keep them in bins until they are about 70 grams with a basking paver stone and just their lighting and no hides. It's easier to make sure they are getting good heat, getting adequate UVB exposure, and we can monitor their eating.

When you were talking about the temps, you said they were from about 100-115, and going down to 95*F. The ideal basking temp for a baby is really no less than 105*F, and no more than 110*F. I try and shoot for 108*F at my house with the little babies, and go down to 105*F for the older dragons. Where are you getting the 115*F temp? And where are you getting the 95*F temp? What is the surface temp of the basking spot, directly under the basking light? What are you using to measure that temp?

The standard accurate way to measure temps for me is a sensor/probe thermometer. My husband uses a temp gun. We both check temps, lol. For babies especially, but also for all dragons, precise temps are crucial. If you don't get the temps right, they will never really be healthy and thrive and you will continue to have frustration with them.

Let me know some answers on the temps and we can go from there.

funny thing is that they are about 8 weeks old and i had them for about 5 weeks... and yea ill just cut some plywood separate half off. do you think i should remove any hides as well? and im afraid that the little one will be even more stressed out =[ and ill post another video tmrw about the other questions.

 

[ShannyBeard]

WOW you got them so little. Let me tell you - the younger they are when they are sold, the harder it is for them. I would never, ever sell a baby at 3 weeks old. We will sell them at 6 weeks to someone that we know, but otherwise to the general public they would not be sold younger than 8 weeks old. I see the people selling the near-hatchlings at the expos and I shake my head that they honestly can't keep them for another 3-5 weeks to make sure they are strong and able to withstand the relocation stress. I know it is hard on people like you, a new owner, to bring home babies that are not well started. You're really going to have to be on top of things with them.

I am not sure that getting rid of hides is that important, but I would partition the enclosure so they only have access to half of it. I think that will really help the stressed one.

How about the temps? Have you got those under control? I had asked about the temps and where you were getting the high and low temps. Remember when you partition off and make the tank smaller for them it will change the temps. If the top dragon is not having any problems, you can leave him with the big home and see how he does, if he basks and eats properly. The other baby is the one I am more worried about.

 

[krolmariusz]

so i found out that the top enclosure is about 100*F and the bottom one is at around 110*F

sorry for the late response