Help 3 month old wont move, back legs limp

[Ginnysghost]

My new beardie, Spyro, is about 3 months old. He is very lethargic and his back legs seem to be limp. Also, had him a month and he hasn't pooped yet... His cage is about 100 degrees on the warm end, but we just got it there. Could it be impaction? I was about to bathe him for the first time but he won't even pick his head up. I'm afraid he's not warm enough. The vet said to get him as close to his heat source as possible form tonight and see if that helps. Any advice for the night?

 

[daner923]

Can you answer these questions? This will help us figure out what's wrong.

How old is your dragon?
How long have you had your dragon?
How long is your dragon?
What is the sex of your dragon?
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Do you use UVB lights?
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb?
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)?
How old is your UVB bulb?
How close can your dragon get to the UVB, and where is the UVB bulb located?
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Is it a white or colored bulb?
Di you have any type of night time heat source (ceramic heat emitter, colored bulb, etc)?
How long are lights on each day?
What are the basking temps?
What is the cool side temp?
What is the night time temp?
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
How many live feeders do you offer at time?
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them?
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?
Do you bathe your dragon? How often?
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?

 

[mommy2spike]

He sounds to be impacted.. That can cause him to not be able to use his back legs at all Give him a warm bath and try to massage his belly downward toward the vent. Have you been offering him water? Dehydration can cause them to become very sick also. keep your hand under his head in the bath so he dont drown but yes get him as close to the light as possible and pray for the best for the night. Keep us updated!

 

[Ginnysghost]

Can you answer these questions? This will help us figure out what's wrong.

How old is your dragon? About 3 months
How long have you had your dragon? About a month
How long is your dragon? 4 inches plus 3 inch tail
What is the sex of your dragon? I think male, hard to tell at his size
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in? 20 gallon tank
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank? Reptile carpet
Do you use UVB lights? Yes
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb? Umm looks like a blue light bulb
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)? Not sure the brand it's 100 watts
How old is your UVB bulb? Bought 1 month ago
How close can your dragon get to the UVB, and where is the UVB bulb located?right now he can get 6 inches away, but he keeps moving away from it?????
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Is it a white or colored bulb? No deprecate bulb
Di you have any type of night time heat source (ceramic heat emitter, colored bulb, etc)? Not yet, buying one tomorrow
How long are lights on each day? We've been keeping them on 24 hours to get the tank warmer
What are the basking temps? 100 F
What is the cool side temp? About 80
What is the night time temp? Coolest it's been was 65
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun? I have stick on in the middle and a circle gauge on the warmer side. I know I need to get better ones but my husband bought it for valentines day and the stupid pet store is useless...
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps? Wall at level of highest point to bask
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad? No
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific. Small (tiny) crickets, small mealworms, kale
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)? Morning and evening
How many live feeders do you offer at time? 4-8
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc? No
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them?not yet
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)? Hasn't yet, hence the concerns
Do you bathe your dragon? How often? Was about to give his first one tonight
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath? Mist usual 1-2 times a day, he like to lap it off tank walls haha
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done? No
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon? No

 

[Ginnysghost]

Feels like an impaction gave him a bath. Gonna call vet again

 

[Lindz0518]

The blue bulb is not a uvb light, you need a clear basking bulb and a separate Reptisun 10.0 tube uvb light. Also, you do not leave to leave his lights on 24/7!!! 12 hours on/12 hours off, not red bulb at night. You need a probe thermometer, the stick on ones are off 20 degrees sometimes. Do not feed any more meal worms they will cause impaction. And you need to be feed apropriate sized feeders 2-3 times a day as many as he will eat in 15 minutes, sometimes 50 a feeding if they want. Here is a nutrition guide http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html. No more kale either, it binds with calcium, the greens highlighted in green are daily greens. You also need to be bathing every other day for hydration.
Edit, blue bulbs will hurt their eyes and you have to get calcium and multivit. They are very important

 

[Ginnysghost]

He seems to be about better after a couple baths. I have a heated rock he's laying on now since I'm up, and can watch how warm it gets. Just not sure about tonight. If I put him to high up and he tries to move, he could fall and get hurt. But I can't leave him on the rock all night, he could get burned. He seems like he just wants to sleep, but he was like that before too so it could be the impaction? Should I put him high up to the heat light and risk a fall? Or stay up all night watching him?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

The UVB needs to be either the Reptisun 10 tube bulb or the Arcadia D3 12% tube bulb. You use a mercury vapor bulb if you have a tank of 40 gallon or larger.
The basking light needs to be a bright white light such as a halogen or a regular household light bulb. If the light is not bright enough their eyes can become irritated. A digital probe or temp gun are the better choices for measuring the temperatures.
Calcium should be given 4-5 times per week, but only once daily if enough insects are being dusted. The bugs need to be gutloaded with dry insect feed such as flukers or chicken laying mash, to ensure they are nutritious when they eat them. Water also should be provided for insects too.
You can use a ceramic heat emitter for overnight heating so the light doesn't disturb him while he is sleeping. They do much better in darkness for sleeping.
Did you get him to the vet?

Tracie

 

[Ginnysghost]

Vet said to keep him warm through tonight and call in morning. But he keeps going stiff and straight as a board if I try to pick him up or move him. Think it's just cause he's sore? I don't want him to do that in the night and fall off his basking spot

 

[daner923]

He's doing that to just go to sleep. Do NOT leave the basking rock on at all - it really is not good for him. You need a ceramic heat emitter. If you have a red bulb or other night time bulb, you can wrap him in a washcloth and leave it on for one night as long as the washcloth keeps him from seeing the light. This will keep him warm enough.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How is he doing tonight? I hope he gets some sleep tonight. They will straighten their arms/legs back against their bodies to go to sleep. Is this what he did? Just let him sleep on the bottom of the tank, wrapped up in a soft blankie.

Keep us posted on him.
Tracie

 

[Ginnysghost]

He made it through the night, still looks tired but is opening his eyes and moved last night. I had left him on the heat rock with a small towel under him, he moved off the rock at some point. With th light off last night it was still about 75 on his warm end when I came down there. I am staying home today to get the right bulbs and supplies for him and to call the vet. It's hard, the nearest vet is an hour away and it's the dead of winter here.

 

[Ginnysghost]

He pooped about a held hour ago. Looks painful, but he still has a lump, not as big but it's there. Going to call the vet as soon as they are opened for the day. He's still stiffening up when I touch him, so going to let him sleep. I'll put up something to block the light some. Thanks for all the help everyone! I'll keep you posted!

 

[Ginnysghost]

He's at the vets now, staying over night so they can keep watch over him. Mostly because we live so far from the vet. They are hopeful, but not sure they can save him being that he's so young. They are giving him IV fluids and other treatments to loosen up the remaining mass. Fingers crossed!

 

[daner923]

I hope they can resolve the issue. Did they say anything about his calcium level/UVB situation?