HELP!!! ARCHED BACK twice now! IMPACTED?!?!?

[MarlyTheDragon]

I need help fast. I know it is very dumb to question paying 100 visit to my vet, but can I do the same thing for my beardy fast?!?! or should i rush him!??!?

I found him in his cage on his side propped up against a rock...stiff. I grabbed him and rubbed his back and he started acting OK.

Then I put him in warm water (around 100 degrees) because that is what i first read online. He was fine so i started to nudge him a little to see if he would move, then he ARCHED his back A LOT and started opening his mouse really wide.

I took him out and rubbed his belly trying to help him move his food, very lightly. then he was fine again...now it is his second time arching his back...WHAT CAN I DO FOR HIM...my GF is going to get olive oil...should i rush him to the ER quick?!!?!?

 

[MarlyTheDragon]

HE IS A PICKY eater and only eats crickets unless hand fed fruits and veggies. I noticed he has only POOPED once in about a week.

 

[MarlyTheDragon]

he is about 9 inches long from snout to tip of tail.
6 months old
he has 1 heat lamp and a fixture with 2 50 microwatt UVB fluorescent bulbs.
about 90 degrees in his basking area.
He has sand like bedding that i got at Petsmart. It's tanish/slightly orange and pretty small particles. (as fine as normal sand)

 

[msmaui]

I'm sorry that you're having problems with your baby. The first thing you should do is remove the sand ASAP. That causes impaction in baby dragons because they will lick it. You can use paper towels, nonadhesive shelf liner, reptile carpet or slate tiles. Any of those would be better than sand.
You should bathe him in warm bath water up to his armpits for 15 or 20 minutes, making sure his vent (where he poos) is in the water. This should be done at least every other day, and with the problems he's having you could even bathe him twice daily until he poos. That will help hydrate him.
Get some babyfood applesauce or canned, unsweetened pumpkin and add a couple of drops of olive oil. You can give this to him with a little syringe that doesn't have a needle. You can get them at the drugstore. Try putting a little bit on his nose and hopefully he will lick it off.
What type of UVB bulbs are you using? If they are the coil type, you need to get rid of them immediately and get a ReptiSUN (not ReptiGlow) 10 UVB bulb. These are the best and coil bulbs are known to cause problems.
How are you taking the temps? The little stick-on ones can be off as much as 20 degrees. You can get a good thermometer with a probe at Wal-Mart for about $12-$14. The temps on his basking area need to be about 100-105. Yours are a little too low for a baby.
Please answer the above questions so that we may better advise you. Thanks.

Nancy

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

As instructed please remove the sand as that is probably going to be the culprit of impaction unless the crickets were too large.
Replace with paper towels right now.
Continue giving a warm bath, 1-2 times per day right now. Nancy instructed on what to feed to help with the impaction, that is very important.
While bathing you can gently massage his belly on the right side, starting at his armpits all the way down to the vent. Massage in a circular motion, feeling for lumps as you go down. Be GENTLE!!
Try to give some extra oral fluids daily, if possible with the plastic syringe or a plastic dropper.
The coil UVB lights are not very good & do not emit quality UVB lighting. The lack of good UVB will inhibit his body's ability to properly absorb calcium too which can leave him with metabolic bone disease. I highly suggest getting him a Reptisun 10 flourescent tube bulb. You can get that for a great price from: http://www.petmountain.com

He needs a regular basking temperature of 95-110 & a cooler area of around 78-82. Do try to get a digital probe or a temp gun for better readings, as suggested. What sized tank are you housing him in?

Tracie

 

[MarlyTheDragon]

THANK YOU guys so much!

I am soo happy to wake up today to him stilll OK. He is still bloaded buz has since managed to get on all fours and prop himself up on the edge of the cage a little with one hand. He is being held in a 10x14" cage for now with his heat lamp. His lamp was off all night to make sure he wasnt bothered and could rest after his seizures. his fullsize normal terrarium is 40 gallon and is about 16" x 38". I will get him on the babyfood apple sauce and pumpkin with olive oil. I had given him 3 drops of olive oil on his nose that he licked off last night, as well as about 10-15 drops of water that he also licked off.

I am very scared to touch him or move him to water to bath as he has had seizures each time i try to move him too much. do you think it is save to move him now? please advise.

The light i am using is here...

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/1225/product.web

http://www.petsolutions.com/default.aspx?ItemId=96367045&EID=SZ96367080&SID=SHZIL

please let me know if I should upgrade. I thought this was a very nice light. Each of the u shaped fluorescents are 6-7" long.

Also should i remove his sand beddding and put him back in his large terrarium? I have him resting on a towel in the small one now and feel it is safe for him. I have the sides covered in a towel.

 

[Freeie]

Yes please remove the sand its harmful to babys.

 

[bayoupig5]

Just Checking!

How is he doing? Any word?

 

[diamc]

Please DO NOT use those bulbs anymore and turn them off right away. They are very dangerous and is probably the reason for the seizure like activity. Here is a link to the Repti-Sun 10.0 fluorescent that Tracie mentioned. That is what you need to get. http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/504983/zoo-med-reptisun-10.0-uvb-bulb.html In the meantime, he will be better off without any UVB for about a wk or so, rather than using the other one.

You need to get either a temperature gun or a digital thermometer with a probe so you can get an accurate reading. That's also extremely important. He is very small at only 9" for a 6 mo old. I suggest you make all the changes everyone has suggested asap.