helppppp

[ehamilton]

i have a beardie, hes not very old, im not sure exactly about 5 inches long, he was eating alot when i first got him, about 25 crickets a day, i was told it was normal, that was 3 weeks ago, now he will only eat a little bit of carrots and spinach leaves, he is very legarthic and isnt really responsive, he was shedding a bit, but not much, he had a little bit of blood in his feces, what should i do? helpp

 

[Grogshla]

can you tell us about his set up?
what are the temps?
what lights are you using?
what uvb tubes are you using?
what are you feeding him?
What substrate are you using?

 

[ehamilton]

he has a 15 gallon tank, i am using the reptile turf stuff for his bedding, we have been feeding him crickets and carrots, he also likes kale and spinach, im using a 75 watt flunker light bulb, sorry im not good with stuff like this. hes really out of it, and im worried.

 

[AprilMayJune]

Don't feed bearded dragons spinach. Spinach binds calcium and he won't be able to absorb it at all. Kale is also questionable as well. For the best things to feed your beardie please visit http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html this site and learn what can and cannot be fed to your pet.

Proper temperatures and proper UVB lighting is essential for a happy healthy bearded dragon.

What is the type and brand of UVB are you using? This is very important to know. The name of the bulb is usually stamped right on it. Is it a coil light? Compact light? Long tube?

Also, what are your temperatures in the basking spot and the cool side of his tank? What do you use to measure your temperatures?

In order to help you with your beardie we are going to need some more information from you.

 

[ehamilton]

the uvb is reptisun 10 and its a coil light bulb, i just bought a new bulb for his basking today which is 75 watt flukers and exto terra thermometer , right now i have it at the bottom of his cage on the basking side and its reading about 85, im very new at this i just want some help for him, he did go to the bathroom today only a tiny spec of blood, but im still worried.

 

[lauraj1055]

85 is way too low for your beardie. His basking spot should be 105 -110 in order to properly digest his food. If his basking temps are that low, than his food is not digesting properly.. Get those temps up. What are you using to measure the temperture?

 

[ehamilton]

i just moved the thermometer and its not reading 105 in his basking area.

 

[covedweller]

the problem may be your uv lighting. the reptisun 10 is excellent but you should use the tube type only. never the coil. it has been known to cause many health problems.

diane

 

[AprilMayJune]

You're absolutely correct covedweller about the coil bulbs. They do not emit the proper spectrum of UVB in a consistant enough wavelength for a Bearded Dragon. In other words, it's not enough UVB they need to help digest their food. Temperatures and UVB play the most important role in your Bearded Dragons life. If either or both are not enough it will cause health problems.

Ditch the coil. Maybe take it back if you can. Get a ReptiSUN 10.0 long tube bulb (flourescent bulb). If your store doesn't have them there are plenty of places that sell them online for a decent price. If you need help finding an online place let us know. We know of plenty.

What kind of device are you using to measure temperatures? Is it a dial gauge? A stick on? Digital thermometer with probe? Temp gun? I'm guessing you have one of those dial gauge's. Those can be off in temperatures by up to 20degrees. They suck. The stick on's suck too. The only thing that will give you accurate temp measurements is a digital thermometer with a probe or a temp gun. Generally most use the probe kind. They can be bought at walmart for about 14 bucks. You have to leave the probe for at least 45 minutes to ensure accurate readings.

It can become quite overwhelming with making these changes but your beardie will get better and you will be able to enjoy each other.

 

[Grogshla]

be sure to get the basking temp to 110f
get a reptisun10 or arcadia12 uvb Tube and make sure it is 6-8 inches from your dragon otherwise he wont get the uvb benefits

 

[AprilMayJune]

How are you making out? Have you made any of the suggested changes? If so, how is the little one reacting to it?

Keep us updated. Ohhh and we loooove loooove pictures here

 

[ehamilton]

i am going to change his uvb bulb, i cant get out today bc its storming very bad here in tennessee, hes still holding on, he wont eat much. i dont know what more i can do, hes lost a few grams of weight. and he is still very lethargic. i am using a dial thermometer, i am going to get a new one of those as well. thanks for all the help!

 

[AprilMayJune]

While getting the uvb bulb ask if they have some phoenix worms or repti-worms. They are a great soft bodied worm to try. Depending on the size you may want to look into silkworms too. They are easier to digest.

Also, do you dust his crickets? If not, you really should look into suppliments. Just the uvb alone isn't enough for them. They require calcium 5 times a week and a multivitamin 2 times a week. Are the crickets gutloaded? Are the crickets no larger than the space between his eyes? If he eats too big of a feeder it can impact him, especially if temperatures aren't up to snuff and uvb isn't good.

If all else fails and he still doesn't want to eat, you could always get a needleless syringe and some baby food. Chicken (just plain ol' chicken and broth) or Turkey (same thing) mixed with some stage 1 or beginner squash or sweet potato are the best to use. Drop a couple drops on his nose and see if he will lick it off. Beardies are usually quite receptive to this. One of my males has no teeth and is syringe fed daily and he still loves the taste. Mix in his calcium with it and he'll get that as well.

 

[ehamilton]

i was gut loading them, but not dusting, i didnt know about that, i went back to petsmart and spoke with the girl tht sold him to me, but she had nothing to say of course its out of the warranty, and ive actually became very close to him, hes developing a black beard now, im not sure what it means, his crickets were small, not big at all, one time my boyfriend did try a bigger cricket and he ate it, if it is impacted what should i do?