Is my beardie sick?

[Spyrosmom]

So recently I've been a little worried about Spyro. For the last week or so, his poop has been a little runny, but not overly concerning. But the last couple of days, his energy is low, and he isn't very interested in food (unless it's live). I haven't been giving him calcium supplements because the only live food I feed now that he's a little older (6 months) is mealworms. I have a ceramic heat bulb, a basking bulb (each 100 or 150 watt, I can't remember) and I have a 100 watt long strip uvb light. I had a hammock set up above his hidey hole, but it seemed instead of basking, he would hide on top of the hidey, underneath the hammock. So now I have questions:
1) Is it possible he's not getting enough uvb? I took the hammock out and checked the temp on top of the hide and it was 101 Fahrenheit, so hopefully he gets some "sun" today and feels a little better. He did eat his veggies today and
2) I'm wondering- I have powder calcium (to dust live food) but it doesn't really stick to the meal worms. Can I mix it with water and use a spray bottle to moisten his veggies so he gets his calcium (and hydration) that way?
3) is it something I should be really worried about or can I wait a few days and see how he acts? Does it seem like the calcium supplements and/or extra exposure to uvb could solve the problem?

 

[Spyrosmom]

Also forgot to mention that he's shedding his head area right now. It's been a few days that his head is dull, but hasn't actually started flaking yet.

 

[Rankins]

Is his basking site 101°F? If so you can bump it up a bit. What temp is the cool end? How long are the lights on?
You can sprinkle the calcium on damp greens. But make sure he's actually eating them. Calcium won't do any good if he refuses greens.

 

[Spyrosmom]

Is his basking site 101°F? If so you can bump it up a bit. What temp is the cool end? How long are the lights on?
You can sprinkle the calcium on damp greens. But make sure he's actually eating them. Calcium won't do any good if he refuses greens.

It's 101 at about 10 inches from the light. If I give him something higher to climb on (like the hammock he refuses to use) it's hotter. Lights are on 12 hours a day. Cool end is 77. He ate his greens today, but one day he barely touched them and yesterday he didn't eat them at all which is what made me the most nervous. His energy is in the middle today. Not quite happy go lucky running around like he usually does, but not just sitting in one spot all day either.

 

[Stres]

I haven't been giving him calcium supplements because the only live food I feed now that he's a little older (6 months) is mealworms.

Hi this is more of a question than an answer (to better my own husbandry). But at six months I thought that dragons should still be on a 80% live food 20% greens ratio as the protein and other things they get from live food is still needed for their growth?
I ask as my dragon is somewhere between the 5 -6 month age range and is currently getting fed around 30-40 phoenix worms in the morning and around 20-30 appropriately sized dusted crickets in the afternoon after i finish work.

He still seems for the most part uninterested in greens unless I hand feed them to him which I do around an hour after his cricket feed (he has them on offer all day but rarely eats anything from the bowl).

I hope Spyro starts to re-gain his appetite, and sorry for asking questions on your thread Spyrosmom, i'm still learning and questioning my husbandry a lot.

 

[Skipper7]

Spyrosmom-
Ideally mealworms aren't the best food for him. Black soldier fly larvae, dubia roaches, or even crickets would be much better. BSFL are naturally high in calcium. How long is he and how much does he weigh? At six months he should probably still be getting calcium at least 3 times a week if not more. He should be eating a LOT of insects and not many veggies. However, diet is largely dependent on age and size.

Could you attach a picture of his cage, him, and the box of the UVB you are using? What are the temps on the hot end, cold end, and basking spot? I'm not sure which UVB you are talking about. Also, how old is the UVB bulb?
What are you using to take temperatures?


Stres-
Yes, you are correct. They will transition themselves to a mainly veggie diet (usually) as their growing slows. Offering ample veggies before that point often makes the transition smoother. If you want, you could put a bowl of veggies in 10-15 minutes before the first feeding of the day if you want to encourage it.
To quote Rankins, "I always offer greenls as the first meal irregardless of age. Young dragons usually refuse them anyway. It's unlikely your dragon would eat so much of them that he would refuse bugs."

I believe he also compared them to little kids- no matter how much of the "healthy" food they eat, they will still have room for dessert afterwards.

 

[Rankins]

Okay, now that we got more info hopefully we can figure out a solution. My first thought was that it could be brumation related. This is the time of year for it...
How did you measure enclosure temps? If it's an analog (dial) they are not very accurate and could be 20°F off the real temp. Also I would try leaving the lights on for 14 hrs a day. Mealworms are not the best food item to offer. They can cause impaction, and they are fatty. Roaches would be my first choice. Also as the other member mentioned try to shoot for 80% bugs and 20% veggies.
(Edit: very good post from Skipper. We posted at the same time, his post was better )

 

[Spyrosmom]

Okay, now that we got more info hopefully we can figure out a solution. My first thought was that it could be brumation related. This is the time of year for it...
How did you measure enclosure temps? If it's an analog (dial) they are not very accurate and could be 20°F off the real temp. Also I would try leaving the lights on for 14 hrs a day. Mealworms are not the best food item to offer. They can cause impaction, and they are fatty. Roaches would be my first choice. Also as the other member mentioned try to shoot for 80% bugs and 20% veggies.
(Edit: very good advice from Skipper. We posted at the same time, his post was better )

I used a probe type thermometer that is movable around different parts of the tank and is attached by a long wire to a small reading device. The uvb bulb is only 3 months old.
He eats sooooo many veggies when he's acting like himself. Usually a whole bowl every morning then we do worms in the afternoon. He's about 15 inches long head to tail and pretty meaty. He's definitely not underweight even though he doesn't eat much bugs. Maybe his runny poop is because he's getting more greens than bugs?

 

[Skipper7]

Another tip- try increasing your daylight cycle to 14 or 16 hours. This may help with activity.

Could you post a picture of the UVB bulb brand/box? I'm not quite sure which one you are talking about.
It's great that he is eating lots of greens. You will be very happy when he is full grown and not demanding bugs! Greens could have an effect on runny poop as they can supply lots of water. What greens are you feeding him?

I just realized I missed the post about shedding. This often makes them grumpy, lazy, and have a small appetite for a bit. If your UVB light is good enough, this is likely what is going on.

EDIT: Sorry, I didn't realize I had posted at the same time as Rankins.

 

[Rankins]

Yes, the runny stools could be from the quantity of veggies he eating. What your guess on proportions of veggies to bugs percentage wise? 80% bugs 20% veggies is about what your shooting for. But your dragon is good size so percentages may be bit different than the 80/20 ratio.
The probe thermometers are pretty accurate so you readings are probably correct. If you bump up basking site temp your dragon can thermoregulate on its own. He doesn't need to sit directly under the light.
(Edit..haha, Skipper and I are posting all over each other. Quick second opinions )

 

[Spyrosmom]

Another tip- try increasing your daylight cycle to 14 or 16 hours. This may help with activity.

Could you post a picture of the UVB bulb brand/box? I'm not quite sure which one you are talking about.
It's great that he is eating lots of greens. You will be very happy when he is full grown and not demanding bugs! Greens could have an effect on runny poop as they can supply lots of water. What greens are you feeding him?

I just realized I missed the post about shedding. This often makes them grumpy, lazy, and have a small appetite for a bit. If your UVB light is good enough, this is likely what is going on.

EDIT: Sorry, I didn't realize I had posted at the same time as Rankins.

I don't have the box but it's a Zilla slimline fixture. I was confused on the wattage. It says 15watt t8 lamp. Right now I'd say he's eating about 60%-70% greens and 30-40% bugs if I go by volume. Greens he eats are escarole mainly with endive mixed in. He also gets occasional carrots, bell peppers, and mixed fruits but he doesn't LOVE them so it's mainly greens. I also spray the veggies with water to keep him hydrated so maybe I'm OVER hydrating him?

 

[Spyrosmom]

I have a picture of his enclosure and lights (with him in it) but I forget how to add new pictures to here. If someone could post the link to the image uploader? For now here's a pic of him on my shoulder for size.

 

[Rankins]

https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/#new
Veggie/bug ratio is a bit reversed. The veggies are probably the reason for the runny stools. Might want to take a sample to the vet to rule out parasites or protozoans.Its really hard to give too much water. It takes a lot to cause water intoxication...which can be fatal. But I seriously doubt he's getting that much
I'm thinking this is related to brumation. He's a tad bit young for it (not much though)..so try increasing the light cycle and bumping up temps a bit. It may snap him out of brumation if this is what he is attempting to do.

 

[Spyrosmom]

https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/#new
Veggie/bug ratio is a bit reversed. The veggies are probably the reason for the runny stools. Might want to take a sample to the vet to rule out parasites or protozoans.Its really hard to give too much water. It takes a lot to cause water intoxication...which can be fatal. But I seriously doubt he's getting that much
I'm thinking this is related to brumation. He's a tad bit young for it (not much though)..so try increasing the light cycle and bumping up temps a bit. It may snap him out of brumation if this is what he is attempting to do.

That's what I was scared of. I have no intention of him brumating until he's at least a year old. I'll start doing 14 hours of light and cutting the veggies and increasing the insects. I'll even look into those fly larvae. Thank you all!

 

[Rankins]

You can even try 16 hrs light if 14 doesn't seem to help.
Keep us all updated