Is this some sort of tooth/jaw decay?

[mactac]

I noticed our beardie opening her mouth in a bit of a weird way today (not like normal gaping), and took a closer look.

Is this tooth decay, or is it normal?
We've also noticed that when she eats, her jaw makes a pretty loud clicking noise. We thought that maybe it was just her teeth clicking together, but in looking at her, it almost seems like her jaw is bent in a bit right where those teeth are brown.

Could her jaw have some sort of decay?

We've had problems with her eating (we've had to force feed her for 2 months - I posted a thread about it earlier), and I'm wondering if this might have something to do with it?

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[KarrieRee]

I noticed our beardie opening her mouth in a bit of a weird way today (not like normal gaping), and took a closer look.


View attachment 78272
View attachment 78273

Is this tooth decay, or is it normal?
We've also noticed that when she eats, her jaw makes a pretty loud clicking noise. We thought that maybe it was just her teeth clicking together, but in looking at her, it almost seems like her jaw is bent in a bit right where those teeth are brown.

Could her jaw have some sort of decay?

We've had problems with her eating (we've had to force feed her for 2 months - I posted a thread about it earlier), and I'm wondering if this might have something to do with it?

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Thank you!

Could be food on it is what it looks like - CooperDragon can help you w/ this - he often recommends some Maxi Guard to clean the teeth w/ and usually dubia roaches can clean this off as well - the clicking doesnt sound good what kind of UVB are you using? NO coils please -- I am going to flag CooperDragon
@CooperDragon

 

[mactac]

Could be food on it is what it looks like - CooperDragon can help you w/ this - he often recommends some Maxi Guard to clean the teeth w/ and usually dubia roaches can clean this off as well - the clicking doesnt sound good what kind of UVB are you using? NO coils please -- I am going to flag CooperDragon
@CooperDragon

Thanks - Arcadia 12% 22 inch about 10 inches above her. Basking spot is currently about 100-105 measured with both a digital probe and a temp gun. I will look up Maxi Guard. Unfortunately Dubia roaches are not legal here in Canada as feeders.

 

[KarrieRee]

Thanks - Arcadia 12% 22 inch about 10 inches above her. Basking spot is currently about 100-105 measured with both a digital probe and a temp gun. I will look up Maxi Guard. Unfortunately Dubia roaches are not legal here in Canada as feeders.

Ok - so what are you feeding? Is the uvb in the tank?

 

[mactac]

Ok - so what are you feeding?

She is not eating on her own, we've been syringe feeding her for about 2 months (I have another thread on that).

We are feeding her a mixture of:

-Exo-terra Dragon grub juvenile: Exo Terra Dragon Grub Insect Pellets for Juvenile Bearded Dragons, mixed with warm water to make it a paste.

-Fluker's repta-boost (mixed about 50/50 with the dragon grub) Boost & appetite stimulant: https://www.amazon.ca/Fluker-Labs-Insectivore-Carnivore-Supplement/dp/B000634CL4

-Fluker's liquid vitamin: https://www.chewy.com/flukers-liquid-vitamin-reptile/dp/126163 (about a drop a day) -Fluker's Repta Calcium with Vitamin D3 (a bit mixed in with her food)

- Bee pollen

 

[mactac]

Ok - so what are you feeding? Is the uvb in the tank?

UVB is above the screen, but tests well at the basking spot.

 

[KarrieRee]

She is not eating on her own, we've been syringe feeding her for about 2 months (I have another thread on that).

We are feeding her a mixture of:

-Exo-terra Dragon grub juvenile: Exo Terra Dragon Grub Insect Pellets for Juvenile Bearded Dragons, mixed with warm water to make it a paste.

-Fluker's repta-boost (mixed about 50/50 with the dragon grub) Boost & appetite stimulant: https://www.amazon.ca/Fluker-Labs-Insectivore-Carnivore-Supplement/dp/B000634CL4

-Fluker's liquid vitamin: https://www.chewy.com/flukers-liquid-vitamin-reptile/dp/126163 (about a drop a day) -Fluker's Repta Calcium with Vitamin D3 (a bit mixed in with her food)

- Bee pollen

Ok so lets change the diet --- first we need fresh salads every day Nutrition Content ignore the kale info its outdated -- next we need live insects - crickets or BSFL or silk worms -- the crunchy crickets are going to help w/ the plaque thats on the teeth -
Home - The Worm Lady I would google live feeders for bearded dragons in Canada see what other places in Canada pop up I know there are other suppliers - the screen on your tank is a fine mesh or a wide holed type --- your getting a meter reading of UV rays - is it a solar meter or one of those cards ? If its a fine mesh and its on top of the tank I would move it into the tank -- for dragons not eating its usually the surface basking temps that are off the UVB or both -- so w/ you getting correct surface basking temps we can rule that out -- UVB is questionable -- is she basking ? Is she pooping ? what kind of poops are you getting - good ones - iffy ones - are they moist ? But she needs to be eating on her own --- I would get her some BSFL and use those as a salad lure - you want a bowl something like this https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
how old is she?

 

[mactac]

Ok so lets change the diet --- first we need fresh salads every day Nutrition Content ignore the kale info its outdated -- next we need live insects - crickets or BSFL or silk worms -- the crunchy crickets are going to help w/ the plaque thats on the teeth -
Home - The Worm Lady I would google live feeders for bearded dragons in Canada see what other places in Canada pop up I know there are other suppliers - the screen on your tank is a fine mesh or a wide holed type --- your getting a meter reading of UV rays - is it a solar meter or one of those cards ? If its a fine mesh and its on top of the tank I would move it into the tank -- for dragons not eating its usually the surface basking temps that are off the UVB or both -- so w/ you getting correct surface basking temps we can rule that out -- UVB is questionable -- is she basking ? Is she pooping ? what kind of poops are you getting - good ones - iffy ones - are they moist ? But she needs to be eating on her own --- I would get her some BSFL and use those as a salad lure - you want a bowl something like this https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
how old is she?

>Ok so lets change the diet --- first we need fresh salads every day Nutrition Content ignore the kale info its >outdated -- next we need live insects - crickets or BSFL or silk worms -- the crunchy crickets are going to >help w/ the plaque thats on the teeth -

The challenge with this is that she will not eat. Literally will not open her mouth for feed. We actually do make her a fresh salad every day just in case, but she never eats it (or anything else) willingly. We can only syringe feed her.

>I would google live feeders for bearded dragons in Canada see what other places in Canada pop up I >know there are other suppliers

We have adequate access to feeders (we have another bearded dragon btw), but again the issue is that she will not eat them.

>the screen on your tank is a fine mesh or a wide holed type

Wide holes. It's actually a bit close than the 10-12 inches, more like 8-10. I have a handheld UV meter, and I use it to measure relative UVB. The amount of UV being measured is almost exactly the same as our other dragon's enclosure where the UV bulb is inside the tank and about 10-12 inches away. Since they measure the same, my assumption is that we should be good. If we move it inside the tank, then we would have to lower the basking spot dramatically, and the heat from the heat lamps won't reach her properly.

>is she basking ? Is she pooping ?

She basks constantly. She does move around, so it looks like she is able to regulate to what she wants. Pooping yes almost every day. Poops are quite moist, but she is taking in a fair amount of liquid due to syringe feeding.

>- I would get her some BSFL and use those as a salad lure -

YEs, that would be great if she actually ate anything No amount of luring gets her to eat since she ignores all food. Treat, salad, BSFL, hornworms, etc. She has not eaten anything on purpose for 2 months.

I do have an insect-proof bowl like that, but we're really a ways off from worrying about the type of bowl - it's not even on her radar.

We got her About Dec 15 - she was like a month old (which makes her about 3 mo now). She had a URI right away, which we treated (antibiotics). Right around the same time, she stopped eating, and got down to 29g - she was quite close to death. That's when we started syringe feeding her. We brought her back from the brink, but she still did not eat. We got her tested for parasites, and she had a small amount of coccidia - we treated that, thinking it would solve the eating issue, but it did not. We are getting her tested for ADV (as well as the other dragon just in case)

Here is the thread where we discussed it:

Stopped eating after being sick, can only syringe feed | Beardie ER

I posted this earlier in another forum, but came up short and we are desperate for any information at all that can help.. Things are getting a lot more urgent (the longer this goes on, the tougher it's going to be), and I'm hoping that I can find some people who have experience with this to...

www.beardeddragon.org

The tooth issue we just discovered today.

 

[KarrieRee]

>Ok so lets change the diet --- first we need fresh salads every day Nutrition Content ignore the kale info its >outdated -- next we need live insects - crickets or BSFL or silk worms -- the crunchy crickets are going to >help w/ the plaque thats on the teeth -

The challenge with this is that she will not eat. Literally will not open her mouth for feed. We actually do make her a fresh salad every day just in case, but she never eats it (or anything else) willingly. We can only syringe feed her.

>I would google live feeders for bearded dragons in Canada see what other places in Canada pop up I >know there are other suppliers

We have adequate access to feeders (we have another bearded dragon btw), but again the issue is that she will not eat them.

>the screen on your tank is a fine mesh or a wide holed type

Wide holes. It's actually a bit close than the 10-12 inches, more like 8-10. I have a handheld UV meter, and I use it to measure relative UVB. The amount of UV being measured is almost exactly the same as our other dragon's enclosure where the UV bulb is inside the tank and about 10-12 inches away. Since they measure the same, my assumption is that we should be good. If we move it inside the tank, then we would have to lower the basking spot dramatically, and the heat from the heat lamps won't reach her properly.

>is she basking ? Is she pooping ?

She basks constantly. She does move around, so it looks like she is able to regulate to what she wants. Pooping yes almost every day. Poops are quite moist, but she is taking in a fair amount of liquid due to syringe feeding.

>- I would get her some BSFL and use those as a salad lure -

YEs, that would be great if she actually ate anything No amount of luring gets her to eat since she ignores all food. Treat, salad, BSFL, hornworms, etc. She has not eaten anything on purpose for 2 months.

I do have an insect-proof bowl like that, but we're really a ways off from worrying about the type of bowl - it's not even on her radar.

We got her About Dec 15 - she was like a month old (which makes her about 3 mo now). She had a URI right away, which we treated (antibiotics). Right around the same time, she stopped eating, and got down to 29g - she was quite close to death. That's when we started syringe feeding her. We brought her back from the brink, but she still did not eat. We got her tested for parasites, and she had a small amount of coccidia - we treated that, thinking it would solve the eating issue, but it did not. We are getting her tested for ADV (as well as the other dragon just in case)

Here is the thread where we discussed it:

Stopped eating after being sick, can only syringe feed | Beardie ER

I posted this earlier in another forum, but came up short and we are desperate for any information at all that can help.. Things are getting a lot more urgent (the longer this goes on, the tougher it's going to be), and I'm hoping that I can find some people who have experience with this to...

www.beardeddragon.org

The tooth issue we just discovered today.

Ok let's have some others chime in here see if they have any ideas- I remember your post
@AHBD
@Drache613

 

[Hazel_Basil10]

Hello,


I never dealt with Tooth rot with any of my beardies but it does not look like tooth rot/decay as its not really on the teeth more on the gums. I cannot help with anything since all things I was about to ask Karrie Already asked. You may have to ask @AHBD or @Drache613

 

[AHBD]

Is that brown stain on the side that you syringe feed her ? If so that would be the connection. You've gotten good advice from others, you can try using a baby toothbrush with a little Maxi guard [ bought at some Walmart pet centers , Tractor supply or online ] If you can't seem to get her in better health you can try to find an experienced [ I stress experienced ] reptile vet.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

The stains on teeth aren't mouth rot but likely from food or the syringed food. As suggested, you
can try the Maxi guard with a tooth brush or some diluted betadine to clean the teeth with.
Is she doing well overall & eating normally right now?
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie