Juvenile Beardie

[REPEtc]

At a reptile show last month, I traded someone two crested geckos for a beautiful juvenile bearded dragon. I have raised a clutch of beardies on my own and had great success with them and eventually found them all homes. I still have 3 adult breeders as well.

This new juvenile does not seem to be doing very well at all. She is not eating enthusiastically (if at all) and today her eyes look kind of sunken in and her nose appears to be slightly discolored. I am very concerned about her and I am not sure what to do. It does not appear that she is eating and I am not sure if she is drinking either. I have tried spraying her to encourage her to drink and she seems to be licking it off of her face, but I am not sure she is getting enough that way. I am scared if I don't do something I go going to lose this little girl! Help!

 

[LJean]

Have you tried bathing her to keep her hydrated?

 

[Freeie]

Have you tried bathing her to keep her hydrated?

You can bathe them in luke warm water up to the armpits for 20 mins this will help them poo and keep them hydrated. Not all beardies will drink. You can also add stuff in the bath like gatoraid (clear type) but make sure to rince it off after bathing them in it.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

We could go over your tank setup with, perhaps something small is off & you have missed it?
Will she take oral fluids from a plastic dropper or plastic syringe? You could try that to see if she will take fluids in that manner as alot wont drink from bathwater or a water dish.

Tracie

 

[REPEtc]

I think I am too late. She is in a pretty good size rubbermaid tub with hot spot around 105-110 and cool side 80 with most of it around 85-90. very shallow water dish, small dish with softened pellets, and small dish with gammarus. hide box on cool side with paper towel substrate. She will not drink water of any kind... from a dropper or dish or just spraying her. She is also at this point not moving at all and has her eyes shut. She is still breathing but had gone downhill very fast. I have tried coaxing her to eat some carnivore care (a cricket based powder that you mix with water that the vet gave me for an ailing Leopard gecko a short time ago) but she will not lick it off her nose or anything. Since she is not moving, I am not sure where to put her... under the heat lamp or to the side or in the cool spot? Right now I have her in a warmish spot but not directly under the heat lamp. I am really concerned but not sure there is anything that I can do at this point.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Well, we need to try with her it could be something simple.
You need to decrease the overall temps for her as the ambient temps are too hot. The ambient temps should not be any higher than 85.
What UVB lighting are you using on her? Could you post a picture of her?
Keep trying to get some food into her. If you can't get her to lick any food off of her nose, you could try to get some food into her with a syringe by gently opening her mouth & putting food into her mouth that way.
Are her eyes sunken in or are they raised up? Is her beard darkened?

Keep me posted.

Tracie