Limp Front Leg

[Jenx]

Hello Everyone,
My son and I began caring for a bearded dragon that was rehomed to us just under two weeks ago. Yesterday, he was fine earlier in the day and then we notice he was moving weird and that his front left arm was hanging completely limp. It does not appear to be injured but more like paralysis. We had only fed him a few meal worms and some crickets when we first got him and have been trying to get him to eat more greens (kale, mustard greens) and veggies (carrots, zucchini). However, the day before his arm went limp, he was excited to go after meal worms and he ate around 5 - 6 (medium sized). He has pooped twice since then but not sure if he could still have an obstruction (impaction) in his system. We have given him a few baths and tried getting him to drink water. The worms were large enough which I thought meant he would have to chew them/bite through them. I have gotten mixed feedback around the size of meal worms (and whether they should be fed them at all) and the possibility of them surviving and then trying to eat/bore their way out of the beardie's stomach (does this happen?) There are no places open on the weekend that deal with reptiles. A little backstory: the family that we got him from had him for five years after getting him from a shelter so he is at around 6+ years old. He came with all of the equipment (terrarium, heat lamb, UVB light) along with a bag of substrate, calcium powder with D3, and some mealworms. We have been trying to get him to eat kale and mustard greens but he has only eaten a bit of greens. He has eaten carrots and zucchini and have also fed him some fruit (melon, peach, blueberry) and wax worms.
Thanks for any guidance here!

 

[KarrieRee]

Hello Everyone,
My son and I began caring for a bearded dragon that was rehomed to us just under two weeks ago. Yesterday, he was fine earlier in the day and then we notice he was moving weird and that his front left arm was hanging completely limp. It does not appear to be injured but more like paralysis. We had only fed him a few meal worms and some crickets when we first got him and have been trying to get him to eat more greens (kale, mustard greens) and veggies (carrots, zucchini). However, the day before his arm went limp, he was excited to go after meal worms and he ate around 5 - 6 (medium sized). He has pooped twice since then but not sure if he could still have an obstruction (impaction) in his system. We have given him a few baths and tried getting him to drink water. The worms were large enough which I thought meant he would have to chew them/bite through them. I have gotten mixed feedback around the size of meal worms (and whether they should be fed them at all) and the possibility of them surviving and then trying to eat/bore their way out of the beardie's stomach (does this happen?) There are no places open on the weekend that deal with reptiles. A little backstory: the family that we got him from had him for five years after getting him from a shelter so he is at around 6+ years old. He came with all of the equipment (terrarium, heat lamb, UVB light) along with a bag of substrate, calcium powder with D3, and some mealworms. We have been trying to get him to eat kale and mustard greens but he has only eaten a bit of greens. He has eaten carrots and zucchini and have also fed him some fruit (melon, peach, blueberry) and wax worms.
Thanks for any guidance here!

Please go over the surface basking temps and how your getting them and the UVB? These are crucial to the overall health of the dragon? No coils for UVB temps need to be taken w/ a digital probe thermometer

 

[Jenx]

Please go over the surface basking temps and how your getting them and the UVB? These are crucial to the overall health of the dragon? No coils for UVB temps need to be taken w/ a digital probe thermometer

The vita light is a Zoo Med Reptilian 10.0 UVB light it is a long tube not a coil. I believe that he heat lamp is 100 watt. There is a heating pad under the bottom corner of the terrarium where he sleeps. I have not measured the temperature but this is the set up that he came with and has been living in for five years. He moves out of the direct heat of the lamp to the cooler part of the tank often and opens his mouth to show he has reached optimal temperature. We have him out of the tank multiple times during the day where he is basking in the sun (both direct and through the window) and it has been in the upper 80s to low 90s. There are times where he has been out of the cage and not kept at a high temperature. We have only had him for two weeks (tomorrow) and are still letting him explore and get to experience his new external space. He is not super active but will get more active later in the day when hot. He is pooping regularly (at least once a day) and there is liquid along with solid. He will move towards darker space to hide when he wants to nap. He has been napping most days and we wake him after an hour or so.

 

[KarrieRee]

The vita light is a Zoo Med Reptilian 10.0 UVB light it is a long tube not a coil. I believe that he heat lamp is 100 watt. There is a heating pad under the bottom corner of the terrarium where he sleeps. I have not measured the temperature but this is the set up that he came with and has been living in for five years. He moves out of the direct heat of the lamp to the cooler part of the tank often and opens his mouth to show he has reached optimal temperature. We have him out of the tank multiple times during the day where he is basking in the sun (both direct and through the window) and it has been in the upper 80s to low 90s. There are times where he has been out of the cage and not kept at a high temperature. We have only had him for two weeks (tomorrow) and are still letting him explore and get to experience his new external space. He is not super active but will get more active later in the day when hot. He is pooping regularly (at least once a day) and there is liquid along with solid. He will move towards darker space to hide when he wants to nap. He has been napping most days and we wake him after an hour or so.

How old is the UVB and where is it placed? The screen will block 30% of those rays -- distance and placement is key here - its good hes getting direct sunlight and the gaping is good -- please get two digital probe thermometers -- the heat pad I would get rid of cool side of the tank should be in the low 80's -dragons heat from their backs not stomachs- surface basking temp 95-100-- after we can everything on par - his extra water hes pooping out is good means hes hydrated --