Lonely Dragon

[valedragon]

Hi i am having baby issues. i have had my baby Sandy for 2 weeks and he ate good for 2 days and has for the most part stopped stopped eating. he has had a regular bowl movements as in 1 to 3 times a day. he is always alert and active. he just seems to be dropping weight. Getting vits and calcium
Put a little mirror and he sat next to it for about two hour. won't eat crickets and not eating any veggies. Was with and other baby when i got him and am thinking that he needs a buddy.Very active.
is it possable to get him a room mate then when they get bigger there own tanks?

 

[SkeptiBee]

No, these animals do not need buddies, especially males. Beardies are solitary animals in the wild and only meet other beardies to fight for territory or breeding. Only females with very submissive personalities can be occasionally housed together but most folks generally don't advise this either. It's not worth fights or injuries.

To be honest, your Sandy looks extremely thin and needs immediate care. What is your current set up in your tank? Please give us a run down of what lighting is installed and what the temperatures are in the viv (basking and cool side).

 

[Taterbug]

Hi there, Your little one should probably be seen by a qualified reptile vet. If he was healthy and active two weeks ago when you got him something serious may be wrong with his health or husbandry. He looks very thin and possibly quite dehydrated. Even a baby who is off food for a little while shouldn't drop weight that fast.

Please don't get another dragon for company, it would be very unhealthy for him, and possibly the other dragon as well.

How are you giving calcium/vitamins if he is not eating? He might accept some watered down vegetable baby food if you put little drips on his nose.

 

[AHBD]

Hi there.....I agree that this baby is not only ill, but in critical condition. He looks very dehydrated....like Tater said,one thing you can try is baby food squash + chicken and add extra water in a plastic feeding syringe. That would only be supportive care, so if you know a vet that has plenty of experience with bearded dragons you might take him in. I mention only a vet that knows alot about beardies because even an " exotics" vet may actually have little experience with baby beardies. But try the water + baby food, he needs hydration ASAP. I hope for a good outcome !

 

[diamc]

[Moved here from General Discussion forum due to the serious nature of this beardie]

I agree with the others, he needs to be seen by a reptile vet ASAP. He is extremely thin and also dehydrated as you can tell by looking at his sunken eyes. Since he isn't eating and still pooping 1 to 3 times a day, he could very well have parasites, possibly something more serious as he also shouldn't be losing wt so rapidly. Do you have any pictures of him from when you first got him?

As Taterbug mentioned, it would be a good idea to pick up some vegetable baby food like squash, sweet potato or green beans, you could even put a very small amount of chicken or turkey baby food with it, hopefully he will lick a little of that off of his nose. If you haven't been bathing him, you should start doing that right away in a transparent plastic container with a washcloth or small towel down on the bottom. Add just enough water to cover his legs and let him soak. If he isn't strong enough to hold his head up, you will have to support it in your hand so that his head doesn't go under water.

As SkeptiBee said, we will need a run down of your setup. To save time, I'm going to post a list of questions, please answer as many as you can so we can try to help him until you can get him to the vet.

How old is your dragon?
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Do you use UVB lights?
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb?
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)?
How old is your UVB bulb?
How close can your dragon get to the UVB?
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Is it a white or colored bulb?
What are the basking temps?
What is the cool side temp?
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them?
Do you bath your dragon? How often?
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?

I also would not recommend getting another beardie especially now since this one is so sick. If you decide to get another later on, it would need its own tank as they are solitary creatures.