Lump on base of Clydes Tail and problems pooping?

[SaladAndChips]

My beardie Clyde is about 5-6 months old (pets mart lady didn't know exactly how old he was when I got him but knew he was younger than a month) and lately he has developed a lump on the base of his tail and seems to be having problems with his bowel movements. He got the lump about 2 weeks or so ago and I didn't think it was more than him getting bigger and maybe was about to poop. He acts normal but seems to poop a lot less and really hasn't been as active as usual. Does anyone know what this could possibly be? Or how I could fix it? I want my beardie to be happy again and healthy. Thanks in advance!

Background on Clyde:

He used to have another beardie to accompany him named Bonnie but she turned out to be a he (thanks pets mart for misguided info) so Clyde ended up trying to be dominant and killed him by depriving him of food and water and the heat / UVB light. Speaking of those, he has a heat lamp and also a UVB light to keep him warm and get the UV's needed. He eats and drinks from the two bowls that came with his decoration kit. His water is always fresh from purified water bottles and purifying sink taps. His diet consist of crickets, meal worms, fruits, veggies, and grasshoppers. He has a pets mart brand sand at the bottom of his cage which gets cleaned out by a poop scoop made for dragons.

If you need to know anything else just let me know. I'm sure I'm missing some stuff but I am farely new.
Here is some pics of him and some of us both. ( I love taking pics with him lol)

 

[AHBD]

Hi there....nice pics, I see that he is an aspiring musician. What would be helpful is a close up of the bump . What is probably happening is that he has become impacted [ get rid of the sand right away and the mealworms, that is what is likely to cause impaction ] and is also possibly developing MBD [ metabolic bone disease ] When he tries to poo, he can't pass it through properly and this can cause the bulge and even cause small fractures. Then the body tries to compensate by using any available calcium on the very spot that is developing in to a bump. Sometimes the bump goes away after the impaction is cleared, sometimes not. Be sure that the crickets/hoppers are no longer than the space between his eyes. To help clear his impaction get some baby food prunes, applesauce and or baby food squash and canned pumpkin, and add a few drops of veg. oil and/or honey. Then give him a warm bath [ about 1-2" deep for 10 minutes ] around mid day. You will need to be SURE that he has proper UVB lighting....please list your exact type + brand of lights. Hopefully a few adjustments will help him out. On the right side of the page here you will find lighting help for newbies....very important.

 

[SaladAndChips]

Hi there....nice pics, I see that he is an aspiring musician. What would be helpful is a close up of the bump . What is probably happening is that he has become impacted [ get rid of the sand right away and the mealworms, that is what is likely to cause impaction ] and is also possibly developing MBD [ metabolic bone disease ] When he tries to poo, he can't pass it through properly and this can cause the bulge and even cause small fractures. Then the body tries to compensate by using any available calcium on the very spot that is developing in to a bump. Sometimes the bump goes away after the impaction is cleared, sometimes not. Be sure that the crickets/hoppers are no longer than the space between his eyes. To help clear his impaction get some baby food prunes, applesauce and or baby food squash and canned pumpkin, and add a few drops of veg. oil and/or honey. Then give him a warm bath [ about 1-2" deep for 10 minutes ] around mid day. You will need to be SURE that he has proper UVB lighting....please list your exact type + brand of lights. Hopefully a few adjustments will help him out. On the right side of the page here you will find lighting help for newbies....very important.

I can't get any info on the UVB since the box is gone and the part has no info on it but I do have some pics of Clyde to show

His lump:

His hind right leg is starting to hurt and he stays off it

And he finally pooped and this is what came out:

 

[AHBD]

Yes, he's probably impacted so try the concoctions that I mentioned. Can you take a pic of his light set up ? You are probably going to need a good UVB bulb, that will help his overall condition and will be critical for him to regain his health.

 

[SaladAndChips]

This is a temp set up until I move into a new house in July lol so it's not to amazing right now. Also it is close to 11 my time so that is why the lights are all off and Clyde is sleeping

^ The right side with a UVB that shines through a screened in opening

^ The left side with a 150W Red Bulb and a in cage thermostat. Also the wires are behind the cage lol

^ The UVB housing

^ Bulb specifics I'm guessing?

^ Tag on the back of UVB housing

 

[AHBD]

If you unscrew the long tube bulb, is there a name anywhere ? Hopefully you have a good UVB bulb. You will also need a clear white heat bulb rather than a red or blue. If you look to the side of the page here it [ articles ] check out " newbies guide to lighting help" and follow those recommendations. And if you haven't gotten rid of the sand and tried the foods that I mentioned to help him poo, do so ASAP. The tiny poo he made is not a normal healthy one, he is still plugged up. Things will only get worse until you can get those things taken care of, but he can bounce back and be a happy Clyde if you get right on it.

 

[HitokiriBattousai]

is there a clear glass or plastic cover over that UVB bulb?

i ask as it looks like there could be in the pictures and if so that would be blocking the UVB so if so remove it asap

 

[irieone42]

is there a clear glass or plastic cover over that UVB bulb?

i ask as it looks like there could be in the pictures and if so that would be blocking the UVB so if so remove it asap

ya i see the cover also.. it looks like a zilla hood, that comes with a bulb already. i have heard not all good things about that tube bulb. if you do change the light setup go to wal-mart and get a fluorescent light http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lights-of-America-18-Under-Cabinet-Fluorescent-Light/16877468 this is cheap, looks great, easy to clean

 

[Taterbug]

is there a clear glass or plastic cover over that UVB bulb?

i ask as it looks like there could be in the pictures and if so that would be blocking the UVB so if so remove it asap

ya i see the cover also.. it looks like a zilla hood, that comes with a bulb already. i have heard not all good things about that tube bulb. if you do change the light setup go to wal-mart and get a fluorescent light http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lights-of-America-18-Under-Cabinet-Fluorescent-Light/16877468 and you should be great with UVB :mrgreen: what size is the tank :?: cuz that light looks to small for that tank. the UVB and just light are a MAIN part in the dragon's happy life. my little guy was not doing great till i got him the right lights and my temps up, but now he is like a new dragon going crazy for everything his eyes set on lol

It does look like there is a lens on that fixture you have, OP. Defiantly remove that if its there.

Unless the fixture wattage doesnt match the uvb wattage for the reptisun I wouldn't rush to replace the fixture. That Walmart fixture would have significantly less uvb output since it lacks a metal reflector. Cheaper is not always better when it comes to lights, especially UVB. For a significant upgrade this fixture + light Is worth considering. http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-Terrarium-Hood/dp/B00AQU8F2O

It looks like your heat bulb is in a desk light? Be careful about the heat/fire hazard of that as those are not usually rated for such high wattages.

 

[irieone42]

is there a clear glass or plastic cover over that UVB bulb?

i ask as it looks like there could be in the pictures and if so that would be blocking the UVB so if so remove it asap

ya i see the cover also.. it looks like a zilla hood, that comes with a bulb already. i have heard not all good things about that tube bulb. if you do change the light setup go to wal-mart and get a fluorescent light http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lights-of-America-18-Under-Cabinet-Fluorescent-Light/16877468 and you should be great with UVB :mrgreen: what size is the tank :?: cuz that light looks to small for that tank. the UVB and just light are a MAIN part in the dragon's happy life. my little guy was not doing great till i got him the right lights and my temps up, but now he is like a new dragon going crazy for everything his eyes set on lol

It does look like there is a lens on that fixture you have, OP. Defiantly remove that if its there.

Unless the fixture wattage doesnt match the uvb wattage for the reptisun I wouldn't rush to replace the fixture. That Walmart fixture would have significantly less uvb output since it lacks a metal reflector. Cheaper is not always better when it comes to lights, especially UVB. For a significant upgrade this fixture + light Is worth considering. http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-Terrarium-Hood/dp/B00AQU8F2O

It looks like your heat bulb is in a desk light? Be careful about the heat/fire hazard of that as those are not usually rated for such high wattages.

ya you can add a hood very easy there is a post of this guy showing you how to make one for cheap. but to be real it was throwing off same UVB with or without the hood i made. i check UVB/A with a solormeter. sometimes cheaper is better if you do it right :mrgreen: i always make sure to know the facts before i speak up :mrgreen: "save money, buy roach's"

 

[Taterbug]

ya you can add a hood very easy there is a post of this guy showing you how to make one for cheap. but to be real it was throwing off same UVB with or without the hood i made. i check UVB/A with a solormeter. sometimes cheaper is better if you do it right :mrgreen: i always make sure to know the facts before i speak up :mrgreen: "save money, buy roach's"

There is a difference (in the basic physics) between a DIY reflector (not sure what one you are referring too) and a commercially designed, polished reflector. A good reflector will basicaly double output. Not to say that the reflector in OPs hood is doing that but I don't see a reason to downgrade the hood.

 

[irieone42]

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=140791 this is it and its far from a downgrade i think, but to each its own. the solarmeter 6.2 really help me kick the wonder out of UVB lighting

 

[Taterbug]

https://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=140791 this is it and its far from a downgrade i think, but to each its own. the solarmeter 6.2 really help me kick the wonder out of UVB lighting

Hopefully this isn't considered hijacking the thread but OP might also benefit if he does decide to look into other light fixtures. (if it's not approptriate mods please move or remove this as you see fit)

The critical difference is in shape. Without a reflector any uvb light coming from the upper side of the bulb is basically lost. With a reflective surface the light bounces off at predicable angles and a good reflector is curved in such way that the light coming out from the bulb and hitting the reflector is redirected downward. Even between different engineered reflectors you can see a huge difference.

The problem with DIY and flat surface reflectors is that they don't really control (focus) where the light gets redirected too so it's still basically "lost". Some of it goes down, but much of it is scattered else where. This is why you don't see much improvement in your readings with that style hood. Less light is being outright lost but it's not really in a nice predicable pattern either.

Since the reflector in OPs hood appears to be curved metal it is probably giving more reflected uvb than nothing would. Even if it's not 100% reflective, or all reflected straight down, switching to a completly unreflected fixture would loose what benefit the hood is providing.

 

[irieone42]

https://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=140791 this is it and its far from a downgrade i think, but to each its own. the solarmeter 6.2 really help me kick the wonder out of UVB lighting

Hopefully this isn't considered hijacking the thread but OP might also benefit if he does decide to look into other light fixtures. (if it's not approptriate mods please move or remove this as you see fit)

The critical difference is in shape. Without a reflector any uvb light coming from the upper side of the bulb is basically lost. With a reflective surface the light bounces off at predicable angles and a good reflector is curved in such way that the light coming out from the bulb and hitting the reflector is redirected downward. Even between different engineered reflectors you can see a huge difference.

The problem with DIY and flat surface reflectors is that they don't really control (focus) where the light gets redirected too so it's still basically "lost". Some of it goes down, but much of it is scattered else where. This is why you don't see much improvement in your readings with that style hood. Less light is being outright lost but it's not really in a nice predicable pattern either.

Since the reflector in OPs hood appears to be curved metal it is probably giving more reflected uvb than nothing would. Even if it's not 100% reflective, or all reflected straight down, switching to a completly unreflected fixture would loose what benefit the hood is providing.

sounds right to me. im going to bend a piece of sheet today at work and polish it. i guess if you think about it its like them face tanning things ladys hold when on the beach pushing more rays.