Metabolic Bone Disease?

[Brilynnpearson]

Hi, I just recently got a baby bearded dragon. He or she is about 6 inches long and was 4 inches when I got him. Growing really fast! My beardie seems very happy and healthy except for one thing... the day I got him he was standing funny on his feet. Like bending them backwards. But he only bends his feet like that. Not his legs. He also bends his toes but that might be normal. I give him lots of calcium on his crickets and he doesn't have any of the other symptoms of metabolic bone disease. He holds himself up and runs around my house without walking funny. It's just when I hold him or he's on a surface that isn't very flat. Is that a problem? :/ Any advice would help!

 

[Skipper7]

Could you post some pictures of him and give us the rundown of your setup?
What are the temperatures in the basking and cool spots?
What lights are you using? Specifically, which UVB are you using?

It's hard to say without pictures, but bending feet backwards can be an early sign of MBD. If caught early and treated before bones are affected, MBD doesn't usually have long term effects.

I'm no expert but I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will see this soon. Pictures and tank info will help them greatly.

 

[Brilynnpearson]

Okay so my tank actually came as a kit from petsmart and the lights were included. It came with combo deep dome thing and day time bulb. 150 w. And a night time bulb.75 w. It also came with a Reptisun 10.0 uvb bulb. This is a zoo med kit by the way. The place I got my beardie from had good reviews and they were really nice and helpful but he had this problem when I got him so I don't really know if it's something I'm doing wrong but I don't know. I don't have the temperatures right now. I'm not home, but I will check when I get home tomorrow. Here are some pictures of him.

 

[Brilynnpearson]

Oh and I don't have any pictures of him bending his feet but if I catch him doing it I'll take a picture.

 

[Skipper7]

Ok- please try to get that picture.

What size is the tank?

You don't need the night light if your house is above 65* F at night. If your house is colder than that, you need a ceramic heat emitter. Not the light they sold you. Beardies can see the black lights and it affects their sleep.
Is the UVB a tube or bulb?

I hate to tell you, but you were probably sold all of the wrong stuff. My guess is that the only usable piece is the basking light. If they sold you a 20gal or smaller tank it is too small. you need a 40gal tank minimum. When you get this, you will need new substrate. Don't use particle substrates. Tiles or non-adhesive shelf liner work well. You can even use paper towels or newspaper. Coil UVB lights aren't good either. You need a t5 or T8 uvb TUBE and reflector. Stick on thermometers are no good either. You need a probe thermometer or, preferably an infrared temp gun to get accurate readings. Basking spot should be at least 100* and no more than 110* for a baby. There should be a temp gradient with the cool end being around 85*. This gradient is part of the reason why you need at least a 40gal tank.

Feel free to ask any other questions you have. We're all happy to help you wit your setup. Sadly, pet shops usually don't sell the right stuff to beginners. It is critical to get lights and temperatures correct before long term health issues set in.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that petco is having a 1$ a gallon sale through the 28th. You should be able to get a 40gl or bigger for cheap.

 

[Brilynnpearson]

The uvb is a bulb, and I have been really trying to get one of those temp guns but I'm not old enough to drive. I have one of those stick on thermometers, but like you said they're no good. It's like it's stuck at the same temperature all the time even if I turn my heat lamp off. I know someone with a temp gun. I might need to borrow it. My night time bulb is red. It doesn't seem to disturb his sleeping. He actually sleeps pretty well but if it's not good for him I'll get a ceramic heat emitter. But if my tank isn't hot enough could I turn on both of my heat bulbs during the day? (The basking lamp and the red one)

My tank is 30 inches long and about 12 inches wide. He is on tile right now. I'll work on getting a new uvb light. How quick do I need a new one? Is the uvb light why he has these problems?

 

[Brilynnpearson]

Oh and one of those pictures I sent you was when I first got him and he was on paper towels but the other one is from today and he is on tile now.

 

[Skipper7]

Yes, UVB is linked to metabolic bone disease. Replacing that should be your priority. T5 fixtures can go on top of the screen as long as they are 12" from the dragon. T8 mounted under the screen to be 6-8 inches from the dragon. It's good that he's on tile. It's my preferred substrate.

Borrowing the temp gun sounds like a good idea. That way you will know if you need a bigger or smaller basking lamp. You can also order an etekcity brand one on amazon for less than 20$. The stick on thermometers can be as much as 20* off.

I'm not sure about having the red light in during the day. I'll wait for someone else to chime in on that. What is your thermostat set up for overnight? If it stays above 65 you don't need any extra heat at night.

A 36x18x18 (40gal breeder) tank is generally considered to be the bare minimum for an adult beardie. You will need to upgrade eventually. I recommend doing it now while petco has the sale.

By the way he is very cute

Patrick

 

[Brilynnpearson]

Okay thank you! My thermostat is usually around 68 at night, which I don't like, but my parents do lol. I'm afraid to turn off the heat, because I don't exactly know if the temperature drops any lower than that in my house. Thank you for letting me know about the sale at petco. If I do not replace my light for a month or so, will that be bad for him? I imagine I will replace it sooner than that, but I don't know the next time I will have a chance to go get a new light. I probably sound like a bad parent, but like I said I can't drive :/ I'll hopefully just end up getting a new light when I go and get more crickets. And will you still need the picture tomorrow? Thank you for all of the help! I really appreciate it

 

[Skipper7]

I think you should send the picture. It will help someone else say for sure if he has mbd. Personally I'd say the night ligh is ok for a little bit, but replace it when you get the chance.

 

[Brilynnpearson]

Okay I will get a picture later today when I'm home, and I'll work on replacing the lights.

 

[Brilynnpearson]

The picture of him laying funny was how he was laying when I got home but when I opened his cage he sat normally. Also he only ever bends his feet if I set him down weird. Is that normal? I set him down on the ground and he was running around really fast without any problems. He hasn't been out of his cage for a while so I'm sure he was happy to be out. And I got a new thermometer for his cage today!