My adopted beardie, Spike.

[Spikey1Lover]

Hello, I am new to the forum and site. I was referred by a kind beardie lover who saw my guy's photo on Instagram. She brought it to my attention that he has suffered from MBD (most likely his whole life). We are the third household to have him and I was told when we got him that he is crippled and did not know it was somewhat reversible. I learned a lot about MBD last night and I am now ordering some soft bodied worms in hopes to get Spike in better condition. He was given to us very skinny and I thought that was just how he was supposed to be because he was deformed, so I didn't try to feed him a different diet. I ended up changing his diet from crickets and mealworms to just super worms because he had issues with impaction. He gets romaine lettuce every day (which I will be changing to more varieties of leafy greens) He has been in our care for a little over a year now. I feel really bad that I am just now finding out that he needs some extra TLC, but I am grateful that a fellow beardie lover was willing to take the time to give me more info!! He is a very happy guy and does just fine with his army crawls. His back legs are functional and he is a pretty good jumper.

Here are his living conditions:
He lives in a 150 gallon glass tank with a heating rock and pad in one corner, a water dish and some rocks in the other and a few things to climb on, which he loves doing!!
Reptisun 10.0 tube light-recently replaced
He used to have the Sani-Chips for bedding, but we recently bought ultra fine calcium sand because we can't find the other kind anywhere. He has a towel laying over the substrate at the moment due to having a sore on his butt. We are treating it with neosporin and it seems to be healing well.
- Age: Unknown
- Size: about 18"(I haven't ever measured)
- Diet: super worms, as much as he'll eat per day, romaine lettuce refreshed twice a day.

I'd love to hear any advice or info you all have to offer. I am new at the whole reptile thing and I really enjoy having a beardie!!

 

[Spikey1Lover]

 

[Spikey1Lover]

I will be posting photo updates as he makes progress!

 

[dragonbarbudo]

I applaud your kindness. It is so sad to see him suffering from MBD.

Here are some things that I have learned in my experience and in my research.

I have a couple rescue beardies as well though none have MBD like Spike. I really recommend phoenix worms(larva technically), as they are soft bodied and loaded with calcium. They have the highest calcium content of all the feeder insects I believe. I get mine from ebay for about 5 dollars for 50 larva and use them as supplements to my beardies diets. A lot of people sell various sizes of dubia cockroaches on ebay and other sites. They are very meaty and nutritious. If you have lived in a place where cockroaches are pests then this idea may sound terrible but dubias are not like regular cockroaches at all. My beardies love them. I highly recommend researching dubia cockroaches and phoenix worms. Superworms have a hard outershell like mealworms which increases the risk of impaction.

Romaine lettuce is not great as it is mainly water and lacks nutrients. I suggest collard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens(from a healthfood store), butternut squash, zucchini, acorn squash, yellow squash, and green beans. Those are the favorites of my beardies and have good nutritious content. Although many dark leafy greens are staples of beardie diets, avoid spinach as it binds to calcium which makes it hard for the body to absorb the calcium.

I would get rid of the heat rock and heating pad ASAP as beardies do not feel pain on their stomachs if it gets to hot and can sit there until it burns them!

If you have not been at least dusting his insects if not his veggies as well with supplements then I suggest starting now. Rep-Cal phosphorus free calcium WITH vit D and Herptivite are commonly used powdered supplements.

Many people are against the use of any sand material as a substrate for bearded dragons as they tend to lick everything and if they are fed insects on the sand, they can easily swallow sand which can cause impaction. Sand also can cause eye irritation and is impossible to keep clean and disinfect. Many petstores ignorantly recommend sand. It is not worth the risk! Some people use repticarpet but I think it is a pain to clean. I recommend non adhesive self liner or tiles. Papertowls can be used as well.

Looking forward to updates! I wish Spike well.

 

[ihdolphin]

Wow HUGE tank I want one lol

 

[Spikey1Lover]

I'm not sure what's going on with him. He's been like this since yesterday. Does anyone know why his mouth has bubbles?

 

[Esther19]

I think I would put this in the ER section with a title mentioning the bubbles. It will get more attention there. I hope he's okay.

 

[AHBD]

Hi there, what a cute and pitiable little fellow ! It's good that you are realizing that he needs some extra help, and you were given some good suggestions on feeding. For the sore on his vent, you might apply raw, unpasteurized honey [ NOT the regular store honey, but it must be from a health food store or farmer's market type place ] Raw honey is a natural antibacterial + antibiotic that produces a release of hydrogen peroxide, is more soothing on wounds and is well documented as a wound dressing. As to his overall condition, your little guy is severely emaciated, and it looks like he may have a respiratory infection with the bubbles. Has he eaten anything different lately that MIGHT have caused a reaction ? [ upset stomach ? ] Bubbles/saliva are usually caused by a resp. infection. The problem is that in his condition it may be difficult to treat. He may need some meds., like Baytril and on top of that a probiotic . If you end up treating him for anything by dosing with a syringe, try to add a little bit of water, because he looks dehydrated. For food, try the Phoenix worms as suggested but for some adult dragons they go right through the digestive tract undigested because the dragons don't bother chewing them. I think that hornworms are even better, big + full of moisture. If he gets to where he needs extra nutrition, you might get some critical care formula from a vet, and/or baby food turkey + chicken. As for putting this thread in the E.R., I think it would be better to p.m. a couple of the mods. like Tracie [ user name Drache613 ] and get some good advice from an expert, otherwise you may get a lot of well intentioned but repetitive and maybe even critical comments at your dragon's condition. I hope he can pull through for you !

 

[Spikey1Lover]

I took a picture if him this morning. The bubbles are dried up. I will give him a bath when I get home from work and hopefully he will drink some water (he usually does when he bathes)
His eyes were a bit bulgy when he had them closed, just before I snapped the photo. I'm worried that his health is declining.

The reptile store in town sells wax worms. I'm wondering if those are ok for him for now so that I can get some softer worms in him. He will eat his greens, but refuses to eat the super worms I have left over.

I will be replacing his heat rock with a basking light and will be buying some supplements and supplies from the pet store this weekend. I hope he can get fat and healthy after all this.

 

[Drache613]

Hello!

Spike looks like he has such a sweet spirit. How long have you had him?
How far away is the Reptisun 10 tube bulb to him? If possible, can you get the bulb lowered down to him to where it is within 6-8 inches of him so he can benefit from the strongest UVB exposure? Be sure it is directly beside a basking light that is bright white, too.
I highly recommend a liquid calcium to help him out as the powder wont be absorbed as readily as liquid.
Does he eat greens also on a regular basis?
How well can he get around? Try to make it easier for him to get around in his tank while basking, etc.
Are you keeping his basking around 95-105 or so consistently with his humidity to a minimum or 40% or under?
He needs optimal temperatures to keep his immune system boosted. You can look for some bee pollen at the health food store, as well as some non dairy soy yogurt to help his tummy. Do you give vitamins a couple of times per week?
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[Spikey1Lover]

I made a warm bath for him today. He is eating his greens regularly every day and he gets around very well. I will be picking up some supplements today, calcium and vitamins. The link below is a video of him bathing today. He had a long drink of water. He was having trouble finding the water this morning though. I think it might have been the rock in the way. He uses it to climb out. He seems to be doing better with breathing and doesn't have as many bubbles on the side of his mouth.

http://youtu.be/OAu9otVzNao

 

[Spikey1Lover]

http://youtu.be/-tZP6N8uMIg

He has been black on his beard for a couple of days and his breathing seems to be getting worse. I fed him some caloric supplement and appetite stimulant that I got from PetSmart.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

He has a respiratory issue that has to be treated. His breathing is labored. Can you get some baytril as soon as possible by ordering online or go by a local feed store to pick up some tetracycline? I can help you dose the tetracycline or baytril.
Could he have aspirated any water possibly?
Can you get hold of a nebulizer from a friend or try to purchase at a pharmacy? He would greatly benefit from nebulizer treatments with the meds to get a better delivery system. Those bubbles are indicative of a severe respiratory issue or possible developing pneumonia.
Are you keeping his tank around 80 overnight? Do you have a blanket you could wrap him up in over night?
Which supplements did you get him, do you have any calcium for him?
Did you increase his basking temperature to 105 at least for him?
The black beard is distress so this needs to be taken care of immediately as he is not feeling well at all.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

 

[Adriana]

Oh, poor baby! He has been through so much! I am willing to help with his veterinary bills. Have you been able to take him in?

 

[Spikey1Lover]

Video update for Spike!

http://youtu.be/EAQfqChvkCQ