Mushus Grandma
New member
I got a baby bearded dragon for my oldest on the 30th of December. I've had them before as a teen. Mushu came from petsmart at 5 3/4". He's now 6". We got a 40 gal tank with kit, added a sterilized branch and leaves. I got crickets and small worms, calcium powder, and 2 in 1 food for the crickets. He has a substrate mat. He's done completely fine since then apart from the fact that he sometimes ends up in his water dish but doesn't seem to actively drink water. I've tried coaxing him with tiny little broccoli sprouts, kale (he ate one small piece) and a blueberry. So far nothing, but I understand they get a lot of water from their diet and they need to learn to eat their veggies (I asked the pet store and one dragon owner said they usually only eat crickets at this stage). I also made sure at the store that the little pellets they had in there weren't necessary. The store clerk said they don't really eat them.
He didn't eat a lot yesterday and now his neck is randomly turning black. He isn't interested in the crickets. I thought he was basking but now I think he's sleepy for a different reason. He still moves around but instead of his normal inhalations on his sides only with normal breaths per minute, his whole body on both sides expand briefly, he appears to gasp without opening his mouth, and kind of rear back like the movement is painful. He shouldn't enter brumation, his skin doesn't look wrinkled like shedding. Only one cricket in the past three days as been a little chunky. All others were the appropriate size. Worms are given minimally and not at all since the symptoms started. Should I treat him for impaction and try a warm bath, massage, and canned pumpkin? I can try looking in his throat but he's not gagging so if it was the slightly chunky cricket, it might be further down.
Also does their condition change with light? Should the heat light be turned off for less or more time? That's the only other thing I can think of, if light changed from the petstore to here, accounting for the fact that it's winter too.
He didn't eat a lot yesterday and now his neck is randomly turning black. He isn't interested in the crickets. I thought he was basking but now I think he's sleepy for a different reason. He still moves around but instead of his normal inhalations on his sides only with normal breaths per minute, his whole body on both sides expand briefly, he appears to gasp without opening his mouth, and kind of rear back like the movement is painful. He shouldn't enter brumation, his skin doesn't look wrinkled like shedding. Only one cricket in the past three days as been a little chunky. All others were the appropriate size. Worms are given minimally and not at all since the symptoms started. Should I treat him for impaction and try a warm bath, massage, and canned pumpkin? I can try looking in his throat but he's not gagging so if it was the slightly chunky cricket, it might be further down.
Also does their condition change with light? Should the heat light be turned off for less or more time? That's the only other thing I can think of, if light changed from the petstore to here, accounting for the fact that it's winter too.
