MY BEARDED DRAGON IS NOT WELL

[sezza]

his back right leg is swollen has not eaten in a few days also he's not been very active can anyone offer any advice plz very worried

 

[Jiffy]

Hi.
Sorry your beardie is not feeling well.

Can you give us some info on your beardie and setup ?

Thanks

 

[sezza]

hiya he's about 7 month but very small 4 his age ive been feedin him crickets wax worms meal worms locusts and fruit n veg but just not interested he's in a 2foot by 2foot tank with 50w heat glo n a 50w sun glo bulbs i also give him calcium supplement and juvenile growth formula hav been waiting 2 put him in a bigger tank but i thought id better get him well agin be4 moving him

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Are you using a UVB light at all? The Sun Glo basking bulb is not a UVB light just a basking light so your dragon is most likely going to be having some metabolic bone issues right now. The swelling of the leg is indicative of that, or of an injury due to weak bones.
My suggestion is to get a UVB light such as the Reptisun 10 flourescent tube light or a Mercury vapor bulb such as the Megaray or a T-rex active UV heat. Since your tank is large enough, then you can use a mercury vapor lamp. I see you are in the UK, so a good flourescent tube bulb you can get there is the Arcadia D3 12%.
Unfortunately, even with you giving calcium without UVB exposure he cannot absorb his calcium without UVB exposure. He cannot synthesize D3 either, which help keep his bones strong as well.
Keep us posted on how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[sezza]

thanx so much 4 ur help im going out asap to get 1 thanx again

sezza

 

[Zemanski]

2x2xwhat?

he really should be moving on to a bigger viv if the ground area is only 2x2 and I suspect that you do not have the height for a mercury vapour bulb so go for the arcadia 12% if you can get it - my local rep shop stocks them now but they are still hard to get hold of in some places in the uk. If you can't find one get the reptisun 10.0 (not the reptiglo - there have been health problems associated with it). Make sure you get a tube with the starter kit, not a compact bulb - they are dangerous for beardies.

One of the problems with a 2x2 is not so much the floor area but the difficulty in getting a good heat gradient so that the viv is cool at one end and hot at the other. It's manageable in a 3x2x2 viv but much easier in a 4x2x2 which is what is recommended for most beardies. If you don't get the gradient right your baby can't cool down when he needs to and you probably won't be able to keep the basking temperature high enough without giving him heat stroke. You are right, it will stress him to move him, but he will recover more quickly if you have your set up right for him. I personally would go for the new full size viv and get it fitted out properly rather than trying to refit the one you have which isn't really suitable.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How is your dragon doing today, were you able to find the Arcadia D3 12% flourescent tube light??
Please let us know how things are going. Thanks.

Tracie

 

[sezza]

hiya
yeah i got it the next day he is so much better kno eating everything that moves and his fruit n veg wich sometimes i have a proplem wiv. i also moved him 2 his new tank n he loves it. n when i get home he wants 2 be out wiv us again he likes 2 sit on top ov me head watchin whats going on im so happy my baby is gettin better i was so worried thank u so much 4 all ur help

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

GREAT that he is doing so much better. So you found an Arcadia D3 12% flourescent tube bulb then? Did you get it for a decent price?
So his appetite has improved that much in such a short amount of time? That is awesome then.
I am happy that he has gotten so much better now!

Let us know if you need anything.
Tracie

 

[sezza]

hiya
yeah i got that D3 12% my boyfriend paid so i cant remember how much it was lol. im giving him crickets and wax worms as a treat there his fav's i started only puttin a few in at a time and lookin 2 make sure he had eat them but as soon as he see them he's straight 4 em

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Great to hear you got the Arcadia D3 12%. It is an excellent light for sure.
So he is eating pretty well now? It sounds like he has gotten alot more active recently, that is awesome. I am happy that he is doing so much better now.


Tracie

 

[sezza]

hiya
yeah he's loads better with that light just wish i had known early when i got him the bloke said i had everything he needed wont be going there no more ive found a better place kno who only deal in reptiles.
thank u so much 4 ur help

sezza

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is great to hear that he is doing so much better now. So is he eating & basking actively now?
Good news. Let us know if you need anything.

Tracie

 

[sezza]

hiya
yeah he is a lot better then he was thanks its nice 2 see him back 2 normal thanks 4 all ur help
sezza

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is great he is doing so much better now! :mrgreen:
Let me know if you need anything.

Tracie