My poor baby

[Butterfield20]

My baby bearded dragon Lucy is only 5 months old ( well its been 5 months from when we got her from the pet store) but she was teeny tiny when we bought her so she couldn't have been very old. She seems to have lost her appetite ( she was always a great eater) her back legs seem lifeless and she has a bump on her lower back and then another one at the base of her tail. She breaths heavy and doesn't seem to be very active anymore. Crickets are put in her tank as needed in the AM. she has some mealworms (which she used to love and now wont touch them) she eats fruits and veggies when i hold them in my hand but she wont go over to her feeding bowl and get them. She sometimes has her mouth semi open and she is breathing heavy. She is very loved and gets lots of attention. I have read some info about MBD and i think thats what she has. She doesn't seem to be very mobile anymore she kinda just lays on the floor and walks is what it looks like. Please help! We have had bearded dragons in the past and never any issues.

I have pictures just not sure how to put them on my post.

 

[kyleena29]

It sounds like MBD and possibly respiratory infection. How old is your UVB and is there a plastic lens over it? How close can they get to it and is it sitting on top of a screen? Mealworms aren't good for beardies at all. She needs to get some real sunshine daily if possible and up her calcium. You may want to take her to the vet to get an xray and see how bad it is. MBD affects not just their bones but their muscles and nervous system.

 

[Butterfield20]

Thank you, ill change the bulb its not that old but ill change it just to be sure, as far as the light itself it is on top of the screen top. She has things to climb up to the light but she doesn't climb on anything. We dont have a vet around here that looks at bearded dragons nor does x rays. Im not sure what we should we with her at this point. The family loves her so much and we dont want to lose her but we also dont want her to suffer.

 

[kyleena29]

I don't know what your enclosure is like but since you have the bulb on top of the screen I would get the Reptisun T5 HO 10.0 bulb. You can call around for a vet, some are experienced with bearded dragons you just have to ask them, they may not advertise that they do. She can bounce back from MBD but it takes time and work. You might want to consider liquid calcium and serrapeptase too but seeing a vet would be the first thing.

 

[CooperDragon]

I agree that upgraded lighting may be helpful along with calcium supplementation. The T5 ReptiSun 10 is a good light. I use this one and it works very well http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/ Can you upload some photos of her and her setup? You can upload photos here https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ and post them to your thread using the XIMG button.
If the weather is good, perhaps you can take her outside to get some natural sunlight. That may be very beneficial for her.

 

[Butterfield20]

This is her when we got her

Her today

The bumps i was talking about on the base of her tail and lower back

And her set up, we had things for her to climb on to get closer to the light to bask but she refused to climb and we would put her up in her hammock when it was higher with her large tree (not in tank anymore) so she could climb down and she never would climb down.

 

[CooperDragon]

That does look like a deformed spine from inadequate UVB exposure. I would keep everything relatively flat so she can get around more easily. A higher power UVB light like the ones mentioned should help. It's important to start with increased UVB and calcium supplement quickly to halt the progress and help her strengthen a bit.

 

[Butterfield20]

Yea we have taken all of the high things out so she can get around. We will be updating her UVB asap and making sure she is having plenty of calcium. Thank you so much your your input and suggestions. Do you know if this would also factor in her not growing and shedding........i mean yes she has grown since we got her but she doesn't seem to be the same size as others her age. And also do you know if she will be able to climb once her health is better?

 

[kyleena29]

So a few things going on here. I can definitely see that she must be using a coil UVB which are no good and it is too far from her now, not sure how close she could get to it by climbing but coil bulbs shouldn't even be allowed on the market. Please get a digital thermometer with probe, I have a feeling her temps may not be right, basking bulb should be on a far side not in the middle so that she has a gradient of temps to move to, UVB should be near the basking spot or even across the whole top. She looks a little small for her age but it's probably from the bulb. It really looks and sounds like MBD.
This is a good thermometer here http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=6016+11148+33598&pcatid=33598
you will need a fixture for it, just make sure it's the right size and for "T5"

Once you get her lights in order, some extra sunshine and extra calcium, she can recover. If you like I can tell you where to get serrapeptase and liquid calcium from. If she stops eating you will need to give baby food. I'm sure your love and care will get her back on track. I wouldn't let her climb too high she won't have the coordination or strength for a while so it's good you moved the high stuff. Just need to make sure she is getting warm enough at her basking spot so she can digest properly and get that calcium in her system.

 

[Butterfield20]

Its not a coil bulb. But i will look into other bulbs and move some things around. Thank you

 

[CooperDragon]

Yes, it would stunt growth as well. She probably won't be much of a climber and may always have a bit of trouble moving around but she can strengthen and live a good life with some accommodations. As I understand it, the damage won't be reversed but the progress can be halted.

 

[AHBD]

I agree with the others so if you get her out in the sun, [ not in a glass tank , way too hot ] but directly in the grass that can help right away. The lights are too far away....the uvb is probably a compact and they are O.K if they're close enough but the long tube bulbs are best for good uvb coverage. Avoid mealworms for now since they can cause impaction, then when the baby gets MBD and strains to poo it causes the fractures/lumps near the spine.