need help fast...

[rebfeehan]

Okay, so, my bearded dragon is estimated to be a little over 3 months old. I got him at the end of January and he is a juvenile currently. He was extremely healthy, always running around his tank and jumping into his hammock which was his favorite spot. Basically just a really happy and healthy beardie. But a few days ago, literally just happening overnight, his back legs stopped working. He couldn't walk correctly, obviously, and I took him to the vet. She OKAY'd him saying it wasn't constipation, but even so, I have been giving him warm baths just in case. He has pooped since then as well. Anyway, she could not find anything wrong with him other than maybe needing more of a flourescent light, so I got a strip like for him. Before I was using a not-strip flourescent bulb. After I got it he has had no improvement, even though he lays directly under it. He has now completely lost his appetite and I've beginning to see weight loss.

Husbandry: 20 gallon long tank, basking light that gets the basking area up to 117, cool side of 80, under tank heater on warm side, hide, rocks and branches to climb on. He eats crickets mainly but will pick at kale, cilantro, and the bearded dragon pellets you can buy. He also enjoys mealworms a lot but I only give these as a treat every week or two. He always refused to actually use the water in his tank so I would give him baths and he'd take a big drink then.

I don't understand how this all happened overnight or what is wrong with him. His colouring is healthy and he's alert of everyone checking on him, but he just drags himself and his limbs are sponge-like and he also holds his legs in awkward positions he'd never do normally. Does anyone know what is wrong? Is it MBD?

 

[adumr]

Could you say what strip light you are using please? The stronger the UVB level the better and you want a uvb 10.0 or uvb 12.0 light. If you have the make please say too as some are better than others. It might be frustrating seeing as you have just bought a new bulb but it may still be the issue.

 

[rebfeehan]

I was told this had a fluorescent light that would work, it's Aqueon. I cannot find anywhere that says the strength of it, the other one the 'bulb' one is a repti-glo 10.0. I think I need to put a repti glo in the Aqueon instead? I'm worried that even if I do this he is still going to die slowly. And if I replace the bulb with a repti glo, will that even be effective? Because he refuses to eat ANYTHING I give him other than mealworms. And I don't want to load his stomach with them since that would be bad for him. But he has absolutely no interest in crickets or veggies.

I also want to know: Are juveniles normally very difficult to care for? If this one passes on, in the far future would getting an -adult- be a better option?

 

[adumr]

The UV strip light should help with digestion so in theory yes it could help with the eating issues. If he is digesting food he will eat because he is hungry rather than just pick at what he likes. If you look on the net there should be lots you can chose from. I think mine is the Arcadia d12 for example.

On your other question beardies can be problematic as it can be difficult to figure out what's wrong because they give nothing away. When they are healthy though they are quite easy to look after I think.

 

[MissT]

Hi there!! Im sorry to hear you are having these issues!

You need to get a reptiSUN 10.0 linear tube. These are pretty much the only UV flourescents that are effective (other than the arcadia but it can be difficult to get a hold of!), especially with problems like this. Being so young, if you get the reptiSUN ASAP, you should start to see an improvement with him. Here is a link http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/504983/zoo-med-reptisun-10.0-uvb-bulb.html

Are you giving him any calcium and vitamin supplements - what brands and how often to do use them?

I hope he starts feeling better soon!

T

 

[rebfeehan]

Hi there!! Im sorry to hear you are having these issues!

You need to get a reptiSUN 10.0 linear tube. These are pretty much the only UV flourescents that are effective (other than the arcadia but it can be difficult to get a hold of!), especially with problems like this. Being so young, if you get the reptiSUN ASAP, you should start to see an improvement with him. Here is a link http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/504983/zoo-med-reptisun-10.0-uvb-bulb.html

Are you giving him any calcium and vitamin supplements - what brands and how often to do use them?

I hope he starts feeling better soon!

T

I am going out this evening to look for the reptiSUN, thank you so much. SUN not GLO, right?

He ate ONE cricket just now. I could not get him to eat any more. I'm worried that if he continues eating like this he will starve himself. But I feel good that I got the one in him, better than none I suppose. I dusted it more so than usual to make up for him not eating more than the one cricket. Normally he eats 6 to 7 large crickets, so today he just had the one.

I do dust his food, I dust the crickets with Fluker's Calcium With D3 every time I go to feed him and recently after he got sick I also bought Zilla Food Spray Vitamin Supplement. Not sure if this will help? But I figure if he does get better I can spray it on his veggies and mealworms. It also works for hermit crabs which I have.

One of his front legs seems to be not as "spongey" as it was last night, I'm praying if I get this light he will bounce back, or at the very least eat. If he eats I can take care of him.

On another note: Suggestions for a beardie who will not eat crickets no matter what you do? Should he start eating them if he gets the right light? What I did to try to get him to eat earlier was kind of 'half kill' the crickets so they wouldn't run away from him (since he can't walk so fast). Like I said he only ate the one and then wanted nothing to do with them. Sorry if I'm rambling, I'm worried sick over him. :C

 

[MissT]

Yes, you definitely want the reptiSUN 10.0 tube - DEFINITELY NOT THE GLO!!!!

The light could well boost his appetite! Usually, a change so simple can really work wonders for them, even if it takes a couple days. Until you get him on a regular eating pattern, you could try making him a slurry or using baby food. For the slurry, blend up some greens with some worms/crickets and a little water or unsweetened juice and a pinch of calcium and vits OR, you could blend up some gerbers stage 1 chicken baby food with some stage 1 squash or peas baby food, all mushed together, again with his calcium and vitamins. He may need something to help kickstart his appetite so you could start with those slurries right away. You might also want to try feeding him smaller crickets - the large size might just be too much for him at the minute - offer him the medium size, as much as he wants in a 10 min period, twice per day (altho at the minute that may not be very many) - whether he is eating them or not, just keep offering - you never know when he might surprise you!!!

For the calcium and vitamin supplements - the best out there is the rep-cal, phosphorous free with D3 (has a pink label) 5 times per week and then the repcal herptivite (blue label) 2 times per week! They are the most popular and highly recommended supplements so I really think they would also help him.

I hope the light etc has him on the road to recovery in no time!!
Keep us updated!!

T

 

[rebfeehan]

Alright I got the light... I suppose I'll have to just wait and see. I could not find ReptiSUN *anywhere* I looked, only ReptiGLO tube lights. They say they put out lots of UVB, though? So I'm a little confused or is this just one brand is generally better than the other? I did get the 10.0. I bought it because if there's nothing I can at least try something. I will definitely give him the slurries thank you *so much* for that. I have the aquarium hood with the light in their and it's on top of the mesh cover of the tank, so is it giving out enough through that? He is laying under it right now currently. I will keep updating everyone and I cannot thank you guys enough, you all gave me more information than any one else. I'm praying this can all be reversed or at the very least his appetite will come back.

 

[MissT]

The reptiGlo is really not a very good bulb. The output from it is not good at all. You can read about some of the issues with it at www.uvguide.co.uk - its actually been linked to eye issues, lethargy and loss of appetite If you can, please try to order the repti-SUN online - You will see much bigger changes once you get it! When you get it, you will need to mount it 6 - 8 inches from him - preferably inside the viv so he gets the maximum benefit.

Good luck with the little guy!!

T

 

[myzeak]

what are you mesureing the temps with, a probe thermomitor and or IR heat gun?If you are useing a strip or stick on type it could be up to 20F off . 117 seems kinda high you might want to consider lowering the temps some to around 105, and an under the tank heater is not recominded incase it malfunctions witch can cause bad burns. It is alot better to order Reptisun on line. At a store I found some but they were $40 but online i found them around $18

 

[rebfeehan]

I was told between 110 and 1120 was an ideal temp in the basking spot. I originally had lower bulbs but they made it only get as high as 90. I am using aquarium strip thermometers and also a thermometer and humidity gauge.

 

[beardie parents]

For the basking temps, taking them with a digital thermometer with probe. The one we use is the accurite digital thermometer with probe. It runs about $12 and it gives you 2 temps and a humidity reading. You put the probe on the basking spot and the theremometer on the cool side, that way you have both temps displayed at one time. We love them and have one for each of our girls' vivs. The thermometers you metioned only measure the ambient temps where they are located. Your basking temps could be really different from what they are saying the temps are.

 

[rebfeehan]

I am working to get the reptiSUN and a probe thermometer as soon as possible. I want to say he ate a little more today than yesterday and took a big drink. (Yesterday he barely ate one cricket and only because I would not stop waving it around him, but today on his own he ran after two crickets and ate two mealworms. Before he had absolutely no energy to go after them. I did remove their legs so they were slower and easier for him to get, but I think him going after them is a good sign.) He looks a little brighter than he had been, too. A little more alert and aware of my presence or anyone else in the room. When I put him on the floor today unlike the past couple days, instead of laying lethargic and with no ability to move, he tried his best to scurry away from me. He still has a spongey forearm and his back legs drag, but he seems to be moving faster. Could the reptiGLO that I have in right now be aiding in this? I am still going to get reptiSUN but just want to know if the improvement I see is probably form what I bought him?

I am going out tonight to get the baby food mentioned for him and try and get the thermometer. For the record he does seem to sit most of the time under either the reptiGLO strip like or under where I still have the reptiGLO clamp light. Does he know these produce (some) UVB?

Also while I typed this he's been wagging his tail back and forth some. Not sure what this means, is it probably unrelated?

 

[adumr]

The reptiglo can cause issues but there is no saying it will, I have have used it before with no real issues and i'm sure a lot of other people have too but it has been linked with lots of issues and can affect a beardies eye-site so it is probably not worth the risk if you can get another one. At the point you are at at the moment I am certain that it is better than where you were before.

 

[MissT]

The reptiglo can cause issues but there is no saying it will, I have have used it before with no real issues and i'm sure a lot of other people have too but it has been linked with lots of issues and can affect a beardies eye-site so it is probably not worth the risk if you can get another one. At the point you are at at the moment I am certain that it is better than where you were before.

I went through Photo-kerato-conjunctivitis twice as a result of the repti-GLO bulbs (2 different beardies) so I really wouldnt advise it using it. Also, it does not produce enough of the correct wavelength UV lighting to help against the issues that your little guy is having! It honestly does sound MBD related and thats why I really do think you need to get the reptiSUN ASAP!!! It may be giving him some energy etc at the moment but its really a very very short term fix. As you have it at a good distance from him it is unlikely to cause eye issues but he wont be experiencing the benefits that the reptiSUN would give to him.

Just to check - have you got 2 repti-glo bulbs in there? If so, def switch one off ASAP as that will be totally overloading him.

Did you get the calcium and vitamins yet??

Im glad to hear that he has perked up a little today!! Good luck with the little guy!

T