Need help with my male beardie

[Flowersj09]

I have an orange male beardie in side a 40 gallon tank. Just yesterday he stop using his back legs and catching spasms when I spray him with water or picked him up. What are somethings I can do to get him back mobile? Their is a red female beardie in that same tank as well.

 

[KarrieRee]

I have an orange male beardie in side a 40 gallon tank. Just yesterday he stop using his back legs and catching spasms when I spray him with water or picked him up. What are somethings I can do to get him back mobile? Their is a red female beardie in that same tank as well.

First off you need to separate the dragons-- ASAP- unless you want babies -- dragons are solitaire animals and should never be kept together except for breeding -- next the red light needs to go as well they harm the dragons eyes and can cause long term eye damage -- dragons need a solid bright white basking bulb that keeps temps 95-100 surface basking you will need 4 digital probe thermometers since you have 2 dragons--- next proper UVB and I am guess your using a coil -- get rid of it -- from what your describing the male dragon is startings of MBD his condition will get worse w/ out a good UVB-- you need 2 of them since you have two dragons -- I am going to post the Sunblaster Nano Tech since you can get the fixture reasonable but you must get this bulb to replace the bulb that comes w/ that fixture
you want the 2 ft -24" fixture https://hydrobuilder.com/sunblaster...mp.html?opts=eyJhdHRyaWJ1dGU5MDEiOiI2NjEwIn0= this bulb
22" Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO
if you have a PetSmart in your town you can try looking there for this one
24" Arcadia Pro T 5 12% bulb here is what it looks like
Arcadia ProT5 12% UVB Bulb With Hood this one shown is the 39 watt you want the 24 watt --
the UVB can sit on the screen but I recommend you take the screen off since the dragon is having difficulty walking now --- we can stop the progression of this getting worse but you must act now in the mean time get them both outside for some direct sunlight 15 minutes or longer sitting on you separate of coarse DO NOT leave them unattended - you can use a plastic tote w/ NO lid but you must supervise them so they do not overheat I dont know how hot it is where you are -- any questions please ask

 

[Claudiusx]

Based on the one picture, it looks like there is a lot of build up near the rear legs in the stomach. This could be from the dragon being impacted/constipated. As poo builds up in this area, it would put pressure on the spine causing temporary paralysis of the back legs. This can be fatal.

When was the last time your dragon poo'd, and what does his daily diet look like?

Loss of mobility in rear legs along with spasms can also be a sign of metabolic bone disease. MBD is typically caused by improper lighting and diet, and the inability to absorb calcium.

Like Karrie said, you need to get your lighting situation fixed, whether or not the issue is from your dragon being impacted or suffering from MBD.

These are the steps I would take:

1. Put the dragon in a warm bath and let it move around in the water. Sometimes the swimming motion and being in water helps them to poo. Keep up with daily baths until the dragon does poo.
2. Provide water via dropper in the mouth. Don't squirt it in the mouth, allow it to drop onto the lips/in the mouth and hopefully he will drink it on his own this way. Hydration will help with the impaction if that's what the issue is.
3. Start providing only soft foods. Squash baby food is a good choice for now until we know he is pooing.
4. Measure your basking SURFACE temp and make sure it's acceptable. Without proper temps, your dragon isn't going to digest anything very well.
5. Upgrade your lighting like Karrie mentioned.
6. For now, I'd remove the loose substrate and just use paper towel. You can go back to the sand eventually, but for now, the potential ingestion of the sand is going to worsen the impaction.

Has he been black bearding at all?

-Brandon

 

[Flowersj09]

First off you need to separate the dragons-- ASAP- unless you want babies -- dragons are solitaire animals and should never be kept together except for breeding -- next the red light needs to go as well they harm the dragons eyes and can cause long term eye damage -- dragons need a solid bright white basking bulb that keeps temps 95-100 surface basking you will need 4 digital probe thermometers since you have 2 dragons--- next proper UVB and I am guess your using a coil -- get rid of it -- from what your describing the male dragon is startings of MBD his condition will get worse w/ out a good UVB-- you need 2 of them since you have two dragons -- I am going to post the Sunblaster Nano Tech since you can get the fixture reasonable but you must get this bulb to replace the bulb that comes w/ that fixture
you want the 2 ft -24" fixture https://hydrobuilder.com/sunblaster...mp.html?opts=eyJhdHRyaWJ1dGU5MDEiOiI2NjEwIn0= this bulb
22" Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO
if you have a PetSmart in your town you can try looking there for this one
24" Arcadia Pro T 5 12% bulb here is what it looks like
Arcadia ProT5 12% UVB Bulb With Hood this one shown is the 39 watt you want the 24 watt --
the UVB can sit on the screen but I recommend you take the screen off since the dragon is having difficulty walking now --- we can stop the progression of this getting worse but you must act now in the mean time get them both outside for some direct sunlight 15 minutes or longer sitting on you separate of coarse DO NOT leave them unattended - you can use a plastic tote w/ NO lid but you must supervise them so they do not overheat I dont know how hot it is where you are -- any questions please ask

Thank you so much.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Let us know how the tank setup changes are
coming along. I agree, he would do much better being housed alone.
How is he doing this evening?
Impaction is very serious so its very important to get that taken care of as soon as possible.
The UVB lighting & calcium supplementation in combination is crucial for overall health.

Keep us posted on him.

Tracie