New owner. Beardie front legs seem limp or weak

[dizzy1]

Hi everyone,

I recently bought our first bearded dragon for my son. here's a little info about how we've been caring for him. He's about 5 inches and we had him going on 3 weeks. I feel like we have him set up pretty good. 40 gal tank. both heat and UVB lamp. basking spot about 6 inches from lamps. temp is usually 90-100 degrees. been feeding live crickets. He has a hide on the cool side of the tank. Reptile carpet as substrate. I started to notice about 4 days ago he's been pretty slugish, eating only 1-2 crickets a day but today he ate 4 and hasn't had a bowel movement in the same amount of time. I'm planning to give him a bath today as well.I also noticed is that his front legs seem a little limp and underneath at times when he's laying down. it also seem like he's having difficulty climbing when he's trying to get to a basking area on the mopani wood and hammock we got for him. I'm worried something's wrong. Can someone help please.

 

[KarrieRee]

The basking temp is being taken by a stick on thermometer or a digital thermometer? Stick ons are inaccurate and you will need a digital to get a accurate off the hammock - do you know if he has gotten stuck in the hammock and pulled his leg or toe ? That happens a lot I suggest you remove the hammock and get a different piece under the basking spot - basking temps need to be 105-110 for a baby-- the UVB is a coil or tube? Where in the tank is it? Top of screen or inside the tank? If you can post a pic of him and his tank and lighting that would be good --
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ click on XIMG at the top of the message box then click on the pic it should post
Karrie

 

[dizzy1]

It’s a stick on thermometer. The uvb is a coil. I didn’t notice if he got his foot stuck. The lights are above the tank on the screen. He actually used the bathroom right after my first post. I gave him a bath and it looked like he was struggling in the tub also.

https://www.beardeddragon.org/media/24722/full

https://www.beardeddragon.org/media/24719/full

Hopefully I uploaded the pics correctly

 

[KarrieRee]

Please replace the stick on w/ this you can use the stick but for ambient temps ONLY --
https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/environmental-control-and-lighting/zoo-med-reptile-terrarium-digital-thermometer-14914.html?cgid=500202 ASAP
The UVB is a MUST--- coils are inadequate especially for a 40 + gallon tank please get this
https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/zoo-med-reptisun-t5-ho-terrarium-hood.html 22" this bulb is a excellent bulb -- ASAP
This place sells out of these fixtures fast -- they are good and fast they ship Fed Ex shipping is cheap as well --- they are out of the Reptisun bulbs at this time but the Arcadia is really good if not better -- I would get his basking temps in order - but you need to get him the UVB as soon as possible - its going to help w/ the healing of the leg -- he doesnt look very good - I would lower your decor pieces so he does not haft to climb to get to his basking temp he needs as far as the UVB you might as well shut it off its doing no good anyway -- make sure you have that digital probe when fixing the decor pieces so you know what hes basking at-- he will go thru relocation stress so his eating will be off but he still needs to eat something and he doesnt look like hes feeling well -- I am going to have some others on here look at him and advise as to what to do --- but please work on he lighting and basking temps -- those two things are the most important thing in that tank for his over all health and behavior
Karrie

 

[dizzy1]

Thank you so much. I’ll work on all this ASAP. Hopefully it’s not too late...so you do think his legs are injured? Also if I need to raise the temp, What do you think I should do?

 

[AHBD]

Hi there, sorry about this difficulty with your baby. What's his name ? Karrie is right that you need a good uvb tube, order it ASAP because next week shipping orders may be delayed due to the holiday. What you need to do right away is to set him up in a " hospital tank ". It's a medium sized plastic storage tote like this :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/media/29953/full

The much shorter height allows you to set the uvb across the top and just put a short basking platform in which can even be a cardboard egg cartoon. Your baby is very sick and needs to be able to get around and bask with as little effort as possible. He may have either strained his legs, possibly have very small fractures or just be very weak because the coil uvb did not reach him with enough uvb which prevents calcium absorption. So set him up like that right away without delay. You might have a plastic tote in your home, if not just go to Dollar store, Walmart, etc. It should only be about 15 " tall.

 

[KarrieRee]

I see AHBD has answered -- please get the basking temps up to 105-110 but make sure you have a digital probe thermometer to get the temp-- you do not want to cook him - those small tote heat up so be sure you have one and please get your UVB ordered ASAP
Karrie

 

[dizzy1]

My son named him spike.I actually have a 10 gal tank I could probably use. If anything like that happened to his legs is he likely to recover. I ordered the lamp already.

 

[AHBD]

Did you mean Spoke or Spike , you wrote Spoke but either one is cute. ? A 10 gal. is a little too small for a heat gradient, see if you can get the plastic tote which is only about $7- $12 . He may perk up , hopefully whatever happened is not TOO serious. Try to offer him some water in a syringe mixed with a tiny pinch of calcium powder . You can add a tiny bit of unsweetened fruit juice, but just a drop. Another thing to try is Fluker's Reptaboost. You can offer some bsfl if you can get any of those as well. Spike needs calcium + uvb to hopefully help him out, as long as there's no sprain or injury he could perk up.

 

[KarrieRee]

Good deal w/ the UVB let me know when you get it so I can help you place it -- distance and placement is crucial --- keep us posted on him please
Karrie

 

[dizzy1]

I can’t get the tote or thermometer tonight should I leave him in the 40 gal or should I move him to the 10 gal anyway?

 

[AHBD]

You can leave him in the 40 but take out the hammock and set the wood on it's side so it's not so tall, just in case he gets disoriented if he is near the top and falls off. Get the plastic tote right in the morning ASAP. Offer the water + calcium powder like I mentioned , drip on his snout slowly.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

He is a little cutie. I don't think he is paralyzed but definitely has some bone issues due
to poor UVB exposure & poor calcium absorption. It will take him some time to gain his
strength back, once you upgrade his UVB light.
Are you giving a liquid calcium for him?
As AHBD suggested, since his bones may be compromised, taking out the hammock,
for now, would be a good idea so he can't hurt himself.
I would try to mount your new tube bulb underneath of his screen top so that he can get
full UVB exposure, too.
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[dizzy1]

I removed the hammock and placed the wood flat instead of upright. I couldn’t give him the liquid calcium because I don’t have a dropper but I will pick 1 up today. The uvb and thermometer should be delivered today as well, hoping there’s no delays.

 

[KarrieRee]

Ok sounds good ---- the UVB did you get the 24" fixture and the bulb? The tank your putting him in is the tote AHBD mentioned? I need to know --- if you got the 24" fixture it comes w/ a 5.0 bulb that bulb can be used for the tote she wanted you to set up --- it can go across the top of the tote width wise and have the basking decor directly under it w/ 6-8 inches from it -- the T 5 I am thinking is going to be too strong for the tote -- unless she suggests other wise set it up the way I have suggested- the 22" bulb will need to be put in when he goes back into the 40 gallon tank--- but for now we want him eating and moving around etc... so w/ the smaller tank hes going to be able to get the care and help he needs to get him stronger -- is he eating at all ? You can order some BSFL from here www,symptonbsf.com and you will need a glass or ceramic dish they cant get out of like this
https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Reptile-Ceramic-Leopard-Bearded/dp/B084VJJWTV?pf_rd_r=R0HNPKXJ2ZARWAT5MPAH&pf_rd_p=c5b6893a-24f2-4a59-9d4b-aff5065c90ec&pd_rd_r=0173f98f-f39b-4d44-9f76-6ae4d88c419b&pd_rd_w=AuGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
Karrie