new owner please help

[lynnchaz1]

hi my beardie is 18 weeks old and 14 inches long he is fed on mealworm crickets and locust he is eating and pooping well but just for the last 2/3 days i have noticed that he bends his leg under evey now and then he doesnt seem to be in any pain but he does tend to limp when chasing his food the temp on the viv is spot on not sure what to do about this if you have any suggestions please help :lol:

 

[Buggsy]

It would help if we knew a bit more, for instance are you using UVB and if so what brand? Just for info mealworms are no good at all so i would stick to the locusts.

 

[lynnchaz1]

hi yes im using a uvb extra tettra 10.0 tube light plus a 75 watt basking light hope this helps :roll:

 

[BrownEyes187]

hi yes im using a uvb extra tettra 10.0 tube light plus a 75 watt basking light hope this helps :roll:

10.0 is alright for starters...Do u live in a warm climate?? Like florida?? Anywhere with lots of sun? Limping isnt a good sign at all...The good news is hes still young and it cant be that bad, u can still stop any more damage / reverse it altogether, no panicking. Please stop feeding mealworms or anything with a shell, really. Esp since your beardie is so young. Those worms are next to nothing nutritionally (waste of money) and to top it off, are dangerous.

Are u gut loading your crix? Dusting them with enough calcium?? I suggest purchasing some butterworms, their very fatty but LOADED with calcium, u cant go wrong. Plus they are easily digested, their just mushy water inside.

This could also be substrate related, do u have any kind of sand in the tank??? If so, remove it asap. Have your beardie on paper towel, its much safer.
Sand gets accidentally ingested and builds up in the intestines over time and causes blockages that do cause partial or complete poralysis of the back legs.

 

[lynnchaz1]

thankyou you have been really helpfull yes i am gut loading the crix with calci powder and i live in the uk where the weather is cold although the house is very warm he is also fed on locust but sometimes he can be very fussy and he also has fresh fruit and veg in his viv all the time ill give butterworms a try and hopefully he will grow to be healthy he is totally fine within his self and his poop and all is fine

thankyou again for your help and will deffinatley try what you have suggested