not doing well

[dnardini]

I have approx. a 3 yr. old beardie. I have not had him that long. I was given wrong instructions as to how to care for him and I am sure the person who had him before never properly cared hin either. I never new beardies had to have all the lights and heating to grow. I just now got him Reptisun 10.0 uvb tube and a 100 wt incondesint heat bulb. So now the temps are about 100-105 on the basking side and about 80 on the cool side. No sand at botton just a reptile rug (felt). last week he was very lithargic and had not pooped for about 2 weeks (at least i couldnt tell because there was sand at the bottom. I brought him in and spent a fortune at the vet just to tell me he is dehydrated andmalnurished. and couldnt find anything else wrong. so i decided to star dusting crickets with calcium, and he only ate about 5 crickets , the next day imixed up some flukers repta+boost (i was only able to get about 1.5-2 ml in him) and he ate another 5 crikets. I have been making up a fruit bowl of strawberries, blueberries, rasberries cucumber, apples, cntalope, spinach, tomatoes, and he will not eat it. I decided to puree it and use a syringe to feed him and he refuses to open his mouth and i dont want to pry it open in fear i may hurt him. I give him a bath every day and sometimes he likes it and will be alert and others he acts as if he were sound asleep. the times he is alert he drinks alot of water, he is now poping and looks normal. He will sleep in the basking area almost 24/7, unless i pick him up to get some attention. should i leave him alone to rest and kind of recover from not being keep prperly? I really like this little guy and havent enough funds to bring him into a diff. vet. Is this normal for a beardie that is Now in recovery? Should I continue to do what Iam doing or something else?

 

[Beardednoob]

Keep doing what you are doing but, drop the spinach from his diet. Spinach although high in calcium also contains a substance that blocks calcium absorption. i would also add other feeders to his diet to give a variety, butter worms, hornworms or silkworms would be a good choice. Try to get the dragon to eat the greens before feeders as they are going to be what he needs more of. :wink:

Pictures?

 

[dnardini]

I put 5 cricketts in today with calcium powder, he only ate one. and refused to eat anything else so I gave him about1/2 -1 ml of Repta boost.(thats all he would alow me to put in hs mouth). Again pureed the fruits to see if he would take it by the syringe and refused! He was clinching his teeth and gripping his (lips). He Had 2 baths today and 2 poops, they booth had a little blood in them and it smelled bad.Just before the second time he pooped he turned dark purple/black. Most of today he acted as if I wasnt bathing him or holding, just limp. The only time he was wide eyed was when he saw the sun shine into his cage. Oh and by the way the kid I got him from set is tank up outside on my covered pool deck, he said because we live in florida it was perfect. Now i know better and lastnight I brought everything in. From what I have read I think he might have MBD, is that easy to fix and would Buddy need meds? I have a new computer and im still laerning how to use it so the pics will come soon.
Thank you for your advise!
Dawn

 

[Beardednoob]

Oh... please seek a vet. He needs attention beyond the capabilities of the forum.
I hope everything works out.. they are hardy lizards with a strong will to live.
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=152184

 

[dnardini]

Im going to bring him in agian tomorrow but I think I should really find a reptile vet, the other one said he was fine and in hibernation. I can't beleive I took this little guy on
and now I have grown attached to him and I feel so bad for him.
Im so upset.
Thank you.
Dawn

 

[dnardini]

Buddy is doing much better but still has to pick up his appetite. He will eat a bunck of crickets or mealworms one day and the next not. Mabe he doesn't like the taste? He has been drinking lots of water and poping just fine now, I wish he would just eat more now, he has great coloring and does not turn dark anymore except when hes stressed or pist at me. H tries to climb the glass to tell me he wants out or to hold him. He's so cute! I still do not know how to upload pics. on this site. So you can see what he looked like when he was sick and how he looks now. But the appetite is what I really need help with, any suggestions?