Not eating and throwing up

[sharpers]

I went to turn lucios lights on this morning and noticed that he had a really black beard and wasn't very active. i've just gone to feed him his crickets and he's usually super excited about it and will run around the whole tank, last night he did, but this morning he wasn't paying any attention so i was concerned, his beard was also black. i thought maybe he was full of poop as he hadn't gone in a few days so i went to run him a bath when my partner shouted that he'd been sick, i'm freaking out right now because i don't know what's wrong with him. he just seems so drained and not wanting to move. could someone please help?

UPDATE: i've put a bowl of water in his tank incase he was dehydrated and he's been sitting in it drinking ever since. he doesnt seem to be able to hold himself up very well and keeps swinging his head from side to side, ive moved him into the bath now, he's just done a poo and seems to have perked up but i'm still worried

 

[kingofnobbys]

I went to turn lucios lights on this morning and noticed that he had a really black beard and wasn't very active. i've just gone to feed him his crickets and he's usually super excited about it and will run around the whole tank, last night he did, but this morning he wasn't paying any attention so i was concerned, his beard was also black. i thought maybe he was full of poop as he hadn't gone in a few days so i went to run him a bath when my partner shouted that he'd been sick, i'm freaking out right now because i don't know what's wrong with him. he just seems so drained and not wanting to move. could someone please help?

UPDATE: i've put a bowl of water in his tank incase he was dehydrated and he's been sitting in it drinking ever since. he doesnt seem to be able to hold himself up very well and keeps swinging his head from side to side, ive moved him into the bath now, he's just done a poo and seems to have perked up but i'm still worried

Poor Lucio , he sounds VERY SICK and EITHER in GREAT PAIN or VERY UNCOMFORTABLE / SICK FEELING. (BB and very flat and lethargic and off his food all bad signs.)

He has likely been sick for a while but been hiding it (they are very good at hiding it when they are sick or injured until they deteriorate so much that they can no longer , they are then very likely critically ill , perhaps life threateningly sick). Keep this in mind.

Based on this , and very sparse information you've given us and the fact he's crashed so rapidly indicates to me that he REALLY NEEDS to be taken to a good herp or reptile vet AS A MATTER OF URGENCY. Please don't hesitate or assume a wait / hope and see approach here.

Since I don't know where you are located , here is an international list of reptile vets , you should be able to find one who is nearby in this list : viewtopic.php?f=45&t=234369&p=1803862&hilit=melissa#p1803862

After you have been to the vet , please review your set up . If you work methodically through my cheatsheet perhaps the cause of this his illness will pop right out at you . Here is my cheatsheet : viewtopic.php?f=6&t=234738&p=1806050#p1806050

Also since he's sitting in his water dish , and doesn't seem to want to get out of it, indicates to me he is too hot and trying to thermoregulate (cool down).
How sure are you off your temperatures ?
What are they ?
And how are measuring them (with what) ?

Not pooing for a few days is not usually anything to worry about , even with a hatchling. If he's pooed now , he's not likely impacted. SInce you mention impaction as a likely problem, does this mean you have a particulate substrate of some kind ?
Photos of his viv showing the setup , the lights and substrate will be helpful.

Are you still using the same insects , are you feeding other pets with these too ? Any others sick ?
Are many of the crickets sick or dropping dead ( if they are he may have accidentially given a bad insect to him ( that's carrying toxins or harbouring something else that's nasty ) , again job for a vet (to work out if the crickets were the cause).

 

[sharpers]

My partner is currently trying to book him into the vets as I'm working right now, hopefully to get an emergency appointment. His temperatures were fine as far as I was aware, however I have been using a not so trustworthy temperature prone so maybe this is all my own fault, his temps have been sitting in the ideal area going by that. I will get a digital probe tonight after work for him. He's a rescue dragon I got a few weeks ago when I got him he was on sand so I took it straight out and he's been on paper towels since. His tank is very basic at the moment in worrying maybe his uvb bulb isn't working how it should be also as I don't know how old it is. I'll get a new one for him tonight too. He's been eating the same crickets from the same place since I've had him and he hasn't had any problems with them and the crickets all are alive. Thankyou for the reply I hope I have messed up somewhere and it's my fault!

 

[EllenD]

I'll echo what was already said about the temperatures and having an appropriate thermometer to take them. Make sure you allow the probe to sit on the spot you're measuring for at least 20-30 minutes before reading the temperature. Measure his basking spot temperature, his Hot Side ambient temperature (put the probe on the floor of the Hot Side that contains the basking spot), and then the Cool Side ambient temperature, allowing the probe to sit 20-30 minutes before each reading...If his basking spot temperature is too low, he cannot digest his food properly and this can cause the vomiting and the black beard...When did he last poop?

Also, how old is he, and how long is he in inches from the tip of his snout to the end of his tail? Are the crickets you're feeding him smaller than the space between his eyes? That can also cause vomiting and impaction...

The UVB light is the most important item you will ever buy for a bearded dragon, and there are limited UVB lights sold that are appropriate for bearded dragons, even if they are labeled as such. You want either a new Mercury Vapor Bulb (all-in-one) that is either the MegaRay or the PowerSun, I have heard a lot of bad things about the SolarGlo MVB, or if not an MVB then you must buy a 10.0 T8 or preferably a T5 High-Output UVB tube, meaning a long flourescent tube, usually either 18" or 24". You'll also need a corresponding flourescent tube fixture for the UVB tube,. The best available in the US is the Reptisun 10.0 (never 5.0) T5 High-Output UVB tube. They are good for one year before needing replaced, and the T5 can sit on top of a mesh lid, where as the 10.0 T8 must be mounted inside the enclosure as it is not strong enough to penetrate the mesh.

 

[sharpers]

I've just got a digital temperature probe and am currently taking his temps. He pooped this morning when I put him in the bath. He's roughly 6-7 months, he was a rescue so I cant be sure, when I measured him last week he was 14.5 inches long, and yes they are smaller I always make sure they are. I've also just bought a new uvb bulb, it's an 18W Arcadia desert 10% UVB tube bulb, so thats better than the old coil one he had I'm sure? oh also i will be booking him in to see the vet tomorrow as soon as they open

 

[EllenD]

Yes, the Arcadia is better than the coil bulb, but I'm going to let someone else chime in because if I remember correctly the 10% Arcadia compact bulb isn't great? I may be wrong about that, but the Arcadia 12% or 14% tubes are the ones that are typically recommended. Someone else can help with that...

 

[sharpers]

Okay so i've got a temp from his basking side and its reading 117 F, which is too hot i know now, so i need to get new bulb that produces less heat? since putting his new UVB light in he seems SO much more active! He's running around again and even ate some worms tonight, he's looking like his normal self again, is it possible that his behaviour was because of his old uvb light?