Drache613":5346a said:Hello,
First off, congratulations on having a 9 year old bearded dragon. Most do not live that long so you must have been doing something right all of these years. Maybe you could post a few pictures of him, also.
Older dragons do need a little less protein but still need "quality" protein with less fat. Focus on greens & vegetation with small portions of protein several times per week.
Continue with good calcium supplementation 3 times per week as well. Do you give vitamins? A good B complex vitamin would be helpful just for energy.
For older dragons, we can figure that their joints need a boost as well. Silkworms have a great enzyme in them called Serrapeptase which helps with joint pain & inflammation. It is also a good supplement for liver function as well, so it serves a good purpose.
You could feed either the silkworms or purchase the Serrapeptase powder from here:
http://www.serrapeptase.org
Making sure that he stays hydrated will ensure good kidney function as well. Does he get regular exercise too?
What type of UVB lighting are you using for him? A flourescent tube bulb or a compact/coil light, & what brand is it?
I am looking forward to seeing some pictures of him.
Tracie
my male is over 13 and i've begun posting to look for people with actual old age experience, and i'm sad to report that they seem to be few and far between. i'm not an expert, but here are some thoughts.emilybortz":b205e said:I've got an adult male coming up on his 9th birthday, healthy as can be, and I want to keep it that way for as long as possible. He has an appt. with his vet in a couple of weeks so I'm sure I'll get info from her, but what are some things that I can start doing for him to make his life longer and more comfortable? Certain vitamins? Certain foods?
emilybortz":b51d4 said:The one thing I have noticed about him is that his back legs are weaker. If he's up on his feet, he's fine and can run and jump around, but if I have him on my shoulder, or on his log, he only clings on with his front legs, or clings on very loosely with his back legs.
i noticed the same thing, but it's stabilized and not gotten any worse. yes, definitely tell the vet this and see what he says.
For awhile he wasn't pooping often at all, but I introduced a bit of apricot into his salads a few times a week and they seem to be keeping him regular.
the other natural laxatives i've used are 1) baby peach sauce puree [hand-fed dollops on a piece of leaf] and 2) exercise outside on his halter-leash. i wouldn't worry about an episode if it's resolved itself.
Its funny because his food tastes have changed, but now he only likes eating certain colors. Anything yellow or orange he loves, but when it comes to his kale, I usually have to wiggle it around a bit to make him go for it.
mine has always had color preference for yellow flowers [as in your pic (-:] -- especially buttercups. consider yourself lucky that he's eating kale at all -- mine has refused to have anything to do with kale since he stopped growing. kale is vitamin rich but not if they won't eat it (-: -- i'd suggest you give in and try collard or mustard greens, or bok choy.
BadCon":77b83 said:Being honest, and going off of what I have been told, most of the dragons on this site I would classify as overweight. Even with spectacular care, I rarely every see dragons that are over 10 years old. It seems most of the people posting here have dragons that are way under 10 years. I attribute this to the weight issue...as beardies love to eat, but even the largest cages are not going to provide them with the room to properly exercise. So you combine a lack of exercise with a love of food, and you have the same situation plauging the US...obesity.
I am not saying to starve your animals, but there are some diet choices that can be made that would help lower the fat intake...such as reducing the fruit and veggie servings, and choosing a low fat feeder insect and providing the right amount of protien for adult animals (most over do the protien).
To the original poster...your setup seems to be working, and your dragon looks great for being 9 years old. I would hesitate to do any drastic changes to your setup, as it might make things worse for your animal. Just make sure your UVB source is replaced often (6 months for tube lights), use reasonable feeding practices (avoid fatty foods), and let him roam around some for exercise.
More exercise might help strengthan his back legs, and some natural sunlight every now and then is great for them (your pics show him outside, this is good).
My next comment might be blunt, but I feel I should say it. Not many on this board have experience with older dragons, so some of the comments you may recieve should be taken with a grain of salt. I personally have two dragons who are about 2yrs old, so my own comments may have no relevance to your situation. While I would agree with one of the above posters in saying that 9 years isn't super old for a dragon, a simple browse through the memorium forum shows that many dragons don't make it 9 years, even with great care. So that fact your guy is 9, and in good health, is a testement to your husbandry practices. Genetics probably have a role as well, but even the best genetics can't compensate for neglect, and your guy looks great...so I feel your care has a great deal to do with your dragons health.
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