Please help me save this baby bearded dragon!

[kelly98]

I received a baby bearded dragon yesterday. I agreed to take it in to try and save its life. It belonged to my friends little brother, who stopped caring for it. I have never owned a bearded dragon, but as soon as I saw it I knew it needed help right away. It is extremely emaciated and very lethargic. It can barely move a few inches at a time. It doesn't eat and is too weak to drink on it's own. I read up on bearded dragons and decided the best thing to do would be to let it soak in lukewarm water so it could get some hydration. I put it in very shallow water and kept my hand beneath its head so it wouldn't drown. As soon as it got in the water it perked up and began to stick its tongue out over and over (which I assumed was him drinking). He drank for a long time. After fifteen minutes I took him from the water and put him back in the tank I was given along with him (which is way too small I'm going to have to buy a bigger one). After drinking, he seemed less lethargic and was keeping his eyes open a lot more. I also mixed a bit of apple juice with water and used a dropper to give him some, since I read that would also be helpful. What else can I do to save this little guy? Do I keep soaking him everyday until he's strong enough to drink? When is it safe to try and feed him? I have never owned a reptile and need a lot of help to get him healthy.

 

[Jdawg]

What kind of lighting do you have? Can you take pictures of his set up?

 

[kelly98]

What kind of lighting do you have? Can you take pictures of his set up?

I honestly have no idea what kind these are, they were given to me with the tank. One looks like a regular white light and the other isn't actually a light, it's only giving off heat. I'll put images on in a sec.

 

[kelly98]

 

[Jdawg]

You need to get a light that produces UVB asap. I would recommend a reptisun 10.0. I can't stress the importance enough, he will die with out it. Your local pet store should have one. Also on the basking side of the tank he needs temps around 105 degree. Good luck.

 

[kelly98]

You need to get a light that produces UVB asap. I would recommend a reptisun 10.0. I can't stress the importance enough, he will die with out it. Your local pet store should have one. Also on the basking side of the tank he needs temps around 105 degree. Good luck.

Thank you!! I'll go buy one right away

 

[destiny1998]

Hi. Poor little guy. You can also feed him babyfood like chicken and squash, or Turkey greens beans, sweet potatoes. Also you want to mix a little bit of calcium in with the baby food.

 

[AHBD]

Hi Kelly....it's so nice that you're trying to help this poor baby. It has been neglected for a long time and is extremely critical. It has a slight chance, but very likely won't make it. Try your best, offer baby food as mentioned with a bit of water + a pinch of calcium powder mixed in.

Can you see what the light is ? Turn it off for a second and take a pic of it. I'm hoping that it's a mercury vapor bulb , though I doubt it , otherwise you definitely need the Reptisun long tube bulb. The other heating element is a ceramic heat emitter [ CHE ] that produces heat but no light....that can be used at night if the temp. goes below 70 at night since he's so sick you'll want him to stay a bit warmer.

 

[Andres07]

Hopefully the little guy makes it through. He seems very skinny. Since he is a baby. I would try to add some small mealworms in a shallow lid. Get him some greens. Collard greens mustard greens and dice them really good. Maybe the movement of the mealworms will catch his attention and he will notice it as food. Also try feeding the mealworms with tweezers. Put the food as close to him so maybe when he is awake the first thing he sees is food. Good idea with the water. If all else fails. I would definitely try the baby food method. With the medicine syringe. Just drop a bit of food on the front of his mouth carefully not too mich where it can get to his nose. Maybe he will start doing rhe toungue thing as he did with the water. Hopefully he eats. Also get a uvb/uva light. An 18 fixture would be perfect for that tank. Also get a heating bulb. 100 or 75 watt prefirably since the tank isnt too big. There should be a hot sode and a cool side. He seems to be lacking proper lighting. And remember the lighting can make a huge difference in beardie activites. Hopefully he starts to come around. Also the tank is perfect for him right now he is a baby. So dont worry about the tank issue right now. Focus on him getting better. But good luck and prayers for the little one.

 

[Mordecai]

Meal worms are not good for baby's. They cause impaction. Stick with the baby food for now.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Poor thing, he has been neglected for awhile. I hope he makes it but he is very critical.
Definitely go slow with him on the protein at first since he has not been fed much & you don't want to shock the system but he does need nutrition.
The best UVB lights are the Reptisun 10 tube or the Arcadia D3 12%, either one. Or there are the T5 high output tube UVB also that give out more UVB emissions.
A bright white basking light is the best for a basking temperature range of 95-110 with a cool end of 78-82. How are you measuring the temperatures?
The ceramic heat emitter can be used overnight to help maintain the tank around 80 right now since he is not well.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

 

[kelly98]

Thanks for the helpful info guys! He is still alive and I think he is maybe doing a little better. So far I am still bathing him daily and getting him to drink some water (which has a bit of apple juice in it as well). I feel like he has been more alert and is able to hold his head up more. I also managed to feed him a mixture of some water and babyfood (which is also hopped up on calcium and vitamins) today! I used a syringe and put some near his face while he was still licking his lips from his bath, and he began to lick the babyfood. I also am only using babyfood that is a mixture of peas, apples, and blueberries at this time. I'm hoping that he will eat some more tomorrow. I have since insulated the tank a bit by covering most of the screen with aluminum foil to keep the heat in. That has helped keep the tank a bit hotter. The hot side is now between 90-95 and the cool side is nearer to 80-85. I am struggling a bit to keep the gradient where I want it, I know the hot side could be hotter.

 

[kelly98]

Hello,

Poor thing, he has been neglected for awhile. I hope he makes it but he is very critical.
Definitely go slow with him on the protein at first since he has not been fed much & you don't want to shock the system but he does need nutrition.
The best UVB lights are the Reptisun 10 tube or the Arcadia D3 12%, either one. Or there are the T5 high output tube UVB also that give out more UVB emissions.
A bright white basking light is the best for a basking temperature range of 95-110 with a cool end of 78-82. How are you measuring the temperatures?
The ceramic heat emitter can be used overnight to help maintain the tank around 80 right now since he is not well.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

I am measuring the temperature with a digital thermometer by zoomed on the hot side and on the cool side I am using a circular Zilla thermometer that also measures the humidity.

 

[diamc]

Does the digital thermometer have a long wire & probe end? If so, place the probe right on the basking log & wait about 45 min before getting the final reading, that will give you the basking SURFACE temp which is very important to know. For his size, the basking temp should be at least 100 degrees. Is he strong enough to be able to bask or does he just lay on the bottom?

Hope he starts getting better soon. It's good that you got some babyfood into him.

 

[kelly98]

Does the digital thermometer have a long wire & probe end? If so, place the probe right on the basking log & wait about 45 min before getting the final reading, that will give you the basking SURFACE temp which is very important to know. For his size, the basking temp should be at least 100 degrees. Is he strong enough to be able to bask or does he just lay on the bottom?

Hope he starts getting better soon. It's good that you got some babyfood into him.

Yes I do have the probe one. It's close to the bottom but can be moved closer. He is only strong enough to lift his head and maybe his chest onto his water bowl to get closer to the heat, but he can't actually get on top of either of the logs I have in there for him to bask on.