jacqui778
Sub-Adult Member
Hello,
Lately I've been worried about my dragon, Reggie. He's not the same, even though he's never been a healthy beardie. When I first got him around Christmastime, he was 13'' and skinny. Now, he's 14'' and still thin, despite my efforts to fatten him. He's supposedly 10 months old, based on an estimation I made with his length back when I bought him, but he's awfully small for his age if he really is 10 months.
What worries me is that even though he has to be famished, he won't eat. He hasn't eaten in two days, yet all he ate today was two bitefuls of pear, which is all he really WILL eat.
His past health hasn't been the greatest, he had a minor amount of pinworms (which we treated with Panacur and now Reptaid) and what I believed was a respitory infection (based on the advice of a breeder I contacted). While I haven't gotten another fecal done to determine that his pinworms are officially gone (though they have to be, with his daily dosage of Reptaid), his feces have stopped being overly-smelly. But, he still coughs and sneezes on occasion. The inside of his mouth is pale. I will try to get a picture while he basks tomorrow.
The most dramatic of the changes in him is his behavior. He used to be a social beardie and "talk" to me. All beardie owners know what I mean-- facial expressions and talking through eyes and movements. He never does anymore, and I feel abandoned. He basically just lays there. He never talks anymore, and he never trys to get out to see me anymore, though I take him out regularly and he seems to enjoy it.
I just want to know what's wrong with my little man. Here's my viv info:
How old is your dragon? 10 months
How long have you had your dragon? Since Christmas 2008
How long is your dragon? 14'' (almost exactly)
What is the sex of your dragon? Male
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in? 26'' width, 36'' long, 24'' high.
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank? Ceramic Tile
Do you use UVB lights? Yes
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb? Fluorescent Tube
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)? ReptiSun 10.0
How old is your UVB bulb? About 3 months
How close can your dragon get to the UVB? 5 inches
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Yes. DayGlo white basking 150 watts
What are the basking temps? 98-103 depending on time of day and weather
What is the cool side temp? High 70s, Low 80s
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun? Digi with Probe
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps? Middle of basking hammock
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad? No
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific. Collards, Endive, Pear, Crickets, occasional phoenix worms (when he eats)
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)? I try throughout the day, never within 3 hours before bedtime, though.
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc? I buy them canned, as live food is too much of a hassle.Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them? Yes. I use ReptiVite, although he hasn't gotten it lately because I sprinkle it on food, 2x a week, and liquid calcium everyday due to past experience with MBD
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)? Yes, strangely enough, although it's runny.
Do you bath your dragon? How often? Yup, everyday, he usually showers with me
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath? Yes, I offer him an eyedropper of water after meds and every hour for 3 hours afterward because he doesn't much like the taste of the calcium
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon? No.
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done? Yes, pinworms have been treated.
Thank you in advance for any information you can give me.
-- Jacqui
Lately I've been worried about my dragon, Reggie. He's not the same, even though he's never been a healthy beardie. When I first got him around Christmastime, he was 13'' and skinny. Now, he's 14'' and still thin, despite my efforts to fatten him. He's supposedly 10 months old, based on an estimation I made with his length back when I bought him, but he's awfully small for his age if he really is 10 months.
What worries me is that even though he has to be famished, he won't eat. He hasn't eaten in two days, yet all he ate today was two bitefuls of pear, which is all he really WILL eat.
His past health hasn't been the greatest, he had a minor amount of pinworms (which we treated with Panacur and now Reptaid) and what I believed was a respitory infection (based on the advice of a breeder I contacted). While I haven't gotten another fecal done to determine that his pinworms are officially gone (though they have to be, with his daily dosage of Reptaid), his feces have stopped being overly-smelly. But, he still coughs and sneezes on occasion. The inside of his mouth is pale. I will try to get a picture while he basks tomorrow.
The most dramatic of the changes in him is his behavior. He used to be a social beardie and "talk" to me. All beardie owners know what I mean-- facial expressions and talking through eyes and movements. He never does anymore, and I feel abandoned. He basically just lays there. He never talks anymore, and he never trys to get out to see me anymore, though I take him out regularly and he seems to enjoy it.
I just want to know what's wrong with my little man. Here's my viv info:
How old is your dragon? 10 months
How long have you had your dragon? Since Christmas 2008
How long is your dragon? 14'' (almost exactly)
What is the sex of your dragon? Male
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in? 26'' width, 36'' long, 24'' high.
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank? Ceramic Tile
Do you use UVB lights? Yes
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb? Fluorescent Tube
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)? ReptiSun 10.0
How old is your UVB bulb? About 3 months
How close can your dragon get to the UVB? 5 inches
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Yes. DayGlo white basking 150 watts
What are the basking temps? 98-103 depending on time of day and weather
What is the cool side temp? High 70s, Low 80s
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun? Digi with Probe
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps? Middle of basking hammock
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad? No
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific. Collards, Endive, Pear, Crickets, occasional phoenix worms (when he eats)
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)? I try throughout the day, never within 3 hours before bedtime, though.
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc? I buy them canned, as live food is too much of a hassle.Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them? Yes. I use ReptiVite, although he hasn't gotten it lately because I sprinkle it on food, 2x a week, and liquid calcium everyday due to past experience with MBD
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)? Yes, strangely enough, although it's runny.
Do you bath your dragon? How often? Yup, everyday, he usually showers with me
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath? Yes, I offer him an eyedropper of water after meds and every hour for 3 hours afterward because he doesn't much like the taste of the calcium
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon? No.
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done? Yes, pinworms have been treated.
Thank you in advance for any information you can give me.
-- Jacqui