Possible mouth rot or MBD help

Mahi_man

Member
Beardie name(s)
Mahi
I have had my beardie for a couple of years now but I am very worried about him. To be fully honest I have been neglecting him slightly, but still trying to feed him his greens with his vitamins and his bugs, but he just hasn't been eating. He is almost three now. I feel bad for doing this to him and tried to rehome him but I could not find any safe home. He still poops on a regular basis but will not eat his greens or any other food besides live insects. I feed him a mix of greens including kale, collards, and turnips with some fruits but recently I haven't given him them every day. Either way, even when I do put them in there he rarely eats them. It has been cold and thought maybe he was in semi brumation or something but it is now reaching the 70s, and 80s and his tank temps are in the mid-90s and up. One of his UVB lights went out recently ( I had two for good measure) but his other was fine. I was given the second one with his new tank which was also used for a beardie and figured he would do fine with that one and would be okay until I had the time/money to get a better one. However I am worried that he was not getting enough UVB I am ordering a new good one, but it won't be here for another week. I took him out of his tank today to let him roam and realized that one side of his mouth seemed to be swollen and when he breathed it would flare. I know I messed u but I need advice, no judgment, please. I did not prepare myself enough for this commitment and I understand that now, but I am trying my best.
 

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Hazel_Basil10

Sub-Adult Member
Beardie name(s)
Hazel my female two year old beardie
Hello,

It looks swollen but I cant see that well. could you maybe open his mouth and quickly take a pic? that will help a lot to determine if he has mouth rot or MBD.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I have had my beardie for a couple of years now but I am very worried about him. To be fully honest I have been neglecting him slightly, but still trying to feed him his greens with his vitamins and his bugs, but he just hasn't been eating. He is almost three now. I feel bad for doing this to him and tried to rehome him but I could not find any safe home. He still poops on a regular basis but will not eat his greens or any other food besides live insects. I feed him a mix of greens including kale, collards, and turnips with some fruits but recently I haven't given him them every day. Either way, even when I do put them in there he rarely eats them. It has been cold and thought maybe he was in semi brumation or something but it is now reaching the 70s, and 80s and his tank temps are in the mid-90s and up. One of his UVB lights went out recently ( I had two for good measure) but his other was fine. I was given the second one with his new tank which was also used for a beardie and figured he would do fine with that one and would be okay until I had the time/money to get a better one. However I am worried that he was not getting enough UVB I am ordering a new good one, but it won't be here for another week. I took him out of his tank today to let him roam and realized that one side of his mouth seemed to be swollen and when he breathed it would flare. I know I messed u but I need advice, no judgment, please. I did not prepare myself enough for this commitment and I understand that now, but I am trying my best.
What are you using for a uvb- please no coils- how big is the tank ? You only need one good uvb unless your tank is over 120 gallon
@AHBD
 

RangoRocky

Juvie Member
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Rango Rocky Balboa
My beardie wouldn’t eat greens for a while either. Here are some suggestions

1. Still put them in there… daily when you can (sometimes he might sneak and eat it like mines did)
2. Put greens in with the bugs your feeding
3. I added a few pieces of fruit and even rinsed them in apple juice
4. I started switching up the kinds of greens to see what he likes ( 1 week I did kale, next collards, then both together, and last other greens that safe like parsley, cilantro, cabbage and bak choy)
4. I puréed the greens and mixed it with organic food (I did the apple kale, apple blueberry, sweet potato, and squash) and fed it to him using a soft baby spoon or you can use a pet syringe.
5. Knowing they can go a couple of days without eating I cut back on feeding him bugs. If he gets hungry enough he should eventually eat the greens (at least mines did)
6. I purchased bee pollen to go on top of the green and he would nibble

Out of nowhere mines started eating vegetables again especially after holding out on bugs

Now I put fresh greens in every morning with bee pollen on top and per his vet for now he only gets bugs twice a week
 

Mahi_man

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Mahi
What are you using for a uvb- please no coils- how big is the tank ? You only need one good uvb unless your tank is over 120 gallon
@AHBD
It's not a coil but I'm not sure what it is. his tank is Abt 6ft long 2 ft wide and 3 ft tall. I'm about to order a new UVB so any suggestions would be appreciated
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
It's not a coil but I'm not sure what it is. his tank is Abt 6ft long 2 ft wide and 3 ft tall. I'm about to order a new UVB so any suggestions would be appreciated
Please get a Arcadia pro T 5 w a 14% bulb-- since the tank is so tall that would be best- check www.pangeareptiles.com under uvb lights - I would get a 36" fixture you want a uvb at least half the length but not full length- the uvb should be inside the tank w/ a distance of 17-18 inches directly above his basking decor
 

Mahi_man

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Mahi
Hello,

It looks swollen but I cant see that well. could you maybe open his mouth and quickly take a pic? that will help a lot to determine if he has mouth rot or MBD.
I tried a few times to get pics but he was not happy about it. This is the best u could get without being super forceful, also some updated pictures of the exterior.
The black squiggle in the one pic was fuzz in my camera
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I tried a few times to get pics but he was not happy about it. This is the best u could get without being super forceful, also some updated pictures of the exterior.
The black squiggle in the one pic was fuzz in my camera
It looks like some dirt -- his gums look good
 

Mahi_man

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Mahi
It looks like some dirt -- his gums look good
Any idea what's causing the swelling then?
I noticed it about a week after he had some live crickets. my store was out for a little bit before then so he had some dubias for a while before I got more. But his most recent live bugs were crickets from a different store then I normally get them, we've gotten some from there before but not often. I don't know if that has anything to do with it but figured I would add
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
I'm not sure if there's swelling, is he puffing out when he breathes ? Because that can make it look like the lip area is puckering outward. I noticed that your heat wasn't high enough at first so that could cause the beginning of an R.I.
What are you using now to heat the huge enclosure ?
 

Mahi_man

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Mahi
I'm not sure if there's swelling, is he puffing out when he breathes ? Because that can make it look like the lip area is puckering outward. I noticed that your heat wasn't high enough at first so that could cause the beginning of an R.I.
What are you using now to heat the huge enclosure ?
I use two CHEs and a halogen for basking. Normally keeps his tanks in high 90s/ low 100s in the summer, I can add another CHE if necessary because right now his temps are lower since it's cold and the top is screen. He does seem to breathe with his mouth open a little but not alot. When he breathes sometimes his lips flare out.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
yeah so that lip flaring out is probably a light respiratory infection. If the temps. fluctuate from the weather and it's colder in your house you 100 % have to add more heat. The basking spot should be 100 all the time, ambient temps. should be from 78-90 through the rest of the enclosure.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

How is his lip looking? Have you tried raw honey on the area to help for any raw areas?
As AHBD suggested, temperatures for basking & overall ambient readings in the tank are
very important for keeping their health optimal.
I hope he is feeling better soon!

Tracie
 

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