recovering from impaction?

[sarahreezy]

My beardie is about 12" long he had impaction from a combination of things I just recently discovered: walnut shell substrate, too large of crickets , n his temp wasnt high enough. He was just hanging on near death so I researched after 3 days of not passing nor eating. I got a higher watt bulb put a terranium heat pad under his substrate changed his water to pedialyte n started feeding him as much virgin olive oil with a little bit of squash n prunes babyfood with a syringe from the pet store I bathed him every other hr I wasnt at work for 20+ min intervals he was in bad shape~ luckily he passed something that was half the size of his tummy about day 6 or 7 I rejoiced but continued to feed him oil n babyfood squash cuz I could still feel more in there sure enough he passed another about half size of the first but still larger than what could be comfortable~ Anyhow he is clear now and im altering babyfood n finely cut veggies BUT he Still has a lump in his spine which seems like a kink What do I do? Is it something to be concerned about? Is he not safe yet? Or will it permanently be there? PLEASE help me help him I'm new to beardies n I do not want him to suffer anymore then he has already. Sarah n Rocky

 

[NightFury]

hello,

Is it possible that you could post a photo of this lump?

Have you tried giving him baths with gentle circular tummy rubs to get things moving?

Did you remove the walnut bedding? What substrate do you use now?

Give me a rundown of your setup and what you're feeding him now (insect wise) and the size of them.

At this point I would seriously recommend you take him to a vet, a really bad impaction can cause paralysis of their back legs and can very well become fatal.

-Shilo

 

[sarahreezy]

I did all of it n he passed everything now he is recovering ive been feeding him babyfood n barheing him still gently massaging his tummy after he eats n tiday was his first da UT he had mooshed up squash n carrats finely shredded n mooshed with a syringe full of babyfood cuz he was really hungry he is active and has full use of his legs n is moving without hesitation I did feed him a single cricket no bigger than the width of his eyes because he was on the hunt searching for some for his second serving of the day served with a syringe full of babyfood n a bath followed by his basking spot but yet he still has that lump in his spine which is what im asking about~ also what should I use for flooring in histank? I still need to remove the walnut shell but I dont know what to replace it with so I have just been careful not to feed him in his feeding cage until I swap it out

 

[sarahreezy]

Alsi I dont know how to upload a photo I tried to figure it out when I first postef

 

[NightFury]

Please remove the walnut bedding right away, it is better for him to go with the bare tank floor than that. He could still ingest the shells when you are not around. I would like to see a photo of this lump? Are you able to do so? Have you considered a vet visit? He needs to see one in regards to the lump. I like Tile the most for flooring, you can buy adhesive tile at like home depot. You can also use paper towels as well. Be careful with the carrots, they are very high in vitamin A and should be used sparingly. What all are you giving him? Are you using any supplements? What are your temps and bulbs?

-Shilo

 

[NightFury]

Alsi I dont know how to upload a photo I tried to figure it out when I first postef

Do you have a photobucket.com account? Sign up then upload the photos to your library you want to show us on photobucket.
Click the gear in the corner of the photo on photobucket and click get links
Click on the IMG code to copy it
When posting a reply on the forum, click the Img button above the text box and paste between the two image tags ----->

 

[daner923]

For the time being, the best thing to replace the walnut shell is just paper towel. Easy enough, right? I'm worried that you said she has a kink in her back. That is often a sign of MBD. What kind of UVB light are you providing?

 

[sarahreezy]

Omg I thought I had purchased a UVB ! but reading the box it isn't ! It
is just a daylight heat lamp:-( I also just purchased a 150w infrared basking spot bulb n according to the thermometer his tsnk is 90° at the base n he has his flat river bed rocks nice n toasty just below his his perch for his basking spot that he loves to lay on after a meal. So I will go immediately another lamp with the right bulb n pray it helps before all this the store vet had just seen him n said he was the healthiest dragon at his age he had seen outside the store. Im pretty meticulous about making sure my animals are healthy n happy but unfortunately im an uneducated about lizards other than what I have researched. See he is my boyfriends 7 yr old daughter n he was about 3in when they had him n just slapped him in a tank that came with the necessary terrarium supposedly n just fed him crickets which he never seemed interested in so I took it upon myself to try to give him what he needs n started researching, see I believe a person needs to get educated about the animal before considering on having one as a pet so I have been doing the best I can to get educated so this animal doesnt suffer now Im attached so any advice is helpful n appreciated thsnk you

 

[daner923]

OKay, you need to get a ReptiSun 10.0 tube UVB and mount it inside the tank. You can do this with an under cabinet fixture and 3M command hooks. What size tank is he in? If he is not in a 40 gallon yet, he will need to be soon at 12 inches. He also needs a bright white basking light, not infrared. They really thrive in bright white light, and it will protect his eyes from the UVB bulb since it will dilate his pupils. As long as you are fixing things, will you answer these questions (I know we have already addressed some, but just run down the list)? That way, I can make any other suggestions of things that need to be fixed.

How old is your dragon?
How long have you had your dragon?
How long is your dragon?
What is the sex of your dragon?
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Do you use UVB lights?
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb?
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)?
How old is your UVB bulb?
How close can your dragon get to the UVB?
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Is it a white or colored bulb?
Di you have any type of night time heat source (ceramic heat emitter, colored bulb, etc)?
How long are lights on each day?
What are the basking temps?
What is the cool side temp?
What is the night time temp?
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them?
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?
Do you bathe your dragon? How often?
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?

 

[sarahreezy]

Omg I am so heart broke he has mbd n it is quickly progressing right before my eyes n I am trying everything suggested the lump in his back is a deformity cause of mbd n having impaction n now im seeing it in his feet toes fore arms n now hisveyes n jaw~ I followed your suggestions n I purchased a repti glo 10.0 uvb bulb n now his eyes are dialated so I looked n realize that all he had was a 100w daytime heat lamp n 150 w infared basking spot light in a 40 gallon tank I believe he purchased him in may our June and he is about 12in long I also starting gut loading his crickets n shake n bakin them with calcium powder now I y think I should probably just go get the liquid n am about to leave to get a brite white basking light but what wattage? N I normally feed him a veg combo of different squash greenbeans n carrots but I cut the carrots out of his diet what kindve veggies would be best in this circumstance? I almost want to put him down cuz I cant watch him suffer this is perfect example of why you never buy a pet u are not educated about cuz now that poor animal is suffering n my heart is breaking o n ifed himsome bites for bearded dragons all in one with vitamins minerals & animo acids soft moist

 

[daner923]

Actually, I suggested the ReptiSUN 10.0 - the reptiglo isn't really going to help. If you can, return that and get the ReptiSun. He is very small for his age. Try to slow down for a minute and answer the questions in order - it will be much easier to give you specific advice on those. You should feed collard, dandelion, or mustard greens with the squash. All that matters for basking lights is bright white and appropriate temps - it should be about 105F on the basking spot, measured with a digital thermometer with probe or a temp gun. He may also need a bath, in case he is a bit dehydrated. If it is really bad with the shaking or loss of mobility, you should get him to a vet. They can give him a calcium shot and help you figure out how to treat him.

But please answer all of the questions in order, and don't feel ashamed if you're doing something wrong - lots of people are misinformed about pets, even pet store salespeople.

 

[NightFury]

We are here to help you, please do not get discouraged. MBD is reversible as long as you begin giving the proper treatment. Just be patient and answer all the questions dear, you will learn and get through this. We were all new at this once after all.