Rescuing Simon

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Congratulations on taking in Simon, amazingly he looks pretty good! We are all here to help
out to be sure your setup is all correct for him.
Bless him, no UVB or heating, that is rough for him. I'm sure that he will do great once he has
the proper setup.
Let us know how he is doing & post more pictures once you have everything arranged.

Tracie
 

clyde612

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Clyde
What uvb did you get? You want it placed and distanced correct for best uvb effects- that's going to depend on your screen
I’m going to figure out placement in the morning. I got a T5 HO 24 inches with a 5.0 UVB bulb. I also have a 10.0 UVB bulb that I can put into the reflective hood if I need. It’s only a 40 gal tank.
 

clyde612

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Clyde
Simon Update !!!!!

I picked him up this evening. The tank was disgusting. LOADS of dead crickets. NO lights at all. His 160 watt basking bulb and fixture were broken (who needs 160w??). He was just cold in his tank :( so cold when I picked him up. Luckily it’s SoCal so it’s warm outside/inside. He was very scared and puffing his beard I was actually concerned he might bite me but he didn’t. I spent the whole evening scrubbing out that gross tank. I thought the fixture would work and I have spare bulbs but it doesn’t, so I’ll need to go buy one first thing tomorrow when the reptile store opens. His UVB is on top of the mesh for now and on a timer. I’m sure he has some MBD but I don’t see any deformation besides his tail being “squiggly.” He also seems to have tail rot. I’m taking him to the vet monday. The base of his tail is skinny and the middle of the tail (at the base) is caving in a little. Here are some photos.
 

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clyde612

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Clyde
It’s been a long day! Thought I should post a photo of the setup though. Did some electrical work and got the basking light figure working! He’s sleeping in the most hilarious position too lol.

Looking at my last post it’s hard to see what I meant by “squiggly” so I attached a couple more photos of his tail. Tail damage is definitely a top concern.

Please let me know if the net is okay. I think he will be able to get up there just fine but I’m realizing that I need to minimize the risk or any falling/injury since his bones might be weak. Doing more MBD research now.
 

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xp29

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Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
Oh thank heavens you got this poor little guy. Good news i don't believe thats tail rot, it looks like tail nip to me. As long as blood flow isn't restricted it will be ok. I have had a couple dragons with the same looking tail. Your are likely right about the MBD though, good lights and calcium and vitamins will be top concern im guessing.
WELCOME SIMON!!!!
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Uf the screen is a fine mesh he needs the uvb unobstructed 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor
 

clyde612

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Clyde
Simon’s mobility is good! This morning he basked, ate some roaches, tried his salad, explored the cool side, and then went back to basking. He seems fairly agile and also very curious. He’s definitely going through some relocation stress but having lights is making him happy. Switched from a 100w basking bulb to a 75w because it was getting too hot. Sad to think he had a 160w at some point… WAY too hot.
 

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clyde612

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Clyde
Uf the screen is a fine mesh he needs the uvb unobstructed 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor
Th screen is mesh, I would say semi-fine. I’ll send a photo. Could I possibly switch to the 10.0 UVB (5.0 UVB right now) instead of mounting on the inside? I know mesh filters out a % of UVB so if I just increase the level of UVB would it be okay? Here is a photo of the mesh and setup.
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Th screen is mesh, I would say semi-fine. I’ll send a photo. Could I possibly switch to the 10.0 UVB (5.0 UVB right now) instead of mounting on the inside? I know mesh filters out a % of UVB so if I just increase the level of UVB would it be okay? Here is a photo of the mesh and setup.
Its a wide hole screen you can keep it on top but it must be the 10.0 bulb or 12% bulb from Arcadia - get a piece of basking decor directly under the uvb 8-10 inches- he looks good
 

clyde612

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Clyde
Okay @KarrieRee I’ll put the 10.0 in.

Does anyone else have an opinion on his tail? I’m assuming the bends are from MBD. But the end does look quite damaged and the second half is dark. What about the “caving in” at the base of his tail, what would that be from?
C7B0A0D8-B5EB-44B8-BF85-8DFDCD15C305.jpeg

^^^ hard to see but along his spine where tail starts is concave or caving in.

0551BE8C-B7D3-43F9-8430-200680BD8335.jpeg

^^^ half of tail is dark. could just be stress but i’m worried about tail rot.

6C44506C-2A85-4693-952E-D9AB69A12596.jpeg

^^^ damage at tip of tail. this last piece is really barely holding on. he had many free-roaming crickets in his tank previously so it could be bites from that. or maybe he had stuck shed when he was younger. could it be tail rot though?
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Okay @KarrieRee I’ll put the 10.0 in.

Does anyone else have an opinion on his tail? I’m assuming the bends are from MBD. But the end does look quite damaged and the second half is dark. What about the “caving in” at the base of his tail, what would that be from?
View attachment 72348
^^^ hard to see but along his spine where tail starts is concave or caving in.

View attachment 72350
^^^ half of tail is dark. could just be stress but i’m worried about tail rot.

View attachment 72349
^^^ damage at tip of tail. this last piece is really barely holding on. he had many free-roaming crickets in his tank previously so it could be bites from that. or maybe he had stuck shed when he was younger. could it be tail rot though?
Let's have ahbd take a look at it
@AHBD
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
It just looks like a crimp from some injury, like you said maybe the lid closed on it or something. The tail is shedding unevenly but since it also has the kinks + damaged area you might go ahead and soak it for 10 minutes a day in a warm mix consisting of 1 part betadine to 10 parts water. Doesn't look infected or like rot, but definitely just keep an eye on it. You can also apply Neosporin [ NOT the pain relief type ] that will help it shed and kill bacteria at the same time.
 

clyde612

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Clyde
I want to hang this mini dehumidifier in his tank to keep humidity down. Would that be okay to do? Any better suggestions? Current reading is 54% which could be alright but considering all his health concerns I want to make things as safe as possible for him. He’s opened his mouth at be a couple times (he’s a little feisty) and I think I heard him wheeze twice :/ he’s not coughing or anything but the fact that his tank was cold before means his respiratory system could be at risk.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I want to hang this mini dehumidifier in his tank to keep humidity down. Would that be okay to do? Any better suggestions? Current reading is 54% which could be alright but considering all his health concerns I want to make things as safe as possible for him. He’s opened his mouth at be a couple times (he’s a little feisty) and I think I heard him wheeze twice :/ he’s not coughing or anything but the fact that his tank was cold before means his respiratory system could be at risk.
Dragons are pretty hardy and 54% humidity is good - optimal is 40-50% nothing under 20 or over 70%
 

clyde612

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Clyde
Good to hear about humidity thank you. New issue is I don’t think my 10.0 UVB is working properly. The 5.0 is brighter.

Low exposure in both these photos so you can see the issue.

999B1937-6EEF-4CEA-BE98-F0045C4B0A58.jpeg

^ 5.0 UVB working well.

AFA0A4E9-4BCC-4693-AC27-7DB59F096253.jpeg

^ 10.0 UVB seems “dead” in the center. The center also has kind of a wavy flicker..
 

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