Sick Beardie Please Help!

[Zinnia1027]

My bearded dragon (4 months old) will not eat and is very lethargic. Her right eye is very dry swollen too. She closes her right eye and half closes her left eye. Shes been driking a lot of water too. The scales on her the upper part of her tail and legs are soft and comming off. She flinches when I touch them. I think this is the same with the sides of her back but I am not sure. She is housed with another female beardedd dragon that is 4 months old too. I can post pictures if you think they will be helpful.

 

[CooperDragon]

Photos would be helpful. It's possible that the other dragon is dominating and causing stress. What kind of lights do you have in the enclosure?

 

[Zinnia1027]

I use zoo med 150 watt basking light, expo terr repti glo 10.0 uvb, and zoo med nocturnal infared heat lamp (red). Updates: Her eye is almost closed but she can still see out of it and her front legs are twitching and making jerky movements too. The only thing she's been eating is applesauce. Link to pictures: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wlQ-bqGgwcFkG5iGWRZwqH-EhZtZOEur7yx_if4uL18/edit?usp=sharing

 

[CooperDragon]

Based on the photos it looks like maybe some shed coming off at the tail. She does look a bit frail. I would try offering some syringes of squash baby food or some turkey/chicken baby food and see if she'll eat that. Try to get her hydrated if you can. I would turn the coil UVB off for now and try replacing it with a tube style fixture (reflective fixture with a ReptiSun 10.0 would probably be your best option for now. Based on my testing, the ReptiGlo gives off a very intense but narrow band of UV rays which could cause problems. If it's warm out, try brining her outside for some natural sunlight and see if that helps perk her up a bit as well.

 

[Zinnia1027]

Ok sounds good, but I dont hve a screen to put the tube UVB on, are there any other options for lights?

 

[CooperDragon]

There are a few different options. If you use a T8 fixture and bulb, you could mount it to the inside wall using command hooks. I have a T5 (higher output) fixture and bulb that is the length of the tank so I can just rest it on top. Some fixtures also have hooks so you can hang them from the ceiling or an arm coming from the wall. What are the dimensions of your tank?

 

[Zinnia1027]

The dimensions of that tank are 48" x 13" x 21" I think it's a 55 gallon tank. Updates: She is eating the baby food and is very active but still a little weak.

 

[CooperDragon]

It's good that she's taking some of the baby food. With a 48'' tank I'd probably go with a 22'' or 34'' UVB light. Something like this http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/34t5hofihouw3.html With a 21'' height, I'd mount it without any mesh top in the way to ensure enough output.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

It sounds like she likes the baby food then, that is good news. I hope she starts feeling better soon.
Be sure to keep her tank around 80 overnight to help boost her immune system since she isn't feeling well.
Definitely try to get the new UVB light mounted without mesh or screen. The 55 gallon tank is pretty good sized for her also.
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie