So, I just got a rescue...

[Pond]

I just got a rescue bearded dragon, I have an enclosure ready for them but I'm currently quarantining them. The guy who I bought them from wouldn't give me much information, not even its sex or age (I think it's a girl though). I'm mainly worried about three things, it's missing all its scales around both its eyes; which I might be wrong but I think means it has some type of vitamin deficiency. It's missing scales under their belly, and not just a few, near their back legs there is at least an entire half an inch of missing scales, I'm not sure if it is their marking but also some of the scales are a bit darker than the rest. And they have metabolic bones diseases, which was the only problem I knew of; but at the one point where their spine has a kink in it, there is a patch of exposed skin that almost looks like a healing burn. I just want to know what the best course of action may be, and perhaps get a tad bit of advice seeing as this is my first bearded dragon. By the way, they are an older bearded dragon.

 

[KarrieRee]

I just got a rescue bearded dragon, I have an enclosure ready for them but I'm currently quarantining them. The guy who I bought them from wouldn't give me much information, not even its sex or age (I think it's a girl though). I'm mainly worried about three things, it's missing all its scales around both its eyes; which I might be wrong but I think means it has some type of vitamin deficiency. It's missing scales under their belly, and not just a few, near their back legs there is at least an entire half an inch of missing scales, I'm not sure if it is their marking but also some of the scales are a bit darker than the rest. And they have metabolic bones diseases, which was the only problem I knew of; but at the one point where their spine has a kink in it, there is a patch of exposed skin that almost looks like a healing burn. I just want to know what the best course of action may be, and perhaps get a tad bit of advice seeing as this is my first bearded dragon. By the way, they are an older bearded dragon.

Post a pic of the dragon please and we can sex the dragon as well-- next the MOST important thing for a dragon w/ mbd- is a good uvb- No coils- I can post links to good uvb's- surface basking temps need to be taken w/ a digital probe thermometer- 95-100-

 

[Pond]

Post a pic of the dragon please and we can sex the dragon as well-- next the MOST important thing for a dragon w/ mbd- is a good uvb- No coils- I can post links to good uvb's- surface basking temps need to be taken w/ a digital probe thermometer- 95-100-

I am so sorry it took me so long to reply, I have been pretty busy and haven't gotten a chance to look on here. Paul already has a basking bulb and UVB, his UVB is a Reptisun. There basking temp is normally around 98-107 I have been bathing him in a diluted bath of Betadine, roughly 20% betadine and 80% water, I'm not sure how long it takes to heal, but it seems to have improved slightly, and they have become a lot more active, so I decided to move him out of quarantine. His enclosure is bioactive, it has springtails, isopods, and super worms in the substrate. I will post some pictures of Paul and their enclosure for you, and just so no one is worried all of his plants are edible, its sage, rosemary, mint, elephant feed, and aloe. Most of the pictures I took right after spraying their enclosure, so I'm sorry if it looks a bit damp.

 

[KarrieRee]

I am so sorry it took me so long to reply, I have been pretty busy and haven't gotten a chance to look on here. Paul already has a basking bulb and UVB, his UVB is a Reptisun. There basking temp is normally around 98-107 I have been bathing him in a diluted bath of Betadine, roughly 20% betadine and 80% water, I'm not sure how long it takes to heal, but it seems to have improved slightly, and they have become a lot more active, so I decided to move him out of quarantine. His enclosure is bioactive, it has springtails, isopods, and super worms in the substrate. I will post some pictures of Paul and their enclosure for you, and just so no one is worried all of his plants are edible, its sage, rosemary, mint, elephant feed, and aloe. Most of the pictures I took right after spraying their enclosure, so I'm sorry if it looks a bit damp.

What is the uvb bulb a T 5 or T 8 and your screen on the tank is it a fine mesh or a wide hole type?

 

[Pond]

What is the uvb bulb a T 5 or T 8 and your screen on the tank is it a fine mesh or a wide hole type?

I believe it is a T 5, and the screen is a fine mesh, it's an Exo Terra.

 

[KarrieRee]

I believe it is a T 5, and the screen is a fine mesh, it's an Exo Terra.

Ok so please get it unobstructed -- the screen mesh is blocking 30% of the rays and I would change the bulb out to a Reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb--- they are a better bulb -- you want the distance 12-15 inches directly above him --

 

[Pond]

Alright, I can probably change the mesh out for something more open. I don't want to bother you, but should I be worried about the missing scales around their eyes?

 

[KarrieRee]

Alright, I can probably change the mesh out for something more open. I don't want to bother you, but should I be worried about the missing scales around their eyes?

It looks like theres a lot of shed going on -- did you want the dragon sexed? If so please post a pic of the vent tail in air and have the dragon placed on a table so they are flat --I am going to flag AHBD and have her take a look at the dragon
@AHBD

 

[AHBD]

Paul looks good in some ways but does have some skin/scale issues. It would be good to put some raw honey or silver sulfadiazene cream on the areas of concern and then put him on a paper towel or non adhesive shelf liner flooring instead of the bioactive for now until his stomach area gets better.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I agree, overall he looks to be in good physical condition but does have some scale issues. Using
raw honey or silver cream would be helpful but you will need to keep him clean for awhile.
As AHBD suggested, for now use a solid particulate for flooring until things clear up some.
How is his appetite doing?

Tracie

 

[Pond]

I'm moving her back into her quarantine tank today. She has a very strong food response, I have been mostly feeding her a mix of veggies: collard greens, sugar snap peas (her favorite), different types of lettuce, and peppers with the occasional dubias maybe 2-3 times a week. I have also seen her digging around in the bioactive enclosure to find the super worms I mixed in with the substrate. She will pretty much eat anything if I put it in her food bowl. I looked up how to sex a bearded dragon a little bit ago, Paul is a girl.

 

[AHBD]

O.K, see how she does in the quarantine tank with non particle substrate. It's good that her appetite is strong, that's always a positive sign.

 

[xp29]

I'm moving her back into her quarantine tank today. She has a very strong food response, I have been mostly feeding her a mix of veggies: collard greens, sugar snap peas (her favorite), different types of lettuce, and peppers with the occasional dubias maybe 2-3 times a week. I have also seen her digging around in the bioactive enclosure to find the super worms I mixed in with the substrate. She will pretty much eat anything if I put it in her food bowl. I looked up how to sex a bearded dragon a little bit ago, Paul is a girl.

Zen was Pandora when we first got her ... errr i mean him lol.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh Paul is a girl, well at least you know now! That's great she has a good appetite then, it sounds
like she should recover nicely for you.
Keep us posted on her progress.

Tracie

 

[Pond]

Bit of an update. Paul started shedding about a week or two ago, she isn't 100% done shedding yet but she has shed most of her belly scales and beard. And all the scale rot/ fungal infection seems to be completely gone since she has shed. the little marks under her chin have also started going away. She still has some missing scales around her eyes, but they seem to be improving greatly. I have moved her back into her bioactive setup and she looks quite happy and healthy. She was out of her cage long enough that a lot of the super worms in her enclosure's substrate have become beetles and she loves chasing them when they emerge from the substrate. I'll send some photos once she has gotten all the shed off.