underweight bearded dragon help

[AyannaReptiles]

I recently adopted a bearded dragon who hasn't had great care in the past and im trying to get him healthy. He is diagnosed with gout about 18.5 inches long and 375 grams.

He has a 75 gallon tank
Repti carpet i ordered , right now on paper towel but
A basking spot at 91 degrees currently
A uvb bulb that is a long stip 15 watt 10.0 repti sun
He has a water bowl I change everyday and fed everyday
Turnip greens, or collard greens, dandelion greens rotated, bell peppers. Tomatoes. Parsnips, green beans, mango, different types of berries on various days.
He gets calcium 4 times a week
And vitamins once a week

Any help is greatly appreciated, I'm just scared his life will be shorter if he dosent have the correct help and guidance

 

[Claudiusx]

Hi there,

So he was diagnosed with gout? What were his blood levels?

How long have you had him now?

He doesn't look too bad in the pictures. What does he weigh? You'll want to keep track of it to make sure he isn't losing weight, or gaining too quick.

The goal should be good health, not gaining weight as quick as possible, so keep that in mind
What feeders does he get?

-Brandon

 

[AyannaReptiles]

In the post he weighs 375 grams , he gets cricket's, Dubia mainly and superworms hornworms and wax worms occasionally as treats only

 

[KarrieRee]

Your tank set up sounds good but could use a little tweeking -- the UVB is a T 8 ? Needs to go inside the tank approx 8-10 inches from basking decor w/ NO plastic cover over the bulb --- bulb needs to be open or exposed - the screen is blocking 30% of the UVB rays --- and the basking temps need to be 95-110 w/ the probe needing to be set on the spot where he basks - I would offer him a heat gradient and that would need to be a piece of decor that has different places for him to sit stand and lay on --- he does look a little thin but w/ the diet your feeding him w/ the salads is good - what are you feeding for a staple protein ? crickets dubia roaches ? He needs these 2-3 times per week -- I also would take out those huge dishes -- does he drink from the water bowl -- they are taking up alot of floor space and he could use the floor space you can get a smaller glass or ceramic dish for his food -- I would start feeding him some worms a long w / the salads etc.. silk worms horn worms super worms meal worms - butter worms -- all of those are good treats -- is he eating good for you? The balanced diet will put some weight on him -- if you need help to order the bugs / worms etc let me know I will post some websites for you --- but it looks like your off to a great start --- we get a lot of people on here rescuing dragons
Karrie

 

[AyannaReptiles]

The uvb is a t8 and I will immediately take the cover off of it right now, I take all the bowls out after he eats and and wash them all and set them in the kitchen for the next days meal ,I feed him cricket's, Dubai as staple and superworm ,waxworm, hornworms occasionally as treats and ive seen him dip his head in a couple times as well as soak so I try to clean it regularly, the tank also dosent have a screen as i dont ahve any dangerous things in the house such as cats and dogs ,ive also never seen him get so high to get out

 

[KarrieRee]

So there is no screen on the tank ? That is good you want your basking decor piece 8-10 inches from the UVB --- and it sounds like you got it good then -- just remember to change out your UVB in 6 months from when you installed it --- keep track of his weight like Brandon mentioned and he should thrive w/ the correct basking temps and your UVB and his diet
Karrie

 

[AyannaReptiles]

I've noticed he's been very picky with eating as to why I suspect he has gout from the protein overload from his previous owner

 

[Claudiusx]

Being a picky eater isnt a sign of gout. It's just a sign of having a normal bearded dragon lol.

Symptoms of gout would be swelling in the limbs and pain when using them.

Sorry idk how I missed the weight in the first post. At 18 inches and near 400g he isnt underweight. That is a decent and normal weight for a dragon that size. He also looks good too.

So it sounds like you have a normal healthy beardie on your hands to me. Keep up the daily salads and offer him bugs a few times a week and he will be fine

-Brandon

 

[AyannaReptiles]

I wasn't saying he has gout cause that haha ,but I have paperwork of his diagnosis of gout and he's about 2 and a half years old

 

[Claudiusx]

Oh ok, that's what I was asking for earlier, if you had the bloodwork. Did the vet prescribe Allopurinol then?

The joints really dont look bad so that's good

-Brandon

 

[AyannaReptiles]

I didn't take him to the vet I got him from the humaine society probably 3 weeks ago I contacted the vet tho and were trying to get the records in my name

 

[Claudiusx]

Ah I see. It would definitely be a good idea to get ahold of those records so that you know how to care for your dragon the best way possible. If he has gout you will want to modify his diet a bit. But if not, then you dont need to of course.

But really, he is looking good right now

-Brandon