Unresponsive Beardie

[sherimueller]

I opened it completely- so there aren't any panes to stop the sunlight . She's just laying there with her head down and her eyes closed in the sunlight/lamplight. I hope she can make it!

 

[ArdorAndZeal1]

I hope she does well for you. Keep us posted.

As for the sunlight thru the window, the UV light won't penetrate the glass.

ya that is really important thing to note.
-
KEEP UP THE LOVE

 

[zebedeepink]

Seems to me the smaller one could be stressed out by the bigger one. Beardies generally shouldn't be kept together as you will get dominance issues. She probably feels threatened by the bigger one. It would be better if you could separate them. Good luck

 

[sherimueller]

I took her outside to sit in the direct sunlight for about 30 minutes (holding her to keep her warm, so she didn't get cold). She opened her eyes and even tried to run around a bit! I also have been giving her the Repta-aid every day, and I think that's helping a lot. If she was stressed by the other beardie, how would I know? She crawls around on him, and doesn't seem bothered by him. Before she got sick, she used to eat with him right there and she didn't seem to mind. They are just little babies, so I don't think domination is an issue, but I don't know.

I've been trying to find a better light for them. My friends already have two beautiful healthy beardies, so they actually picked out the light (which is why I had no idea what the brand was). I'm afraid it might be Reti-Glo and that she's not getting the UVB she needs.

Thanks for all your help and advise, I'll keep you posted! She's not remarkably better, but she's stopped getting worse, I think. I'm still hoping!

 

[LJean]

Always keep hoping.

With them so small it's hard to bring them outside, isn't it? Maybe you could use a large rubbermaid type container. That way she will get to run around a bit without taking off.

 

[LJean]

I opened it completely- so there aren't any panes to stop the sunlight . She's just laying there with her head down and her eyes closed in the sunlight/lamplight. I hope she can make it!

Glad to hear it. Some people don't know about the glass blocking the uv or hadn't thought about it at the time. That is why I try to mention it. :wink:

 

[sherimueller]

Sadly, in spite of all my care and extra precautions, Shiloh didn't make it through the day yesterday. I asked my husband to check on her one last time before we went to bed, and he found she had crawled back behind her food dish and died. It was really sad, we held a little funeral for her. A friend of mine says they are tricky so young (she was less than a month old). Our other Beardie, Dudza, is doing wonderfully, though. He's really fat, energetic, and alert. I just hope that he'll be fine. I have the Repta-Aid if he ever gets stressed or anything, but he seems to be developing well. He eats a little of the baby food (veggies) I got for him as well as about 5 crickets every day. He's just basking in the shaft of direct sunlight I opened up for him.

Is it bad to have a single beardie, or do they like to be together? I've heard two different opinions on the subject.

Thank you all for your advise and help! I'm sorry it didn't work out better. I had high hopes that she was getting a little better, but she just didn't make it.

 

[bmb527]

Sorry to hear about the little one dying. As for living alone, most here say that it is best. I say as long as they have a constant food source, having young ones together is OK. Just make sure they have separate homes when they get bigger, or you just might have many beardies to feed. That would be a bad thing if the original 2 were brother/sister! Since you have 1 for now, just stick with that, buy a book or 2 on beardies, "the Bearded Dragon Encyclopedia" is a great book by knowledgeable authors. Also, there is a wealth of info here, but, no one/ book has all the answers. Every animal is different and what works for one may not work for your situation. Hope things go better with your remaining dragon.
Bill

 

[vickson420]

Hi
I am sorry for your loss.It is a real shame but I know you tried.
I want to point out something I noticed in your post.You said your other beardie is only eating 5 crix a day?Is he ill also?He should be eating about 10xthat amount on a daily basis.What size crix are you feeding?Babies should be able to eat as many crix as they want for 15 minutes 3xper day which is usually upwards near 50 if they are appropriayely sized.As for the cohousing please dont do it.Trust me when I say most of the time it ends badly.I have 2 resuces that were housed together from hatchlings and were sold as a M/F combo well sadly both were males and right before I rescued them one bit the others tail completely off.Apophis also has suffered from MBD and had some fractured ribs all because of cohousing and all of this happened before they were a year old.Yes there is a chance with a F/F combo you can house together but to me its no even worth attempting.Your beardie will be fine on his own and should you ever feel the need to get another then my best advice to you is get another tank to go with it. :wink:

 

[K9KidsLove]

Hi...Sorry your baby didn't make it.
Just wanted to check that you got a new UVB for your other kid. You will probably have to order online. I know our PetSmart doesn't carry any that are correct. The best price seems to be at Petmountain.com at about $20. That would be the ReptSun 10 long fluorescent tube...no coils or compacts and no ReptiGlo 10.
Also, did you get a temp gun or a digital thermometer with a probe at the end of a wire? Walmart has the probe one for $12...AccuRite.
Let us know how he is doing.
Good luck
Patsy

 

[sherimueller]

I have read that they eat a ton more crickets than my little guy does, but keep in mind that this guy is TINY. He's less than a month old, so 5 crickets actually makes me feel I'm over feeding him. The crickets are large, too (smaller than the space between his eyes, but big enough that I wonder how he eats 5 crickets). My neighbor's beardies eat about that much, and they are still babies, but they are more than three times his size. Does that make sense? It seems like 5 is a lot for him being this small, but if it's wrong, please let me know! He eats as much as he wants, and he's pretty round/fat. His entire body would fit inside a post-it note square with maybe an inch of tail poking out.

I've been looking for a better UV light, but haven't found anything at the local stores. They only have Repti-Glo. Thanks for the great tip- I'll see if I can order it right away!

 

[zebedeepink]

I got George when she was around 5 weeks old and 5" total in length. She never ate anywhere near 50-100 crix a day - her record was around 35 over 3 feedings. The crickets were very small though as I couldn't bear the bigger creepier ones Maybe 5 of the larger ones is equivalent of 15 or so little ones. Have you tried silkworms or phoenix worms? They are both very good staples and most beardies seem to love them. As long as your beardie looks healthy and is eating regularly and pooping I wouldn't worry too much. Saying that though, a good UVB should drastically increase his appetite

 

[K9KidsLove]

Hi...It is vitally important that you have the right UVB and the right basking temp or he won't thrive. You can order the ReptiSun 10 from Petmountain.com for $20. Once he has the proper heat & light his appetite will most likely pick up.
Your dragon should be eating at least 15-25 small crickets twice a day. And he should be offered small pieces of collard, dandelion, turnip, or mustard greens daily.
Also, make sure to bathe him for 20 minutes 2 or 3 times a week in warm water to his armpits to keep him hydrated.
Good luck
Patsy