URGENT! Beardie not eating/hasn't eaten in over 3 months

[beerbower32]

HELP! I'm very new to bearded dragons and just got mine a couple of days ago. The person I got him from severely neglected him. He didn't have a infared heat lamp for night time for over 3 months, apparently hasn't eaten in 3 months either. He was never taken out of his tank either. He moves around but not much. He is about 10 inches long from head to talk but I'm not sure how old he is. He is a 20 gallon tank(it's what he came with) I plan on buying him a completely new tank and setup tomorrow. I bought the infared heat lamp yesterday and have been turning it on at night. I also bought some meal worms for him thinking that after he got the proper amount of heat and light for a day or so he might start eating but he hasn't and I'm really worried because he's really skinny and still won't eat any of the meal worms. I need advice please.

 

[ChristinaMike]

If it was me, I would be going to ceritified reptile vet immediately to see if they can feed/hydrate and test. Once that was taken care of, then I would move on to setup. Not sure what you are referring to for infrared heat at night as I don't have anything at night on.

 

[AHBD]

Oh boy, he's highly critical, poor thing. It's nice that you're trying to help him. A certified reptile vet [ not just an exotics ] could help him but if you don't have one nearby then all you can do is start out with making slurries with healthy food like turnip, mustard, collard greens and mostly water. A bit of Pedialye mixed in as well to give him electrolytes.Give him the watery solution several times a day by syringe.

Do not feed him any live bugs right now, his kidneys can fail because he needs to be hydrated first. Especially would mealworms be harmful right now, he would not be able to digest them . It's good to have him in the sun for a bit, be sure he doesn't get overheated. The red bulbs are not good for reptiles, it's very unnatural so go with a bright white basking light. He'll need a good uvb bulb as well like the Reptisun 10.0 t5 [ not a compact ] Or you can order a megaray 100 watt mercury vapor bulb [ all in one heat + uvb ]

Poor guy , I hope he makes it. It's very unlikely that he will survive though....hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

 

[beerbower32]

Oh boy, he's highly critical, poor thing. It's nice that you're trying to help him. A certified reptile vet [ not just an exotics ] could help him but if you don't have one nearby then all you can do is start out with making slurries with healthy food like turnip, mustard, collard greens and mostly water. A bit of Pedialye mixed in as well to give him electrolytes.Give him the watery solution several times a day by syringe.

Do not feed him any live bugs right now, his kidneys can fail because he needs to be hydrated first. Especially would mealworms be harmful right now, he would not be able to digest them . It's good to have him in the sun for a bit, be sure he doesn't get overheated. The red bulbs are not good for reptiles, it's very unnatural so go with a bright white basking light. He'll need a good uvb bulb as well like the Reptisun 10.0 t5 [ not a compact ] Or you can order a megaray 100 watt mercury vapor bulb [ all in one heat + uvb ]

Poor guy , I hope he makes it. It's very unlikely that he will survive though....hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

I'll do whatever I have to. I'm not letting this little guy go without a fight. Any and all advice to help my poor little guy would be greatly apreciated. I'll get all of the nececary lighting equipment and other items tomorrow. Where would you recommend I go for the veggies? Just the grocery store? I'll start making slurries tomorrow ASAP and call around to see if there's a certified reptile vet near by. These are the lights I'm using right now. This blue looking one during the

And this red one at night

 

[AHBD]

Aw, I can imagine you really want to help him, it's heartbreaking to see what the former owner did to him. Remember , beardies don't need heat at night unless it's below 65 [ if they're sick, warmer , up to 75 is better ]but the red light can disrupt his sleep. And sadly the pet stores sell reptile bulbs that are not really beneficial like the blue one. You'll need to get the ones I mentioned.

And yes you can get the veggies at the grocery store but you can try to hydrate him ASAP by dripping water on his snout. That's a priority. Don't get him wet right before he goes to sleep though, but try to do it first thing in the a.m. A good vet might get you some critical care supplement, too but whatever you give him it should be mostly water so his kidneys don't crash .

 

[kingofnobbys]

People who do that a defenseless animal who is totally dependent on them should taken down a dark lane somewhere and had the daylights beaten out them, then be locked in a basement and given the exact same treatment they dished out to their pet .... they are mungrels and oxygen thieves IMO.

He's not much longer than he would be if he was a few months old, so he's likely never been fed by the mongrel.

Kudos to you for rescuing him , you've most likely saved his life.

I second that he is critically ill and needs urgent treatment by a reptile vet , please don't delay on this .
Here is a list of Reptile Vets , you should be able to find one who is near you viewtopic.php?f=45&t=234369&p=1803862&hilit=melissa#p1803862

The lights shown (the purple and the red one are completely inappropriate for a bearded dragon.
I offer you my cheatsheet to go though methodically , is full of helpful information and has a guide for beardied dragon heating and UV lighting. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=234738&p=1806050#p1806050

Is he eating anything for you ?
If he isn't , you may need to resort to giving Oxbow Carnivore Critical Care (made up as a wet / sloppy paste or slurry) by feeding syringe (into the side of his mouth if he can swallow OK , but in small mouthfuls so the risk of his aspirating it is minimized) , see here for method and volumes involved and feeding needle sizing : viewtopic.php?f=45&t=232687
Says 1-4ml of food / 100g , in his condition , I would start off with 1ml of food per 100g body weight and slowly build up from 1ml / 100g BW to 4ml / 100g BW , while slowly making the food less liquid.
If he can handle live food, try silkworms or BSF maggots , they are nice and soft and highly nutritious, don't move fast and are rich in calcium.
As he becomes stronger , you can try him with roaches or crickets which are gutloaded with calcium rich greens and dusted with calcium (I think this will be a ways down the track though)

If he's too weak to chew or swallow, you will have no option but to use the feeding/crop needle to get the food directly into his stomach , see instructions in the link above, the vet will likely demonstrate how this done if you ask.

Try smaller portions of live insects if he's able to manage catching and eating them , or Repashi GrubPie or Oxbow Carnivore Critical Care to start off (on vet's instructions and build up slowly else it might be too much of shock to his system).

I hope you can save his life, he deserves it, if you can and you manage to build him back up he'll become a lovely and affectionate pet (they know when you trying to help them , I know this because I've rescued wild lizards who were injured and they showed it in the only way they could, ie by become megatame and very smoogy).

Expect a long recovery , he needs to built up and that's going to take months ( it took months for him to become so emaciated and malnourished and sick ), so it's going involve intensive care from a vet in their surgery to start , followed by months of intensive care from you at home .... but IMO he's worth it.

I've seen similarly badly emaciated dragons in the wild (I live in Australia) during very long droughts (can go for up to 10 years and longer between rains in the interior of Australia , when all the green stuff has died and the only food around for them are ants , spiders , flies , wasps and maggots (feeding on dead cattle, sheep , camels and on dead roos and birds). They survive somehow ,though I think only the adults come through these and most the juveniles die.

 

[EllenD]

That's just terrible, he's severely emaciated and hasn't been fed for months and months. Finding a certified reptile vet immediately is a must, they should keep him in their intensive care for hydration and tube feeding, but this is going to be a tough one to save, I hope I'm wrong, but that is one of the worst cases of neglect I've seen, if not the worst...Do you personally know the person that did this? They should be reported...

The reptile vet is first and foremost, not a general vet and not an "exotics" vet, they don't have a clue what they're doing and usually make things worse...Then while he's in the hospital, you definitely need to do your research on here about lighting and temperatures, because you never want to use ANY Colored bulbs, only a bright white basking bulb (normal household halogen indoor flood bulb like you buy at Lowes or Home Depot, wattage will depend on the size of the enclosure), and your UVB light needs to be only a long flourescent tube, 18", 24", 36", etc. and a flourescent tube fixture to put it in, no UVB bulbs that are small, regular looking compact or coil bulbs, they are not appropriate for a beardie, no matter what the box says...Or a pet shop employee says. Reptisun 10.0 tubes are the best in this country.

And no lights on at night, it disrupts their sleep, and they like the temperature to drop at night just like we do...65 degrees at night is fine, so no heat source at night.

This is the result of improper UVB lighting, improper temperatures, and then him losing his appetite, developing MBD and becoming seriously sick, and then his owner just deciding to starve him instead of getting him medical help. Proper UVB light and proper temperatures are very, very vital to a bearded dragon living, that's why we're so specific about which lights people use. Pet shops often give horrible advice and cause this to happen... Although this poor little guy has been literally starved to death...

Keep us updated on how he's doing, and if you need help finding a certified reptile vet let us know what town/city you live in and we can help you...I would prepare yourself for the worst, I'm sorry and I'm glad you're trying to save him, but he is very critical and near death.

This is just horrible.

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

Commenting to follow this progress - this is unbelievable.
I really hope that the person you got him from gave him to you and you did not have to pay money for this. I understand when it comes to saving a life, money is often not an issue, but I can't imagine the gall of someone trying to sell a creature in such terrible shape. This is truly upsetting.

A lot of great advise has already been given, so there's no point for me to repeat it.
I'm honestly glad to see he's able to support his own head up. Let's hope he's able to pull through.

As mentioned, you will want to get him hydrated and get the correct bulbs set up ASAP as these are crucial to his survival.

 

[Betty53218]

This just made me cry! Is there anyone you know that is more familiar with dragons near you. I think this case needs to be taken care of with someone with some experience about these guys. You are new to this and are willing to learn, but mistakes at this stage of the game could cause this little guy his very life. It's going to cost you quite a lot just to get his set up correctly, and it takes time if the items have to be ordered. Is there anyone you know that could help you out one on one presently? I believe he is probably a little older then his size appears because of the length of his limbs and the black patches on his shoulders. He has been neglected for along time to be in this shape. Thank you for rescuing him from a monster.

 

[EllenD]

If the OP lets us know what town/city he lives in, I would be more than willing to help out and donate some equipment to him. I have some extra 18" tube fixtures and quite a few basking halogen flood bulbs in different wattages, along with whatever else I might have laying around that I could bring to him, as well as any help I can supply with tube feedings, etc. if I'm anywhere near him.

 

[beerbower32]

If the OP lets us know what town/city he lives in, I would be more than willing to help out and donate some equipment to him. I have some extra 18" tube fixtures and quite a few basking halogen flood bulbs in different wattages, along with whatever else I might have laying around that I could bring to him, as well as any help I can supply with tube feedings, etc. if I'm anywhere near him.

UPDATE: His name is cheech so you guys all know. I am taking him to see a certified reptile vet today. Hopefully they can help him. Is there a way you can pm me EllenD or text me idk, I could really use the tube feedings for him though. I'm going to try and buy the proper light for him today as well. I really hope my little guy makes it.

 

[kingofnobbys]

If the OP lets us know what town/city he lives in, I would be more than willing to help out and donate some equipment to him. I have some extra 18" tube fixtures and quite a few basking halogen flood bulbs in different wattages, along with whatever else I might have laying around that I could bring to him, as well as any help I can supply with tube feedings, etc. if I'm anywhere near him.

UPDATE: His name is cheech so you guys all know. I am taking him to see a certified reptile vet today. Hopefully they can help him. Is there a way you can pm me EllenD or text me idk, I could really use the tube feedings for him though. I'm going to try and buy the proper light for him today as well. I really hope my little guy makes it.

This is the kit needed to "tube feed" him viewtopic.php?f=45&t=232687 ,
I recommend a 14Gauge feeding needle (2mm bore which will be fine for liquids and very wet slurry type foods) , you need a straight crop/feeding needle ie http://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/crop_medication_needles_birds , these are available from vets and vet suppliers. Procedure is shown in my thread.

Here is a video showing procedure http://www.carnarvonvet.com.au/vetafarm-crop-feeding-needle-10g~4300.

I also recommend a 20 ml feeding syringe
http://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/reusable_feeding_syringe_birds , these are available from vets and vet suppliers.

I'm sure the vet will be able to help him ....
I've seen reptiles in worse condition saved by competent rescuers ,but it expect the vet to want to keep him for a few days to get him started with rehydration and tube feeding of special critical care foods , then it will a team effort (you and the vet to build him up and get him healthy and fit , this will be a long process).

Excellent investments will be a flat-top set of kitchen scales , a 14G and 10G straight crop needle (you'll need the larger bore in the 10G when you move to more viscous food pastes) ,a 20ml feeding needle , as well a T5 10-12%UVB tube and reflector hood and a good par38 colourless incandescent or halogen flood globe.


.

 

[EllenD]

First off, I'm so glad you found a certified reptile vet to take him to today, this is crucial. Please let us know what happens at the vet, as I'm hoping if the vet is an experienced reptile vet they will know exactly what needs to be done, and will educate you on how to do the tube feedings. As Kingofnobby mentioned he will most likely be kept in the hospital for at least a few days for feedings, hydration, and medications (I'm going to assume that he has some infections and/or parasites/worms, as the prior owner certainly didn't keep his enclosure clean and was not concerned with hygiene at all. He most likely will not be eating on his own for quite a while due to a combination of being so weak and having no appetite, so even trying to feed him by dripping Critical Care or a similar nutritional supplement on his snout for him to lick off isn't going to work. "Tube feeding" literally means putting a special feeding "needle" (not sharp or for injections, just a long, hollow needle with a blunt end) that is attached to a syringe filled with the food down his esophagus and injecting the food right into his stomach. The key here is that the vet needs to show you how to be sure the feeding tube is in his esophagus/stomach and not his trachea, as that will put the food into his lungs instead of his stomach, resulting in major problems. Tube feeding is very, very easy once the vet shows you and you do it once, then it's not only easy but it's quick and you're certain to get the correct amount of food into his stomach, and it's actually less stressful for them after they do it a few times and know what to expect, rather than trying to pry his mouth open with an oral syringe and making him swallow. He will get all of the nutrition and fluids he needs through the tube feedings, and the vet may or may not also do subcutaneous fluid injections, which are also very easy to do once you're shown how.

Hopefully the vet will run a fecal test for parasites/worms and bacteria in his gastrointestinal tract, this is quite common. I don't know if the vet will be able to get a blood or fecal sample from him right away, so this is another reason they will keep him, so they can eventually get enough nutrition and fluids in him to be able to do testing for parasites and infections.

As far as you going out and buying things for his setup, we can definitely help you with what you need to get for him. CHOOSING THE CORRECT UVB TUBE LIGHT AND FIXTURE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU NEED TO DO! Improper or no UVB light is most likely what caused this to start in the first place, if a bearded dragon doesn't get 12-14 hours a day under an adequate UVB light that is strong enough for a desert reptile such as they are, they will not only lose their appetite, but they will not be able to absorb any nutrition from any food or supplements that they do actually eat, including Calcium. This leads to both starvation and calcium deficiency. And unfortunately most of the UVB lighting out there that is marketed for bearded dragons is not adequate for them, so this is why this happens to a lot of people, they are given bad advice from pet shop employees (DO NOT LISTEN TO PET SHOP EMPLOYEES ABOUT LIGHTING!) about what lighting to buy.

I don't know what size enclosure you have for him to live in, or that you're going to buy for him, but the basics of his lighting are going to be the same, it's just a matter of the length of the UVB tube and fixture you buy and the wattage of the basking bulb that you buy in relationship to the size of the enclosure.

You need a long, flourescent UVB tube and a matching length flourescent tube fixture, not a coil or compact UVB bulb that screws into a regular lightbulb fixture. Neither any brand of the coil or compact UVB bulbs emit a strong enough UVB light for a bearded dragon, and coil bulbs also cause eye and skin damage. In the US, the Reptisun brand 10.0 (NOT 5.0) UVB tube is the best you can buy, usually you'll find it in either an 18" or 24" length. Most of the Reptisun 10.0 UVB tubes you'll find in pet stores will be T8 strength tubes, which is fine, but the fixture will need to be mounted INSIDE the enclosure using 3M Command Hooks, 3M Command Industrial Strength Velcro, or some other type of hooks to mount the tube fixture under the lid, and the T8 tube will need to be within 8" of his basking spot/platform at the furthest away, so the UVB tube will unobstructed, with nothing between the tube and the beardie. You cannot mount the Reptisun 10.0 T8 UVB tube on top of a mesh lid like most enclosures have, as the mesh blocks most of the UVB light (glass blocks ALL UVB light, none gets through glass, just as an FYI).

What I suggest you do since he will most likely be in the hospital for a few days and you have time to have an order ship, is you go online to Amazon.com and order the Reptisun 10.0 (not 5.0, remember this as some cheaper packages have a 5.0 tube, which is for tropical reptiles only) T5 High-Output UVB tube. The Reptisun 10.0 T5 High-Output UVB tube is the best UVB light you can buy for a beardie, and is excellent for a beardie who has a calcium deficiency or MBD. The 10.0 T5 High-Output UVB tube can be set on top of a mesh lid (not glass) because the UVB light is strong enough to penetrate the mesh, as long as the tube is 11" away from his basking spot/platform at the furthest. Also, the T5 needs replaced once every year, while the T8 needs replaced every 6 months (they stop emitting UVB light at these times even though they still turn on and emit light). If you go to Amazon.com and search "Reptisun 10.0 T5 HO UVB Tube" you'll see different length options, and once you choose your length (either 16", 22", 34", 46"...The T5 High-Output tube is listed in weird lengths, but the 16" fits in an 18" fixture, the 22" fits in a 24" fixture, etc), you'll see a package deal presented to you with the 10.0 T5 HO UVB Tube and a matching length, T5 compatible fixture for a great price. If you were to buy the Reptisun 10.0 T8 UVB tube in a pet shop, you can actually go to any Walmart and go to the aisle with lightbulbs and flourescent tube lights, and buy either a regular 18" or 24" long flourescent tube fixture for around $10 that is for a T8 strength tube, along with the 3M Command Hooks or Industrial Strength Velcro to mount the T8 inside the enclosure. You won't find a long flourescent tube fixture that is rated for a T5 strength tube of 25 watts like the Reptisun 10.0 T5 is.

The only other light you need is his daytime basking bulb (doesn't need a nighttime heat source if your house stays at 65 degrees or above at nighttime, they like it cooler at night just like us). All that you need to buy for a basking bulb is a regular, household halogen indoor flood bulb that is bright white, as most are. The ordinary PAR38 indoor flood bulbs are great and only cost a few bucks. No need at all for a special reptile basking light that you buy at a pet shop. If you'd rather buy one at a pet shop, I recommend the ZooMed Intense Spot bulb, it's bright white and comes in several different wattages for around $10-$12. Absolutely no colored basking bulbs, not blue, red, green, yellow, none, only bright white, which is why I like the ZooMed Intense Spot bulb, they only come in bright white, and they come in a black and white box. The wattage of your basking bulb is going to depend upon the size of your enclosure, but figure if you buy a 40 gallon breeder tank, which is the minimal size for an adult beardie, you'll want either a 75 watt or a 100 watt bright white basking bulb. You'll also need a regular clamp lamp or a single dome lamp for the basking bulb. That's it, the UVB tube light and the single basking bulb are the only 2 lights you need.

Also grab a digital probe thermometer with a probe on a wire at the pet shop, they cost around $9 and are the most accurate way to measure temperatures, and really the ONLY WAY to measure the basking spot temperature.

Once you get this stuff we can help you with adjusting the lights/basking area and getting the temps correct...He's probably not going to be able to move around very well, or not at all, for a while, so I wouldn't buy any decor that is difficult for him to get onto to bask, or that he has to climb too far up for now..

 

[beerbower32]

First off, I'm so glad you found a certified reptile vet to take him to today, this is crucial. Please let us know what happens at the vet, as I'm hoping if the vet is an experienced reptile vet they will know exactly what needs to be done, and will educate you on how to do the tube feedings. As Kingofnobby mentioned he will most likely be kept in the hospital for at least a few days for feedings, hydration, and medications (I'm going to assume that he has some infections and/or parasites/worms, as the prior owner certainly didn't keep his enclosure clean and was not concerned with hygiene at all. He most likely will not be eating on his own for quite a while due to a combination of being so weak and having no appetite, so even trying to feed him by dripping Critical Care or a similar nutritional supplement on his snout for him to lick off isn't going to work. "Tube feeding" literally means putting a special feeding "needle" (not sharp or for injections, just a long, hollow needle with a blunt end) that is attached to a syringe filled with the food down his esophagus and injecting the food right into his stomach. The key here is that the vet needs to show you how to be sure the feeding tube is in his esophagus/stomach and not his trachea, as that will put the food into his lungs instead of his stomach, resulting in major problems. Tube feeding is very, very easy once the vet shows you and you do it once, then it's not only easy but it's quick and you're certain to get the correct amount of food into his stomach, and it's actually less stressful for them after they do it a few times and know what to expect, rather than trying to pry his mouth open with an oral syringe and making him swallow. He will get all of the nutrition and fluids he needs through the tube feedings, and the vet may or may not also do subcutaneous fluid injections, which are also very easy to do once you're shown how.

Hopefully the vet will run a fecal test for parasites/worms and bacteria in his gastrointestinal tract, this is quite common. I don't know if the vet will be able to get a blood or fecal sample from him right away, so this is another reason they will keep him, so they can eventually get enough nutrition and fluids in him to be able to do testing for parasites and infections.

As far as you going out and buying things for his setup, we can definitely help you with what you need to get for him. CHOOSING THE CORRECT UVB TUBE LIGHT AND FIXTURE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU NEED TO DO! Improper or no UVB light is most likely what caused this to start in the first place, if a bearded dragon doesn't get 12-14 hours a day under an adequate UVB light that is strong enough for a desert reptile such as they are, they will not only lose their appetite, but they will not be able to absorb any nutrition from any food or supplements that they do actually eat, including Calcium. This leads to both starvation and calcium deficiency. And unfortunately most of the UVB lighting out there that is marketed for bearded dragons is not adequate for them, so this is why this happens to a lot of people, they are given bad advice from pet shop employees (DO NOT LISTEN TO PET SHOP EMPLOYEES ABOUT LIGHTING!) about what lighting to buy.

I don't know what size enclosure you have for him to live in, or that you're going to buy for him, but the basics of his lighting are going to be the same, it's just a matter of the length of the UVB tube and fixture you buy and the wattage of the basking bulb that you buy in relationship to the size of the enclosure.

You need a long, flourescent UVB tube and a matching length flourescent tube fixture, not a coil or compact UVB bulb that screws into a regular lightbulb fixture. Neither any brand of the coil or compact UVB bulbs emit a strong enough UVB light for a bearded dragon, and coil bulbs also cause eye and skin damage. In the US, the Reptisun brand 10.0 (NOT 5.0) UVB tube is the best you can buy, usually you'll find it in either an 18" or 24" length. Most of the Reptisun 10.0 UVB tubes you'll find in pet stores will be T8 strength tubes, which is fine, but the fixture will need to be mounted INSIDE the enclosure using 3M Command Hooks, 3M Command Industrial Strength Velcro, or some other type of hooks to mount the tube fixture under the lid, and the T8 tube will need to be within 8" of his basking spot/platform at the furthest away, so the UVB tube will unobstructed, with nothing between the tube and the beardie. You cannot mount the Reptisun 10.0 T8 UVB tube on top of a mesh lid like most enclosures have, as the mesh blocks most of the UVB light (glass blocks ALL UVB light, none gets through glass, just as an FYI).

What I suggest you do since he will most likely be in the hospital for a few days and you have time to have an order ship, is you go online to Amazon.com and order the Reptisun 10.0 (not 5.0, remember this as some cheaper packages have a 5.0 tube, which is for tropical reptiles only) T5 High-Output UVB tube. The Reptisun 10.0 T5 High-Output UVB tube is the best UVB light you can buy for a beardie, and is excellent for a beardie who has a calcium deficiency or MBD. The 10.0 T5 High-Output UVB tube can be set on top of a mesh lid (not glass) because the UVB light is strong enough to penetrate the mesh, as long as the tube is 11" away from his basking spot/platform at the furthest. Also, the T5 needs replaced once every year, while the T8 needs replaced every 6 months (they stop emitting UVB light at these times even though they still turn on and emit light). If you go to Amazon.com and search "Reptisun 10.0 T5 HO UVB Tube" you'll see different length options, and once you choose your length (either 16", 22", 34", 46"...The T5 High-Output tube is listed in weird lengths, but the 16" fits in an 18" fixture, the 22" fits in a 24" fixture, etc), you'll see a package deal presented to you with the 10.0 T5 HO UVB Tube and a matching length, T5 compatible fixture for a great price. If you were to buy the Reptisun 10.0 T8 UVB tube in a pet shop, you can actually go to any Walmart and go to the aisle with lightbulbs and flourescent tube lights, and buy either a regular 18" or 24" long flourescent tube fixture for around $10 that is for a T8 strength tube, along with the 3M Command Hooks or Industrial Strength Velcro to mount the T8 inside the enclosure. You won't find a long flourescent tube fixture that is rated for a T5 strength tube of 25 watts like the Reptisun 10.0 T5 is.

The only other light you need is his daytime basking bulb (doesn't need a nighttime heat source if your house stays at 65 degrees or above at nighttime, they like it cooler at night just like us). All that you need to buy for a basking bulb is a regular, household halogen indoor flood bulb that is bright white, as most are. The ordinary PAR38 indoor flood bulbs are great and only cost a few bucks. No need at all for a special reptile basking light that you buy at a pet shop. If you'd rather buy one at a pet shop, I recommend the ZooMed Intense Spot bulb, it's bright white and comes in several different wattages for around $10-$12. Absolutely no colored basking bulbs, not blue, red, green, yellow, none, only bright white, which is why I like the ZooMed Intense Spot bulb, they only come in bright white, and they come in a black and white box. The wattage of your basking bulb is going to depend upon the size of your enclosure, but figure if you buy a 40 gallon breeder tank, which is the minimal size for an adult beardie, you'll want either a 75 watt or a 100 watt bright white basking bulb. You'll also need a regular clamp lamp or a single dome lamp for the basking bulb. That's it, the UVB tube light and the single basking bulb are the only 2 lights you need.

Also grab a digital probe thermometer with a probe on a wire at the pet shop, they cost around $9 and are the most accurate way to measure temperatures, and really the ONLY WAY to measure the basking spot temperature.

Once you get this stuff we can help you with adjusting the lights/basking area and getting the temps correct...He's probably not going to be able to move around very well, or not at all, for a while, so I wouldn't buy any decor that is difficult for him to get onto to bask, or that he has to climb too far up for now..

UPDATE: Cheech is now doing just fine, they have him in an ICU unit right now and are giving him a calcium shot and sending me home with medication for him. We have a care plan set in place as well, They are putting him on a liquid diet for the next week as he is to weak to eat insects. Then we can slowly start introducing more solid foods into his diet. He is deficient in calcium. They also comfirmed the probability of him having MDB (apparently the top of his head is slightly domed). The Vet said that she was surprised that was as responsive as he was during the exam, fighting her, moving around ect but that it was a good sign. And with proper care and nutrients he should recover. We will be returning here in a couple of weeks for a follow up appointment to check on the progress of his recovery. I'm very happy that my little guy is gonna be ok. I am also very grateful for everyone's help and advice on this forum. I'll continue to keep you all updated on how cheech is doing.

 

[ChristinaMike]

That is great news!!! Hopefully he recovers with the least amount of problems... please feel free to come back and these guys can get you really hooked up with his viv to aid in his healing.