(URGENT) I DONT KNOW WHATS WRONG WITH MY BEARDIE (ALL BLACK)

[AriesScales]

thanks, yeah around there. i may, im not very sure. and ok ill try that. also quick update, i think it may be brumation, cuz i put him in the grass i put in the box, and he nestled up under it and tried to rest, and he got lighter too.

im not positive though

 

[AHBD]

No, juvenile dragons never brumate. You say you took him outside in a box ? That's good if he got some sun. He was probably frightened + tried to curl up + hide.

 

[AriesScales]

Do you have any ideas on why he isnt black anymore? i mean all he did was go outside in a box for a half an hour. maybe that just let him use some of that calcium built up so he could get his stuff going again.

 

[Akire]

He probably isn't black because he got some much needed UVB. Beardies need it to survive and thrive. All of us would feel awful physically if we didn't have access to what keeps our bodies functioning in a healthy way. So definitely keep taking him outside in a plastic tote and let him soak up that sun until you can get a UVB. Which is of the utmost importance!

What kind of veggies are you feeding? As a general rule of thumb anything with the word "lettuce" in it is not good to feed. I'm just wondering if that could be the cause of the excessively watery poop.

 

[AriesScales]

yeah, probably, ill have to keep doing the outside daily, its fun to watch him out there anyways.

and yeah, the veg mix i was giving him had cabbage, kale, romaine, that kind of stuff, are there any somewhat cheap veggies that you would recommend feeding to him?

By the way, thank you everyone for helping me through this, i thought it was something so much worse but it turns out hes ok, just needed some things that we didnt have. i appreciate the speed of people coming and chipping in to help me out.

 

[Savora]

I'm glad you're taking your beardie outside, but you do need to get him a UVB bulb.

Perhaps you can convince your parents to get you a PowerSun. It doesn't need a special fixture, and will screw into your dome light that you already have. It's the cheapest option. With the size of your tank, I'd get a PowerSun 100watt.

 

[Akire]

Just please, please be careful when he is outside. I always have this fear of a bird of prey swooping down or a free roaming cat trying to get the beardie. I live in an area with lots of wildlife and birds of prey though so I'm quite paranoid.

Cabbage and Kale you want to give occasionally. I'm thinking that the diarrhea might be due to being fed too many greens that have high water content. When it's parasite related their poop usually smells completely awful. Cabbage and Romaine lettuce both have quite high water content and lettuces can give beardies diarrhea. Some really good greens you can offer daily are Collard, Dandelion, Mustard, Escarole and Endive.

This place is really great, isn't it? Everyone is happy to help

 

[AriesScales]

yeah, ill get one. dont worry. just gotta wait a bit longer is all

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That's great he perked up some color wise after you took him outside. As suggested, do be
very alert when taking him outside & don't take your eyes off of him. The large birds of
prey are very fast!
Even if he was trying to brumate it would be best to not let him since he isn't doing well right
now. The best thing you can do right now is to try & get him a UVB light as soon as possible.
He wont be able to thrive without UVB exposure though & it is less expensive to get him a
UVB than it is to pay vet costs!
Try getting some better greens such as mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion greens,
turnip greens or arugula. Feeding too watery of sources of greens do tend to cause the looser
stools.

I hope he is feeling better soon.

Tracie

 

[AriesScales]

Thanks so much for the advice, and yeah i do plan on that, i also noticed later on after he came back in he turned black again. :<
right when i thought we were in the clear for now. XD
guess just keep up with as much uv as i can get to him.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Are you sure it's bright enough in his tank for him? Did you double check the temperatures
in his tank, also, to be sure they are all correct?
Definitely try to get him outside daily to get him a good dose of UVB, hopefully that will help,
for now. His dark colors indicate that he may not be warm enough, or is just a little stressed,
too.

Tracie

 

[EllenD]

I'm sorry you're dealing with this, it's not your fault, but you're not going to be in the clear until you get him a proper UVB light and fixture, without one for as long as he's not had one he's probably feeling very badly. And you also have never dusted his food or veggies with Calcium? Without a UVB light and zero Calcium, he's probably very sick feeling, lethargic and very weak/tired, and his bone density is lessening every day. A full hour outside each day in direct sunlight is enough to help him, but he needs his insects dusted in Calcium WITH VITAMIN D3 every day, because without a UVB light he's not been making his own vitamin D3...

Assuming you can get to a Walmart, they sell a big bag of proper greens for beardies with the rest of the fresh vegetables that you put in little bags yourself. Look by the lettuces and you'll see some different pre-packaged big bags of greens, and there is one called "Greens Trio" that has only collard greens, mustard greens, and turnip greens in it, all 3 are excellent for beardies. It's a really big bag (make sure you wash them well before feeding them and keep them in the refrigerator). The entire bag costs $2.98, and you get quite a bit. I suggest keeping the greens in the crisper drawer in the bottom of the refrigerator.

Also at Walmart, back in the Pet section, in the aisle that has fish food and aquarium stuff, near the bottom shelf under the fish food they sell some crappy freeze-dried insects in bottles (never feed your beardie insects that aren't alive), but next to the crappy freeze-dried insects they sell little jars of Flukers brand Reptile Calcium powder With Vitamin D3, and a jar of it only costs like $3.98, cheaper than pet stores by far. You need to get him this and dust all of his live insects in it, and sprinkle it on his veggies too. Then be sure to get him outside in a plastic tub for at least an hour of direct sunlight each day. This is the best you can do until you can get a proper UVB light and a fixture for it. So if you can come up with $7-$8 you can get a big bag of excellent greens for him and the very important Calcium powder.

Out of curiosity, what state do you live in? I have some ideas/connections I might be able to help with...

 

[AriesScales]

yep, ive been very careful outside with him, and yeah, i plan on dusting everything i feed him as soon as i can get the stuff. and i will be getting a new light but next Wednesday hopefully. also, ive noticed that he is kinda squishy, like his back thighs are soft, same with his belly, which is making me a little more worried, also, he wouldnt even take worms today, i tried vegies and worms, i had to assist feed him, which i have NEVER had to. so im starting to get a little more worried about him... thanks again though for all the help so far.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How is your dragon doing tonight, has he eaten anything so far?
I'm glad to hear you are getting a new light next week, he definitely needs it! Do try to get him
outdoors, if the weather permits, just to help out until you can get him set underneath of a
UVB light.

Keep us posted on him.

Tracie

 

[kingofnobbys]

Yep im going to keep up with the veggies, i would bring him outside, but he is pretty small and he could run off, which would suck. also, where over the top. like under the lamp, next to the lamp?
and if there were any jobs i could get i would, honestly no body around where i live wants that kind of stuff sadly. also he just pooped, (AGAIN, and it was 99.9% liquid) not really sure whats going on, theres so many things is could be!

At his age , a diet of vegs while cheap , is totally inadequate , he needs TWO MEALS OF LIVE INSECTS PER DAY , EVERY DAY , PLUS GREENS TO SNACK ON .

He is sick because he's malnourished and suffering from vitD3 deficiency & Calcium deficiency and UVA deficiency

He will only get worse and if this continues he will develop MBD and neurological problems and he will fail to thrive.

If you can't provide his needs , and your dad refuses to help financially , if you really love the little dragon , you need to seriously consider contacting a local reptile rescuer who will .


See my cheatsheet : will help you work out what changes/improvements to his viv and husbandry are required . See viewtopic.php?f=6&t=234738&p=1806050#p1806050