Very worried! Beardie not eating...

[CharlotteM]

Hi there, I have a six month old beardie...we've had him for 6 weeks(ish)... he used to eat savagely...I'd put the clear container with the crickets inside his terrarium and he'd go nuts...he'd eat crazy amounts of meal worms and a lot of greens.... several days ago I noticed his appetite significantly decreased...he had just finished shedding his hands and tail.

His terrarium was kept around 90...(couldn't get it to go higher)...I just invested in a higher wattage bulb to bring it closer to 100 degrees.... he was getting calcium through the crickets (fed them with calcium laced food) and sprinkled it on his greens each day.

He's had one loose stool (four days ago, but has had several normal ones since)...his urine output is good (the white stuff).....

He's been more agitated recently (chasing his shadow and scratching at the glass)...I covered the back (from the inside) and put more fake plants on the sides....it's reduced his anxiousness a bit but not entirely.

I'm trying to avoid a vet so soon....any ideas? Am I missing something? Why is his appetite almost nil?

 

[destiny1998]

Hi. How are you taking the temps? Stop mealworms as they cause impaction. What kinds of lights does he have? How big is the enclosure?

 

[Permutation]

I can only speak from my experience, our dragons are off and on eaters, it caused us a lot of worry at first. You can try different bugs like Phoenix worms aka black soldier fly larva, they can get bored of foods, our guy will not eat crickets at all anymore, hates them. Sometimes they just don't want food at all, its really up and down

I would still be interested in the info Destiny requested to get a better idea.

 

[EllenD]

You have only had him for 6 weeks, so my guess is you are using the wrong UVB bulb and he is not getting the adequate wavelength nor strength of UVB light, and his appetite has finally been effected. It's a very common issue. If you're using any compact or coil UVB it's not adequate, he needs a long, flourescent tube UVB, at least an 18" one, and it must be at least10.0 tube, like the Reptisun 10.0 T8 or T5, or an Arcadia 12% tube. That's problem#1, and if not corrected immediately he will only get worse and worse.

Problem #2 is you do not have proper temperature zones in his tank, that's obvious by you saying "his tank is around 90 degrees"...He should have 3 distinct temperature zones inside of his enclosure, so I hope his enclosure is large enough to develop them, if he's in a 10 or 20 gallon tank you desperately need to get at least a 40 gallon breeder, and even that is really too small for an adult.

You have to get either a temperature gun or a digital thermometer that has a probe on a wire that you can move to different places, allow it to sit for at least 20-30 minutes, then read the temperature. If his temperatures are not proper he cannot digest his food properly, cannot get the nutrition or calcium he needs, cannot get out of the hotter zones to cool down, and in combination with no adequate UVB he will not make it much longer. The 3 zones should be as follows:

Cool Side (opposite of the side with the basking spot): 75-80 degrees maximum

Hot Side (side opposite the cool side and that surrounds the basking spot): 88-93 degrees maximum

Basking Spot: for a baby or juvenile-105-110 maximum
For adults-100-105 maximum

You also need to mount the long tube UVB light fixture inside the enclosure, not on top of a mesh or glass lid, as UVB cannot penetrate them. The UVB tube also must be at the appropriate distance from the basking spot and your beardie, with nothing in between them, and this distance depends on which UVB tube you get...Let us know which one you have or you buy, and we can help you get it mounted at the appropriate distance so that your beardie can start to bask properly and feel better.

 

[CharlotteM]

We we're sold a kit with two domes for lights. One for the heat bulb and the other for the UV bulb.ita a 40 gallon tank (big)...

The left side thermometer reads 95-100 degrees which is right by his basking spot. The right (cool) side is reading 75-80 degrees.

Let me see if I can add photos of our set up.

Also...at our local pet stores all they have are crickets, meal worms and those big blue worms. He's pooping normal (only one loose one in the last 10 days)...the rest normal. Today he won't touch anything. I made an appointment at a local vet for this morning. Maybe I should make these adjustments and see first.

 

[CharlotteM]

I can't figure out how to post a pic

 

[AHBD]

Here's how to post pics :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then use the XIMG to upload them

 

[CharlotteM]

Thank you! Here Ian her habitat and he lighting we were sold.

 

[CharlotteM]

You have only had him for 6 weeks, so my guess is you are using the wrong UVB bulb and he is not getting the adequate wavelength nor strength of UVB light, and his appetite has finally been effected. It's a very common issue. If you're using any compact or coil UVB it's not adequate, he needs a long, flourescent tube UVB, at least an 18" one, and it must be at least10.0 tube, like the Reptisun 10.0 T8 or T5, or an Arcadia 12% tube. That's problem#1, and if not corrected immediately he will only get worse and worse.

Problem #2 is you do not have proper temperature zones in his tank, that's obvious by you saying "his tank is around 90 degrees"...He should have 3 distinct temperature zones inside of his enclosure, so I hope his enclosure is large enough to develop them, if he's in a 10 or 20 gallon tank you desperately need to get at least a 40 gallon breeder, and even that is really too small for an adult.

You have to get either a temperature gun or a digital thermometer that has a probe on a wire that you can move to different places, allow it to sit for at least 20-30 minutes, then read the temperature. If his temperatures are not proper he cannot digest his food properly, cannot get the nutrition or calcium he needs, cannot get out of the hotter zones to cool down, and in combination with no adequate UVB he will not make it much longer. The 3 zones should be as follows:

Cool Side (opposite of the side with the basking spot): 75-80 degrees maximum

Hot Side (side opposite the cool side and that surrounds the basking spot): 88-93 degrees maximum

Basking Spot: for a baby or juvenile-105-110 maximum
For adults-100-105 maximum

You also need to mount the long tube UVB light fixture inside the enclosure, not on top of a mesh or glass lid, as UVB cannot penetrate them. The UVB tube also must be at the appropriate distance from the basking spot and your beardie, with nothing in between them, and this distance depends on which UVB tube you get...Let us know which one you have or you buy, and we can help you get it mounted at the appropriate distance so that your beardie can start to bask properly and feel better.

So the vet said he looks good...but not eating is a problem. The crickets from the local store two weeks ago all died. They don't know why but our bear die are several of them. He gave him an injection of an antibiotic and 7!days worth to dose him orally. He didn't poop today (he's not eating)...but when he does we're taking a stool sample in. I also went out and bought the 10.0 reptisun UVB light and it's set up. If it is the UVB hoe long before it helps do you think? I love this little guy. I'm so nervous.

 

[Permutation]

Just a suggestion, but if you can offer a probiotic during his antibiotic treatment that can help stimulate appetite and help replenish good gut flora while being treated.

you can order them off of here http://www.bug-de-lite.com/
If you are in a rush though you can also get some plain non dairy soy yogurt and give some of that.
Give the probiotic at a different time than the antibiotic.

I would usually do probiotic in the morning and then antibiotic in the evening.

I did this with both of our Dragons during treatment and it helped their appetites immensely.

 

[CharlotteM]

The probl is I can't get him to eat anything.....

 

[Permutation]

Try dabbing some of the soy yogurt on your finger and then onto his nose, Thats how
i got my male to eat it, he would then start licking it off his nose and my finger.

With my female I would put the probiotics in a syringe, you could water down the soy yogurt slightly to make it easier to get in, or if you end up getting actual probiotics that will make the syringe method easier as well, and give it to him that way, like how youre going to have to do with his antibiotics.

its also recomended to give antibiotics with food, so if he is not eating I would maybe suggest trying to pick up some carnivore care food suppliment powder.

is it baytril he was given? if so you can mix the antibiotic with the carnivore care suppliment and syringe feed that to him.

 

[Permutation]

Try dabbing some of the soy yogurt on your finger and then onto his nose, Thats how
i got my male to eat it, he would then start licking it off his nose and my finger.

With my female I would put the probiotics in a syringe, you could water down the soy yogurt slightly to make it easier to get in, or if you end up getting actual probiotics that will make the syringe method easier as well, and give it to him that way, like how youre going to have to do with his antibiotics.

its also recomended to give antibiotics with food, so if he is not eating I would maybe suggest trying to pick up some carnivore care food suppliment powder.

is it baytril he was given? if so you can mix the antibiotic with the carnivore care suppliment and syringe feed that to him.

 

[CharlotteM]

Yes! Baytril....I'll try it. When I put anything near him he closes his eyes like a snooty person saying "not that caviare"...lol

He's such a cutie. I hope if it was bad crickets from the pet store the baytril will help. His poops are normal so I don't think it's parasites.

Hopefully the UVB bulb will also help. Trying everything!

This is him snuggling with me:

 

[destiny1998]

Hi. Another factor of him not eating is probably the uvb. Those coil/compacts cause appetite, lethargy and eye problems. You want to get a reptisun 10. T5 . And you definitely want a better thermometer. A digital with a wire probe or a temp gun. Those stick on round gauges or any other stick ons are very inaccurate. Try some stage one babyfood like Turkey and squash mixed together with calcium and pro biotic.