Vet Says I Should Put My Beardie Down!!

[Myfirstbeardie]

I have had my beardie, General Grevious, for about a month now and he hasn't grown at all. He was always a happy, very active baby beardie that ate lots. But for the last 4 days he hasnt had a bowel movement, and hasn't ate anything in 3 days. I took him to the vet today and the vet gave me a powder you mix with water to feed him with, but she said since he hadn't grown yet that he was born sick and is slowly wasteing away so I should put him down . I was hopeing someone who actually owned a beardie maybe had a similar situation and their beardie turned out to be fine... I don't want to put him down, but if he really is sick and in pain I don't want him to suffer .

 

[Bwalter]

How old is your beardie? Is he getting ready to shed? Sometimes they go off their food when they are getting ready to shed. Is he skinny or just small? My little girl was a slow grower. At 6 months old she was 6 1/2"long, between 6-9 months she grew 9". To me it sounds like you need to fina another vet to make sure about your baby before you decide to put him down.

 

[Myfirstbeardie]

Im not realy sure how old he is. The women at the pet shop didn't know. But he is only about 3 & 1/2 inchs and hasn't grown over the last month. He hasn't gained weight or got any longer, but he was always active and healthy until recently. His tummy seems to be pretty sunken in from not eating. I feel greatly relieved to hear that sometimes they just grow slowly, and his scales on his back are begining to turn slightly white so maybe he is just shedding. Thank you so much for your response.

 

[Nuka042]

Please keep us updated on your little one.

 

[my1stBD]

Do you bathe/soak him regularly?

I would soak him some each day in case he is dehydrated. Being dehydrted also makes them not want to eat. Soaking wil also help him shed if he is indeed shedding.

Could you go over your setup so we can make sure nothing else is amiss?


Viv size?

Lighting:
UVB type and brand (As in coil, tube)
How old is the UVB bulb
How close to the UVB can he get?
Heat light ? (What are the temps in the basking spot and the cool side?)
What do you measure the temperatures with (Stick on? Digital with probe or a temp gun?)
Substrate (What do you use?)

Feeding:
What do you feed?
What size feeders?
Salads? What do you offer?
How often do you feed?
How many does he usually eat?

Supplements:
Do you dust with calcium?
How often?
Do you dust with multivitamin?
How often?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh please don't put your precious beardie down just yet! He is a tiny little one with no immune system right now. He was way too young to have been sold.
I would continue giving the powdered food to him. What is it called, critical care or carnivore care?
Please answer the tank setup questions, so we can help you better. If you have pictures to post of him, please do.

Tracie

 

[Myfirstbeardie]

- Bath every 2-3 days
- feed him meal wroms and pin head crickets every day (use calcium powder every day, & calcium + vitamen D once a week)
- feed him lettuce every 2-3 days (he loves that)
- the current powder food from the vet is called: Carnivore Care
- his tank is 30x30x30cm exoterra
- I clean his tank once a week with a reptile habitat spray (I make sure a rinse things very well after use)
- he has a water dish that I put fresh water in twice daily (he does drink from it occasionaly)
- I mist him daily
- he has a UVB light i leave on for 12 hours daily ontop of the cage (it has a screen top) but there is a rock beneath it so he can climn up closer to it if he wishes. I believe its a 26W bulb but I could be mistaken, and it's only 2 weeks old.
- he has an infored heating light i leave on 24hours a day, its ontop of the cage, and im not sure of the wattage
- the hot side of the tank is usualy between 30-34 and the cool side is 28-30 (depends on the temp in my apartment)
- the humidity meater says there isn't any humidity (not sure if thats bad?)
- I use reptile carpet in cage (NO SAND)
- inside his tank he has a tall rock, a cave, a water dish, a fake plant, and a couple shells (large, can't be eaten)
I will be sure to upload pictures of him and his habbitat later this afternoon

 

[my1stBD]

Bath every 2-3 days

- feed him meal wroms and pin head crickets every day (use calcium powder every day, & calcium + vitamen D once a week)
Mealworms are a big no no, their schells have an extremely high chittin content that is not digestable by beardies. Safe good nutritious alternatives are: roaches, repti worms, pheonix worms, silk worms, butter worms and wax worms as a treat

- feed him lettuce every 2-3 days (he loves that)
Lettuce contains NO nutrition, just moisture. Try collard greens, dandelion greens, mustard greens, swiss chard on occasion and butternut squash. Check out this site http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html it has more options. Try to feed off the "green" list mainly and variate with the "black " list. I try to avoid all the other coloured lists

- the current powder food from the vet is called: Carnivore Care

- his tank is 30x30x30cm exoterra

- I clean his tank once a week with a reptile habitat spray (I make sure a rinse things very well after use)

- he has a water dish that I put fresh water in twice daily (he does drink from it occasionaly)

- I mist him daily

- he has a UVB light i leave on for 12 hours daily ontop of the cage (it has a screen top) but there is a rock beneath it so he can climn up closer to it if he wishes. I believe its a 26W bulb but I could be mistaken, and it's only 2 weeks old.
The screen top is definately filtering out some of the UVB, what spectrum is it 5.0 or 10.0? Also what brand is it? Here is a link to help sort out the lighting issue an how to mount the diff lights for optimum performance and benefit to your beardie viewtopic.php?f=34&t=148006

- he has an infored heating light i leave on 24hours a day, its ontop of the cage, and im not sure of the wattage
Beardies need TOTAL darkness to sleep in, remove / switch off the red one at night. Although pet stores like to say beardies cant see colour.....they can indeed and 24hrs of light is making so he is not getting the rest he needs, also beardies need a slight cool down period daily for metabolic functions and the bulb is interfering with this. If your house gets too cold get a CHE (Ceramic heat emitter) it emitts heat but NO light.

- the hot side of the tank is usualy between 30-34 and the cool side is 28-30 (depends on the temp in my apartment)
Babies (0-12 months old) need it a bit hotter than that. Heat is essential for digestion and appetite stimulation. Your basking side should be 40-45 for them. Your cool side should be between 26 and 29 so youre ok there. What thermometer are you using?

- the humidity meater says there isn't any humidity (not sure if thats bad?)

- I use reptile carpet in cage (NO SAND)

- inside his tank he has a tall rock, a cave, a water dish, a fake plant, and a couple shells (large, can't be eaten)

I will be sure to upload pictures of him and his habbitat later this afternoon

Please post pics, we love pics

Please dont take my comments as an attack, im merely trying to point out issues that can all contribute to his slow growth and lack of appetite and want to make sure you have the best info all at once to rectify the husbandry so he can thrive and grow to full potential.

 

[Myfirstbeardie]

not at all. I joined this site to get help from people who have Beardies and I certainly appreciate all your help. My vet is obviously not very good at her job because she said I was doing everything right.. Ill be sure to look at all thoes sites. Once I get home I will look into answering all of your questions. Thanks again. This is my fist beardie so I'm very open to comments and advice.

 

[Myfirstbeardie]

When I got home my beardie had passed away . im going to the pet shop later today to get an older one that will be easyer to care for... Pretty upset about my lizard but stuff happens....

 

[kjinxx2]

I'm so sorry to hear that Sometimes they just aren't strong to start off with.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh no, I am sorry to hear that your dragon passed away. He was ill from the start poor guy.


Tracie

 

[smilez]

Hi sorry to hear about your baby.

i bought 3 babys about little over a moonth ago and they were also sold to young and my one also passed away, he was very active and happy and all of a sudden he stopped eating. i bathed him onces a day to make sure that he was not hydrated but he was a sick baby from the start and i have a very soft hart thats why i bought him. the other two grls are doing so good, my one also has a missing leg due to to many in one cage and feeding them all in the same cage so one bit off her leg but she is the strongest one of the two. theyt are now about 6 weeks old and healthy.

i just quickly have a Q about their lighting, Ahm i stay in a coldish place in pretoria east (SA) and my heat lamp are not very strong. can i use normal house hold globes and what voltage? i cannot afford the right heat lamps from pet stores due to the price but if i have to the n i will have to make a plan?

will appriciate a reply..

thanx guys and again im sorry about your beardies.

 

[my1stBD]

I am so sorry about your dragon. The husbandry issues will be the same for the new one also, so recheck my suggestions and post pics of the new one please

i just quickly have a Q about their lighting, Ahm i stay in a coldish place in pretoria east (SA) and my heat lamp are not very strong. can i use normal house hold globes and what voltage? i cannot afford the right heat lamps from pet stores due to the price but if i have to the n i will have to make a plan?

Go to Builders warehouse. (The one at Atterbury Value Mart is where i usually go but i guess all are the same)
They have a 28W Hallogen spot (Gives off the same light and heat as a 40W spot). I use that in a 75 gallon viv and keeps the temps 37-45 depending on the heat of the day. I switch it off if it gets too hot.

In winter i use a 60 W spotlight obtainable from PnP, Ceckers, Builders, Mica . . . . .basically everywhere. And i have a CHE for winter nights

Have been using household spots for 2 years now

OH btw, wher in Pta east? I stay near there also

 

[smilez]

They don't burn them or are unhealthy for them? It ok to use them? I have a viv that's 1.2m X about 70cm. There is a 60w light but can't get my temp us to ehat it must be. Its about 29 and not higher. And that's on the basking spot. Its like this the last few days due to this weather.