Way too skinny and basking with eyes closed

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trisharg

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So we got a couple of new baby dragons. The first seems quite fine, she is growing and chomps down on crickets and salad pretty well most days. She is going through her first shed. Then there is the second dragon. We got her about 3 weeks after the first and she is a bit younger. While I have seen her poop a few times, and sometimes she runs around the tank and climbs the rocks lickety split, she really doesn't eat much. I have yet to see her chase a cricket or touch salad. The only thing I have ever actually observe her eating is a mealworm. We gave her some of appetite increaser but I don't know that it helped. I'm not sure how often to give it to her either. I was really excited today when I got her to eat 4 meal worms in a sitting. She ate a couple, pooped a little, then tried to bolt. Got her back and was able to get her to eat a couple more before she was ready to run. When we got her she was in a tank at Petsmart with another dragon who was definitely chubbier. I was guessing maybe she wasn't getting enough to eat in there with her more portly roommate. So we took her home. But we can't get her to eat much here either, even separate from "her sister." Another thing that concerns me is that she will bask with her eyes shut. Not all the time, but sometimes. She will hold up her upper body but her eyes are closed. And sometimes when we hold her she closes her eyes too. She looks just way too skinny to me. I put her on a postal scale and she is only 12g. I can see her hip bones. She is probably 7 inches or so. Wasn't sure the best way to measure length.

I started googling and now I am a little nervous that she may have something contagious that she will spread to the other dragon. Plus we have an adult dragon in a separate tank and don't want anything spreading to him.

As a side note, the two babies don't seem to have an issue with getting along. At first the little bigger one would sometimes lay on the smaller. But now, most of the time, if they bask together they either don't touch or the smaller will lay on the bigger.

Any thoughts?
 

destiny1998

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Hi. Can you give a rundown of the set up? Also I know people think beardies are getting along , but lotsof times there is always one that will be dominant. It's little things you don't see. A certain look or action. It sounds like the other is very stressed being with the other. It'd be best to separate especially since you may think she is sick. The stress will make getting her healthy hard and if she's sick then the other might get it. Did you quarantine her before you put her with the other ?
 

trisharg

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Thanks for your reply and sorry I didn't get back sooner. We were out last night and then slammed with a snowstorm. "The little girls" as we call them, are in a 20L for now. They have a 75W basking light and they had a twisty CFL UVB bulb but I have a Reptisun 10.0 now. Hindsight is 20/20 and a quarantine would have been a good idea. Not sure where or how I would have done it though. As far as putting them in separate tanks, really the best I could do is put some sort of divider in the tank they share for now. I took some pictures so you could actually see her. She just seems skinny to me. And the eye closing thing bothers me. On our way home last night, I stopped and picked up a couple jars of baby food - some chicken and some quash. I mixed them together today and tried to hand feed her. The only syringe I had was too big for her so I used a baby spoon and put it all around her mouth. Then I very gently used a thin piece of cardboard to encourage her to open up and lap it down a bit. She was squirmy and tried to escape my hand a few times but I think I at least got a little bit in her . I gave her a bath when we were done and she did lap up a fair amount of water.

As far as them getting along, I have observed the littlest one waving at the little bigger one. But she doesn't seem afraid of her. She will often sit on her "big sister" and bask. I saw the littler one waving while on top of her today. We do have an adult dragon in another tank but I don't think she is looking at him. He doesn't react if she is. I noticed after her waving today she got down off the rock and ran around the side of the tank. Made me wonder if she was seeing a reflection.

I will post pics if I can figure out how.
 

destiny1998

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Thanks for answering. They definitely need a way bigger in enclosure if you plan on trying to keep them together. Also those coil/compact bulbs do cause eye, appetite and lethargy issues. A reptisun 10.0 tube is the way to go. She does look pretty skinny and pretty small compared to the other one. Since you are feeding her babyfood the only other suggestion is to get a fecal and to get separate enclosures. If you want proof of cohabitation gone bad for beardies Google it. It's usually doesn't turn out good. But they are your beardies to do want you want. Gave you advice thats all I can do. Hopefully it's not to late for her.
 

trisharg

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Oh goodness, I don't intend to keep them in there forever. Considering building a long custom enclosure that opens from the front. Our tanks sit about 3 feet off the ground and my kids have to use a mini step ladder to get into our big guy's tank and sometimes even the smaller tank if the beardies aren't on their basking rock. But, I'm not even sure if I plan for them to be roomies. I was hoping it would work for the baby stage though. Certainly not later if they are both males - or if even one is. I like beardies but 3 is my quota. I imagine there are some horror stories about cohabitation. I had a lady at the pet store tell me about someone who had her baby and her adult sitting on her chest and the big one suddenly bit the head off the baby. Talk about traumatizing. We practice the "only hold one dragon at a time" rule.

I hope we can get her healthier. She seems a little feistier to me this afternoon so I am hopeful. Will try the baby food again in a bit. I think there is an exotic vet is only about 30 minutes from us so a fecal might be worth the trip to have them test that just in case there is more going on. Want to know something funny - the pet store lady tried to tell me this tiny dragon was about a year old. I wanted to point out the sign on their tank with the adult measurements.

Thanks for your help!!!
 

destiny1998

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The petstore lady actually said she's a year ?! WOW !!!!!! I don't think I'd listen to her anymore. I know i have received and heard some of the worst advice from the" specialists "at petco. Thank goodness this site exists !!!! I have 3 also. I'd like more but hubby says we have 2 to many. I say they are like lays you just can't have one :D
 

trisharg

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Lol! I like your thinking. Never thought I would be a lizard person but a friend had one and he grew on me (and my youngest son). So we got a sub-adult last spring. My son actually used his birthday money to buy him. :). He really wanted a lizard. And this fall we added the babies. I didn't listen to anything that woman at pet smart said. My husband pointed out later that she didn't even seem to want to touch the beardies. We took them in and out of the enclosure. I asked her because I was curious to see what she would say. My guess for age would be about 2 months based on her size and that of the other dragons there. I am glad for this site too. We read up and talked to people who actually knew before we dove in but we still made the UVB bulb mistake. And the night light one. There are so many options it is no wonder people end up with the wrong stuff.
 

destiny1998

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I know right ? I wish more people did research before buying a beardie or any animal. I see so many pets on Craigslist that people bought then realize they bit off more than they can chew. Its sad. Keep me posted on her. I really hope she gets healthy. They are both lookers for sure :D
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
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Hello,

It sounds like it was probably light related initially. Though, sometimes they can close their eyes repeatedly if they are stressed or not feeling well. Since you have a vet pretty close, a fecal would be a good idea.
That is a horrible story about your friend's adult biting the head off of the baby like that, what a nightmare. It happens so fast too.
I hope that your smaller one isn't a year old, she isn't very big for a year!

Tracie
 

trisharg

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Original Poster
So I think she seems perkier. She still closes her eyes sometimes but maybe not as much. I cannot get her to eat on her own but she has been much more willing to eat the baby food chicken/squash mixture. I have to gently pull down the side of her cheek and put some in there. Then she will lick it down. I took a video of her after I fed her this morning. What do you make of this behavior? And that popping noise?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N6FoclmV6Zg
 

trisharg

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Original Poster
Forgot to add and I don't know how to edit... I haven't gotten a fecal sample yet. When I got home from work yesterday I had to clean up like 5 poops from the tank. I don't know whose is whose. But I think it is safe to say that both are pooping.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

That is good she seems to be doing somewhat better right now & doesn't seem to be impacted.
Continue to try getting the baby food mixture into her, since she seems to like it right now. Hopefully soon her natural appetite will return.
Does she make the noises just after eating? Be sure to give food from the side of her mouth to cut down on the chances of aspiration of food & fluids.
Let us know how she is doing.
Also, keep her warm overnight too, just for helping boost her immune system.

Tracie
 

trisharg

Member
Original Poster
Took her to the vet today. I was afraid she wasn't going to make it. Two days ago she was skinny but I could get baby food in her and she would climb a vertical log. Today I had to keep flipping her over to try to wake her up to get her to clear the food I had put in her cheek for her to eat. Eyes barely open. Vet said she was very dehydrated. We have been soaking her though and she did lick water from her nose a bit yesterday. Clearly she isn't getting enough though. The vet gave her sub cu fluids and a tube feeding and plans to keep her for 2-3 days. Praying that she pulls through.
 
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