We arent bad owners just misinformed....

[bryces]

Hello, we have a very sad story, we bought a baby beardie (Rex) for my sons 12th birthday, he was begging us for one for about a year. I went to buy Rex from a large chain pet store, I was in a hurry, because my dad was literally passing away within hours, but it was my sons birthday so I went there quickly and got it, they told me to buy this "kit" and it had everything I needed for his baby beardie, it was a 10 gallon tank, with screen top, zoo med dual light kit with basking light and like a black light for night, calcium dust, thermometer, sand, and a couple dishes. So thinking we were set we brought him home, well actually we brought a bigger diferent one home and brought it back cause his eye would not open, then we got rex, however now we have a sick, and I mean SICK beardie. My son is so sad, we did not have the right info, we were told the tank should be between 70 and 80 degrees, they told us to feed him mealworms, my question is when does mbd require putting the pet to sleep, he is real bad, his back is curved severely, he doesnt eat ANYTHING, we bath him and he wakes up alittle, but then goes right back to sleep, he ate wax worms 3 i believe about 3 days ago. His back legs are completley stretched out as if he were dragging behind him, he has seizures daily. Can he come back from mbd this bad, can I get the liquid calcium from a website or only from the vet,the vet visit is just too much, they told me at least $200 and I have been off work from taking care of my dad and dont have that kind of money. I bought the light but now since i have been on your site, I guess we gt the wrong one, we have a Zoomed coil light. There was sooooo much we just didnt know, I wish we would have done more investigating, however we were given some REALLY bad info from the pet store worker, I have learned ALOT of lessons, but it was at the poor Rex's expense. Any help would be great, I dont need to know what I should have done but what I need to do to save him if possible. I am gonna try to post a pic, but I think its pretty sad and heartbreaking, We feel just terriable about this, so please dont belittle us, we did what we thought we were suppose to, and my 12 year ld will be reading this so please keep that in mind, he feels bad enough. Thanks.

 

[AHBD]

First off, I'm really so sorry that all of this is happening while you are dealing with the trauma of your dad passing away. My heart goes out to you all. Some things that may help [ and it would be good to post a pic so we can see the severity of his condition] You can get liquid calcium for $5.00 from a site called bug-de-lite. The problem may also be that he's impacted....can't pass the mealworms and waxworms. That results in hind leg extension and can paralyze. To try to get his bowels moving, get a syringe and try to get some vegetable oil, canned pumpkin or applesauce into him, and gently put him in a bit of warm water, but hold him up. And yes, it's so sad that the stores sell these " kits". I would try to get my money back. You want the Zoo-med reptisun 10.0, and for heat you can use a regular housebulb [ many people do, I have for many years] I hope he can make it. My thoughts are with you and your family.

 

[Mirthy]

adding my best wishes and hope for your family and your pet.

 

[Esther19]

Many folks on this site have had sick beardies due to misinformation. Like yourself, that is how they found their way here. Please do not blame yourself. As AHBD recommended, on bugdelite.com you can find liquid calcium for $5. The calci-blast is $8, but it is for beardies with more severe MBD. I use the cherry flavor with my girl, and she loves it. Tracie from Bug-de-lite can also help you with dosing. She is one of our members here, and ships very quickly.

While in the bath, you can gently rub Rex's tummy from chest to vent in hopes of clearing his bowels. As advised, the veg. oil in pumpkin or applesauce works well. To increase hydration, you might also want to drip water on his nose with a syringe to see if he will drink. If not, try adding a little unsweetened juice to the water.

There is a product for sale at pet stores called Repti-boost. It will give Rex some nutrition, and also stimulate his appetite. I mix it into baby food. Baby food turkey or chicken mixed with baby food green beans or squash can be thinned a little and offered via syringe. All should be Stage 1 food. The turkey mixes in better than the chicken. He might lick at some. My girl with MBD will eat that way since she rarely eats regular food.

The symptoms of MBD cannot be reversed, but the progression of the disease can be halted. My girl is about a year old. She has difficulty walking. She can't climb to bask and is not fast enough to chase prey. However, there are accommodations that can be made. She's got a bulb that can be lowered to bring the floor of her viv to basking temp. And she'll lunge at crickets if I pull off their jumping legs and make sure they stay in striking distance until she gets them. She has a good life and is well-loved, as I'm sure Rex is.

Sincere condolences on the loss of your dad. I'm sorry that little Rex is not well. Please give your son a big hug for me. And please, please remember that no matter what happens, you have done your best to help Rex, and he knows that you care. I'll be keeping Rex and your family in my prayers.

Esther

 

[MrD]

beardies can recover from mbd but they may be disfigured for life but can still live a normal life. please dont put him down. you need a reptisun 10.0 uvb fluorescent tube, that is the long tube, ASAP. its about $30-40 for the light and $20-30 for the fixture. keep the uvb light on 14 hours a day. bearded dragons are not cheap pets and require constant electricity and supplies and even though petstores say they are good for children, this is true to an extent, but the daily upkeep is not best left to young children. i would recomend you take the resposibility to take care of him. take all the recomendations from the previous posts. i know we may sound critical but justs take our critisim lightly, we are not attacking you, we just want whats best for the beardie. i hope Rex gets better soon. keep us updated on his recovery!!

 

[MrD]

also make sure Rex can get within 8"-12" of his uvb light

 

[Esther19]

Reptisun 10 tubes are available at petmountain.com for around $25. You can mount them inside Rex's tank with an under-the-counter fixture from WalMart (in the light bulb aisle) and 2 command hooks. Please remove the clear plastic from the fixture that covers the buls so that your guy can be fully exposed to the UVB. The fixtures are around $10. There is a great article on this forum under Enclosures entitled "Lighting help for newbies" that you might want to read. It is a very comprehensive, easy-to-understand article. If I recall correctly, the UVB should be mounted 6-8" from Rex's basking spot.

Best of luck! I know how frustrating this is for you!
Esther

 

[Jess]

Hi there, I think everything has already been covered by the other posters. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry all this is happening to you, and I hope that little Rex makes it. The link to the "Lighting Help for Newbies" thread that the other poster mentioned is in my signature, BTW.

 

[my1stBD]

Sosorry Rex isnt feeling well.
Everybody has pretty much covered everything, but for some reason i cant find if temperatures were covered so ill give the info anyways.

Youll need to get either a digital thermometer with a probe, placed directly on the basking spot to accurately mesure the basking temp. Or a temp gun. (Do not use the stick on ones as they are very very inaccurate) Temps are very important for digestion and will help with the possible constippation issue from the mealworms.

Temps for babies / juvies (0-12 months) should be between 105 and 110 on the basking spot and 85ish on the cool side. Play around with diff household bulbs with diff wattages till you get the desired temps or adjust the basking spot up or down.

While you wait for the new reptisun bulb, take Rex outside for some natural UVB from the sun. Approx 30 mins per day is equivalent to 12 hours under the tube lights and will also help him a lot right now

Will be holding Rex in my thoughts that all turns out well for him

 

[amazon]

Please don't blame yourself - you bought everything in good faith -
and there's only the pet store to blame for the trouble Rex is having now.
You are a kind, caring owner - coming here, asking for help and putting things right for him.

My sincerest condolences for the loss of your father,
my love and prayers to you, your son and for Rex

Please stay with this forum - the knowledge and help is fantastic.

 

[my1stBD]

Any news, how is Rex