Why does my beardie do this?

[KevinMcG]

He is looking straight up? Temp regulating?

 

[diamc]

[Moved here from Behavior because this looks quite serious]

Oh my goodness, that isn't normal.How long has he been doing that? Has he had a fall perhaps? How long have you had him? His eyes really don't look good either and he is very thin. Is he active or does he spend a lot of time in that position? Is he able to climb at all?

To help rule things out, could you give us a rundown of your setup?
What brand & type of UVB are using? Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube or mercury vapor bulb? What distance is this particular bulb?

What are the tank temps, what type of thermometer are you using and where exactly are you checking them?

Also, what feeders are you using, how many times a day are you offering them and how many is he eating daily? What greens/veggies are you offering and is he eating any?

How often do you dust the feeders with calcium & vitamins?

Have you been bathing him? If so, how often?

Please answer these questions as soon as you can so that we can try to figure out what is going on.

 

[KevinMcG]

[Moved here from Behavior because this looks quite serious]

Oh my goodness, that's isn't normal.How long has he been doing that? Has he had a fall perhaps? How long have you had him? His eyes really don't look good either and he is very thin. Is he active or does he spend a lot of time in that position? Is he able to climb at all?

He's active and climbs all over his setup

To help rule things out, could you give us a rundown of your setup?
What brand & type of UVB are using? Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube or mercury vapor bulb? What distance is this particular bulb?

I'm using a repti-glo 10.0 for UVB
Basking light is this bulb
http://www.petsmart.com/supplies/bulbs-lamps/zoo-med-trade-reptile-basking-spot-lamp-zid36-14833/cat-36-catid-500036?var_id=36-14833&_t=pfm%3Dsearch
Distances are about 7-8 " to his highest point.

What are the tank temps, what type of thermometer are you using and where exactly are you checking them?

Temps range 105-85 on the warm side and go down to about 75-80 on the cooler side. I use a Milwaukee laser temp gun along with digital thermometers in the setup.


Also, what feeders are you using, how many times a day are you offering them and how many is he eating daily? What greens/veggies are you offering and is he eating any?

He eats about 12-18 crickets daily, he doesn't really touch veggies to much but I have seen him testing them with his tongue. I was told this was normal and eventually he will eat more veggies and fruits as he gets older.

How often do you dust the feeders with calcium & vitamins?

Dust crickets about every 3rd day with calcuim, no vitamins.

Have you been bathing him? If so, how often?
About once a week

Please answer these questions as soon as you can so that we can try to figure out what is going on.

 

[KevinMcG]

Here's a few additional setup pictures. Also forgot to add that I use a red bulb for heat on a dimmer set really low at night just incase temp drops to or below 65

 

[diamc]

Thanks for answering the questions.

Good to hear that he's climbing all over. How long has he been doing the head/neck bend? Where does he spend most of his time?

Is the Repti-Glo bulb a compact or fluorescent tube? The basking bulb looks fine.

When you use the temp gun, what distance are you holding it from the area you're checking? Are the digital thermometers the strip type that stick to the glass or do they have a long wire & probe end?

Are you offering him all the crickets he wants to eat in about 10 to 15 min twice a day? It is normal for them to not show much of an interest in greens right now but a good idea to offer fresh ones daily. What ones have you been offering him?

Since he is so young, you should be dusting his crickets 5 days a wk with calcium with D3 but on only one feeding a day and then dust with vitamins the other 2 days a wk but again for only 1 feeding a day.

Babies can get dehydrated very quickly so would be a good idea to bathe him at least 3 to 4 times a wk for about 15 to 20 min each time.

Is he pooping daily and does it look normal with it not being too hard, runny or smelly? If you've had him longer than 2 wks it would be a good idea to have a fecal checked for parasites asap due to him being so thin.

 

[diamc]

Thanks for posting the pictures. Nice looking setup with some neat things for him to climb around on.

Looks like he has his head in that particular angle in all the pics. How long has this been going on?

I would recommend changing the UVB light from the Reptiglo 10 tube bulb to the Reptisun 10 tube bulb for a better UVB emission. The Reptiglo 10 tube bulb has been known to cause eye issues or contribute to lethargic behavior as well as other health issues. They do not emit very good UVB wavelengths & some have been harmful rays. The wavelengths are not conducive to D3 synthesis so they don't allow proper calcium absorption.

 

[KevinMcG]

Thanks for posting the pictures. Nice looking setup with some neat things for him to climb around on.

Looks like he has his head in that particular angle in all the pics. How long has this been going on?

I would recommend changing the UVB light from the Reptiglo 10 tube bulb to the Reptisun 10 tube bulb for a better UVB emission. The Reptiglo 10 tube bulb has been known to cause eye issues or contribute to lethargic behavior as well as other health issues. They do not emit very good UVB wavelengths & some have been harmful rays. The wavelengths are not conducive to D3 synthesis so they don't allow proper calcium absorption.

This has been going on for 3 days. I am heading to the store to pick up that other bulb now. I have turned off the current bulb.

 

[diamc]

Good that you turned off the UVB and you are going to try to find the Repti-Sun 10.0 tube.

When he walks now does he have his head tilted back like that?

What distance are you holding the temp gun when you ck the temps?

 

[KevinMcG]

Good that you turned off the UVB and you are going to try to find the Repti-Sun 10.0 tube.

When he walks now does he have his head tilted back like that?

What distance are you holding the temp gun when you ck the temps?

Found the repti-sun bulb 24" 10.0 bulb and switched them out. He doesn't appear to be walking with his head back but when he stops he always looks straight up. The temp gun is held about 10" when checking. The digital thermometers confirm temps within 5 degrees.

 

[KevinMcG]

He just took a huge crop, looked normal. Not runny or smelly.

 

[diamc]

Good that you found the bulb. Make sure he can get within 6 to 8" of it. I'm really concerned about the neck issue. It isn't what we would call "star gazing" as some beardies do when they have an upper respiratory infection. Does he have his eyes all the way open or do they always look like they do in the very 1st picture?

The temp gun should be help 2" from the area you're checking. The round gauge thermometers can be off as much as 20 degrees if not more. Could you ck the temp on the basking spot with the gun only 2" away and let us know what the reading is?

 

[KevinMcG]

 

[KevinMcG]

Good that you found the bulb. Make sure he can get within 6 to 8" of it. I'm really concerned about the neck issue. It isn't what we would call "star gazing" as some beardies do when they have an upper respiratory infection. Does he have his eyes all the way open or do they always look like they do in the very 1st picture?

The temp gun should be help 2" from the area you're checking. The round gauge thermometers can be off as much as 20 degrees if not more. Could you ck the temp on the basking spot with the gun only 2" away and let us know what the reading is?

2" away temp is 125, let Ely his eyes appear that way moth of the time exept when he's hunting a cricket.

 

[diamc]

2" away temp is 125

Holy cow, you need to lower the wattage then. What is the size of the tank and what is the wattage of the heat bulb you're using now?

 

[KevinMcG]

Oops 115 not 125
It is on a dimmer I can lower to? Temp