BrennonBread
Bearded Dragon Egg
- Messages
- 5
I got my dragon on June 12 2021 and it is currently June 16. Over the last few days I’ve been detailing his behaviour and I’m beginning to worry. I was provided with an inaccurate set up and I’m trying to remedy that now. The first day we had him he ate a good amount of crickets and seemed fairly able to hunt on his own. Although, following that he has only been eating 1-5 crickets and some greens each day. I’ve been attempting to get him to hunt but he doesn’t seem like he wants, or is even capable of that anymore. He is often missing crickets and not doing well. I have tried to remove as many stressors as I can but again, my parents aren’t allowing me the necessary tools to provide this baby with the proper care. I’ve noticed he’s been puffing his beard following a ‘yawn’ like motion and keeping his head held up while basking and that could be because he has a URI, however this is also paired with him rubbing his face against things and that’s indicative of a shed. He has full control over back legs and is defecating normally in normal amounts so impaction doesn’t seem to be the cause. I can see no swelling around his limbs and his eyes do not appear to be sunken in although he is closing his eyes often (I assume this is because of the distance of the UVB bulb {I wanted a strip light but once again, my parents ignored me despite my research} so I am getting a stand to increase the distance so it does not hurt his eyes) his basking spot is a little colder (around 90 and not the recommended 100) which I am also working on remedying. Plus he’s gaping so he’s definitely warm (although this could also be mouth breathing which tracks back to a URI) he is making no wheezes or coughs and there is no mucus or pus around his eyes, nose, or mouth. He spends most of his days napping and basking although he will get the occasional zoomies and move down his log and sometimes go explore his tank (40 gallon) he is attentive, he will react to movement and sound and he will follow things with his eyes so blindness isn’t a problem. I’ve been hydrating him enough and he doesn’t appear to be dehydrated (no saliva tackiness or wrinkled skin) after observing him more his normal breathing pace is consistent unless he’s stressed. Exhale: the amount of time it takes to say “one Mississippi” Inhale: the amount of time it takes to say “two Mississippi”. The breathing seems to be deep and not shallow. He moves in his basking spot and will go up and down his driftwood depending if he’s warm or not. He’s also glass surfing but that’s normal for a new stressed baby. Unlike other babies he doesn’t go into his hide and stays on his basking log. (He is extremely attached to his log, when I remove it to search for excess feeders he gets angry at me for taking it and will not eat in his tank without it) and circling back in this literal ramble of a description, he seems to have an appetite but just doesn’t bother hunting. I clean his tank after every poop and after every feeding and he’s eaten out of my hand before so I’m not lead to believe that I’m the cause of the stress as he trusts me enough to eat from me. I would just really like a second opinion.