Baby beardie won’t eat.

[Lizardlover01]

So I joined this forum in hopes someone more experienced then me can help me with my baby. She is a female bearded dragon who is maybe just barely a month old and I bought her from a pet store. We only bought a starter kit that came with a heat lamp. She was eating fine for the last 3 weeks or so until about a day or so ago - this would be day two - of not eating any crickets.

I have a small dish a finely diced carrots, callord greens, and a small serving of kiwi for moisture since she doesn’t seem to drink from her dish. I have a small suspicion she might be constipated so I gave her a warm bath today in the sink and she hasn’t pooped yet.

I also think it might be because the starter kit left out a UVA/UVB bulb in the kit and without it she isn’t digesting right - I currently have one being delievered in the mail and will be here thursday - my concern is that if it is because of the light will she be okay another day 1/2 - 2 days? I keep offering them to see if she will take some.

Please help. This is my first beardie and I don’t wanna lose her.

 

[lesmisfan]

You need a hot spot of 110-130*f and a TUBE UVB of 10.0 and it needs to be not blocked at all.

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[Lizardlover01]

I know I said I have one coming in the mail. My question is will she be okay for another day or two while it’s beinf delievered

 

[lesmisfan]

Ehhhhhh yeah, should be ok?

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[Lizardlover01]

She is active still. Runs around, doesn’t seem lethargic or dehydrated or anything like that. She just refuses her crickets. I tried giving her half a waxworm earlier too in case she was bored of a crickets for now but she refused that as well so the last thing I could think of would be the UVB light

 

[lesmisfan]

Yeah, what's your hot spot temps?

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[Lizardlover01]

Right now it’s just under 100. I won’t be able to get a hotter one until I get more money so hopefully that’s okay for now. When the light is off the tank stays a good 90 degrees In there and with her tank being by the thermostat of the house the area around the outside of her tank never drops below 70

 

[lesmisfan]

It needs to be 110 or she can't digest and thrive. You can get a flood light from home Depot or lowes for 4$ that will be perfect.

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[lesmisfan]

https://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1249691



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[Lizardlover01]

Well I won’t be able to get to Home Depot or Lowe’s until tomorrow. I live in a small town and have to drive 30-45 mins to get to one of them and her light will be going off in about 30 mins anyways for her auto timer. Wouldn’t I be able to get one from a Do it center as well? It’s a lumber yard. If so I can grab one as soon as I get out of work tomorrow but I work at 5:30am so one more day should be fine right?

 

[lesmisfan]

Yeah, one day more should be ok. And maybe? It's just a spot light. Check your fixture for the wattage and voltage.

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[PatsyB]

If the starter kit came with a compact fluorescent UVB light, use that until you get the tube bulb in. The UVB in combination with the high heat will help make her hungry and digest her food. You can even try a normal household bulb to help bump the heat up. Make sure that you are measuring your temps with either a digital probe thermometer or an infrared heat gun. The analog temp gauges on the side of the tank don't give you the proper temps in the area that your dragon is actually sitting.

When you first bring them home they will go through a bit of relocation stress. New sites and sounds and smells they need to get used to. They are tiny and they are scared. Just keep offering her food (make sure you take any uneaten bugs out of the tank) and eventually she will eat. Try not to handle her too much for the next week and talk to her in a soothing voice when you are by her tank. Another thing that may work is, cover 3 sides of the tank so she isn't overwhelmed with the new sites around her and she will feel more secure in her new home.

 

[Lizardlover01]

I just picked her up a RepiHalogen 75w heat bulb through zoo med and a new fixture that can be use both UVB bulbs and heat lamps. I’ve been away from the house most of the day so I just put the bulb in. It says “more light & UVA output then standard basking spot lamps but it’s still sitting at the 92F range right now idk if it’s just not up to heat yet or if the dome is to tall and I need to get a shorter one? My UVB/UVA tube light and fixture will be here tomorrow but this big lamp plus the heat lamp might be to big for my tank. I still need to buy a bigger one. The starter I think was only a 10gallon. I’m hoping to pick up and a terrarium that’s a 40 gallon with front opening doors once I get the extra 250$ saved up.

 

[lesmisfan]

Get a IR gun to check heat. I use a spot light, it works great.

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[Lizardlover01]

Well apparently my thermometer that came with the kit sucks but I took it off the glass and laid it right in her basking spot and it shot up to 110F I don’t have a IR gun right off hand and would have to go get one but if that’s any indication it does look like it gets up the needed temp there. Now I just have to get my UVB/UVA lamp set up tomorrow

 

[Lizardlover01]

She just ate 2 crickets. I don’t think she likes our tongs we used to feed her with either. So I’ll have to pick up a small tank or something to throw her in with some crickets once she is feeling better. 2 crickets is already a improvement for me

 

[PatsyB]

The temp guns are pretty inexpensive, you can get them for around $12. When mine were little I used to bowl feed them sometimes. Bugs can't climb the glass as long as the bowl is tall enough so they can't reach the top of it. You an also pull the back legs off the crickets so the bigger ones can't jump out. I always fed mine in their tank, they were too stressed being moved to another tank and refused to eat. I would throw one bug in at a time and once they ate it they would get another one.

 

[Hdrydr31]

I have always bowl fed mine so the bugs can't get away. I tried feeding in another tub so they can hunt and the only thing they wanted was out but when I put them in bowl and in their tank they ate..
I got an IR temp gun at an auto store for $15

 

[Lizardlover01]

Will the rays from the UVB/UVA bulb penetrate glass? My dome lamp is a little big for me to put my UVB bulb on the top mesh part until I get my 40G tank this weekend

 

[lesmisfan]

No. They won't. Just open the mesh a little and let the UVB in unencumbered.

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