Help- I think my 2month old ate to many meal worms

[Tnb]

Help please- we just got a beardie about 2 weeks ago- everything seemed to be going fine.
2 days ago I acciedntly shook to many meal worms in his tank and he ate about 10 of them real fast. I normally only give him 3 to 4 every few days. the next day he didnt eat anything other then a few crickets... and up until that point he was eating a little bit of veggies and LOTS of crickets.
i have not noticed a bowl movment since then. Today when I came home I noticed he was UNDER his branch laying really flat. i put about 15 crickets in his tank and he didnt even get up to get them.so i placed him on the side on the side of the tank where the crickets were-- and it ate well. but then noticed he has not been too alert and again laying real flat -- against his branch this time. HELP did I kill him?

 

[Germ]

Please provide your dragon age, setup specs, tank size, temps - both Basking Spot & cool side, Lighting - UVB Brand & strength, etc. Also a photo of the enclosure showing the lighting setup would be very helpful. Eating 10 Mealworms should not be a really big issue, if your Temps are right & it is well hydrated.

 

[Tnb]

ok I will try and attach photos. soon. The pet store didnt tell us how old he is.. we measured him and he was 7.5 inches 2 days ago. so im thinking he is about 8 weeks old. the cool side of the tank is around 80 degrees and the hot side is 105 (it has been super humid in S.D these past two days-not sure if that helps) he has a 20 gallong long enclosure

 

[Tnb]

 

[Tnb]

his light is the 100w power sun uv by zoo med (provides uva , uvb, light and heat all in one) im curious what kind of thermometer do you suggest for his warm side of the tank? we have a plastic one that says DO NOT put under the heat lamp so i have to keep moving it back and forth.

 

[Pat B]

I think that most people use a digital thermometer with a probe. Those round things that I see in your tank will not give you a true reading. What are you using for a substrate? It looks like some kind of chip....probably not a good idea and that may be causing your problem. When I feed my dragon mealiesI use tweezers....can't stand touching those squirmy creatures. He is a beautiful little dragon.

 

[Tnb]

thank you so much. im not sure what its called. but its what the pet store reccomened... and what all the babies had in their tanks at the reptile store we got it from. I think the dragon is darling as well. thank you. I will try and get a digital one tomorrow. thank you. what do you do with the cord? or does it work off of batteries and how close to his basking area should i put it? thank you for your help

 

[Germ]

Thermometer: Digital Thermometer with a sensor that can be placed or attached directly on\to the basking spot to take accurate measurements. The type of thermometer you have are not suitable for this application & do not provide accurate temps in the right places.

Lighting: MVBs are designed for much larger enclosures, you seem to have enough distance, but the majority of the UVB will be reflected off of the screen.

Substrate: Get rid of the particle substrate, no BD under 10" should be placed on particle substrate of any kind & wood chips are not recommended for any age BD. Use Paper Towel, newspaper, non-adhesive shelf liner, ceramic tile, slate, textured Vinyl Flooring to name a few options, until it is older or permanently.

Humidity: If your humidity is already high, lose the water dish, most BDs will not recognize standing water anyway, very few will use it. These are desert reptiles, require lower humidity. It's food, Greens, regular misting of the BD himself - nose to tip of tail & regular warm soaks will provide ample hydration & help with shedding.

Would be hard to tell if it had a Bowel movement or not, as it could easily have been kicked under the substrate. I would give it a few more days & a couple of 15 minute warm soaks before worrying.

 

[Tnb]

very helpful. thank you.
How do I attach the thermometer directly on the basking area? do they make them small enough that the BD wouldnt lay on it... or are they supposed to lay on it? Sorry.. Im new to all of this stuff

 

[Pat B]

Thank you Germ....I knew you would come to the rescue....Germ and others will help with any questions or concerns that you will have. Pet stores are notorious for giving out 'bad' information. I have learned not to listen to anything they say and come to this forum and ask a question if I need to. You will receive good accurate information from this site....good luck!

 

[Germ]

Personally I used Velcro Plant ties to hold the sensor (which is quite small) & cord in place. Zip ties, even twist ties could be used, use your imagination . It's okay if the BD lays on it, read the temps when it is not though.

 

[Tnb]

thank you again so much!!! I can not believe how fast- you have responded- i thought it would have been days before I heard back from any one. I REALLY apperciate your help.
Also i havent heard to much about stress marks on the belly- but my BD totally has them right now. and Im not sure if those are start showing very fast and go away fast? or does it take a while for them to show and a while to go away?

 

[Germ]

They come & go, at times quite quickly, (inaccurately called stress marks) not necessarily related to stress. Temps, mood, etc will affect them, not all BDs will show them, some more noticeable than others. They are quite common on young BDs.

 

[Pat B]

thank you again so much!!! I can not believe how fast- you have responded- i thought it would have been days before I heard back from any one. I REALLY apperciate your help.
Also i havent heard to much about stress marks on the belly- but my BD totally has them right now. and Im not sure if those are start showing very fast and go away fast? or does it take a while for them to show and a while to go away?

First....you will never wait very long for an answer....Germ is a moderator and is on a LOT!! LOL!! Those 'stress' marks are really interesting. I can never figure out when all is well with the beardie why in heaven's name is he stressed?? A warm bath seems to make them go away. Sometimes I will just hold him for a little while and 'pet' him but mine is almost 6 months. I have also found when my little bugger with a big attitude is hungry the stress comes out. Must be in their nature and they do it just to make their owners worry!!

 

[Tnb]

WOW you really know what your talking about... I put Dirty Fuzzy (BD) in the luke warm bath. with in 2minutes he had THE BIGGEST BOWL movement we have seen since we have had him! thank you

 

[Tnb]

lol... yea i never knew a reptile would have so much personality geez. but its worth it. thanks again.

 

[Pat B]

WOW you really know what your talking about... I put Dirty Fuzzy (BD) in the luke warm bath. with in 2minutes he had THE BIGGEST BOWL movement we have seen since we have had him! thank you

OMgoodness....that is waaayyy too funny!! Those warm baths work wonders!! Glad he finally pooped out those mealies!! LOL!! Good luck and come back often!!

 

[Tnb]

awwhh thanks again Pat! yea i was shocked. I was thinking Germ really knows his S... lol

 

[Pat B]

awwhh thanks again Pat! yea i was shocked. I was thinking Germ really knows his S... lol

Oh yes....Germ really knows his s.... Have you seen any of his posts of the babies he hatched....really awesome!

 

[Germ]

Really cute pun ... You are welcome .