I need advice for my baby beardie

[Grace Bowen]

So, last week, me and my boyfriend took in an injured baby bearded dragon. We knew the chances of her surviving weren’t great, but we wanted to try anyways. She is missing a back leg, and the reason is unknown. She was in a tank with other slightly older babies at Petsmart, and then was isolated once the leg was noticed. While she was there, they were feeding her a paste of mealworms, crickets, silkworms and an appetite booster. Once we took her we got her on blueberry/apple baby food and butternut squash baby food and a paste of crickets (though she does not want to eat it at all unless we mix it with the squash). She was doing much better, opening her eyes, moving around, getting very excited for meal time, and acting as normal as she could with the missing leg. But for the past two days, she has been gasping for air like she can’t breathe, and refusing to eat almost entirely, eventually she gives in but even then it’s very very little. What is your input? Any is invited.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Welcome to the forum, Good for you for giving her a chance and a good home. Likely she lost her leg to a fight with another dragon that was housed with her since they are solitary critters. Sounds like your little one may have gotten a Upper respiratory infection, I would have her seen by a reptile vet as these little ones can go down fast.

 

[PatsyB]

I agree, sounds like a respiratory infection. You have to take it to a vet to get antibiotics for it.

Baby food isn't the best thing to be feeding her, even organic. Fruits are high in sugar and should only be given as treats and to put something in a jar to last until consumption has some sort of preservative in it to keep it fresh. I would make my own mix. Fresh greens that you would normally feed a dragon like mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, blended in a Nutri Bullet with a little bit of water or plain coconut water. You can even add bugs to the mix and grind them up too. Also add, bee pollen, probiotic, and some calcium supplement. If you don't want to go through all that work you can buy some Critical Care but what works just as well as that and might be a little cheeper is Pangea crested gecko diet with bugs.

 

[Grace Bowen]

I agree, sounds like a respiratory infection. You have to take it to a vet to get antibiotics for it.

Baby food isn't the best thing to be feeding her, even organic. Fruits are high in sugar and should only be given as treats and to put something in a jar to last until consumption has some sort of preservative in it to keep it fresh. I would make my own mix. Fresh greens that you would normally feed a dragon like mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, blended in a Nutri Bullet with a little bit of water or plain coconut water. You can even add bugs to the mix and grind them up too. Also add, bee pollen, probiotic, and some calcium supplement. If you don't want to go through all that work you can buy some Critical Care but what works just as well as that and might be a little cheeper is Pangea crested gecko diet with bugs.

Awesome, I will take her to the vet ASAP and look into some crested gecko food. Thank you very much.

 

[JasperMoon]

Any updates on this poor baby?

 

[Grace Bowen]

Any updates on this poor baby?

Unfortunately, yes, we took her to my local exotics vet and they gave her an antibiotic, we used it for about a day and half and we woke up to feed her the next morning and she was dead. Not sure if the infection was too far along or what. My boyfriend is absolutely heart broken, I feel absolutely terrible, but we tried everything we possible could and it didn’t work

 

[JasperMoon]

Aw. Well on the plus side, there are plenty of Bearded Dragons out there in need of homes. I'm sure you two will fall in love with another eventually. My daughter and I always look at the Bearded Dragons anytime we're in a pet store and wish we could take them all home.

 

[PatsyB]

So sorry I know it hurts even though she was only with you for a short time. They have a way of wiggling into our hearts.

If you plan to get another one or another type of reptile, make sure you sanitize everything real good with an ammonia based cleaner or a steam cleaner.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Oh no I am very sorry to hear that she didn't make it..It is very hard loosing them no matter how short of time they are with us.

 

[Grace Bowen]

So sorry I know it hurts even though she was only with you for a short time. They have a way of wiggling into our hearts.

If you plan to get another one or another type of reptile, make sure you sanitize everything real good with an ammonia based cleaner or a steam cleaner.

Thank you!

 

[Grace Bowen]

Oh no I am very sorry to hear that she didn't make it..It is very hard loosing them no matter how short of time they are with us.

And that is no joke, we loved her so much, I’m just sad she didn’t get to be around longer