Neŵ Beardie mom here

[bjean]

Hi guys.. I'm new to bearded dragons. I am in love with my beardie she is amazing. She is about 7 years old. She belonged to a family member, I became so attached to her every time I visited her. She eventually was rehomed to me. And I am so lucky.
just a few minutes ago... I see she has bulging eyes. she is sleeping but this is not normal for her. also...she fell asleep with her arms backwards. I moved them to the normal position. but she doesn't seem like her normal self. Is this a brumation thing? should I be worried? I just love her so much. what do I do?

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!

 

[Sadie]

Hi guys.. I'm new to bearded dragons. I am in love with my beardie she is amazing. She is about 7 years old. She belonged to a family member, I became so attached to her every time I visited her. She eventually was rehomed to me. And I am so lucky.
just a few minutes ago... I see she has bulging eyes. she is sleeping but this is not normal for her. also...she fell asleep with her arms backwards. I moved them to the normal position. but she doesn't seem like her normal self. Is this a brumation thing? should I be worried? I just love her so much. what do I do?

Welcome to the beardie world- it is normal for them to sleep in odd positions so the backward arms is a way they sleep -- please go over the UVB you have is it a long tube fixture or a coil type which would be in a dome? How old is the UVB? Surface basking temps should be 95-100 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer - ambient temps around 100 cool side of the tank 80ish-- No colored bulbs please -- has she gone into brumation that would be/ could be months of sleeping - that is a normal thing for dragons and it usually starts in fall and go into winter - sometimes they will go into spring - she is going thru relocation stress since she has been moved - keep her routine to your routine - photo period 12 hrs on 12 hrs off -- her eating may slow down due to relocation stress so we want to make sure her temps and UVB are on par and she has her same decor etc in the tank -- dragons do not like change - once we get that down we can move on to other questions you have

 

[bjean]

Welcome to the beardie world- it is normal for them to sleep in odd positions so the backward arms is a way they sleep -- please go over the UVB you have is it a long tube fixture or a coil type which would be in a dome? How old is the UVB? Surface basking temps should be 95-100 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer - ambient temps around 100 cool side of the tank 80ish-- No colored bulbs please -- has she gone into brumation that would be/ could be months of sleeping - that is a normal thing for dragons and it usually starts in fall and go into winter - sometimes they will go into spring - she is going thru relocation stress since she has been moved - keep her routine to your routine - photo period 12 hrs on 12 hrs off -- her eating may slow down due to relocation stress so we want to make sure her temps and UVB are on par and she has her same decor etc in the tank -- dragons do not like change - once we get that down we can move on to other questions you have

 

[bjean]

Thank you for replying. I have a uvb light. I do the 12 hours on 12 hrs off. And u use a temp gun to measure the heat. she does not eat vegetables...of any sort. and I have tried everything. She likes wax worms. horn worms. I made a safe play place for her on the patio so she can roam and explore. She does a lot of basking there. she loves finding the sun and basking in it. I do wonder if her indoor habitat is in a stressful place for her, noise and traffic wise in our house. I have been reading a lot about having an habitat that opens from the front and not the top. We have a top opening habitat. We got her end of February. I asked her previous mom if she brumates at this time of year and she didn't know. which is weird because she had her, her whole life. She also didn't know if she ever laid eggs. I don't think Zia got out much before. or ever had a bath. I assume it will take time for her to trust us.
about brumation...how do I let her brumate without disturbing her? Should I move her to a quiet place in the house where there is not as much traffic flow and noise?
Thank you so much for helping me with this. I really appreciate that.

 

[bjean]

Welcome!

Thank you so much Yvonne!

 

[bjean]

Welcome to the beardie world- it is normal for them to sleep in odd positions so the backward arms is a way they sleep -- please go over the UVB you have is it a long tube fixture or a coil type which would be in a dome? How old is the UVB? Surface basking temps should be 95-100 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer - ambient temps around 100 cool side of the tank 80ish-- No colored bulbs please -- has she gone into brumation that would be/ could be months of sleeping - that is a normal thing for dragons and it usually starts in fall and go into winter - sometimes they will go into spring - she is going thru relocation stress since she has been moved - keep her routine to your routine - photo period 12 hrs on 12 hrs off -- her eating may slow down due to relocation stress so we want to make sure her temps and UVB are on par and she has her same decor etc in the tank -- dragons do not like change - once we get that down we can move on to other questions you have

Oh the uvb light looks like this

Welcome to the beardie world- it is normal for them to sleep in odd positions so the backward arms is a way they sleep -- please go over the UVB you have is it a long tube fixture or a coil type which would be in a dome? How old is the UVB? Surface basking temps should be 95-100 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer - ambient temps around 100 cool side of the tank 80ish-- No colored bulbs please -- has she gone into brumation that would be/ could be months of sleeping - that is a normal thing for dragons and it usually starts in fall and go into winter - sometimes they will go into spring - she is going thru relocation stress since she has been moved - keep her routine to your routine - photo period 12 hrs on 12 hrs off -- her eating may slow down due to relocation stress so we want to make sure her temps and UVB are on par and she has her same decor etc in the tank -- dragons do not like change - once we get that down we can move on to other questions you have

 

[bjean]

Oh the uvb light looks like this

The second Pic is from outside.

 

[bjean]

pics of zia

 

[Sadie]

The second Pic is from outside.

So the basking light needs to be a solid clear bright white bulb - it needs to give UVA -- some examples are Flukers basking - Exo Interra Intense or a Arcadia Halogen bulb - I dont see any UVB-- you need a long tube fixture like this https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/en...-t5-100-high-output-terrarium-hood-86817.html this usually comes w/ a 5.0 bulb but you want the Reptisun 10.0 bulb and your screen is a wide hole type so it can sit on top of it w/ basking decor directly below 8-10 inches -- she looks to be in good shape and the area yu have looks nice - just a heads up windows block UVB rays they filter them out so if shes sitting in front on a window she will get the heat but not much UVB -- please get 2 digital probe thermometers for surface basking temps - those are important for starting digestion - 95-100 -- we need her to start eating veggies - cut back on the insects your feeding and FYI wax worms are very fatty and long term and too many can / will cause liver issues - you can get her some super worms as treats ONLY - but for now I would try some BSFL those are a staple feeder-- since she likes worms so much and add those to tops of fresh salads drop them on top of her salads first thing in the morning right in front of her so it gets her attention - please start dusting insects w/ vitamins w/ beta carotene lightly coated - she is not getting any vitamins w/ a insect only diet only protein and its going to really put the weight on her - she needs calcium and shes never laid eggs ? So I am wondering if she is a male and not female ? Can you please post a pic of her on a kitchen table vent facing the camera and tail in the air - we can get her sexed for sure -- your UVB will help w/ calcium absorption and will start having her make it as well but you need a really good UVB -- insects should be dusted w/ calcium w/ out phosphorus and D3 lightly coated when insects are fed -- there are 2 other UVB's I can post links for that are recommended if you would like them - your going to need a good salad bowl to keep the larvae in order large please https://symtonbsf.com/-- https://www.amazon.com/Reptile-Food-Bowl-Dish-Anti-Escape/dp/B07VRQ369N?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
these make great salad bowls -- brumation is when they go down for long periods of sleep - it is nice for them to have a nice quiet place to sleep - you cant keep them awake if they are going into this period - please get her into a place where there is activity you dont want to shut her off from life - they are a social animal - providing a hide is crucial for her / him?