We recently bought a baby bearded dragon at Petco last month. When we first brought him home he was doing great, eating crickets and mealworms like crazy. 3 weeks later he stopped eating. He just stares and the crickets and worms then closes his eyes and sleeps. I took him to back to Petco under their 30 day guarantee. They said a vet looked at him and he’s fine. (Even though he’s not eating?) So I brought him home and he’s still not eating. I’m at a loss Petco won’t help me. They gave me some reptile boost i think (green paste) to feed him, which he won’t eat on his own) so I desperately put it in his mouth with a syringe and this morning he finally pooped but its bloody. I’m not sure what to do. I did research online and it sounds like parasites? If I were to try a de wormer what de wormer and how much do I give. His weight is only 12 grams, he’s so little…Any advice would be great!
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Sick baby
- Thread starter Michaela
- Start date
Ok first lets go over the UVB your using and the surface basking temps--- NO coils for a UVB -- next you need to get a surface basking temp w/ a digital probe thermometer it should be 105-110--- EXTREMELY important for him to start eating -- if this is off he will not eat --- next the bloody stools could be parasites but we need to rule out the size of the insect hes eating - they cannot be bigger than the space between his eyes -- they need to be appropriate size or it can /will cause impaction --- thus bloody stools --- please post a pic of the tank and his lighting your using so I can help you better
Thanks for your reply. We bought the zoo med juvenile kit. I’m new to bearded dragons do bare with me. Here’s the specs : 20 gallon (long) terrarium 30" x 12" x 12"with screen top. 12" terrarium hood with ReptiSun 5.0 UVB Compact Fluorescent Lamp. Combo Deep Dome Lamp fixture w/100W Repti Basking Spot Lamp. I additionally bought a ceramic heat bulb for nighttime. We’ve only given him the little crickets and mealworms petco recommends for babies. I always offer mustard greens and collard although he’s never been interested. He always have water and I’ll find him in it occasionally. I will get another thermometer the one we have now is on the wall it ranges between 100-110
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Ok so please NO more meal worms this could be the cause of the bloody stools- meal worms have a exoskeleton on them that is too harsh on babies stomach--- NO more advice from Petco please --- they dont know what they are doing ---- next please get rid of the coil UVB this is also another health hazzard -- please look at Petco I dont know if they carry this in your store if not you will need to order it
24" https://www.petmountain.com/product/zoo-med-reptisun-t5-ho-high-output-terrarium-hood?variant=40651
use the bulb that comes w/ this fixture for NOW when you upgrade which you will in less than a year to a 22" https://www.petmountain.com/product/zoo-med-reptisun-t5-ho-100-uvb-high-output-bulbs?variant=40630
We need to get this placed and distanced correctly --- so for the 20 gallon screen take it and place 3/4 on the tank at the end place your UVB fixture width wise across take your screen butt it up against the UVB fixture take the basking bulb and place it next to the UVB fixture ---- you want surface basking temps 105-110 take the digital probe thermometer https://www.petmountain.com/product/zoo-med-digital-thermometer-for-terrariums Petco carries these you want two of them ----
Let me know when you get this UVB but you must get it ordered or go look for it as soon as you can -- is it warm where you are? 70's ---? If so place him in a plastic tote DO NOT leave him --- in the direct sun for 15-30 minutes -- this is going to give him the UVB he needs till you get the correct UVB ---- make sure you are supervising him NO GLASS containers --- make sure hes hydrated -- drop water on his nose see if he will lick is he drinking from that water bowl? The ceramic heat emitter is good to have but you do not need it unless your ambient temps are dropping below 65 at nite -- 65-75 is the night time temps----- cool side of the tank 80's during the day --- middle of the tank 90's and hot side basking 105-110 air temp 90's ---- you want that spot where he sits for basking 105-110-- that digital probe is going to give you that temp -- we will work on diet next but first we need to get him eating and that is going to be the temps and UVB in your tank
Ok I will get that ordered, thank you. So your saying the wrong uvb made him stop eating? I can’t imagine why zoo med would design a tank with incorrect uvb. That angers me. Yes it’s very warm here in the 80s.
Ok so please get him outside for some good UVB --- and yes its going to effect everything his overall health and behavior---- I have helped and seen so many dragons w/ coils --- for some it has been too late ---- when you get the UVB please post back on here and I will help you get it set up --- make sure you have positioned it the way I recommended and your going to want a distance of 6-8 inches directly above a piece of basking decor --- in the meantime keep feeding him ---- the outside time I am hoping is going to kick that appetite in --- please get him some BSFL ordered for him --- they make great salad lures and a great staple for a baby --- I would get him / her over on dubia roaches -- they are less hassle and better nutrition wise -- you can order them from here BSFL are known as nutri grubs on this site - use their chart on the website and go by that to get the correct size for roaches - www.dubiaroaches.com -- you can order 200 at a time and keep them in a 10 gallon aquarium feed dubia food w/ dubia dew for hydration and feed them stuff you feed the dragon -- except carrots feed one or the other --- too much Vit A --- when you get the nurti grubs feed as many as you want do not dust them -- they have lots of calcium in them -- drop them in front of him/ her use them to hand feed - he will learn to trust you -- when he starts eating hes going to eat a lot as he is growing--- are you offering insects 2 times per day or 3? You can also order some small super worms feed 1-3 every other day top the salads w/ those as well - it will draw him to the bowl -- you will need a bowl like this to keep the nutri grubs in there along w/ the small roaches -- feed those after he has been to the salad bowl to eat the grubs- then feed your roaches --- https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
You will need a digital probe hygrometer as well -- https://dubiaroaches.com/products/exo-terra-digital-hygrometer?_pos=1&_sid=ac857912b&_ss=r place on the back center wall of the tank it will read your whole tank --- optimal humidity is 40-50% nothing under 20 and over 70% --
Zoo Med is out to make a buck they dont care about the health of the dragon --- I wish they would ban all coil UVB's seen too many deaths of dragons under them --- some people catch it early some dont and some times by then the dragon is too far gone to save ---
Also please do not leave any crickets in the tank -- they will bite the dragon --- you can get rid of the carpet and get some textured NON adhesive shelf liner -- cut it to the size of the tank and clean w/ vinegar / water 50/50 then use a wet dish cloth and wipe it out to get rid of the smell - insects cannot get underneath the liner -- found at Walmart or you local home improvement store
Thank you for all the info. As soon as the new uvb comes in I’ll let you know. I’ll definitely need help placing it. I took him outside for 10 minutes as soon as he starting opening his mouth gaping I brought him in because he was circling the tote. He still isn’t interested in eating anything.Ok so please get him outside for some good UVB --- and yes its going to effect everything his overall health and behavior---- I have helped and seen so many dragons w/ coils --- for some it has been too late ---- when you get the UVB please post back on here and I will help you get it set up --- make sure you have positioned it the way I recommended and your going to want a distance of 6-8 inches directly above a piece of basking decor --- in the meantime keep feeding him ---- the outside time I am hoping is going to kick that appetite in --- please get him some BSFL ordered for him --- they make great salad lures and a great staple for a baby --- I would get him / her over on dubia roaches -- they are less hassle and better nutrition wise -- you can order them from here BSFL are known as nutri grubs on this site - use their chart on the website and go by that to get the correct size for roaches - www.dubiaroaches.com -- you can order 200 at a time and keep them in a 10 gallon aquarium feed dubia food w/ dubia dew for hydration and feed them stuff you feed the dragon -- except carrots feed one or the other --- too much Vit A --- when you get the nurti grubs feed as many as you want do not dust them -- they have lots of calcium in them -- drop them in front of him/ her use them to hand feed - he will learn to trust you -- when he starts eating hes going to eat a lot as he is growing--- are you offering insects 2 times per day or 3? You can also order some small super worms feed 1-3 every other day top the salads w/ those as well - it will draw him to the bowl -- you will need a bowl like this to keep the nutri grubs in there along w/ the small roaches -- feed those after he has been to the salad bowl to eat the grubs- then feed your roaches --- https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
You will need a digital probe hygrometer as well -- https://dubiaroaches.com/products/exo-terra-digital-hygrometer?_pos=1&_sid=ac857912b&_ss=r place on the back center wall of the tank it will read your whole tank --- optimal humidity is 40-50% nothing under 20 and over 70% --
Zoo Med is out to make a buck they dont care about the health of the dragon --- I wish they would ban all coil UVB's seen too many deaths of dragons under them --- some people catch it early some dont and some times by then the dragon is too far gone to save ---
Also please do not leave any crickets in the tank -- they will bite the dragon --- you can get rid of the carpet and get some textured NON adhesive shelf liner -- cut it to the size of the tank and clean w/ vinegar / water 50/50 then use a wet dish cloth and wipe it out to get rid of the smell - insects cannot get underneath the liner -- found at Walmart or you local home improvement store
If he was gaping that was good he was adjusting his body temps-- get him out again tomorrow -- give him time + the outdoors is going to do him good- he's active that's good- you don't want him lethargic- try feeding him after outside time tomorrow - then he needs the surface basking temps 105-110 taken w/ your probe thermometer-
Took him outside for 15 min and he still won’t eat. Going on day 4 now of no food but he’ll drink water. His basking temp is 110. I’m really hoping the uvb will work just waiting on it to get here. He’s looking very skinny now. Just curious, you are positive it’s not parasite related at all? I’m just getting worried waiting for this light to come in the mail and it might make him eat . I want to add that he was eating crickets for 2 weeks under this set up just fine. I know I need a better uvb but I’m just wanting to know how you ruled out parasites for sure…Thank you so much for your time and responses. I really appreciate it!
Is his poop really runny? Smell real bad ? I want you to get some baby food chicken --- make it runny add some olive oil and some honey - two drops of each--see if he will lick off of a spoon--- if not your gonna haft to syringe feed him --- little at a time - it may take two of you --
The bloody poop yesterday stunk really bad and yes it was runny. I syringed some reptile boost paste in his mouth so I’m guessing that’s what he pooped . He went potty in his water dish this morning but it was just white stuff floating, no brown or blood.
Ok he literally jus went pottie as I wrote the last message…here’s a picture.
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Looks normal - they will have really runny really stinky poops- stink so bad you can smell it out of the room they are in- and it can be bloody if they have parasites- but since it was only once I would say not- if you want you can call your vet ask if you can drop off a fecal for parasites test- please get some baby food chicken in him- I was hoping the good uvb would spark a appetite
Going to the store now to get some baby chicken food and olive oil. I already have honey. Thank you.
Ok let me know how it goes- get some raw honey
Update: I couldn’t get the syringe in his mouth but he’s been licking the syring and and I dab it on his nose and he licks it off. Still no interest in greens or crickets. He pooped the same looking poop as yesterday’s. Today he barely basked and spent most of the time on his tree branch sleeping. Still waiting on the uvb light to get here.
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You need a digital probe thermometer- you need that surface basking temps-- he's eating that's good - keep offering that 2-3 times per day - what about water?
My digital probe I’m picking up it the morning first thing…I had it ordered through petco it was the fastest. I place it on top of his basking log correct? He laid in his water dish yesterday and drank water on his own. He didn’t today so I dropped water on his nose and he licked it.
Ok yes put the probe in the spot where he basks wait till it stops going up 10 min or so- 105-110 for temps-- it's good he's drinking and eating-
