I think we're loosing our Bearded Dragon Sandy and he's only five. I posted here in January, but he's been declining ever since. He hasn't eaten anything in a week, and he's so thin. He has always been undersized and slow to gain weight but there is nothing left to my little friend. This week he is so lethargic and sits mostly under the basking lamp. I really thought he was passing this morning when I couldn't get him to respond. After a good cry, and holding and talking to him, he finally started to move. He still hasn't but he's still with us. I've done everything I know to do to stimulate his appetite and somehow revive him. The lighting is good, the tank is warm, he has a basking lamp and lots of veggies and Dubia roaches but he's not interested. I've read a lot about ADV, internal parasites and other possible causes for his decline, but I don't know what else to do. I just feel terrible letting him lay there without knowing if he's uncomfortable. If anyone has any experience they could share, I'd appreciate the help. Thanks in advance.
-
Hello guest! Are you a Bearded Dragon enthusiast? If so we invite you to join our community and see what it has to offer. Our site is specifically designed for you and it's a great place for Beardie enthusiasts to meet online. Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your dragons and enclosures and have a great time with other Bearded Dragon enthusiasts. Sign up today!
Sick Bearded Dragon
- Thread starter Lmolinar
- Start date
Please get him to the vet www.arav.org
Also please get him hydrated have you been feeding him by syringe? If not please make him a slurry of greens add a drop of honey - can you please post a pic of him and his tank
Can you go over your uvb and basking temps please? Brand and bulb of uvb what are your basking temps? How are you taking them?
Give me a minute to get you all that info. Can you please tell me how much to feed him. I’ve given him 5 ml.
I would 3 times per day add a pinch of calcium there too and add some crickets or dubias every other day but you want to keep him hydrated if you get an appointment and you need a fecal please feed him some canned plain pumpkin that will make him go take the fecal w/ you vets like a fecal 24 hrs old - please NO enemas they often end in disaters
Thank you. I found a vet around 25 miles away. Hopefully, they will call me back tomorrow. Is 5ml adequate for a feeding 3x per day? I currently have him under a zoo med Reptil Basking lamp accompanied by a Reptisun Hood with a T50 bulb. All bought in September. His basking temp is 105 at the top. I’ve adjusted the fixture arm many times in attempt to keep it around 100 but then the bottom seems a little too cool when he drops down. The temp at the bottom of the basking side is 91.4 and cool side of the tank is 79 but he never goes there. We have a Zoo Med repti-therm heater affixed to the outside of the cage on the cool side. Both temps are taken with separate probe thermometers. As far as hydration, what do you recommend. We’ve been bathing him every couple days and spraying him on other days since he doesn’t use his swimming pool any more.
Attachments
Ok where is your uvb top of screen inside the tank and to clarify your using the 5.0 bulb that came w/ the fixture? If your temps on the hot side are 95 they are good you want a range on the hot side 95-100.and your temps at night are what? Bring he is not feeling good I would keep his temps at night warmer around 80 I am thinking he's not eating is because of the uvb placement but I need to know for sure the bulb and placement
UVB is on top of mesh screen. Yes, I am using a T5HO bulb that came with the fixture. I’m going by memory so don’t have exact numbers but They range in 70s and 80s. We use a black heating element at night. We had him in a 40 gallon but he became very lethargic and Black on his backside. I posted about this previously. We moved him back into his old 20 gallon, thinking he might not be warm enough. He became more active when we did this but still spent a lot of time basking at the very top as if he were trying to stay warm. One concern I have is when he was in the 40, the top of the screen was divided by plastic. I’m wondering if it interfered and affected the rays from the T5 bulb. It’s now on a contiguous mesh screen. I don’t think it’s tightly woven but tell me what you think. He’s a little crowded in this cage but he’s not moving around much these days.
Attachments
Good Morning Sadie. Just circling back on your thoughts about Sandy’s lighting and the amount of slurry I should feed him 3X per day. I just realized the little syringe I was using in smaller increments so I’ve feed him .5ml 3x so far since last night. He’s still pretty weak over all but a little more alert this morning. I warmed up his pool with some fresh water and he laid there for a while. I just had to monitor so he didn’t drown. His left front extremity appears the weakest so it’s hard for him to push up. He’s back under the basking lamp now. Look forward to hearing from you.
He is trying to get to the uvb the T 5 is a 10.0 bulb or a 5.0 bulb? There is a difference between the bulbs + and the 5.0 should not be obstructed
Shoot. The bulb is a T5 and it was obstructed by the top of the screen. This is the old tank. How does the lighting look in the previous picture I sent? I’m attaching a pic of the old terrarium. I’m afraid I may have cause this problem since the bulb was obstructed.
Please advise on the amount of slurry I should feed Sandy. He seemed ok with the .5ml but I want to give him want he needs and can tolerate. Thanks.
Please advise on the amount of slurry I should feed Sandy. He seemed ok with the .5ml but I want to give him want he needs and can tolerate. Thanks.
Attachments
Keep feeding the .05 MLS 3 x per day keep track of his weight kitchen food scale weigh in grams look on bulb tell me what watt 24 etc I need to know if it's a 5.0 or a 10.0
If your using the bulb that came w/ fixture upgrade the bulb to a 10.0 put him back in his 40 gallon leave the screen off or have it unobstructed basking decor directly underneath 12-15 inches please
The bulb is a T5HO 24 watt. Transferring everything back to the 40 now. I will have to order the 10.0. I don’t think they carry it locally but I’ll check. Where should I place the T5 for now. Here’s a picture of the 40 Gallon tank.
Attachments
The 24 watt is a 10.0 bulb -- so you have a good UVB the one that comes w/ the fixture is a Zoo Med correct? That is what your using right ? A 5.0 bulb comes w/ a Zoo Med did you change that bulb out when you got the fixture to the 10.0 ? I want to get this right - the distance between the two bulbs and placement is crucial to the dragon - for a 5.0 bulb it is more for aquarium use and not strong enough to go thru a screen the 10.0 bulb is for reptiles and depending on the screen can sit on top so the 5.0 bulb inside the tank would require a distance of 6-8 inches directly above the basking decor a 10.0 bulb inside the tank 12-15 inches - on top of screen 8-10 inches BUT I want you to put the UVB inside the tank --- I am thinking he has been getting inadequate UVB all this time another thing if you are / were using a 5.0 bulb it should of been changed out in 6 months time I recommend 5 -- a 10.0 bulb approx 1 year I recommend a month prior to ---
Ok. Now I see some of the problems. Yes, the light fixture came with a 5.0 bulb. I didn’t catch that, and no I didn’t change it out for either of my dragons but I do have two 10.0 replacements bulbs that I had ordered at the same time here now. I’ll change out both tanks immediately. It’s almost been 6 months anyway. Now, let me ask this… you said to put the Reptisun UVB right over the basking decor. When should I place the basking lamp that I usually place over the decor? Second question… I’m not sure how to mount the Reptisun inside the cage. Do you have a suggestion. It’s too long for front to back placement and too short for side placement without a screen. I have removed the screen since it’s decided by plastic. I will send pics after I move the lights around. However, an instruction on mounting the uvb inside the tank would be greatly appreciated.
It is optimal to have the basking light and the UVB next to one another - if you can have a big enough piece of decor so that it can sit under both of them so hes getting both at the same time would be good - take your screen off
or you can use this stuff for hanging in the tank its like a Velcro strap cut into strips and wrap around your fixture https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-15-ft-Cable-Ties-Hook-and-Loop-Spool-Black-10375/304220195
