Sick or Adjusting?

[50Kelly50]

Five days ago, I bought a baby/juvenile bearded dragon (5 inches). He looked very healthy and active at the time. The setup he is in is a fifty gallon tank. I am using reptile carpet. The basking temp is between 100-112 and the cool side is around 80. I turn on the lights at 8 am and off between 8 and 10 pm. Since I got him, he has only eaten two little crickets. He won't eat. He will not touch any kind of food now. I have tried hand feeding. I am worried he is dehydrated because the skin on his back has become wrinkly. I gave him two warm baths because his tail was shedding until yesterday. He won't bask anymore and in the cage is dark colored and just lays on the floor. When I take him out, however, he gets bright and looks alert. It really worries me that he is just laying on the floor and becoming skinnier. I do not know what to do. Anyone have any ideas? Should I wait a couple days or take him back to the store so they can take him to a vet? Thanks!

 

[50Kelly50]

heres a picture from a few days back, and then one from right now with him on the ground.

 

[Marquez0352]

Is crickets the only thing you're feeling him? When we first got our Button as little as yours we fed her the smallest mealworms ... Temps sound fine. But where are the thermostats at that's reading the temps? Because you want to know exactly the temps on the spots where it can bask and chill

 

[Marquez0352]

If you can post a pic of tank setup so we can look at it. Also what kind of bulbs do you have?

 

[50Kelly50]

Crickets are what he ate at the pet store. I actually work at that pet store and so I know he was eating well before. Tonight due to a friend who has one's advice, I fed Reptar (thats his name) a little carrot baby food. I also used a dropper to get him to lick up some water. I added a black background to the tank. I have a 100 watt basking bulb, a 100 watt zoomed power sun, a 150 watt heat emitter, and on one wall where the beardie can't touch I do have a little undertank heater. It took all of this to finally get my tank's temperatures correct. You can see the digital thermometer at the basking spot to the left and much lower on the tank's right is the other one. I have a humidity gauge in the middle. Btw, behind the plant on the right (it got bumped over today) is a small dish with juvenile bearded dragon pellets.

 

[50Kelly50]

Also, even though he acts weird in the cage and lays around and looks awful, when I get him out to eat or bathe he has plenty of energy to try and scare me away. When I take him out he is very alert and fast, gets bright colored, looks less shriveled and skinny, and is pretty set on warning me away by opening his mouth at me.

 

[50Kelly50]

And his favorite spot to lay is directly under the basking area right on the floor. (Although right now for once he is propped on the edge of his water dish.)

 

[julescoffman]

Do you have 10.0 uvb bulb? That makes a huge difference and can make them sick without it,they need the uvb\sun,all else fails you can order critical care carnivores really cheap,it's a powder that you can mix with baby food or water and feed through syringe,will put weight on them fast..try some turkey baby food,and if you can take him outside in real sun for 10-30mins a day..worked for my guy when he quit eating..I also had specialist tell me all beardies are born with parasites,like puppies are all born with worms,vet can check for parasites..good luck too you and that sweet baby

 

[Marquez0352]

Yeah it sounds like you're doing everything right and he seems fine. I can't think of what needs changing :/ when we first got our Button we figured out temps and lighting make huge difference. Also reflection in the glass. We have to put background on the Inside of the enclosure to prevent her from seeing reflection.

 

[50Kelly50]

After the baby food yesterday and water, he looks much better. He still wouldn't eat and only basked for about fifteen minutes. However, this morning when I put in salad he walked over to it and when I came home he defecated in the bowl so I'm hoping he ate some. The UVB is a good bulb I think, but since he won't bask I doubt any of the benefits are reaching him :/ how can you tell if the reflection is bothering them? and also, thanks guys for helping me out

 

[Elemental Dragon Lord]

Sounds like he is training you. When he opens his mouth is his beard black? Also sometimes they take awhile to acclimate to a new home.

 

[PatsyB]

My gut says it's something with the UVB. Dexter did that for about 2 months. She would be very lethargic in her tank, I thought she was getting ready for brummation but then as soon as I took her out she was alert and wanting to play. We have a Repti-Sun 10.0 across the top of her tank and I had 2 more months before I needed to change it out. On a hunch I got a new bulb and she did a 360! Plus, since it sits on the mesh top, I got her within 4 inches of the UVB (it doesn't give off heat) and that really helped.

Also, with the dragon pellets you want to wet them and let them expand before you feed them to your beardie, it's easier on their tummy's.

 

[50Kelly50]

today i took him outside in his feeding bin for about ten min. i think it helped! he ended up eating three crickets and ate some salad he is actually basking for once now too