Hi,i have an 8 month old female bearded dragonshe is in a 70 gallon tank she has natural eco sand in her tank one side of the tank is normally at 105 degrees and the other is around 90she rarely eats anymore she has completely stopped eating worms or cricketswe leave a salad for her daily and she eats a few leavesshe has not pooed in about 1-2 weeks we have tried baby prune puree and have given her multiple warm baths with belly rubsshe is still acting her normal self running around and does not seem to be losing much weightplease help!
Hello,Can you tell me about the set up?Diet Prey/Veggies?Substrate?
Heat source and temp?
UVB light? How old? Type coil or tube? Strength?
Basking light?
Temps in the enclosure?
State to locate a Herp Vet?
Joan
she's in a 70 gallon tank
Hello,
You have some husbandry issues which can be causing the Dragon the problems you are seeing. The sand can cause some major issues with a Dragon. This will give you an idea about Sand as a substrate: http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/impaction/?page=3
I suggest using a solid substrate like tile, cage carpet, slate or paper. Sand can also cause skin problems and corneal ulcers in the eyes.
The basking area should have 105*-110*F and the cool side of the tank in the 85* range. This is important for digestion and passing of stool. If the temps are not correct that can cause a problem.
The UVB should be a tube type.
Coil UVB bulbs can injure the eyes.
Compact UVB problems: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor-info.htm
You should be feeding Collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, escarole and curly endives. Butternut squash and various berries are great for a treat. The Veggies should be put in fresh daily, and done about an hour after lights on. They need 20% veggies daily and 80% live prey under a year of age and over a year the percentages reverse.
The proper diet can have bearing on what is going on. Veggies contain Oxalates and Goitrogens which can uspet the intestinal balance.
The live prey should include crickets, silk worms, roaches, goliath worms and phoenix worms.The canned prey looses the nutritional value and is high in chitin which is the outer shells and can cause a blockage.
Super worms and wax worms are like giving the Dragon candy. All veggies and prey should be dusted with calcium daily 5 days a week and vitamins 2 days a week.
For now we need to give the Dragon a soak in 50/50 warm water and plain Pedialyte to prevent dehydration. Please soak at least 30 mins. I do suggest a Herp vet visit to help rule out a parasite issue or a blockage. When I hear a Dragon is off food and is not passing stool, I get very concerned about ingestion of substrate causing a problem
This is a link for Herp Vets in Canada: http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/canrepvt.htm
I am also giving you my care sheet to help with the husbandry.
Bearded Dragon Care Sheet
1. 0-3 months- baby 2. 3-12 months-juvenile 3. 12-18 months- sub adult 4. 18 months + -adult
1. A UVB light source-best is 10.0 Reptisun that runs the length of your tank. Your dragon must have this light to metabolize calcium. If not he will get metabolic bone disease, a serious condition. You can also take your beardie outside to bask in the sun for 15 minutes each day if your temps are 80 degrees or above outside. You can purchase cages or reptariums from your pet store. Never leave a beardie outside unattended. 2. A basking type light that puts out heat and warmth above basking spot. Your beardie must have warmth to digest food & thrive.
Babies: Warm basking log: 105-125 degrees F Cool side: 85-90 Adults: Warm basking spot: 110-115 Cool side: 80-85 Measure temperatures with a digital probe type thermometer or a temp gun-these are most accurate. Stick on thermometers unreliable.
*Beardies over the age of one year old during the winter months will go into a Brumation like most Reptiles and Herps. It is a form of Hibernation that is governed by the weather and time of year. The lights should be on a shorter period at this time. Fresh greens should be available during this period. Do not feed live prey during Brumation.
Water: Mist your little one with the spray bottle 3-4 times a day. You can also offer a small dish of water in your enclosure but be sure your dragon is not too small to drown in it. It is recommended that when your beardie is 2 months old you can bathe your baby in a small plastic container with warm water- not hot. It will help them to stay hydrated. As they get older you can move up to the bathroom sink and then to the bathtub. Very important for bath enclosure to be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed prior to bath time. Clean between dragons too if bathing more than one.
If you have any further questions feel free to ask. I like to start people off with proper husbandry and then see if I can further assist.
fruits and Vegetables
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutritionframeset.html
Walnut shell Graphic: http://mrskingsbioweb.com/beardeddragngrossanatomy.htm
sexing bearded Dragons: http://repticzone.com/articles/sexingbeardeddragons.html