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Bearded Dragon, 4 months old, rolled onto back, back legs not moving, dragging his legs????
Optional Information: Pet's Gender: Male Pet's Age: <1 Name of Animal: Stripe Already Tried: Nothing
Hello,
Can you tell me about the set up?
Substrate?
Diet Prey/veggies?
Supplements?
UVB light? Tube or coil? How old and strength?
Basking light?
Temps and how measured?
Joan
Glass tank, 10 gallon, screen top, basking lamp, 90, Rep-cal Juvenile food, crikets, mealworms, water, carpet base.
Do you have a UVB light as well as the basking light?
How is the Dragon doing? It able to use front legs?
Hello,You went off line and did not respond to my last questions, so I want to give you some information of what I believe may be happening. What you are describing is the beginning of Metabolic Bone Disease. This is a result of lack of calcium, the lack of UVB light to metabolize the calcium, or improper diet where the calium is being bound by the veggies.
The basking area should have 110*-115*F and the cool side of the tank in the 85* range. This is imporatnt for digestion and passing of stool. If the temps are not correct, this can also cause a problem.
You need to have a day time basking bulb as well as a UVB. I recommend a Reptisun 10.0 and UVB lights do not put out heat. The UVB bulb is needed to stop Metabolic Bone Disease. The UVB needs to be changed every 6 months.
The UVB should be a tube type. I do not belive you have a UVB light on the Dragon. I suspect the bulb you are using is not a UVB bulb, but a heat bulb and this may be part of the problem.
Coil UVB bulbs can injure the eyes.
Compact UVB problems: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor-info.htm
The UVB bulb should not have any plastic between it and the Dragon, it needs to run the length of the tank and be no more than 12" from the Dragon. Both lights should run daily for 12-14 hours a day.
You should be feeding finely 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. The Kale can bind calcium as can spinach and the broccoli is only a sometimes veggie and not meant to be fed regularly. No Lettuce as it is all water and has no nutritional value! It can casue serious dehydration by causing diarrhea.
The live prey should include crickets, silk worms, roaches, goliath worms and phoenix worms. 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.
The Dragon is showing signs of MBD with the inability to use the back legs and we need to start with getting a good UVB light on the Dragon, changing to a paper towel substrate and get some plain calcium into the baby. I suggest having the Dragon in for a check up, blood work for a calcium level and the fecal check asap. I would like you to take a meat flavored baby food and add some calcium and drop on the snout and try to get him to eat it. Get a UVB as mentioned asap tomorrow. It will need to stay on 12-14 hours a day.
For now we need to give him a soak in 50/50 warm water and plain Pedialyte to prevent dehydration. Please soak at least 30 mins. I can locate a Herp Vet for you with a state. I am also giving you my care sheet to help with the husbandry. Joan
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. http://www.repticzone.com/articles/fruitsandvegetablesrated.html This is for fruits and Vegetables
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html
This will give you an idea about Sand as a substrate: http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/impaction/?page=3
Walnut shell Graphic: http://mrskingsbioweb.com/beardeddragngrossanatomy.htm
sexing bearded Dragons: http://repticzone.com/articles/sexingbeardeddragons.html
Didn't see how to get an answer, plus kept asking for e-mail and password. Just confusing me even more. So got your answer and no we don't have a UVB Tube. Goes to show how much Petsmart really knows! I ask them for my whole set up and this is what I get for not reading more into it. I feel really bad right now as Stripes front legs are losing strength. I have been drip feeding water onto his mouth area, no luck, put him in a warm water bath, he had a very large stool, browney dark green with white blob. Can I ask the dreaded question, can I save him at this point?
Yes he can be saved, but it will take some work and most likely a Vet visit too. First please give the soak in the 50/50 warm water and plain Pedialyte and what I am going to have you do is add some calcium into the water mix. The Dragon can absorb fluid through the Vent area.
Please check the information on the set up. I would like to see you have a 10.0 reptisun tube or a Power Sun Mercury Vapor Bulb which will supply heat and UVB light. It is very important to get the UVB on Stripes as well as getting some calcium into him.
We can use some meat flavored baby food chicken or beef and mix calcium powder in it and drop on the snout so we can get some food into him. If you give me you state, I can locate a Herp Vet. We need to have him seen for a fecal as well as some calcium and vitamin supplements.
I have worked with many Reptiles with MBD, and have had a lot of success with the help of the Vet and the procedures I have laid out here.
I'm in Long Beach 90815, California.
Hi,
I am going to give you two links for CA:
North: http://www.anapsid.org/vets/califn.html
South: http://www.anapsid.org/vets/califs.html
You should be able to locate a Herp Vet close by with the vets listed here. Please get the UVB bulb or MVB bulb asap and start with the calcium and baby food until the Vet can see him. Please keep me updated. We are going to fight for him. Joan
Experience: I have been doing Reptile Rescues for 15+ Years