I have a baby beardie... app. 2 months old... I went in to check on him today and to feed him and he was "asleep"... but when I reached in there to get him out of his tank, he stayed asleep... he won't open his eyes, but he'll move around a little bit. When I put him directly under his heat lamp, he'll open his eyes and 'puff' a few times, but he constantly moves away from his lamp to the opposite side of the cage where it's cooler. He has UVB and a heat lamp... temps range from 95 on the hot to 80 on the cool. He just doesn't want to open his eyes and wake up... and when I pick him up he just lays there... doesn't move or anything... it's only when he's under his heat lamp that he wakes up and gets active... what could be wrong?! And what can I do? I have an appt. with the vet on Monday, but what sounds wrong and what can I do to try and make him better before then?
2007-08-10 13:41:05 · 6 answers · asked by abercrombie2177 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
He has a basking spot, usually kept around 95-100... he's on repti-carpet... not sand or anything crazy like that... he eats collards/mustard greens and crickets...
2007-08-10 15:01:56 · update #1
It's good that you have an appointment with the vet--he could be loaded with intestinal parasites, which can really make a baby sick. Does he have a basking spot? The temp under the basking spot should be 105F for a baby. Use a digital indoor/outdoor probe thermometer to measure--stick on and dial thermometers can be off by 20F. The UVB needs to be within 12 inches of his basking spot. What size cage is he in? A baby that size can be in a minimum of a 20 gallon for a month or two, but it is difficult to achieve a temperature gradient (warmer on one side and cooler on the other) with anything smaller. No heat mat or heat lights at night. Lights on for about 12 hours a day (use timers). What is he eating? Insects need to be no bigger than the space between his eyes or else they cause impaction. Good choices are very small crickets and phoenix worms. If you are using crickets, are they being gutloaded to provide good nutrition? NO mealworms, they have too much exoskeleton that can cause impactions. What is the substrate on the bottom of the cage? Sand or other loose substrate is very dangerous to a baby and causes impactions. Is he being misted a couple of times a day and bathed (soaked in shallow warm water) at least 3 times a day? He could be very dehydrated. I'd check out the care sheets at the links I've provided. Reptile rooms has a forum section that you can join (fast and free) and ask questions from the experts. Yahoo also has a Yahoo group called Pogona, and is a great place to ask questions. In the meanwhile, I'd soak him to rehydrate, and make any necessary housing changes.
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/home.html
http://www.reptilerooms.com/
http://www.biology.lsa.umich.edu/research/labs/ktosney/file/BD.html
2007-08-10 13:53:40 · answer #1 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You'd better get him to the emergency vet. I wouldn't wait till Monday.
You can do all those other things listed in one of the answers AFTER you have him seen by a vet. Don't waste precious time trying to educate yourself or treat him with home remedies. You need someone qualified and experienced to help him - and to answer your questions and educate you.
2007-08-10 13:57:33 · answer #2 · answered by D 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be at any age of life,What usually causes bone disease is that they dont get UVB lighting.UVB help's strengthen bones and gives them vitamin D.Its like a natural sunlight kind of.Take it to a vet and let the vet check it out.Hope i helped and good luck!
2016-05-19 03:15:00 · answer #3 · answered by nanci 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Could be dehydration, do you bathe your beardie? Is his head kind of sunken in? If so it might be dehydration. Does his poop smell really bad? If so he could have coccadia overload in his poo. Do you have a UVB lamp for him? He is mighty young to be suffering from lack of UVB but you never know
2007-08-11 10:16:06 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a bearded dragon about the same age that was doing the same thing. He wasn't warm enough, are you leaving it's lights on all the time? Or it may not be getting all the nutrients it needs, have you been feeding it vegetables (bearded dragons need vegetables in their diets)
2007-08-10 13:53:04 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
All i can think for you to do untill the you go to the vet is keep a close eye on him.
2007-08-10 13:49:14 · answer #6 · answered by oceancritter 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋