Hello! We are new here!

[p.nattytang]

Hello everyone!

My name is Nat. I recently adopted a special needs beardie from a family member. This is Spock. Spock was from a chain petstore that wasn't providing him with proper lighting/food/care. He was a couple of months old, about 7 inches long and was soo lethargic and dark.. and he had a tail that looked broken and crooked. So my family member bought him and she cared for him as a first time beardie owner. She followed the advice from the vet, 50gal terrarium, Reptizoo T5 UVB Lighting, and a Reptizoo basking area. When I got Spock about a month ago, I took the set up. I went to my Vet that is NOT a reptile specialist but does see them. Spock has MBD but is fairly healthy and still growing. He has a hump pn his back and a very crooked tail. It's so sad that he showed signs of MBD at the petstore and they didn't even do anything about it. Anyway. Since obtaining him, I have been feeding him a mustard and collard greens salad daily and rotate from sweet potato, carrots and diff fruits everyday. I sprinkle the calcium powder over and I also feed him superworms and crickets in between his salads as suggested by the vet. My concern is that I just don't want his MBD to get worse. He has full mobility, he's a fast little booger. He seems happy and healthy. Very sweet and social. I let him out twice a day to explore the house and play. I also let him sit at the window for natural sunlight. I joined this forum because Spock is my second beardie but first special needs and I want to do right by him. Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with MBD? Is there anything else I can do? I've read up on it religiously but felt like I needed help from experienced owners. I also have a female beardie that is healthy and happy in a separate enclosure. But I'm on here mainly for Spock's MBD. Spock is still able to jump around his enclosure from his bed to the branches. He climbs very well and I'm just so lucky that he seems pretty healthy despite having a huge hunchback. What do you guys think? Any advice? Vet told me to keep up his daily regimen and to contact if anything changes. He gave me extra supplements to put in his food but nothing else since Spock doesn't seem to be in any pain.. thank you guys in advance!


Nat and Spock

 

[p.nattytang]

Hello! I'm Nat and my beardie is Spock. I adopted him about a month ago and he is about 6-7 months old. He came from a chain petstore. My family member saw the condition he was in at the store back in November, very lethargic, dark in color, no proper uvb or basking area. She bought him and cared for him until she had to leave for college. She had taken him to the vet shortly after obtaining him and again right before I took him. He does have MBD but luckily, he has full mobility, doesn't seem to be in pain. He is eating, drinking and poo-ing normally. He seems happy. I let him out everyday to explore and he's very active and fast. He has a huge hunchback and crooked tail but other than that, he seems relatively healthy. I'm on this forum to learn more about his condition and to see what I can do to make sure he remains healthy and happy. He is currently in a 50gal with the Reptizoo tube T5 UVB and a reptizoo basking light. He eats mustard and collard greens daily with a mix of fruits and vegetables and calcium powder in top. I also feed him superworms, his fav, and crickets in between his salads. Honestly, he seems happy. The vet has 0 concerns about him right now. Just sent him off with a calcium and vitamin regiment that I follow daily. The hunchback has not gotten any worse in the month I've had him. My concern is the MBD getting worse. What can I do to avoid that? He is social and sweet. I love his personality and really want to raise him best I can. I'm a first time owner.. I know it's crazy to take on a special needs beardie but I fell in love with him when I met him. Any advice on his care? Can we stop the MBD from getting worse? Does bad genetics contribute to his MBD? I've looked up MBD and read about it religiously but thought I should get advice from experienced owners. I haven't taken him to the vet.. since his previous owner and I go to the same one. I don't see anything concerning about him right now but I just want to learn more about MBD and the development of it from anyone thats experienced it firsthand.

Oh! He runs and climbs like a freaking champ. Again.. nothing alarming right now. He eats very well and has healthy . Hopefully it doesn't get worse and he can just live a good life. Thank you all! I'm excited to share my life with Spock.

 

[Sadie]

Hello! I'm Nat and my beardie is Spock. I adopted him about a month ago and he is about 6-7 months old. He came from a chain petstore. My family member saw the condition he was in at the store back in November, very lethargic, dark in color, no proper uvb or basking area. She bought him and cared for him until she had to leave for college. She had taken him to the vet shortly after obtaining him and again right before I took him. He does have MBD but luckily, he has full mobility, doesn't seem to be in pain. He is eating, drinking and poo-ing normally. He seems happy. I let him out everyday to explore and he's very active and fast. He has a huge hunchback and crooked tail but other than that, he seems relatively healthy. I'm on this forum to learn more about his condition and to see what I can do to make sure he remains healthy and happy. He is currently in a 50gal with the Reptizoo tube T5 UVB and a reptizoo basking light. He eats mustard and collard greens daily with a mix of fruits and vegetables and calcium powder in top. I also feed him superworms, his fav, and crickets in between his salads. Honestly, he seems happy. The vet has 0 concerns about him right now. Just sent him off with a calcium and vitamin regiment that I follow daily. The hunchback has not gotten any worse in the month I've had him. My concern is the MBD getting worse. What can I do to avoid that? He is social and sweet. I love his personality and really want to raise him best I can. I'm a first time owner.. I know it's crazy to take on a special needs beardie but I fell in love with him when I met him. Any advice on his care? Can we stop the MBD from getting worse? Does bad genetics contribute to his MBD? I've looked up MBD and read about it religiously but thought I should get advice from experienced owners. I haven't taken him to the vet.. since his previous owner and I go to the same one. I don't see anything concerning about him right now but I just want to learn more about MBD and the development of it from anyone thats experienced it firsthand.

Oh! He runs and climbs like a freaking champ. Again.. nothing alarming right now. He eats very well and has healthy . Hopefully it doesn't get worse and he can just live a good life. Thank you all! I'm excited to share my life with Spock.

Poor baby -- the best thing for him is a better UVB bulb ReptiZoo bulbs are not of good quality - this is what prevents MBD and other illnesses along w/ the skin -- please invest in a Reptisun 10.0 T 5 or a Arcadia 12% bulb -- they are of very good quality - change it out every 10-11 months ---plus the placement and distance is also critical - please get the UVB in your tank or have it unobstructed so hes getting the full rays - distance for the UVB 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor- please make sure your dusting his staple insect w/ calcium D3 5 x per week ONCE per feeding lightly coated - the UVB is what helps the dragon absorb / synthesize the calcium - is he good at eating his salads? He should be getting vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week ONCE per feeding lightly coated on the insects as well -- this supplement will change once he turns a year old -- your UVB is going to provide the good D3 he needs and the Arcadia I mentioned is very good -- his surface basking temps are also critical for digestion - they should be taken w/ a digital probe thermometer 95-100 - you dont need to leave the probe on the spot where he basks but check the temp every 2 weeks or so as basking bulbs do loose their heat intensity --- I am going to flag the post to Tracie our vet tech on the board and she can answer more questions about the MBD --
@Drache613

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!

 

[p.nattytang]

Thank you so much for your response! I took notes you suggested and will order the better UVB and the carotene as suggested. He does eat well, both his salad and the insects. He has the salad daily with the Calcium powder dusted on top and I do coat the insects that he has once a day. I usually give him crickets and superworms around noon-2pm depending on when he wakes. Then salad for dinner which is everyday around 7pm. I usually let him out for an hour after meals, he likes to poop on this mat I laid out on my floor. I'll be following advice down to the tee. I just don't want the mbd to get any worse. I'm worried one day he won't ve mobile anymore and that would break my heart. He loves to explore so much. So I'm super cautious. I do check his basking temp daily and it ranges from 93-103. And around 80 degrees in his "chilling spot" where I put a huge doll couch and he lounges on it. So in the month I've had him, he's been eating daily and pooping once a day. Healthy looking solid poops. Just a few questions for you guys:


What set up do you recommend for basking light(s)? He seems happy with the one now but since I'm upgrading the UVB, I'm wondering if I should upgrade the basking as well?
What about other supplements? Anything you reccomend, diff brands or kinds of supplements?
And what about his nails? I use a baby nail clipper and just trim the tip when I notice his nails getting caught on the bed. Is there a better way to trim and how often should I be cutting his nails?
How often do I bathe him?
I use a non slip liner in his tank, should I be using some kind of substrate? He doesn't seem to mind the liner at all. I do vacuum his tank daily and wipe it down every week. Is there anything else I need to do for him? I let him sit on the window to get some fresh sunlight.. is that a good idea? He probably sits there for around 30 mins a day.

Anyway his set up:
Currently he is in a 50gal tank. On the right side, I have his platform hideout, which is a square guinea pig home, and on top of that, I put some logs and a comfy dollhouse bed and mattress for him. There's a ramp he can go up and down the basking area. Right next to the platform, I have a rock hideout for him that has stairs which he uses to climb up to the platform sometimes. And I have a hammock hanging right above that. He likes to jump from the platform to the hammock. Then on the right side, the cooler area, I call the living room. He has a large doll sofa with a little plant beside it. Then I have a coffee table, where I feed him his insects. I'm wondering if I should put a corner hammock on his cool side for him. Or maybe some more logs or another hideout/platform.

He's an odd little fella! I never realized how much personality beardies can have.. and he is smart! He likes to jump onto the hammock and stare at me when he wants out. Then when he's ready to go back to his tank, he runs to find me and sits on me so I can put him back. It's awesome. I'm excited and nervous to see him grow. My only concern is the MBD. Otherwise he is perfect!

Do beardies recognize their owners? And do they know their name?

 

[Sadie]

Thank you so much for your response! I took notes you suggested and will order the better UVB and the carotene as suggested. He does eat well, both his salad and the insects. He has the salad daily with the Calcium powder dusted on top and I do coat the insects that he has once a day. I usually give him crickets and superworms around noon-2pm depending on when he wakes. Then salad for dinner which is everyday around 7pm. I usually let him out for an hour after meals, he likes to poop on this mat I laid out on my floor. I'll be following advice down to the tee. I just don't want the mbd to get any worse. I'm worried one day he won't ve mobile anymore and that would break my heart. He loves to explore so much. So I'm super cautious. I do check his basking temp daily and it ranges from 93-103. And around 80 degrees in his "chilling spot" where I put a huge doll couch and he lounges on it. So in the month I've had him, he's been eating daily and pooping once a day. Healthy looking solid poops. Just a few questions for you guys:


What set up do you recommend for basking light(s)? He seems happy with the one now but since I'm upgrading the UVB, I'm wondering if I should upgrade the basking as well?
What about other supplements? Anything you reccomend, diff brands or kinds of supplements?
And what about his nails? I use a baby nail clipper and just trim the tip when I notice his nails getting caught on the bed. Is there a better way to trim and how often should I be cutting his nails?
How often do I bathe him?
I use a non slip liner in his tank, should I be using some kind of substrate? He doesn't seem to mind the liner at all. I do vacuum his tank daily and wipe it down every week. Is there anything else I need to do for him? I let him sit on the window to get some fresh sunlight.. is that a good idea? He probably sits there for around 30 mins a day.

Anyway his set up:
Currently he is in a 50gal tank. On the right side, I have his platform hideout, which is a square guinea pig home, and on top of that, I put some logs and a comfy dollhouse bed and mattress for him. There's a ramp he can go up and down the basking area. Right next to the platform, I have a rock hideout for him that has stairs which he uses to climb up to the platform sometimes. And I have a hammock hanging right above that. He likes to jump from the platform to the hammock. Then on the right side, the cooler area, I call the living room. He has a large doll sofa with a little plant beside it. Then I have a coffee table, where I feed him his insects. I'm wondering if I should put a corner hammock on his cool side for him. Or maybe some more logs or another hideout/platform.

He's an odd little fella! I never realized how much personality beardies can have.. and he is smart! He likes to jump onto the hammock and stare at me when he wants out. Then when he's ready to go back to his tank, he runs to find me and sits on me so I can put him back. It's awesome. I'm excited and nervous to see him grow. My only concern is the MBD. Otherwise he is perfect!

Do beardies recognize their owners? And do they know their name?

The basking light needs to be a clear solid bright white bulb-- what are you using now? It sounds like its keeping good temps- you dont want any off white yellowish colored or daytime bulbs -- you can clean the tank w/ a solution of vinegar/ water 50/50 wipe down w/ a wet cloth -- I would get some F10 vet disinfectant to keep on hand - it kills pretty much everything in the tank and sanitize once a month - its a concentrate so you will need to mix in a spray bottle follow the directions - https://www.pangeareptile.com/collections/cleaner-and-disinfectant look for it on Amazon I see pangea is sold out -- no recommendations for supplements as long as your giving them as posted in my previous post but I would only dust the insects and not the salad too -- do not feed him w/ less than 2 hrs of basking time left - he needs to be fed before lights out at least 2-3 hrs of basking time to start digestion - jumping is not good they can often hurt themselves especially out of the tank - too many falls and too many bad injuries some have died from --- just a warning-- how far to the floor from that window? and what is under the window carpet etc? The green mesh hammocks and grass ones are bad for snagging nails and causing sprains and injuries -- please get him a cloth one from Etsy.com --- search bearded dragons-- you can watch a clip on you tube for cutting dragons nails -- do a search on you tube -- I can post websites for worms and insects for you --- I would look at getting some dubia roaches for him and hornworms --- its cheaper to get those on line than a pet store

 

[GinaSimi]

It's great that you are so vested in taking good care is Spock. Sadie is a wonderful person to learn from. If you are on Instagram, check out whosagoodlizard. They also post great things to help take care of your baby. He recommended a spiralizer for his squash and zucchini, I got one and Artichoke is eating his salads more. Also he posted a Bissell steam cleaner, it's handheld for sanitizing the tank, I use it in between the weekly full tank cleaning. When doing the full clean, I actually use full strength vinegar and let it sit for about 20 min, then I use the 50/50 mixture, then wipe down with just water. Make sure the smell of the vinegar is gone before you put him back in. As far as putting him in the window, I got a window cat hammock and attached a seagrass "ramp" from that to the bench under the window so he can climb down and not jump.

Good luck

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How is Spock doing now? Have you already purchased a new UVB light?
Since he has some bone issues, I highly recommend making his living conditions as user friendly
as possible. Meaning, make everything lower for him, almost ground level, for ease on basking,
so he doesn't have to climb & hurt himself from climbing. So you would need to adjust his UVB
light accordingly so it's close enough to him for maximum UVB exposure.
I love using bright white halogen bulbs, for basking lights. They are bright & get plenty hot for
them to get to their optimum body temperature.
How is his appetite doing?
I would also recommend investing in a liquid calcium for him, because it will absorb much more
easily than a powder. If you need helping finding one, let me know. I have a reptile online store
& have some great liquid calcium should you decide to purchase some.
Sadie has given some terrific suggestions for his housing, for his comfort, too. Let us know how
he is doing, bless him.

Tracie