How To Make A Bearded Dragon Runt Healthier

[kyra-byrne]

I was at Petco today, and I started to cry because one of the bearded dragons looked so small, skinny, and malnourished. I want to buy her to try and give her the best life she can have. What will I have to do to get her back into shape (besides feeding her, playing with her, and giving her proper lighting)? I would love to know what I can do to make her better before I buy her in two days. Any thoughts?

 

[Sadie]

I was at Petco today, and I started to cry because one of the bearded dragons looked so small, skinny, and malnourished. I want to buy her to try and give her the best life she can have. What will I have to do to get her back into shape (besides feeding her, playing with her, and giving her proper lighting)? I would love to know what I can do to make her better before I buy her in two days. Any thoughts?

Make sure you have a long tube UVB NO coils and basking temps are 105-110 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer --- I commend you for taking her but I haft to warn you she may be in worse shape than you can see and she may not make it --- if you need help w/ the UVB please ask and I will help -- she will need small crickets to eat for now I recommend getting dubia roaches -- she will need calcium D3 5 x per week once per feeding and Vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week once per feeding --- any more questions please ask the basking temps and UVB are the most important thing in the tank

 

[HoomanSlave]

Here's the sad truth about the situation:
Buying her will only give the store money, and that money will be used to buy another beardie that will suffer just like her. She may have all sorts of genetic problems, health issues, etc., and transferring her will be very stressful. Nursing her back to health will be a challenge.

However, if you are willing to save her, here's what you'll need:
-Waxworms-the high fat content is very important, supplement her main diet with a few of these to help her gain weight.
-Black soldier fly larvae-You will need a lot of these, it's best to invest in a large pack of them. Feed her these and dubias daily. They're very calcium rich, and she needs optimal calcium to nourish her. I included a PDF of their nutritional value, it's a bit long but an interesting read.
-Dubia roaches (or crickets if they are illegal in your region). Feed as many as she is willing to eat in a 15-minute time span each feeding. Get the largest package you can afford (they're cheap on Amazon, just be careful with the vendor you choose) because she will eat a lot once she's adjusted.
-Oxbow Critical Care (carnivore)-Mix into a slurry or feed her by the spoonful if she is too weak to eat
-Baby food and organic, pure (nothing but plain fruit on the ingredients list-no citrus) fruit juice (if she refuses to eat, put the fruit juice in a misting bottle and spray a little onto her nose.)
-Small animal scale or kitchen scale to monitor her weight. Weigh her every day. The exact amount may change by a few grams after feeding/pooping, but make sure she is gaining weight at a healthy rate.
-A good reptile vet-take her for an appointment as soon as possible
-Use paper towel as your substrate so you can inspect her poop for parasites or other issues
-Use a very high-calcium source of greens, such as mustard greens.

Your main focus should be putting weight on her at a healthy rate-your vet can help you with this. Don't feed too many waxworms, because they are limited in nutrients. Offer a small amount every couple of days. If dubias are legal in your area, choose them-they are much higher in protein and calcium than crickets. If you suspect parasites, quickly get her to the vet for a fecal test. Because she is so weak, parasites can become deadly very quickly.
Best of luck!

 

[kyra-byrne]

Here's the sad truth about the situation:
Buying her will only give the store money, and that money will be used to buy another beardie that will suffer just like her. She may have all sorts of genetic problems, health issues, etc., and transferring her will be very stressful. Nursing her back to health will be a challenge.

However, if you are willing to save her, here's what you'll need:
-Waxworms-the high fat content is very important, supplement her main diet with a few of these to help her gain weight.
-Black soldier fly larvae-You will need a lot of these, it's best to invest in a large pack of them. Feed her these and dubias daily. They're very calcium rich, and she needs optimal calcium to nourish her. I included a PDF of their nutritional value, it's a bit long but an interesting read.
-Dubia roaches (or crickets if they are illegal in your region). Feed as many as she is willing to eat in a 15-minute time span each feeding. Get the largest package you can afford (they're cheap on Amazon, just be careful with the vendor you choose) because she will eat a lot once she's adjusted.
-Oxbow Critical Care (carnivore)-Mix into a slurry or feed her by the spoonful if she is too weak to eat
-Baby food and organic, pure (nothing but plain fruit on the ingredients list-no citrus) fruit juice (if she refuses to eat, put the fruit juice in a misting bottle and spray a little onto her nose.)
-Small animal scale or kitchen scale to monitor her weight. Weigh her every day. The exact amount may change by a few grams after feeding/pooping, but make sure she is gaining weight at a healthy rate.
-A good reptile vet-take her for an appointment as soon as possible
-Use paper towel as your substrate so you can inspect her poop for parasites or other issues
-Use a very high-calcium source of greens, such as mustard greens.

Your main focus should be putting weight on her at a healthy rate-your vet can help you with this. Don't feed too many waxworms, because they are limited in nutrients. Offer a small amount every couple of days. If dubias are legal in your area, choose them-they are much higher in protein and calcium than crickets. If you suspect parasites, quickly get her to the vet for a fecal test. Because she is so weak, parasites can become deadly very quickly.
Best of luck!

 

[Sadie]

Good lighting and basking temps are key here- that has to be correct for her to eat-- you need a long tube fixture what size tank is she going into?

 

[kyra-byrne]

Good lighting and basking temps are key here- that has to be correct for her to eat-- you need a long tube fixture what size tank is she going into?

She got a reptisun UVB tube. She also has a 50 watt UVA light under her basking area. The temp near her basking area is reading 100 degrees. She is in a 40 gallon tank. We fed her as soon as she got into the tank. We bought her the crickets, this soft food with fruits, vegetables, and protein, and kale. They have all been sprayed with calcium spray, and the crickets were sprinkled in powder. She ate the kale and the purple soft food. Hasn’t touched crickets yet. We got her to drink water. She seems to not even have a back bone. She is flat and has almost no fat on her. Judging by how small she is, is this normal? I feel like it’s scary to pick her up. She’s fragile.

 

[Sadie]

She got a reptisun UVB tube. She also has a 50 watt UVA light under her basking area. The temp near her basking area is reading 100 degrees. She is in a 40 gallon tank. We fed her as soon as she got into the tank. We bought her the crickets, this soft food with fruits, vegetables, and protein, and kale. They have all been sprayed with calcium spray, and the crickets were sprinkled in powder. She ate the kale and the purple soft food. Hasn’t touched crickets yet. We got her to drink water. She seems to not even have a back bone. She is flat and has almost no fat on her. Judging by how small she is, is this normal? I feel like it’s scary to pick her up. She’s fragile.

Where is the UVB? Is it a T 5 or T 8? Distance and placement is key- the basking temps I would bump up to 105-110 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer- put the probe on the spot where she basks for 10 minutes get temp- please no more canned jarred or frozen good-- all fresh - keep trying w/ the crickets they should be small nothing bigger you don't want her impacted- I am going to post a nutrition website- I would order her some BSFL from here www.symptonbsf.com get a ceramic or glass bowl so they and worms can't get out of- I would get medium size rinse them before serving feed as many as you want do not dust them they are a great staple feeder

 

[Sadie]

Where is the UVB? Is it a T 5 or T 8? Distance and placement is key- the basking temps I would bump up to 105-110 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer- put the probe on the spot where she basks for 10 minutes get temp- please no more canned jarred or frozen good-- all fresh - keep trying w/ the crickets they should be small nothing bigger you don't want her impacted- I am going to post a nutrition website- I would order her some BSFL from here www.symptonbsf.com get a ceramic or glass bowl so they and worms can't get out of- I would get medium size rinse them before serving feed as many as you want do not dust them they are a great staple feeder

http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder
Please ask for more help if you need it

 

[HoomanSlave]

Avoid picking her up unless necessary until she's settled, additional stress can be very dangerous for her.

 

[kyra-byrne]

Where is the UVB? Is it a T 5 or T 8? Distance and placement is key- the basking temps I would bump up to 105-110 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer- put the probe on the spot where she basks for 10 minutes get temp- please no more canned jarred or frozen good-- all fresh - keep trying w/ the crickets they should be small nothing bigger you don't want her impacted- I am going to post a nutrition website- I would order her some BSFL from here www.symptonbsf.com get a ceramic or glass bowl so they and worms can't get out of- I would get medium size rinse them before serving feed as many as you want do not dust them they are a great staple feeder

The UVB is across the top of the tank. It’s a 10.0 T 8.

 

[Sadie]

The UVB is across the top of the tank. It’s a 10.0 T 8.

Please move it into the tank w/ no plastic cover over the bulb -- distance should be 6-8 inches directly over the decor piece --- here are some things to hang it w/ 3 M command Velcro fasteners- picture hanging wire – long plastic zip ties-- fishing line -- potted plant wire hangers --- TAK TY cable and hook ties they look like velcro straps try see if you can find them at WalMart

 

[kyra-byrne]

Good news for the day! She pooped. She’s eating kale like crazy too! The poop looks a bit strange but I’d rather her poop than not at all! I call this a win for the day

 

[Sadie]

Good news for the day! She pooped. She’s eating kale like crazy too! The poop looks a bit strange but I’d rather her poop than not at all! I call this a win for the day

Did you move the UVB?

 

[kyra-byrne]

I did. It’s hanging on the plant wire about 7-8 inches away from her decorations and basking area.

 

[Sadie]

I did. It’s hanging on the plant wire about 7-8 inches away from her decorations and basking area.

Ok good-- it sounds like she's on the way to recovery- as long as those basking temps are good along w/ UVB and good diet she should bounce back--- make sure to change uvb out about 5 months from when you put it in--

 

[Impawsible_Squad]

Like hoomanSlave said, its very important you feed her some high fat insects along with nutritional ones. Protein is very important for young beardies. Taking her in was very kind of you. I hope it all goes well

 

[kyra-byrne]

Thank you for reaching out! She got tons of protein today! We are working on reptaboost as well. She got crickets with calcium powder sprinkled on them. She loves kale so I spray calcium supplement on that to get her some extra help. Only problem is that she has very sunken eyes. She’s moving more but her eyes always seem closed. Here’s a picture of her. Day two working with her and she already looks better then before.

 

[HoomanSlave]

Sunken eyes can be a sign of dehydration, if she is getting enough water you may want to get her checked for parasites.

 

[kyra-byrne]

Thank you for telling me this. I will call the vet and get a fecal sample in tomorrow. I sprayed her and for awhile, her eyes were open. Then when I put her back in the tank, her eyes were shut all over again. I’ve also noticed she doesn’t walk very smooth. She kinda topples over. She reminds me of a toddler still learning how to walk. When I get the extra money, I will take her full vet exam before the month is over. I’m just starting to think her back legs are weak....maybe partial paralysis or MBD? It’s so possible for her to have so many things. Super excited for a vet appointment. Anyway, here’s two pictures, one with her eyes open and one with her eyes closed (squinted).