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How will stunted growth affect a bearded dragons health?

Zukarin

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
70
I believe my bearded dragon has stunted growth due to parasites. I think she’s had this issues for months (I went to see a vet a couple months ago, but he said she was fine as 14 inches and 200 grams at 12 months).
Now, she has growth from 7 inches (Jan 2020) to 15 inches (Jan 2021).
 

Zukarin

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
70
Ideally, I would have liked to have caught this months ago, but I, as a first time owner, trusted the vet. I figure that I’ll probably get health insurance for her for any possible health expenses that may result from her stunted growth.
It makes me cry thinking about it, but I think she’s probably going to have this issues with stunted growth for the rest of her life. I keep trying to look up how this may affect her health long-term, but I simply keep getting results for how to prevent it now how it affects the animal long term.
How may stunted growth affect a beardie long-term?
 

Sadie

Bearded Dragon Veteran
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
10,692
Ideally, I would have liked to have caught this months ago, but I, as a first time owner, trusted the vet. I figure that I’ll probably get health insurance for her for any possible health expenses that may result from her stunted growth.
It makes me cry thinking about it, but I think she’s probably going to have this issues with stunted growth for the rest of her life. I keep trying to look up how this may affect her health long-term, but I simply keep getting results for how to prevent it now how it affects the animal long term.
How may stunted growth affect a beardie long-term?
First off dragons grow at their own rate BUT you need proper UVB and basking temps for that to happen -- so tell me what your using for a UVB NO coils please and your basking temps what are they and how are you taking them? NO stick ons they are inaccurate -- those two things are the MOST IMORTANT things in the tank -- they control the behavior and overall health
 

Zukarin

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
70
First off dragons grow at their own rate BUT you need proper UVB and basking temps for that to happen -- so tell me what your using for a UVB NO coils please and your basking temps what are they and how are you taking them? NO stick ons they are inaccurate -- those two things are the MOST IMORTANT things in the tank -- they control the behavior and overall health
I have a digital thermometer and a fluorescent 10.0 UVB bulb. It’s hard to properly measure the basking area with the probe thermometer I have (I set the probe next to where she basks), but I’m fairly certain it’s enough. My beardie gapes and it measured around 95 when it was an inch lower than where it is now. (I resituated her cage recently because I moved it, and I raised the basking area when the probe said the basking temp was low) I am gonna try to remeasure it, but the prose will take a few minutes to heat up. I took off the screens on top of the cage so that the UVB can hang on the top.
 

Sadie

Bearded Dragon Veteran
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
10,692
I have a digital thermometer and a fluorescent 10.0 UVB bulb. It’s hard to properly measure the basking area with the probe thermometer I have (I set the probe next to where she basks), but I’m fairly certain it’s enough. My beardie gapes and it measured around 95 when it was an inch lower than where it is now. (I resituated her cage recently because I moved it, and I raised the basking area when the probe said the basking temp was low) I am gonna try to remeasure it, but the prose will take a few minutes to heat up. I took off the screens on top of the cage so that the UVB can hang on the top.
What is the UVB is it a coil or a tube? Distance is key here w/ those tube bulbs -- Basking temps need to be 95-110 so it sounds like your in range -- gaping is good -- diet also plays a role in the growth -- what are you feeding her -- she will continue to grow up till 2 I believe --- what size tank do you have her in?
 

Zukarin

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
70
What is the UVB is it a coil or a tube? Distance is key here w/ those tube bulbs -- Basking temps need to be 95-110 so it sounds like your in range -- gaping is good -- diet also plays a role in the growth -- what are you feeding her -- she will continue to grow up till 2 I believe --- what size tank do you have her in?
I have a UVB tube.
I tend to feed her (all fresh) kale, collard greens, peas (snow and sugar snap), and green beans (oddly enough, she only eats green veggies, and she’ll turn her nose up to anything else). For protein, I feed her 10 crickets a day (sometimes 20 if I skip a day). I give them all of her leftovers and this bird mix the vet told me would be good for them. I try to dust them all with calcium, but I tend to forget- I probably dust about half. I try to mix baby food with calcium, but, thinking about it, I need to be more vigilant about her calcium intake considering her kale and collard green intake (she tends to eat them more than the peas)
I really do hope she continues to grow for another 10 months because she is only an inch shorter than a healthy average. Looking at it, she may be small because I haven’t supplemented enough calcium (though I still worry about parasites which is why I’m sending a fecal sample to an vet today)
She is in a 40 gallon terrarium (I wanted to be able to open the cage from the front and this was the largest I could find in my area)
 

Sadie

Bearded Dragon Veteran
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
10,692
I have a UVB tube.
I tend to feed her (all fresh) kale, collard greens, peas (snow and sugar snap), and green beans (oddly enough, she only eats green veggies, and she’ll turn her nose up to anything else). For protein, I feed her 10 crickets a day (sometimes 20 if I skip a day). I give them all of her leftovers and this bird mix the vet told me would be good for them. I try to dust them all with calcium, but I tend to forget- I probably dust about half. I try to mix baby food with calcium, but, thinking about it, I need to be more vigilant about her calcium intake considering her kale and collard green intake (she tends to eat them more than the peas)
I really do hope she continues to grow for another 10 months because she is only an inch shorter than a healthy average. Looking at it, she may be small because I haven’t supplemented enough calcium (though I still worry about parasites which is why I’m sending a fecal sample to an vet today)
She is in a 40 gallon terrarium (I wanted to be able to open the cage from the front and this was the largest I could find in my area)
Ok her diet is good --- I would switch her staple feeder up to either dubia roaches silk worms and or BSFL - the BSFL are very good for babies but adults eat them as well - those you do not need to dust w/ calcium D3 and w/ her eating all the veggies especially kale shes getting her vitamins -- I will post a website for nutrition ignore the kale thing its a great staple feeder http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html I would not feed her the peas stay w/ your leafy greens NO lettuce!! I would start dusting her insects -- you should be dusting w/ calcium D3 2 times per week now and calcium w/ out D3 NO phosphorus 3 times per week -- the calcium and the UVB is what wards off MBD - the UVB also prevents other illnesses as well ---
As far as the UVB tube are you using a Reptisun T 5 or a T 8? And placement for those bulbs is crucial --
If her poop is dark formed and moist and urate white formed and moist shes probably does not have parasites -- its when its real runny and the smell will drive you from the room --
 

Zukarin

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
70
Ok her diet is good --- I would switch her staple feeder up to either dubia roaches silk worms and or BSFL - the BSFL are very good for babies but adults eat them as well - those you do not need to dust w/ calcium D3 and w/ her eating all the veggies especially kale shes getting her vitamins -- I will post a website for nutrition ignore the kale thing its a great staple feeder http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html I would not feed her the peas stay w/ your leafy greens NO lettuce!! I would start dusting her insects -- you should be dusting w/ calcium D3 2 times per week now and calcium w/ out D3 NO phosphorus 3 times per week -- the calcium and the UVB is what wards off MBD - the UVB also prevents other illnesses as well ---
As far as the UVB tube are you using a Reptisun T 5 or a T 8? And placement for those bulbs is crucial --
If her poop is dark formed and moist and urate white formed and moist shes probably does not have parasites -- its when its real runny and the smell will drive you from the room --
I've made sure that she's never had any lettuce, and thank you for that website!
I have the T8. I just got a new bulb a month ago, and I know to replace it in 5 months.
As far as my conviction that she may have parasites, the reason I think she has parasites it because I've found a red goop in her stool despite her only green diet which I found, online, to be a sign of parasites. She's diarrhea a couple of times. I do tend to worry about her a lot though...
 

Sadie

Bearded Dragon Veteran
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
10,692
I've made sure that she's never had any lettuce, and thank you for that website!
I have the T8. I just got a new bulb a month ago, and I know to replace it in 5 months.
As far as my conviction that she may have parasites, the reason I think she has parasites it because I've found a red goop in her stool despite her only green diet which I found, online, to be a sign of parasites. She's diarrhea a couple of times. I do tend to worry about her a lot though...
Is she eating anything red? Or just green- any supplements red pellets? Only one time? The T 8 needs to be inside the tank or no screen obstruction w/ basking decor directly underneath- 6-8 inches and No plastic cover over the bulb-- the bulb needs to be exposed
 

Zukarin

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
70
Is she eating anything red? Or just green- any supplements red pellets? Only one time? The T 8 needs to be inside the tank or no screen obstruction w/ basking decor directly underneath- 6-8 inches
She hasn't eaten anything red(I've given her yellow-orange babyfood, but she hasn't eaten it recently), and it was twice that I've noticed (a few weeks ago, and yesterday)
I took off the screens, but the bulb's more than 6-8 inches away from the where she basks. I'll try to hang it in her tank so it'll be closer.
 

Sadie

Bearded Dragon Veteran
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
10,692
She hasn't eaten anything red(I've given her yellow-orange babyfood, but she hasn't eaten it recently), and it was twice that I've noticed (a few weeks ago, and yesterday)
I took off the screens, but the bulb's more than 6-8 inches away from the where she basks. I'll try to hang it in her tank so it'll be closer.
Yes please the distance needs to be that- T 8's are not strong enough further away- try the UVB distance and see if the color of stool goes away-- you can do the parasites test just to get peace of mind--- NO ENEMAS--
 

Zukarin

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
70
Yes please the distance needs to be that- T 8's are not strong enough further away- try the UVB distance and see if the color of stool goes away-- you can do the parasites test just to get peace of mind--- No ENEMAS--
I feel a lot calmer about everything and a lot more assured that I can give her the best care I can with this new information. Thank you soooo much for your help and advice!!
 

Sadie

Bearded Dragon Veteran
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
10,692
I feel a lot calmer about everything and a lot more assured that I can give her the best care I can with this new information. Thank you soooo much for your help and advice!!
Ok if you have any more questions please ask - let me know about the stool issue
 

Zukarin

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
70
There’s been issues with getting the fecal sample to the vet (it’s an hour drive each way, and there hasn’t been much opportunity for that), but we got the results: she has pinworms.
We have to get medicine, but it’ll be easy to give her since she’ll eat anything with baby food!
 

Sadie

Bearded Dragon Veteran
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
10,692
There’s been issues with getting the fecal sample to the vet (it’s an hour drive each way, and there hasn’t been much opportunity for that), but we got the results: she has pinworms.
We have to get medicine, but it’ll be easy to give her since she’ll eat anything with baby food!
Ok the med will make her not want to eat --- but you can feed in the food - she may haft to have it force fed -- did you get the meds from the vet?
 

Sadie

Bearded Dragon Veteran
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
10,692
The Vet is closed now, but Im gonna get it tomorrow when theyre open
Ok sounds good -- make sure you get some syringes from the vet and he is kept hydrated - the meds will dry him out - you can syringe feed the water but do it very slowly - let him drink what you put in - if you haft to put him in the bath every other day drop water on his nose but keep him hydrated --- if hes in the bath water make sure he does not drink too fast you dont want him aspirating --
 
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