My Bearded dragons stopped growing

[Witchcvlt]

Hey. I am worried about my BD stunted growth...
He is currently 7 months, length of 20 cm and weighs 52g.
This is the first reptile I've ever had and so I made many mistakes due to bad advice.
First of all I had a infrared heat bulb for 5 months. My UV light is currently coil ( i am waiting for a new 60cm 10.0 UV strip light to arrive).
My vivarium is 1,20m x 60x 60cm.
I currently have a yellow-ish white 100 watts basking bulb.
My beardie is active, he jumps and explores and basks, his behaviour is quite normal.
He was constipated for about a month, pooped yesterday, after many baths, massagens and syringe feeding.
Currently I am still syringe feeding him ( crushed roaches, water and multivitamines, sometimes Apple and banana baby food). I am doing this because he barely eats, in the maximum, 2 roaches every other day. Back um november ( when he was 3 months ), the temperatures started to go down in my country and he started brumating. I wasnt quite sure what to do due to different opinions... In the beginning i ler him be, later on I took him out of sleep and put him under his basking light.
The ambient temperature of his vivarium is 35°C. I believe this brumating phase made him stop growing... Now that he is active again and I am feeding him more through syringe, is ir possible he can still grow to a normal size?

 

[doki_doki_dragon]

He is very cute. He looks skinny as well.
He is really small for his age and there is a possibility he will grow but I'm not exactly sure.

What are you feeding him?
Are you letting him out of the cage to roam sometimes?
Is he stressed? (Any animals nearby scaring him, can he see his reflection through the tank, etc)

If he is healthy and has enough space I think he should grow a bit more. I'm not exactly sure because they usually stop growing after 6 months, but he is only a bit over that so it might be possible. It also depends on his genetics, it might be possible for him to grow, or he could just be stuck that size.
If he is, it's ok! He is very cute! Just let him that you love him no matter what. Talk to him, spend time with him, it'll make him happy.

Normally bearded dragon grow up to be 18-24 inches. (Yours is 7 inches.)
Make sure he gets enough protein in his food, you can tell he is skinny because the base of tail (they store vitamins and such there), his fat pads look a bit sunken (the pads right behind his eyes, could also be sunken by dehydration), and if you pick him up and you can see his ribs, that's also bad.

I hope this helped a bit! If you need help with a beardie diet, just respond to this and ask, because I can help!

 

[Witchcvlt]

He is very cute. He looks skinny as well.
He is really small for his age and there is a possibility he will grow but I'm not exactly sure.

What are you feeding him?
Are you letting him out of the cage to roam sometimes?
Is he stressed? (Any animals nearby scaring him, can he see his reflection through the tank, etc)

If he is healthy and has enough space I think he should grow a bit more. I'm not exactly sure because they usually stop growing after 6 months, but he is only a bit over that so it might be possible. It also depends on his genetics, it might be possible for him to grow, or he could just be stuck that size.
If he is, it's ok! He is very cute! Just let him that you love him no matter what. Talk to him, spend time with him, it'll make him happy.

Normally bearded dragon grow up to be 18-24 inches. (Yours is 7 inches.)
Make sure he gets enough protein in his food, you can tell he is skinny because the base of tail (they store vitamins and such there), his fat pads look a bit sunken (the pads right behind his eyes, could also be sunken by dehydration), and if you pick him up and you can see his ribs, that's also bad.

I hope this helped a bit! If you need help with a beardie diet, just respond to this and ask, because I can help!

Thank you! I usually feed him cockroaches but he just wont take them (follows them with eyes then forgets about it). Now I feed him through syringe crunched roaches with multivitamines and water and sometimes baby food.
When I let him out he just sleeps on my chest... My bedroom isn't very safe for him to roam around.
My cat stares at him a lot through the glass, i try to keep him out but I can't always. The dragons doesnt seem phased tho.

 

[Broly]

He is very cute. He looks skinny as well.
He is really small for his age and there is a possibility he will grow but I'm not exactly sure.

What are you feeding him?
Are you letting him out of the cage to roam sometimes?
Is he stressed? (Any animals nearby scaring him, can he see his reflection through the tank, etc)

If he is healthy and has enough space I think he should grow a bit more. I'm not exactly sure because they usually stop growing after 6 months, but he is only a bit over that so it might be possible. It also depends on his genetics, it might be possible for him to grow, or he could just be stuck that size.
If he is, it's ok! He is very cute! Just let him that you love him no matter what. Talk to him, spend time with him, it'll make him happy.

Normally bearded dragon grow up to be 18-24 inches. (Yours is 7 inches.)
Make sure he gets enough protein in his food, you can tell he is skinny because the base of tail (they store vitamins and such there), his fat pads look a bit sunken (the pads right behind his eyes, could also be sunken by dehydration), and if you pick him up and you can see his ribs, that's also bad.

I hope this helped a bit! If you need help with a beardie diet, just respond to this and ask, because I can help!

Hey, just quickly before I reply to the initial post: Bearded dragons don’t stop growing at 6 months, on average they stop growing after they reach sexual maturity at 8 – 18 months.

 

[doki_doki_dragon]

Try for now to let him out once a week, make sure isn't there, and let him roam on your bed.
If he decides to sleep then let him.
Whenever you let him roam make sure it is right after he was basking to make sure he is warm.

He might not eat his food right away, but instead of continuing to feed him through syringe, I suggest this:
Giving him greens every day. (Collard greens, bell pepper cut small, cilantro in small amounts, etc)
Just leave these in his tank in his food bowl. You can also mist his greens so he's also getting water through them. If they look dried out after a day I think it's fine but if it looks like it's rotting then definitely take it out. Sometimes I leave greens in there for two days before I clean it but if I add any fruits then I clean it out at night.

If you always give him the option of having greens then he should definitely transfer over, off of the syringe. Make sure the pieces very small so he doesn't choke.
He might take a while to change his diet, or he might not. It depends on him.

After he eats some greens then try adding some dried bugs to his bowl. You can add them on top of the salad.
If he is just refusing the salad all together, maybe try adding a slight amount of baby food to it
and mix it up. At least then he'll have a familiar taste and smell.


I'm thinking that if you always syringe feed him then he'll never grow out of it. But if you give him the option to eat on his own he eventually will. Make sure he has greens before you feed him. Make sure he knows they are there, and then syringe feed.

Hopefully he'll eat them. They also like with their food moves. Maybe try putting live dubias in the salad, or shake the salad in front of him for a bit.

 

[doki_doki_dragon]

Hey, just quickly before I reply to the initial post: Bearded dragons don’t stop growing at 6 months, on average they stop growing after they reach sexual maturity at 8 – 18 months.

Thanks, I must've read it wrong or looked at an incorrect article.

 

[Witchcvlt]

Try for now to let him out once a week, make sure isn't there, and let him roam on your bed.
If he decides to sleep then let him.
Whenever you let him roam make sure it is right after he was basking to make sure he is warm.

He might not eat his food right away, but instead of continuing to feed him through syringe, I suggest this:
Giving him greens every day. (Collard greens, bell pepper cut small, cilantro in small amounts, etc)
Just leave these in his tank in his food bowl. You can also mist his greens so he's also getting water through them. If they look dried out after a day I think it's fine but if it looks like it's rotting then definitely take it out. Sometimes I leave greens in there for two days before I clean it but if I add any fruits then I clean it out at night.

If you always give him the option of having greens then he should definitely transfer over, off of the syringe. Make sure the pieces very small so he doesn't choke.
He might take a while to change his diet, or he might not. It depends on him.

After he eats some greens then try adding some dried bugs to his bowl. You can add them on top of the salad.
If he is just refusing the salad all together, maybe try adding a slight amount of baby food to it
and mix it up. At least then he'll have a familiar taste and smell.


I'm thinking that if you always syringe feed him then he'll never grow out of it. But if you give him the option to eat on his own he eventually will. Make sure he has greens before you feed him. Make sure he knows they are there, and then syringe feed.

Hopefully he'll eat them. They also like with their food moves. Maybe try putting live dubias in the salad, or shake the salad in front of him for a bit.

He has greens in his home since he was a baby. Usually green beans, cabbage, carros, green peppers... He only eats the cabbage but rarely. I've tried putting bugs in there but its never worked. Also I believe in his age and with this problem, he probably needs more protein than greens...
I hope the new bigger UV light helps

 

[Broly]

Hey. I am worried about my BD stunted growth...
He is currently 7 months, length of 20 cm and weighs 52g.
This is the first reptile I've ever had and so I made many mistakes due to bad advice.
First of all I had a infrared heat bulb for 5 months. My UV light is currently coil ( i am waiting for a new 60cm 10.0 UV strip light to arrive).
My vivarium is 1,20m x 60x 60cm.
I currently have a yellow-ish white 100 watts basking bulb.
My beardie is active, he jumps and explores and basks, his behaviour is quite normal.
He was constipated for about a month, pooped yesterday, after many baths, massagens and syringe feeding.
Currently I am still syringe feeding him ( crushed roaches, water and multivitamines, sometimes Apple and banana baby food). I am doing this because he barely eats, in the maximum, 2 roaches every other day. Back um november ( when he was 3 months ), the temperatures started to go down in my country and he started brumating. I wasnt quite sure what to do due to different opinions... In the beginning i ler him be, later on I took him out of sleep and put him under his basking light.
The ambient temperature of his vivarium is 35°C. I believe this brumating phase made him stop growing... Now that he is active again and I am feeding him more through syringe, is ir possible he can still grow to a normal size?

Is your enclosure 4ft x 2ft x 2ft? Your beardie will not be able to digest food until the lighting and temps are correct. This is VERY important, I know you said you have a UVB on the way but it’s important you understand your beardie can’t thrive, grow, eat, digest properly without this. And damage can be long term.
What are you taking your temperatures with? This should be taken with digital probe thermometers - one resting directly on the basking spot under the UVA heat bulb and one in the cool side of the enclosure. As you know; that coil bulb is really, really insufficient and can also damage their eyes.
Your beardie was not brumating - they do not brumate this young, your beardie is just suffering from insufficient and incorrect lighting (not being rude, I know there’s a lot to learn and it’s all very overwhelming initially).
We can offer diet and eating advice here but until that lighting is correct your beardie won’t be eating/processing food etc how it should be. Are you offering calcium and multivitamins with food?

 

[doki_doki_dragon]

He has greens in his home since he was a baby. Usually green beans, cabbage, carros, green peppers... He only eats the cabbage but rarely. I've tried putting bugs in there but its never worked. Also I believe in his age and with this problem, he probably needs more protein than greens...
I hope the new bigger UV light helps

I'll let JJGamez deal with the lighting.
For my beardie he wouldn't eat certain things either. Try giving him different veggies to see what he likes. Mine doesn't like carrots either. Try giving him collard greens or spinach. Dark greens are the best.

 

[Witchcvlt]

Is your enclosure 4ft x 2ft x 2ft? Your beardie will not be able to digest food until the lighting and temps are correct. This is VERY important, I know you said you have a UVB on the way but it’s important you understand your beardie can’t thrive, grow, eat, digest properly without this. And damage can be long term.
What are you taking your temperatures with? This should be taken with digital probe thermometers - one resting directly on the basking spot under the UVA heat bulb and one in the cool side of the enclosure. As you know; that coil bulb is really, really insufficient and can also damage their eyes.
Your beardie was not brumating - they do not brumate this young, your beardie is just suffering from insufficient and incorrect lighting (not being rude, I know there’s a lot to learn and it’s all very overwhelming initially).
We can offer diet and eating advice here but until that lighting is correct your beardie won’t be eating/processing food etc how it should be. Are you offering calcium and multivitamins with food?

Well yes, I already ordered a new UV light, can't do much more than waiting. Yes I am offering multivitamines with calcium everytime. I already had the idea the light was the problem and I am obviously going to fix it since I already bought it. Do you think this is beyond repair?
I have a digital thermometer in the Middle of the vivarium it says 33-35°C. I placed it for some time under the basking light for a while and it was 37°. I know a probe is better but the reading doesn't seem unnacurate. Due to covid we are on complete lockdown and I can't work and I don't have money. I bought multivitamines and the new light since I thought its more urgent

 

[Broly]

Hey. I am worried about my BD stunted growth...
He is currently 7 months, length of 20 cm and weighs 52g.
This is the first reptile I've ever had and so I made many mistakes due to bad advice.
First of all I had a infrared heat bulb for 5 months. My UV light is currently coil ( i am waiting for a new 60cm 10.0 UV strip light to arrive).
My vivarium is 1,20m x 60x 60cm.
I currently have a yellow-ish white 100 watts basking bulb.
My beardie is active, he jumps and explores and basks, his behaviour is quite normal.
He was constipated for about a month, pooped yesterday, after many baths, massagens and syringe feeding.
Currently I am still syringe feeding him ( crushed roaches, water and multivitamines, sometimes Apple and banana baby food). I am doing this because he barely eats, in the maximum, 2 roaches every other day. Back um november ( when he was 3 months ), the temperatures started to go down in my country and he started brumating. I wasnt quite sure what to do due to different opinions... In the beginning i ler him be, later on I took him out of sleep and put him under his basking light.
The ambient temperature of his vivarium is 35°C. I believe this brumating phase made him stop growing... Now that he is active again and I am feeding him more through syringe, is ir possible he can still grow to a normal size?

If your enclosure is 120cm wide (4ft) and 2ft high, what you really need is an ‘Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit, 34in/39w Desert 12% UVB’ or a ReptiSun T5 10.0 34” (I think this is the length it comes in - basically it needs to take up like 70/80% of the length of the enclosure) and also a reflector hood with this too.

 

[Broly]

Well yes, I already ordered a new UV light, can't do much more than waiting. Yes I am offering multivitamines with calcium everytime. I already had the idea the light was the problem and I am obviously going to fix it since I already bought it. Do you think this is beyond repair?
I have a digital thermometer in the Middle of the vivarium it says 33-35°C. I placed it for some time under the basking light for a while and it was 37°. I know a probe is better but the reading doesn't seem unnacurate. Due to covid we are on complete lockdown and I can't work and I don't have money. I bought multivitamines and the new light since I thought its more urgent

I’m based in the U.K. so where we get our supplies may be different but if you Google or eBay ‘digital probe thermometer’ you can get them cheap. The probe is the little end bit that senses the heat and it’s on a long wire, the temp will show on the little digital screen (sorry if that’s a rubbish explanation or if you already know exactly what I’m talking about, but just to confirm you know what I mean by digital probe thermometer). The stick on ones are really inaccurate and just measuring ambient temp in the middle really isn’t enough. One should always remain on the basking spot, at the very least.
And I deffo respect this stuff gets really expensive, I made plenty of mistakes and spent hundreds myself - it’s why it is so important to do extensive research first (but obvs that’s no help now!)
I wouldn’t personally be able to say if your beardie will have lasting damage but I will say, sometimes we presume they’re fine and acting quite normal but they are really suffering and their health can take a rapid turn for the worst and vet bills etc would essentially be a major cost-inconvenience so it’s so important to get everything right ASAP. I know you’re trying your best.

 

[Witchcvlt]

If your enclosure is 120cm wide (4ft) and 2ft high, what you really need is an ‘Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit, 34in/39w Desert 12% UVB’ or a ReptiSun T5 10.0 34” (I think this is the length it comes in - basically it needs to take up like 70/80% of the length of the enclosure) and also a reflector hood with this too.

I have that basking light and I ordered that UV light with 60cm

 

[Witchcvlt]

I’m based in the U.K. so where we get our supplies may be different but if you Google or eBay ‘digital probe thermometer’ you can get them cheap. The probe is the little end bit that senses the heat and it’s on a long wire, the temp will show on the little digital screen (sorry if that’s a rubbish explanation or if you already know exactly what I’m talking about, but just to confirm you know what I mean by digital probe thermometer). The stick on ones are really inaccurate and just measuring ambient temp in the middle really isn’t enough. One should always remain on the basking spot, at the very least.
And I deffo respect this stuff gets really expensive, I made plenty of mistakes and spent hundreds myself - it’s why it is so important to do extensive research first (but obvs that’s no help now!)
I wouldn’t personally be able to say if your beardie will have lasting damage but I will say, sometimes we presume they’re fine and acting quite normal but they are really suffering and their health can take a rapid turn for the worst and vet bills etc would essentially be a major cost-inconvenience so it’s so important to get everything right ASAP. I know you’re trying your best.

I know the probe thermometer... Im from Portugal and I have about 3 euros in my bank account and currently cannot work ( tattoo artist). The light was already bought on burrowed money and when he was impacted a few friends helped me out to go to the vet. I wasn't expecting covid would take such a toll as I had money back in the time.

 

[Broly]

I know the probe thermometer... Im from Portugal and I have about 3 euros in my bank account and currently cannot work ( tattoo artist). The light was already bought on burrowed money and when he was impacted a few friends helped me out to go to the vet. I wasn't expecting covid would take such a toll as I had money back in the time.

I understand that, just suggesting things that may be able to help so your beardie’s health can improve

When you get your UVB tube fitting, make sure it’s over the same side as the heat bulb so that he can benefit from both at the same time and the head over to the cool side if he needs a break (the heat bulb you have is ok as far as I know but what’s more important is checking the temperature exactly where he sits, directly under so you’d know whether the basking spot needs to be raised or lowered).

I’m not quite sure what thermometer you said you have to measure the temp at the moment, but if it has a probe on it that you can rest on the basking spot, do that and ideally leave it there if you can! Having this heat spot bang on and correct will help him be able to digest his food. Along with correct UVB - his appetite will come back. If he’s not eating much - still make sure he’s properly hydrated for now, if you need any help / advice with that, just let us know!

 

[Witchcvlt]

I understand that, just suggesting things that may be able to help so your beardie’s health can improve

When you get your UVB tube fitting, make sure it’s over the same side as the heat bulb so that he can benefit from both at the same time and the head over to the cool side if he needs a break (the heat bulb you have is ok as far as I know but what’s more important is checking the temperature exactly where he sits, directly under so you’d know whether the basking spot needs to be raised or lowered).

I’m not quite sure what thermometer you said you have to measure the temp at the moment, but if it has a probe on it that you can rest on the basking spot, do that and ideally leave it there if you can! Having this heat spot bang on and correct will help him be able to digest his food. Along with correct UVB - his appetite will come back. If he’s not eating much - still make sure he’s properly hydrated for now, if you need any help / advice with that, just let us know!

Okay I will take all your advices for sure. Do you think i should keep feeding him through syringe ? ( Crushed roaches + multivitamines and water) since he isn't hunting by himself.
Hope its all resolved and he grows in the few months of growing he has left...

 

[Broly]

Okay I will take all your advices for sure. Do you think i should keep feeding him through syringe ? ( Crushed roaches + multivitamines and water) since he isn't hunting by himself.
Hope its all resolved and he grows in the few months of growing he has left...

I’d hope someone with more experience could comment on the syringe feeding as I’ve never had to do it myself.

In general when feeding live food, calcium 1x per day 4-5 times a week is suggested, and on the 2-3 days you’re not using calcium a multivitamin should be used (also only on one meal per day). But in your beardies situation I wouldn’t personally know what amounts to suggest.

Do you know what the temperature drops to in the night and how many hours are your lights currently on each day?

 

[Witchcvlt]

At night its 15 degrees C. The lights are on 12h.
i just found out he also has stress marks after researching. I got him with them and thought it was a pattern... god i need this boy to be well.

 

[Broly]

Yeah, he looks super stressed! And 15 degrees c is way too cold of a night time. They do need a temperature drop at night (and complete darkness / quiet) but it should never drop below 18 degrees c. To fix this you can use a CHE (ceramic heat emitter). It emits no light but it provides heat. Again, it’s another cost. So what else I would suggest is to maybe heat the room he is in to raise your night time temps to 18 degrees c or higher.

 

[Broly]

Is his basking spot directly under the heat bulb? I can’t tell from the picture if the bulb is further forward, more to the centre of the enclosure or directly over where he is sitting? If it’s not directly under, you can move the bulb or move the basking spot.