I picked up a baby bearded dragon a few weeks ago at petco, not first selection of "breeders" but thats all there is in this town. Anyways, my beardie has seemd to slow down considerably in the past 2-3 days. He is very alert and aware of his surroundings but he seems very clumsy in his movements, falling from branches that he once hopped across with ease. He has a shakey, uncoridinated walk that worries me. I just noticed him bringing his front arms around slowly in a full circular motion as he "walks" across the substrate. The temps are good, he's feeding on small gut loaded crickets and meal worms and I mist him/cage at least 3 times a day. I offer greens every day, but have yet to see him take any. I need any advice or educated guesses before I take him to the vet. Thanks in advance for any help.
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Sick beardie...
Replies (1)
What temperature is the basking area kept at? The rest of the cage?
Do you provide fullspectrum/UVB light or direct sunlight (neither of which should pass through glass or plastic)?
Do you dust the insects with phosphorous-free calcium before feeding them to it? Insects have a poor calcium/phosphorous ratio.
Do you give your dragon or the insects anything that contains preformed vitamin A? (Beta carotene sources of vitamin A can't be overdosed, but preformed can.)
Do you dust the insects with a calcium/D3 powder? (Vitamin D3 produced from exposure to UVB/sunlight can't be overdosed, but from supplements it can.)
Clumsiness and shakiness can be symptoms of MBD (metabolic bone disease) which is usually caused by an imbalance between calcium, phosphorous, vitamin D3 and vitamin A. I'm not a vet so I can't tell you that this is what it is for sure. There may be other reasons for it too.
If it is the beginnings of MBD a vet can give your dragon a series of calcium injections followed by a shot of calcitonin when the blood levels of the calcium have built up enough and it should draw the calcium back into his bones. THIS HAS TO BE DONE BY A VET BECAUSE IF IT ISN'T DONE PROPERLY, IT CAN KILL THE DRAGON.
Hope you get it figured out!
