Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, Zach here. I have been spending most of the time at the king/milksnake forums, but now it seems i need some help with my bearded dragon. He is about an inche or two shy of a foot. He is living in a roomy tank with a uv light and a spot basking lamp (75watt). it seems that all the living accomodations are right, as he was great for the whole past time. Recently, though, he seems to eat alittle less (from 15 mealworms a day, to like 5 a day, including salad). I like to switch diets of meal worms, and crickets (he also enjoys pinkie mice legs and tails whenever a thawed mouse for my snakes looses one during thawing). My BD is also very yellow on his belly side (stains? If so, from what?)

He seems like he is healthy (nice thick tail), but when he is walking around, he looks very skinny. Should I start dusting live food meals with Miner-All Indoors? I heard that is quite well.

Sorry if I cannot offer a better description on his looks, etc. Thanks for any help-Zach
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Zach Lim
Carnivorous Plant Grower and Herper
http://www.geocities.com/sf_snakes/index.html

Is your beardie eating dark leafy greens and veggies too? Mealworms really aren't that nutritious and also are hard to digest, causing impaction problems if too many are fed at once. Pinkies are mostly fat, and too many can lead to fatty liver disease.
The yellow stain you mentioned may be a concern. Check the link below.
Yellow Fungus

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TheClassyLizard

When you say he looks skinny walking, is he keeping his belly right off the ground? Sometimes even a healthy beardie looks sort of skinny when walking this way. Are there alot of lose folds of skin and bony hips? Those are more signs of malnutrician.

I would not feed mealworms at all, go to just crickets and mixed greens. Dust crickets couple times a week for dragons under a year old, about twice a once a week for adults. Dust with multivitamine and calcium powder.

The yellow stain could be that yellow fungus another poster suggested but it also could be just that, a yellow stain. What do you have as a substrate, basking log? SOme woods produce a yellowy stain and yellow dyed sand would do the same, especialy if it gets wet.

THe best thing to do is take a fecel to your vet to check for any parasites. Might as well takethe dragon for him to check that stain. It could also be dead unshed skin. My beardies's kin turns that sort of yellowy hue after soaking when he is sheding his skin.