Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted a message yesterday about a baby beardie I'm caring for. I received a few suggestions but could still use some more! I have been taking it outside in the sun a few times daily and I bring the crickets out there because it seems to want to eat more in the sun. I know I should get it used to eating in the tank but for now I just want to make sure it eats. It ate 3 crickets today, that I dusted with calcium powder so I was happy about that, but it still acts very sluggish. It's so strange, it's almost as if it has narcolepsy! Is that possible?? It's eyes are closed one minute and it's as limp as can be, and then I try to move it and it wakes up. Sometimes it takes a few seconds longer for it to wake up though, but when it does it's active for a few seconds and then falls back to what seems like a sleep. It also keeps opening it's mouth at completely random times, not just when it's under heat. What is going on??? I have no idea if this baby will make it or not
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- Harley -

The fact that it is gasping at times when it should not be makes me think there is a respitory problem going on. Are the temps right in it's enclosure? For babies a high basking area of 110 is needed for proper digestion, and if it's respitory this might also help with that. How is the humidity in the enclosure? Beardies need a dry habitat not to humid. A moist cage can cause respitory problems. If you got standing water like a water bowl take it out. Let the baby drink during a bath, or by dripping some water on his nose. I'm not sure of what substrate your using but if it holds water I wouldn't mist inside the cage to much. High temps and wet substrate raise humidity really high. Gasping can be caused by so many factors respitory is one, impaction, and some parasites can cause this also. Has the beardie been going to the bathroom normally? I can't tell you what's wrong with it, I can just give a best guess. If this continues I suggest getting him to a vet. Good Luck.
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do you have all the proper lighting such as heat lamp and uv light, besides crickets what are you feeding the beardie did you try romaine lettuce or kale? meal worms?

Thank you both for your advise. I have an adult beardie that I have raised from a baby, and she is very healthy. I have been doing all the things with this new baby that I have done with her. I actually brought this baby home from the pet store I work at because I could tell something was wrong with it, so I'm just trying to figure that out so I can properly care for it. I have paper towels down and for the most part it is hot and not humid in there. I don't use a water dish cause it hasn't worked in the past however I did mist in the tank and the paper towels may still be damp, I will definitely check! I have a regular bulb for the heat and a UV bulb for digestion purposes. I had a 75 watt bulb but it was getting way too hot! So I have a 40 now. The temp is around 95 degrees, but the tank is small so I want it to have a way to get out of the heat as well if need be. I have been trying to feed it collard greens as well as crickets (no lettuce though I know that's not good for them!), however I'm only having luck with the crickets and pretty much only when out in the sun. It ate a piece of collard greens right before I took it from the store, but none really since. It attempted a few times but didn't actually eat it. The only reason I am kind of hopeful that it may make it, is because it is pooping and everything looks fine. So I don't think it's impacted. Um....what about the whole acting like he's sleeping/dead all the time and then acting fine the next minute....any thoughts? Let me know what you think after you read this one. Is there anything I can do that I'm not doing. If need be I will take it to the vet. Thanks again!
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- Harley -

Most of the time he acts dead/or like he's sleeping? Or does he move around do his business and when you grab him or when he sees you he acts this way? Babies expecially young ones that have been shipped and taken from one cage to another, then outside, and so forth may just be really stressed out. Since he's going to the bathroom and moves around and is eating a little is a good sign. Can he see your other dragon, or is there anything around him that can be adding to his stress? It's very hard to figure these things out over the computer. I wish I could just see him.lol. Maybe I could help out more. I would just keep him hydrated, and eating. Make sure his temps are warm. Make sure nothing is adding stress. If he sees other animals I would cover up the sides. Breeders usaully keep them in tubs without a view out, sometimes this can make a big difference to them. I hope he comes around for you. Good Luck. Last I can say is make sure after he is better, make sure all the things that were in contact with him is never used for your healthy dragon. Don't want to cross contaminate god forbid he has a illness that can be spread.
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You are so helpful! Thank you so much I really appreciate it. I'm hoping it is just stress and it will get better soon. I have tried to make sure it can't see my big one cause I know that can really stress a baby out, but I do have a hamster that may be in view which I will move immediately! I have also been very careful with washing my hands and stuff cause I would be devastated if anything ever happened to my other one! I have three more questions though. One, because handling can cause stress is it okay to take it out in the sun once a day...that seems to be the only time it really perks up and eats? Second, I can only fit one light over the tank. I had a 75 watt bulb only which was great on the heat, but I thought I needed the UV rays so I now have a UVA 25 watt bulb instead. Should I just put the 75 watt back so it gets the most heat...or will it get worse without the UV rays? I always thought the UV rays were the most important but maybe in this case it's the heat. And lastly, I'm trying to keep the tank dry but then should I take it out to mist it? Or will that cause too much stress? Cause misting it in the tank is making it a little damp. Also, should I bath it at all? Okay that's it for now Thanks again!!
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- Harley -

Actually it's the UVB rays that are the most important the reptile bulb you got is giving you the same light you can get from a regular house bulb which is uva visable light. Since you don't have a uvb source like a flourescent such as repti-sun 5.0 I would go a head and take him out in the natural sunlight where he will get the uva/uvb light. As for misting can you just drip the water on his nose? Instead of misting the whole cage with a spray bottle just directly drip it right on the babies face. He should drink like that, if not when he's in the bath just drip some on his nose then. Is he moving regular then freezing up when he sees you or being held? You didn't answer that question last post, want to see if it's stress related. As for the bulbs I can't see that a 25 watt bulb is getting a hot enough basking spot. If you can wal-mart or radio shack sells digital thermometers with a probe you can put right on the basking spot and get a correct temp. 105-110 for babies. Babies need a hotter boby temp then adults do. Good Luck I really hope he comes around for you.
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Oops sorry I forgot to answer that question. I don't know if he is also like that in the tank when I'm not around, but I do know that he's always in a different position, so I'm assuming there's movement when I'm not there. I have a thermometer in there and it says around 90-95. I can easily go out and get a ReptiSun 5.0 UVB light if you think that will be better. I just don't know which is more important. Should I use just a heat bulb that gets the temp to around 105-110 or should I just get the ReptiSun 5.0 instead and no heat light?
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- Harley -

Ohh no heat is needed, uvb is beneficial to aid in absorbtion of calcium. If you have to choose between one or the other heat is the most important, some do away with the uvb light and provide suppliments with calcium and d3. Right now since he is going outside daily he's getting uvb. If you decside to keep him in uvb flourescents would be a good thing to have. The ideal thing would to have both a heat light which could be a regular bulb you would use for a lamp for heat, and a uvb flourescent for the added uvb they provide. I hope this makes more sense to you. The heat is needed for digestion, the uvb is needed to help in the absorbtion of calcium.
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