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UNDERWEIGHT bearded dragon

TheTurtleTracker

TheTurtleTracker

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Age
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Location
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Info

What: female inland bearded dragon
Length: 10 inches
Age: 8 years
Cage Mate: sibling male (no fighting occurs)
Problem: underweight

Her bones at the base of her tail are protruding, her neck fat is not as full, tail is too skinny, and overall body composition is poor. I have started her eating 1 pinky mouse a week and force feeding ReptiAid (for malnourished reptiles) twice weekly.

Question: EXACTLY what more can I do to bulk her up ASAP?
 
I'm not into beardies but I would definitely separate them for now. There could be some bullying that you don't notice and also the male could be trying to mate with her. I doubt you want your female gravid and underweight.

Hopefully somebody with experience can chime in for you. It may also help to post your set up/temperatures/etc.
 
Hi William...is that length snout to vent?Have you had her all this time or someone give her+ her bro. to you? Is he the same size? I can't imagine her eating a pinkie at 10" total.Does she have ANY appetite? If she is 8 years old,sick for a long time,way undersize she sadly may be trying to die.Does she chew the pinkie? If she keeps it down,try giving her one a day until she's fattened.You can soak her [ don't leave unattended] in warm water to see if she'll drink.You really should take her to a herp vet if you have one...I wouldn't be TOO aggressive in treatment at that age+condition...it may just prolong the suffering.Is the sibling healthy? Are you sure that you have a proper set-up? To see a good care sheet go to Rainbow bearded dragons or Rockinar dragons.Very important to have a proper set-up.I wish the best for you and the poor creature.
 
Reply to both previous posts:

Both Grendel (male) and Tirza (underweight female) were given to me in 2004. At the time the were believed to be male and female. The pet store told me soon after I received them that they were actually both female. Therefore, I purchased a very large (very aggressive) male bearded dragon. He injured my two other beardies very badly ($1200 vet bill). At the vet I learned that Grendel actually really was a male (which was what I was originally told) :angry: I've always wondered if buying the third bearded dragon resulted in nothing but damage :(
The large aggressive male bearded dragon is out of the picture as he died two years after the vet visit due to old age (age 13).

Now it is the two of them. I have had them seperated for months and just put them back together again the day before writing this post. I left Tirza in the main enclosure (to ensure she established it as her own territory). Apon reintroducing Grendel back into the main enclosure I could tell my plan had worked. Tirza was asserting herself as the cage master with fast aggressive head bobs while Grendel submitted with slow bowing and making left arm circles.
As far as I can tell she still rules the enclosure but she is always sleepy.
She lost half of her left front arm, four of her five toes on her right front arm, and the end of her tail. Don't pity her; she gets around fine, aside from the difficulties of climbing up to bask on logs and such. (maybe this is why she spends so much time on the cage floor?
Grendel got off easy, having only lost four of the five toes on hus front left foot and the tip of his tail. He is still an agile climber, unlike Tirza.
Is that enough info...? :shrug01:
 
Dieing? :crying: It would break my heart if that were the case.
As for Tirza's size, I think you are right. She is probably larger than I thought (being a full grown adult). I will measure her and post that as soon as I get home.
As for Tirza's appetite:
She certainly relishes the pinkies (which are, of course, not alive) and keeps them down easily. She delights in chasing down crickets and mealworms in fa frenzy. She gobbles in berries of all kinds (rasberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, etc.). She will eat a romane heart salad with diced squash, zuccini, and cucumber any day. She will literally dive into apple suace and slurp it all up (although she hasnt had it in a long while because she made a HUGE mess in her cage the last time). In the summer she gets tropical hibiscus blooms and leaves a couple times a week. She has a strong liking for shredded carrots as well.
On occassion I will use Jurassidiet Bearded Dragon Food (never any of those cheap unhealthy brands). I cannot say none of this is my fault; I have so many animals that for a day or two they may not get fed (but the Smithsonian zoo only feeds their beardies lettuce and crickets only twice a week, so I think its not bad for them).
In short, she does eat and she eats well.

I am also concerned about how much time she spends on the cage floor in the sand. Being arboreal, she should be up on a log basking more often than she sits in the sand flattened out and basking. Again, it is probably because of the difficulty she has with climbing. :(
 
Habitat INFO

40 gallon breeder tank
One 100 watt basking spotlight
One 75 watt night glo heat light
One desert spectrum UVB bulb (specific to this enclosure's size)
Large cave to retreat to for hiding or cooling off
One log basking site
One large cork bark basking site (that doubles as a second hide)
Natural tan reptile desert sand
 
Well,that is a big help...the reason I mentioned no aggressive freatment is that many well-meaning owners put animals who are dying through unnecessary stress and prolong the suffering when the animal just wants to go to sleep.Sooooo....the whole picture is different since she evidently loves to eat.That's a HUGE plus.Give her dark leafy...FORGET all the berries as a staple...use MUSTARD+ TURNIP...these are the BEST greens out there...far more nutritious than romaine.Feed her live insects2-3 times a day...she NEEDS to gain weight...don't go by what is normal for an already normal-sized beardie.Get her checked for worms...this can cause weight loss Make sure UVB reaches her in the cage...the screen actually blocks some.She should be within 6-7".And FORGET applesauce...as you mentioned by the mess she made,it is a bowl irritant.
 
Thank you SOOOOO much I will start on fixing these things as soon as I get home.
I will also post her exact length (what it would be if all of her tail was still present) too.
That way you can tell me what her ideal weight would be.
 
I will purchase a scale that measures weight in grams and chart her weight. Should I weigh her weekly when I do this? And where can I get get a good scale for a decent price?
 
Any ideas as to why an arboreal lizard has taken to the ground? she rarely ever climbs and she frequently retires to a spot behind the cave under the corkbark. I don't think she should be behaving like this.
 
Check the temps.of her basking site....she may be avoiding the spot bulb.Basking temp.should be around 105 but not much higher.I prefer household bulbs to spot bulbs.You can get a gram scale at some Wal-marts.Could you post a pic of her?We could see how bad[or not bad] she really looks right away!! Also,go to the sites that I mentioned...Rockinar dragons or Rainbow bearded dragons....all set-up info is there for you.
 
Poor little amputee....well,just keep feeding her insects at least twice daily...the recommendation that many websites have of 20% insects,80% veg.doesn't apply to an underweight dragon who is ready to eat what you give her.Wash the leafy veg. and spray them with water when you give them.Also,soak her at least every other day about 5-10 min.in warm water to see if she'll drink.She looks dehydrated.She's not as thin as you described but def. needs TLC.Be careful of that substrate...you are better off with newspaper....no risk of impaction.Hope she improves !!
 
I read you use household bulbs for basking bulbs... What wattage 100W or 75W.. I go through some lightbulbs and never thought about normal household bulbs would be definately less expensive. Thanks again Angie for the beautiful little boy - we name Bon Jovi (All our dragons are 80's bands or singers)... He is a sweety and becoming a hearty eater.
 
Hi Deb... as far as wattage,I use whatever heats the cage properly.Just check your temps.I've used halogen as well...just as long as the cage is bright [ I don't use any red or blue bulbs] UVB is available,and the temps.are at the proper range.For a very large cage it may take 2 bulbs.
 
As off topic as this may be DEB I would stick to the specialized reptile bulbs. I am 17 years old and have a collection of well over 30 reptiles and amphibians. It is expensive when it come to lightbulbs, but I believe they sell them for a reason.
 
Not really off topic,for UVB you need special bulbs.....either linear tube flourescent which don't provide heat,hence the use of household bulbs or Mercury vapor which provides light AND heat,and depending on your set up may require no extra, or some extra heat.It's a complicated topic,but you will find on other breeders websites the same info.
 
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