Bearded dragon question

[Bradyloach]

Well first, Hello :)

okay so i have a heating pad in my bearded dragons enclosure in the corner, and she just lays on the tiles some of the day because its 103F.

But then my actual basking spot is 107F the cool side is around 75-80F she has water and food at all times, but she just lays in the corner. shes not to skinny but im worried about her. Well she is eating but i fear shes not as active as she should be.

This is coming from a sav owner so im not sure how beardies are yet! anyways ill post a pic. thanks :D

[Bradyloach]

http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt351/bradyloach/c93db4b7.jpg

[Valvaren]

Beardies vary just as much as humans, some can be extremely laid back and lazy while others are constantly moving. It all depends on your dragon. As long as your temps are proper, your UVB is right and you are feeding an appropriate diet and maintaining a good weight then its just your dragon's attitude.

[Bradyloach]

oh okay :D thanks, umm what are signs of not enough UVB? c

[Valvaren]

Its a slower process that happens due to deficiency. Did you pick up a tube UVB? What do you currently have?

[Bradyloach]

I'm using the bulb untill my income tax. I cannot find a tube fixture

[lady_bug87]

If they do not get adequate UVB it can cause some problems, if there is no swelling of the limbs and the belly is not distended then I would not worry so much. I personally do not use belly heat with my lizards, I use a heat bulb and UVB (changed once every 4mos) for my beardie and a mercury vapor bulb and uvb (again changed every 4mos) for my lacertas.

when I started with lizards they told me no belly heat because unlike snakes they do not use belly heat to thermal regulate

**edit: this doesn't mean you shouldn't use it, its just what I have done**

[Valvaren]

Tube fixtures are super easy to find, Home depot, Home hardware or any kind of hardware store. Just make sure you set it up at the proper distance from your dragon.

[Bradyloach]

Okay. Hey Val. I'm just not sure that my bearded dragon is healthy. He sat on the heat pad all day and I think I'm doing something wrong. I mix meal worms with collard greens and sqush. I turned the heating pad off because I want her to use the basking spot. Because the UVB is right there! And umm her poop iss a little runny but mostly hard. Does there sound like a problem ?

[Bradyloach]

http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt351/bradyloach/5aa990db.jpg
http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt351/bradyloach/5a5a2b28.jpg
http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt351/bradyloach/0d1b868a.jpg

[red ink]

The Chitin in mealworms is'nt good for beardies... seems to be too hard for them to process. I'd change that over to crickets or roaches.

[Bradyloach]

The Chitin in mealworms is'nt good for beardies... seems to be too hard for them to process. I'd change that over to crickets or roaches.

Yeah, How many crickets should she eat a day, she is currently eating like 9 large crickets, there no bigger then the space between her eyes

[red ink]

Yeah, How many crickets should she eat a day, she is currently eating like 9 large crickets, there no bigger then the space between her eyes


As much as she want's really... she looks abit on the skinny side from the last lot of pics. Make sure you dust the crix with calcium powder with D3 and herptavite every third feed.

[totheend]

Ohhhh s/he looks pretty thin! Is s/he eating? I know that runny stools for beardies can be pretty serious. S/he may have parasites such as coccidia? I hope a beardie specialist comes on here to help you....

[Bradyloach]

http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt351/bradyloach/054a87a6.jpg

She's not thin just the way I was holding her

[Bradyloach]

Not runny poop, I thought so but it looks good, here's some more I think I just need to feed her more
http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt351/bradyloach/433e073e.jpg
http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt351/bradyloach/ac4a7822.jpg
http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt351/bradyloach/95e18670.jpg

[jarich]

A little thin, but not problematic looking. She should be eating way more than 9 crickets a day though. Put 20 in there and see what happens. Chitin isn't a problem for them as long as they are getting the heat and veggies they need. But I always try to feed bugs that move around and have to be chased, that way they get food and exercise.

It doesn't sound like her poo is that runny, so I don't think I would worry about parasites just yet. She may just be a little lazy man. They definitely aren't as active as monitors so that might be a hard comparison to make.

[Bradyloach]

Yeah that sounds good. She is very tolerate with handling. When I put her back she always tries climbing back on me! How cool can the cool side be, I have it at 85 ish