need help

[robertjnovak59]

My sisters bearded dragon is really lethargic.
She can pick him up and flip him upside down
And he barely reacts. Now hes light yellowish

[RyanReptile]

You need to tell us what your husbandry of the bearded dragon is eg. Cage temperatures, humidity, diet etc... For us to help you.

[robertjnovak59]

Humidy is 35%, air temp is 80, but that's just
Off a thermometer. Not sure what the basking temp is.
Hes 9 years old, he wont eat much romaine lettuce
but he likes superworms.He wont eat anything else.

[mygabriella]

Maybe his basking isnt hot enough?

[robertjnovak59]

she gives him a bath in a tub of water once a week and the last two times he got a bath he flipped upside down and almost quit moving, like he was in shock. When she holds him, he doesnt really grab onto her anymore,

[smy_749]

The most important piece of information is the one you didn't provide. His basking temperature. His appetite and his energy level are directly related to his energy SOURCE. He can't digest if he isn't warmed up, and he can't recharge if he doesn't get warm enough. Warm end should be much much warmer than 80, cool end should be around 80....

[robertjnovak59]

I've had him for 2 years now, last year he was nothing like this. The tank itself is 80, the basking spot has a 100 watt light right above his basking spot. It's the bath that has spooked us out. He has always loved it, now the last 2 times he has flipped over in his bath 2 or 3 times like an alligator, I take him out and he is a very pale yellow and very lethargic. I put him back in his tank under his light and he jumped off his log and is now moving slightly, seems a little disoriented. He is about 9 years old, so maybe he's just getting old.

[robertjnovak59]

Is there any accurate way to check the basking temperature without a temp gun?
Im assuming that's not the problem
because hes always been setup this way.

[Starbuck]

if you have no way to accurately measure the basking temps etc, i think the next best thing would be to post pictures of the enclosure (in detail), and the animal. If you have them, maybe a current picture and an older one, that shows any changes to his skin tone, body condition, etc.

[smy_749]

if you have no way to accurately measure the basking temps etc, i think the next best thing would be to post pictures of the enclosure (in detail), and the animal. If you have them, maybe a current picture and an older one, that shows any changes to his skin tone, body condition, etc.

Think about anything that you have changed recently. Water temps in his bath? DIET ? Substrate? Bulb ? Even different food supplier ? Think of anything that has changed, and investigate it. And don't forget, the vet can be of some help occasionally.

[robertjnovak59]

After they brumate, do they act strange for any period of time?
I know my corns take a few weeks to act normal when they wake up.
Could that be whats happening? Does anyone know a good reptile vet around cleveland, ohio?

[RyanReptile]

Do you use a UVB bulb and what does his diet consist of?

[RyanReptile]

It sounds like MBD especially if he is kept without a UVB lamp romaine lettuce does not really have a nutrients eithier. Pictures would help a lot. You also said that he was turning yellow? There is a fungal disease that I think will do this but I do not know what symptoms occur.

[robertjnovak59]

He has a uvb lamp and he doesn't eat much other than the superworms.
She puts other food in there, but he doesn't eat it. Hes normal colored, except for the 2 bath episodes when he turned yellow. Right now I cant figure out how to upload pics off my cellphone. After work I will try to get pics up. Whats their normal lifespan?

[RyanReptile]

Properly cared for they should have no problem living 20+ years.

[murrindindi]

Properly cared for they should have no problem living 20+ years.


Hi, can you show a few photos of your 20+ year old Bearded dragons? Thanks! ;)
If only they did.....

[Danimal]

I keep my ambient daytime temps in the mid 80's. The basking spot is 130ish although I have rarely seen them sitting right there, usually they sit all around the periphery. Try chopping up some fresh collard greens, they have a strong smell that may induce a feeding response. Collards are like crack to my beardies and they are good for them.

If my beardies live to be 12-14 I will be happy, my oldest is 11ish now.

But like with any animal, no one knows your animal better than you and it is always better to err on the side of caution imo. If you are "feeling" that something is off then it very well may be. It wouldn't hurt to have him checked out.

[DeadlyDesires]

how old is your uvb bulb? when did you last replace it? how close can your dragon get to it? and what kind is it? coil bulb, straight bulb, florescent?

[shaunyboy]

she gives him a bath in a tub of water once a week and the last two times he got a bath he flipped upside down and almost quit moving, like he was in shock. When she holds him, he doesnt really grab onto her anymore,

could the tub have been used for something containing chemicals ?

sorry,its only snakes i keep,but they can have severe reactions to certain chemicals,cleaning products,air fresheners,etc

cheers shaun

[robertjnovak59]

I will try the collard greens, dont think shes tried them yet.
The bulbs only a couple months old, they seem to break fast. Its 18" from him.
I think its flourescent. There have never been chemicals in the tank.
She hasn't changed food, bedding, or bulb types since shes had him.
I want to find a good vet, I've been lucky, my snakes have always been healthy.

[RyanReptile]

Hi, can you show a few photos of your 20+ year old Bearded dragons? Thanks! ;)
If only they did.....

Opps! I guess I jumped to conclusions to soon I would have thought they had the same life span as snakes, I don't have much experience with bearded dragons. Sorry

[murrindindi]

I will try the collard greens, dont think shes tried them yet.
The bulbs only a couple months old, they seem to break fast. Its 18" from him.
I think its flourescent. There have never been chemicals in the tank.
She hasn't changed food, bedding, or bulb types since shes had him.
I want to find a good vet, I've been lucky, my snakes have always been healthy.


Hi, can you get the name of the UVB tube, because most of them need to be within approx 10inches (25cm) of the animal`s surface to be of benefit? Any further and there`s a chance the dragon wouldn`t be getting enough UVB exposure, which can lead to some quite serious problems such as MBD.
Also, what`s the exact temp of the water the dragon is bathed in?

[robertjnovak59]

I didn't know the light had to be within 10".
I will check the bulb tomorrow and let you know.
Im guessing she doesn't check the water temp, probably
Just makes it warm.

[jarich]

You can get a close enough estimate of the basking temp by using your thermometer and placing it directly on top of the basking area. Its not a true surface temp, but it will give you a close enough idea to know if it is the issue.

Are you dusting those superworms? If all its being fed are those and romaine lettuce then I think you have found your problem. That is a pretty low nutrition diet. Its not something that would show itself right away, and by the time it does it is often quite terrible. I think you need to get this to a vet as soon as possible. They can take blood work and find out if there is any permanent damage, as well as give you some vitamins right away.

In the meantime, I would say give your dragon a much better variety of food. Add collard greens, dandelion greens, mustard greens, rocket, kale, as well try some bell peppers, shredded squash, cucumbers, apples, etc and see what else it will eat. Each dragon seems to have its own preferences but you need to vary it so that its getting better nutrition. Also, try feeding other live prey too. Roaches, hornworms, crickets, phoenix worms, are all good options, and make sure they are gut loaded with the same veggies you feed your dragon. Get a vitamin and calcium powder to coat them in when you feed them too.

I would also suggest raising your basking platform to around 12" from your UVB bulb. That will inevitably raise the basking temp, so just make sure to check that it isnt getting more than 125 or so. It needs to be at least 110, but can be warmer also.