HELP!! Do nto know whats wrong!

AlexPan · 11-23-04, 08:14 PM

When i came home my Beardie was laying on the ground with its front legs facing backwards and against his body. He's only about 5-6 month old. When i picked him up he was as if he was dead but was opening and closing his eyes, and mouved his mouth a bet. He got a woter dish and food all day round, and the second one is fine. What is wrong, how can i help him???

silent_truth · 11-23-04, 08:47 PM

What are the temps in your beardies' tank? Has this one been having regular bowel movements recently? Need more info about your tank setup like temps and substrate as well as anything you possibly witnessed recently that may seem unusual previous to finding him laying on the ground.

Manitoban Herps · 11-23-04, 09:12 PM

I am confused on his position, lots of times they will lay down with there legs against there bodys....

AlexPan · 11-23-04, 10:49 PM

They are in a 30 gallon tank, sand on the bottom, one rock, a water dish and a dish in which i poot their Meal worms and Wax Worms. The temperature is never less then 18*C. on the warm side of their cage its always about 25-28*C, and on the cold side 18-20*C. They got a night light which i use during the nighs and a hitting pad which i use during the day.
Also when i mouved him to a different spot, he did not mouve and looks like almost as if he got no strength.

silent_truth · 11-23-04, 11:12 PM

Well, for young beardeds, personally I wouldn't let the temperature drop below 75 F (24 C) at night. Your daytime temps should also have a gradient, but your basking (hot end of the tank) should be somewhere around 100 - 110 F (38-46 C). Are mealworms and waxworms the only thing you feed your beardies? A varied diet is important with many lizards, so make sure they are getting crickets (dusted), silkworms and try to start them on a little bit of finely sliced veggies (check bearded dragon carehseet for recommended veggies).

If your beardie is still immobile, I can only give you possibilities, but I would say that you should definitely make sure your temps are at the optimum levels for bearded dragons. If the lethargy continues even after you get the temps up, it could be that your bearded is impacted. This is a possiblity when feeding mealworms (hard exoskeleton), using sand as a substrate for young animals and not maintaining sufficient heat in order to digest what was ingested. You can get the temps up by just buying a higher wattage bulb for daytime use.

Keep us updated on the situation. Oh, and try to listen closely to your dragon's breathing, to ensure there are no respiratory problems present (indicated by a wheezing sound).

Goodluck!

-Adam

bistrobob85 · 11-23-04, 11:18 PM

25-28C to the hot spot??? I wouldnt even keep leos so cold!!! It's pretty dangerous to keep them like that, as Adam said, get a WAY higher wattage bulb!!!