small for age...

[damzookeeper]

I have a beardie I bought about 2-3 months ago. He was supposed to be 2 months at the time, but I am pretty sure he was a hatchling. He was about 5 inches at the time and I didn't have a scale then so I don't know how much he weighs.
Anyway, he is housed alone and always has been in a 20 gal. tank. He was thought to be female but was too young to be 100 percent sure. Anyway, I've had him for 2-3 months now and I recently measured him/her and he was only 7 inches and I recently got a scale (Thank you Teresa!!) and he only weighs 12-13 grams. What is wrong with him! fecals came out clear. He eats but not alot. 10 crickets a day, sometimes less, and he has started eating a few small silkies.
Is is something I'm doing, all my other babies are big and nice, could it be genetics or something?

[eyespy]

The most common cause I found for this failure to thrive when working as a veterninary surgical tech was chronic impaction from particulate substrates, especially sand. Was he kept on a particulate substrate by the breeder? This is about 3 times more common than a dragon that's just genetically small.

If a beardie tongue flicks sand, grain by grain it sticks to the intestinal walls, blocking absorption of nutrients. Unfortunately, there's no good diagnostic test for this, as a fine sand coating doesn't always show up on xrays, even with barium.

[damzookeeper]

Thanks eyespy. I'm not sure what it was on at the breeders. I don't think it was there long though. It was between 4.5 and 5 inches when I got it about 2-3 months ago. Probably about 8 or so grams, but not sure as I didn't have a scale.
Since I have had the little guy I have had him in his own 20 gallon and for the most part could not see any other herps. He is on papertowel and has a heat light and a uv repti-sun. I am thinking I should give him a mercury to see if this light helps with his appetite. And maybe some parazap. His poops are clear and he does poop but not every day, maybe ever other but sometimes 2-3 days in a row. He is "very" active and shy. He has just started to not mind being brought out of his cage. Would puff up and turn his beard black at first. It was so cute, even bit a couple times. He was terrified. Could it be because he was shipped with larger beardies and full grown collards. They were all in separate containers but could see each other.
Maybe it is just me, but is seems my other dragons where bigger at this age?? He should be at least 3 months maybe 4 and is 7 inches and 13 grams? Is this normal? Or do you think he could have health problems? Once I get a bit more money I want to take him in for a check up anyway. Thanks again.

[eyespy]

It's tough to say, damzookeeper. Yes, that's on the small side, and there could be parasite issues, impaction or infection slowing down his growth. It could also be he feels bullied by the other herps and is afraid to eat enough. Or he's just genetically small. It's just so hard to tell which is which, sometimes even after fecals and bloodwork.

I have a very dear friend who has the most adorable little runt dragon named Flapjack. He's never had significant parasite problems, is the only beardie in the house and actually adores her iguana so I don't think his small size is competition stress. He's 4 years old and I think about 14 inches, but is perfectly healthy. He's always been a fussy eater and hardly takes any crickets to speak of. It's just part of Flapjack's charm to worry his mom. He also brumates for a very long time every year and early brumation his first year might be partially responsible for his small size. No matter what, Flapjack is one of my favorite beardies on the planet!

<img src="http://home.cfl.rr.com/xta/gifs/f_3xsleep.jpg">

Size isn't everything, though. I've never seen any studies done, but in my experience it seems that smaller dragons live longer and don't develop things like fatty liver disease and visceral gout nearly as often as longer and weightier dragons do. If you are sure he's a boy, you don't have any egg-binding worries related to size, either. So try not to worry too much and enjoy your little one.

Feed him a good balanced diet, get your fecals and maybe some bloodwork done to check nutrient levels and for infection markers and then just let him develop at his own rate.

[damzookeeper]

Thanks again. I think I found one of the problems. I checked the temps in his basking today, hadn't done it in a while. It was only about 90!! So I now put him under a mercury vapor and the temp is up to 105. Hope that helps, plus the mercury has more uv than the other light he had. It was a repti sun 2.0, must have grabbed it by mistake thinking it was a 5.0. anyway. I hope he getts a better appetite now. Oh, and he was shedding today, so that's a good sign.