bearded dragon advice

[ricky_91]

i said i feed the adults every second day and on the day they don't eat if its a hot day i don't have the light on remember in the wild as some one already said they have days without sun all the time like we have had in brisbane the last 2 weeks. in winter i always have the lights on but on very hot days in summer on the days they don't feed i don't have it on the hole day maybe just in the afternoon I'm very experienced i have 248 reptiles at my home. younger than a year and a half old i feed every day and have basking light on all the time.

i didn't say i only feed them in winter i said i only have the light on all the time when its winter if its a stinking hot day and its there day they don't eat then i have it of. i have 248 reptiles in my care the dragons out in the pits don't get sun every day its not always sunny outside

babys yes basking all the time food every day dusted every second day i don't use dry foods only greens and insects

and I'm dyslexic so sorry if my words don't make sense some times because it looks fine to me it can't be helped

i get attacked on here all the time just because what i say doesn't make sence I'm just trying to give my opinion just like every one else

 

[Bel03]

Ricky, i apologise if you think i was attacking you, i did say i didnt mean for it to sound like that, your post just didnt make sense to me, now that i re read it after your explanation, i see i read the 'heating only in winter part' wrong, again, i apologise, but without full stops etc, it is hard to know where a sentence ends & the next one starts. Anyway, keep giving your advice, i dont tell anyone they shouldnt, & if i offended you, that wasnt my intention!

Chris, thank you for that. So long as i know i havent hurt him by having the heat on for too long, im happy! I will change my times up a bit still though, it does make sense that they dont have the hot temps all day everyday in the wild, so i will use that same routine. Muppet is growing so fast, he has such a little buddah belly, its quite cute! His arms & legs are no longer like little twigs either, YAY, my boy is 'bulking up'! I am happy with his progress, he is a little champ!

 

[Bluetongue1]

Aussie Pride,

As has been pointed out, the problem is almost certainly calcium related. Such deformities are caused when there is insufficient calcium in the bones to strengthen them. So exercise great care in handling your lizard because you could end up paralysing it if the backbone breaks.

This condition is called Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) and is usually caused by two things. The first is a lack of sufficient calcium in the diet. The second is a lack of Vitamin D3. This vitamin is required for the absorption of calcium from digested food in the gut and is also needed for the body to be able to use calcium, such as incorporating it into bones. So if you have plenty of calcium in the diet but no Vitamin D3, all the calcium will pass out in the faeces and the body will soon run short of stored calcium.

Vitamin D is produced in the skin of reptiles in response to the skin absorbing UVB radiation. Reptiles need to be at their preferred body temperature for them to effectively produce Vitamin D in their skin. This means that the UVB light needs to be over the same area as the basking light i.e. directed at the basking spot and on at the same time as the basking lamp. Lizards do expect to get their heat, light and UV all in one package.

All UVB sources of light degrade as they are used due to the nature of how this wavelength is produced. Consequently, UVB lights need to be replaced at regular intervals – between 6 months to 12 months usually – check the manufacturer’s recommendation. As UVB sources also produce visible light which does not degrade, you cannot see the loss of UVB. The very best way to determine when your light needs changing is to use a UVB light meter. Note that expired UVB globes can be for normal lighting around the house.

The intensity of UV light drops off exponentially with distance. It is therefore critical you have a strong enough UVB source (5.0 or 10.0) an that the globe is close enough to the basking area to be effective (10 cm – 20 cm or 20 cm – 30 cm).

You will need to determine which of the above factors is causing the problem and rectify them. As was stated, you will also veterinary assistance as the condition is particularly severe when animals displace symptoms such as yours.

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