beardie help please i may have a problem

[adfel]

I am looking after a friends pair of pygmy beardies while they are away now I have a couple of concerns and I am just wondering if someone on here could help me out with a bit of knowledge if possible...

I have brought them in their enclosure to my house yesterday and their tank was in a bit of a state... It looked like it had not been cleaned out in a while so I gave it a clean out and then checked the heat and light situation... The thermostat appears to have been set as high as it could be, around 35-38 degrees and they have had a UV lighton them 24/7 as they there is no timer. I have now adjusted this so that the tank is sitting around 32 degrees and have put a timer on the light so its only on for 12 hours of the day.

They are being fed on small crickets and a bit of carrot..... now I have this problem that they either look fat or bloated... I am wondering if anyone can tell me what they think....

i have fed them tonight on 5 small crickets each dusted with calcium and vitamins (both of which they have never had before) and have given them a small variety of vegies finely chopped.... They are only around 6-8 months old...

Can someone tell me.. do I have anything to worry about and should I get a vet check done on them or am I worrying about nothing???

Any help would be very much appreciated

I will try and get a photo for you toshow what I am talking about but any help in the meantime would be great

 

[PythonLegs]

All I can offer before pics is that carrot can be toxic to dragons, so..probably give that a miss from now on..

 

[twodogs]

Hi. Withiout seeing the pics, it does make it hard to diagnose. They will flatten out and make their body wide in order to soak up more heat. Would love to see the pics. I have beardies myself, among others..lol

Too much carrot, can be harmful, a small amount every now and then is ok. BUT,,, It depends on what site you read from. It can be a case of "tomAtoe, tomatoe"

 

[xJACKx]

they havnt been well looked after before arriving at yours it seems

 

[lilmissrazz]

Have they "pooped"??
:-D

 

[adfel]

Have they "pooped"??
:-D

Yes they have... their tank was very dirty when we picked them up.... but they have pooped since being at my house...

 

[Chris1]

bloating could be from parasites,...which would make sense if their tank was filthy,...
or being full from not digesting properly if temps are too low,...

the only prob with carrot is its high in vit A, which isnt too good for beardies in large amounts.

is 32 the basking temp?
i'd crank that to about 40,....

 

[Elapidae1]

I don't know about pygmy beardies but would have thought the 35-38 temps were fine provided there was still a gradient. Were they fed adequately? Is it possible they have gorged themselves to appear bloated?

 

[nagini-baby]

my guys hot spot is just under 40 they love it. maybe worm them and if their poo is runny or very stinky maybe treat against coxccidea (spelling) my guys get dosed once a year as a precaution.

 

[adfel]

thanks guys .... I am having trouble with my photo uploading thing so i am still trying to get the photos for you.....

 

[LizardLady]

I am looking after a friends pair of pygmy beardies while they are away now I have a couple of concerns and I am just wondering if someone on here could help me out with a bit of knowledge if possible...

I have brought them in their enclosure to my house yesterday and their tank was in a bit of a state... It looked like it had not been cleaned out in a while so I gave it a clean out and then checked the heat and light situation... The thermostat appears to have been set as high as it could be, around 35-38 degrees and they have had a UV lighton them 24/7 as they there is no timer. I have now adjusted this so that the tank is sitting around 32 degrees and have put a timer on the light so its only on for 12 hours of the day.

They are being fed on small crickets and a bit of carrot..... now I have this problem that they either look fat or bloated... I am wondering if anyone can tell me what they think....

i have fed them tonight on 5 small crickets each dusted with calcium and vitamins (both of which they have never had before) and have given them a small variety of vegies finely chopped.... They are only around 6-8 months old...

Can someone tell me.. do I have anything to worry about and should I get a vet check done on them or am I worrying about nothing???

Any help would be very much appreciated

I will try and get a photo for you toshow what I am talking about but any help in the meantime would be great

Hey Adfel!

Could you please tell us what the dragons have as substrate? If it is sand (or any other "particulate" substrate), it may cause an impaction, resulting in the animals not 'wanting' to eat, and looking "bloated".

If this is the case, I would suggest popping them into a luke-warm bath, just up to their shoulders, so they can have a swim... This method generally results in defecation within a few minutes. I know this sounds yucky, but when they poop, check for worms, sand etc - that will give you an answer...

I have a Care Sheet for INLAND beardies, but the set up etc is very similar for Pygmy's, so if you'd like to flick me a pm with your email address, I'll forward some info to you - including food suggestions etc.

Hope this helps, and let us know how you get on!

Best,
Carolyn

 

[adfel]

Hey carolyn,

They are on Newspaper which looked like it hadnt been changed in a while as there was poo on both sides of the paper and on the melamine itself.... I will give them a bath tonight when I get home form work and see how I go... they are only about 4 inches long so not very big.... I know they have never been given calcium or vitamins and always given 5-6 crickets each a day and grated carrot as their diet.... I have since changed the vegetables (no carrot given at all).... I will send u my email address...

 

[LizardLady]

...and email with info sent!

Happy to help!

Best,
Carolyn