outdoor hot tub uk image
Lyndsi
HI. I'm petsitting for a bearded dragon. I've watched 3 times before and he's always done fine for me. He seems really sick this time, though. To start off with, he never moves and rarely ever opens his eyes. He sits in the same exact spot morning through night, eyes closed. I put three crickets in his cage a yesterday and three crickets still remain inside of the cage. He's also vomiting a white, foamy liquid. The man at the petstore said he may be too cold, so I've been sitting him in the outside in the sun during the day and putting him in the unairconditioned garage at night. I also put him in the tub with warm water. Again, he never moved or opened his eyes, but it did seem to help with his bowel movements. Other than that he seems to be showing no improvement. I'm really worried about the little guy so any help would be greatly appreciated!
I know for a fact that his cage is not warm enough, but I don't have a thermometer to tell you the exact temperature. He has a really poor UVB light in his cage, like you had mentioned. Again, his owners are very irresponsible. It's really hard having to care for a pet that is not your own and I don't have the money to invest in helping the poor guy. However, right now he's in direct sunlight outside and seems to be pretty content. He's basking with his mouth open:) Thank you so much for your help!
Answer
One thing, take the crickets out. They will chew on a dragon if left unattended and cause some nasty sores.
I would need a thorough review of the husbandry to rule in or out any problems. And most likely it will take quite an investment of time and money to get everything right for the poor little guy. Since he is not your dragon, the most you can do is just let the owner know what you have learned and hope he is accepting of that information.
First, please check out this website: http://www.beardeddragon.org
They have the best caresheets and forums about bd's so you can learn a world of information there.
I'll go over the most common causes of this behavior but he really needs to see a vet. The white foamy liquid really concerns me. Does he make a clicking or popping sound when he breathes? Do you see any mucous around his mouth? That could be a respiratory infection, and a trip to the vet for antibiotics is the only thing for him.
What are your temps and how do you measure them? The only accurate way is with a temp gun or a digital thermometer with a probe directly on the basking spot. This temp should be 100-110 provided with a bright white basking bulb, which can be just a normal household bulb (not the coil energy savers but the incandescents) and the cool side should be around 80. Temps are essential to digestion, so if your temps are not hot enough, he could be at risk of impaction and other digestive issues.
What kind of UVB do you use? Unfortunately, most UVB bulbs on the market are not good quality and can cause health problems in dragons. All compact coil bulbs are dangerous, and the only recommended linear fluorescent bulb is the ReptiSUN 10.0 (not ReptiGLO) in the US or the Arcadia 12% in the UK (http://www.uvguide.co.uk)
Will he poop on his own? How often does he go? He may be impacted, which could be caused by sand or other particulate substrate, temps that are too low, or bugs that are too big, or inappropriate foods like pinkies or mealworms. If you think he might have an impaction, give him 1 or 2 warm baths daily. Feel his tummy and if you feel any hard spots, gently massage downward toward his vent. You can give him unsweetened applesauce, unsweetened canned pumpkin, or babyfood mixed with a couple drops of olive oil with a syringe. Feed him from the side of his mouth, not the front or he could aspirate.
I was going to advise to give him a bath, but if he might have a resp infection, you don't want to do that. Keep him dry, remove anything that might retain moisture out of his tank, like a water bowl or sand (use paper towels). Try to keep him warm day and night, but the only cure for a URI is antibiotics from the vet. He needs to see one ASAP.
If you happen to have an indoor/outdoor thermometer at your house, stick the probe on the basking spot and see how hot it is. It's really important to measure his temps. I would keep it around 100 basking and around 80 cool side. You can make a rice sock and heat it in the microwave for him to sleep with for warmth.
Please go to bd.org and post in the ER section for more thorough instructions on critical care. I'm afraid time is of the essence for the poor guy.
One thing, take the crickets out. They will chew on a dragon if left unattended and cause some nasty sores.
I would need a thorough review of the husbandry to rule in or out any problems. And most likely it will take quite an investment of time and money to get everything right for the poor little guy. Since he is not your dragon, the most you can do is just let the owner know what you have learned and hope he is accepting of that information.
First, please check out this website: http://www.beardeddragon.org
They have the best caresheets and forums about bd's so you can learn a world of information there.
I'll go over the most common causes of this behavior but he really needs to see a vet. The white foamy liquid really concerns me. Does he make a clicking or popping sound when he breathes? Do you see any mucous around his mouth? That could be a respiratory infection, and a trip to the vet for antibiotics is the only thing for him.
What are your temps and how do you measure them? The only accurate way is with a temp gun or a digital thermometer with a probe directly on the basking spot. This temp should be 100-110 provided with a bright white basking bulb, which can be just a normal household bulb (not the coil energy savers but the incandescents) and the cool side should be around 80. Temps are essential to digestion, so if your temps are not hot enough, he could be at risk of impaction and other digestive issues.
What kind of UVB do you use? Unfortunately, most UVB bulbs on the market are not good quality and can cause health problems in dragons. All compact coil bulbs are dangerous, and the only recommended linear fluorescent bulb is the ReptiSUN 10.0 (not ReptiGLO) in the US or the Arcadia 12% in the UK (http://www.uvguide.co.uk)
Will he poop on his own? How often does he go? He may be impacted, which could be caused by sand or other particulate substrate, temps that are too low, or bugs that are too big, or inappropriate foods like pinkies or mealworms. If you think he might have an impaction, give him 1 or 2 warm baths daily. Feel his tummy and if you feel any hard spots, gently massage downward toward his vent. You can give him unsweetened applesauce, unsweetened canned pumpkin, or babyfood mixed with a couple drops of olive oil with a syringe. Feed him from the side of his mouth, not the front or he could aspirate.
I was going to advise to give him a bath, but if he might have a resp infection, you don't want to do that. Keep him dry, remove anything that might retain moisture out of his tank, like a water bowl or sand (use paper towels). Try to keep him warm day and night, but the only cure for a URI is antibiotics from the vet. He needs to see one ASAP.
If you happen to have an indoor/outdoor thermometer at your house, stick the probe on the basking spot and see how hot it is. It's really important to measure his temps. I would keep it around 100 basking and around 80 cool side. You can make a rice sock and heat it in the microwave for him to sleep with for warmth.
Please go to bd.org and post in the ER section for more thorough instructions on critical care. I'm afraid time is of the essence for the poor guy.
my iguana looks dead?
Edwin M
my iguana looks dead it still looks the same color but skinny, don't move and looks sleepy it don't eat or drink water it haven't for the past week or two
Answer
If your ig doesnt have the proper heat, temp , UVB it most likely is cold. Try filling up the bath tub w/ warmish water (not too hot not too cold), put your iguana in the bath water, depending on your igs size depends on how much water you put in the tub, if he/she is young you shouldnt fill it up more then a few inches. See if that will help warm him/her up some.
You DO need to see a herp/reptile vet not for him to verify if he/she is dead, but for mites and/or parasite. These nasty little critters can suck the life out of your ig.
Young iguana (8-12 months of ag) should not live in anything smaller the a 55 gallon tank. Smaller the tank you can not process the correct temps threw out. Enclosure needs to be at least 1.5-2 times it's total length ... an adult you will need a space of 6-7ft tall x 8-10ft long x 4ft wide.
Temps:
never let drop below 70F ...
basking 92-96F if temp is too low digestion is slowed too high food digests too fast and nutrition is lost
medium/middle (overall) 88-92F
cool 75-84F
at night 73-84F ... having a temp gun works the best to know what your igs body temp truly is.
UVB:
US: ReptiSun 10.0 distance 8-10 inches from your igs body
Repti Glo 8.0 distance 6-8 inches from your igs body
ReptiSun 5.0 distance 6-8 inches from your igs body
UK: Arkadia distance 6-8 inches from your igs body
- You will need to adjust the distance as your ig grows
- Using a shop light from a home improvement store works the best, get one that has 2 tube plugs and using 2 UVB tubes
- The UVB listed are in tube form, using the 36-48inch tubes are the best more length for your ig
- Surface under the UVB tube lights need to be flat, if at an angle your igs body is not getting the proper UV threw out body
- There are UVB's out there on the market now that can cause eye damange to your ig
- W/out UVB your ig may end up w/ MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease)
- UVB information that you may find interesting:
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/index.htm - http://www.uvguide.co.uk/fluorescenttuberesults.htm - http://www.uvguide.co.uk/whatreptilesneed.htm
Floor covering:
BAD floor covering: bark, dirt, moss, sand, pellets are all bad ... at some point your iguana will try and lick swallow and then possibly cause blockage which will then need to be surgically removed or possibly death ... SAFE floor covering: newspaper (unprinted), paper towels, towels, vinyl flooring, indoor/outdoor carpeting - if you have any lose fibers from the carpeting or the towels please remove and replace - unprinted newspaper if you possibly can use is safer just in case your ig likes to try and eat the newspaper some ink may contain soy
Food:
Daily food should have 5-7 good staple greens (2-3 cups a day if not more younger igs may eat less then 1/4 cup) ... collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens (if you can find), endive, radicchio, arugula, mache (if you can find), watercress ... some greens to give occasionally kale, bok choy, escarole ... adding basil for young igs sometimes helps them eat ... romaine is mostly water no nutrience, you can add small amount and occasionally in w/ the good staple greens (collard, mustard, etc) but do not make romaine just your iguanas choice of greens (or any other type of lettuce most of us humans eat) ... some things to add (small amounts) snap peas, bell peppers (every now and then), parsnip, sweet potato/yam, acorn squash, butternut squash, buttercup squash ... fruits should only be given every now and then once or twice a week type of thing fruits are like junk food to iguanas ... some fruits to try papay, kiwi, mango, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, honeydew (great water source), canalope (great water source), 12 grain wheat bread ... if anything has seeds make sure you remove seed before you give it to your iguana anything w/ small seeds like strawberries wait like 3 days before giving anymore ... watermelon (seedless) can be frozen and then shaved onto your iguanas food helps w/ hydration everyday ... there are some foods that aren't good for your iguana: spinach has oxalate acids bind to the calcium, so even though spinach is high in calcium, almost none is actually available for the iguana to use, also the oxalate acids can form oxalate crystals which can and do build up in the kidneys causing kidney damage/failure ... some ig owners do give there ig spinach but in very small amounts and only once a month ... corn igs can not digest ... carrots can block calcium absorption ... bananas are low in calcium best to give another type of fruit ... apples too much acid - appetite suppressant ... food should be cut/chopped/diced no bigger then the iguanas head, if they are small having a chopper chop them up, or slice them into very small pieces ... spray/mist food to help w/ water/hydration
Animal protein:
Iguanas are plant eaters, they should not be feed any animal protein. No meat, no dairy, no tofo. If you ever give your ig iguana diet dried food, please read the ingredients there are so many products on the market today that clearly puts meat protein in there ingredients, usually w/ in the first 10 ingredients.
Vet:
When you get an iguana you should take your ig to a herp/reptile vet that knows about iguanas. Just for a new pet check over. Your ig may have mites, parasites or other nasty things carried from the pet store. Plus if anything was to happen you know who to call w/out looking threw the phone book hoping you find a vet who knows something about iguanas.
Sites for you to read:
http://www.greenigsociety.org/ - http://www.iguanaden.org/ - http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html
A great book to read and have on hand:
Iguanas for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan
Yahoo has some great sites for Iguana owners... these groups helped me and still help w/ questions .. if you'd like to join:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/BabyIguana/ - http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/IguanaDen/
If your ig doesnt have the proper heat, temp , UVB it most likely is cold. Try filling up the bath tub w/ warmish water (not too hot not too cold), put your iguana in the bath water, depending on your igs size depends on how much water you put in the tub, if he/she is young you shouldnt fill it up more then a few inches. See if that will help warm him/her up some.
You DO need to see a herp/reptile vet not for him to verify if he/she is dead, but for mites and/or parasite. These nasty little critters can suck the life out of your ig.
Young iguana (8-12 months of ag) should not live in anything smaller the a 55 gallon tank. Smaller the tank you can not process the correct temps threw out. Enclosure needs to be at least 1.5-2 times it's total length ... an adult you will need a space of 6-7ft tall x 8-10ft long x 4ft wide.
Temps:
never let drop below 70F ...
basking 92-96F if temp is too low digestion is slowed too high food digests too fast and nutrition is lost
medium/middle (overall) 88-92F
cool 75-84F
at night 73-84F ... having a temp gun works the best to know what your igs body temp truly is.
UVB:
US: ReptiSun 10.0 distance 8-10 inches from your igs body
Repti Glo 8.0 distance 6-8 inches from your igs body
ReptiSun 5.0 distance 6-8 inches from your igs body
UK: Arkadia distance 6-8 inches from your igs body
- You will need to adjust the distance as your ig grows
- Using a shop light from a home improvement store works the best, get one that has 2 tube plugs and using 2 UVB tubes
- The UVB listed are in tube form, using the 36-48inch tubes are the best more length for your ig
- Surface under the UVB tube lights need to be flat, if at an angle your igs body is not getting the proper UV threw out body
- There are UVB's out there on the market now that can cause eye damange to your ig
- W/out UVB your ig may end up w/ MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease)
- UVB information that you may find interesting:
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/index.htm - http://www.uvguide.co.uk/fluorescenttuberesults.htm - http://www.uvguide.co.uk/whatreptilesneed.htm
Floor covering:
BAD floor covering: bark, dirt, moss, sand, pellets are all bad ... at some point your iguana will try and lick swallow and then possibly cause blockage which will then need to be surgically removed or possibly death ... SAFE floor covering: newspaper (unprinted), paper towels, towels, vinyl flooring, indoor/outdoor carpeting - if you have any lose fibers from the carpeting or the towels please remove and replace - unprinted newspaper if you possibly can use is safer just in case your ig likes to try and eat the newspaper some ink may contain soy
Food:
Daily food should have 5-7 good staple greens (2-3 cups a day if not more younger igs may eat less then 1/4 cup) ... collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens (if you can find), endive, radicchio, arugula, mache (if you can find), watercress ... some greens to give occasionally kale, bok choy, escarole ... adding basil for young igs sometimes helps them eat ... romaine is mostly water no nutrience, you can add small amount and occasionally in w/ the good staple greens (collard, mustard, etc) but do not make romaine just your iguanas choice of greens (or any other type of lettuce most of us humans eat) ... some things to add (small amounts) snap peas, bell peppers (every now and then), parsnip, sweet potato/yam, acorn squash, butternut squash, buttercup squash ... fruits should only be given every now and then once or twice a week type of thing fruits are like junk food to iguanas ... some fruits to try papay, kiwi, mango, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, honeydew (great water source), canalope (great water source), 12 grain wheat bread ... if anything has seeds make sure you remove seed before you give it to your iguana anything w/ small seeds like strawberries wait like 3 days before giving anymore ... watermelon (seedless) can be frozen and then shaved onto your iguanas food helps w/ hydration everyday ... there are some foods that aren't good for your iguana: spinach has oxalate acids bind to the calcium, so even though spinach is high in calcium, almost none is actually available for the iguana to use, also the oxalate acids can form oxalate crystals which can and do build up in the kidneys causing kidney damage/failure ... some ig owners do give there ig spinach but in very small amounts and only once a month ... corn igs can not digest ... carrots can block calcium absorption ... bananas are low in calcium best to give another type of fruit ... apples too much acid - appetite suppressant ... food should be cut/chopped/diced no bigger then the iguanas head, if they are small having a chopper chop them up, or slice them into very small pieces ... spray/mist food to help w/ water/hydration
Animal protein:
Iguanas are plant eaters, they should not be feed any animal protein. No meat, no dairy, no tofo. If you ever give your ig iguana diet dried food, please read the ingredients there are so many products on the market today that clearly puts meat protein in there ingredients, usually w/ in the first 10 ingredients.
Vet:
When you get an iguana you should take your ig to a herp/reptile vet that knows about iguanas. Just for a new pet check over. Your ig may have mites, parasites or other nasty things carried from the pet store. Plus if anything was to happen you know who to call w/out looking threw the phone book hoping you find a vet who knows something about iguanas.
Sites for you to read:
http://www.greenigsociety.org/ - http://www.iguanaden.org/ - http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html
A great book to read and have on hand:
Iguanas for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan
Yahoo has some great sites for Iguana owners... these groups helped me and still help w/ questions .. if you'd like to join:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/BabyIguana/ - http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/IguanaDen/
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