i have a new bearded dragon about 7 inchs long including tail, and it is very lazy, it lays on top of this branch i bought and doesnt move from it much when i am around and it really only eats when crickets go to it, i havent seen any poop in the tank at all. i dont have sand in it, i have this rug thing i bought. i have a daylight basking lamp and a night lamp, i dont have a uvb yet, and i havent bought any calcium yet . i know i need it. tomorrow i am going to try to give him or her a warm bath. but i was wondering what could be wrong.
not a Dr, but the night light is not necessary unless your home gets really cold, you need the UVB/calcium, at that length it should be eating up a storm, so depending on where you got it, it might have intestinal parasites too. it needs a water source too, and daily sprays from the keeper. daliy baths might help too at this point but it could also be stressed about its new home so handling might worsen the condition, if it keeps not eating after getting the UVB, and water you should see a vet.
Not having proper lighting is what's wrong. Without UVB the bearded can't work its metabolism properly, like digesting food and absorbing calcium from food. Lack of UVB light causes MBD (metabolic bone disease, when the reptile's body "eats" its own bone to gain enough calcium in order to function (nerve function requires calcium), lethargy, and eventually death.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Temps in the enclosure are just as important as UVB. Reptiles are exothermic; they are unable to create their own body heat and therefore rely on environmental temps to heat and cool their bodies. The basking temp (for anything other than a baby beardie) should be around 95 - 100 F. UVB and basking temp should be available for 10 - 12 hours a day.
Calcium supplementation should be given once or twice a week. Captive reptiles are prone to calcium deficiency.
If the bearded is new, it will need time to adjust to new surroundings. Stress will lead to lethargy and lack of appetite. As long as the beardie has proper husbandry, acclimation shouldn't take long.
