Bearded dragon - belly lump?

Question

Ok, do beardies get lumps in their tummy after eating like snakes do? Every time my little Titan eats his crickies he gets a lumpy tummy. :O

Also, the lady at the pet store sold me a UVA bulb, not a UVB bulb. I went online to Petsmart and bought the right bulb and it should be here within the next couple days. Would not having the UVB buld cause a lack in appetite? He only eats about 5-6 crickets a feeding and I'm thinkin' it should be way more than that. What do you guys think?

Answer 1

first of all smack that lady, secondly uvb is very important, im not an expert but try this web site .

http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.co...  hope ur beardie gets beter and i hope this helps.

Answer 2

Hi there ;D  They can and do sometimes look a lil lumpy after eating a big meal... particularly little guys without extra fat padding to hide it!  

Petstore people... hmm.. I will refrain.  Unfortunately not all UVB lights are the same on the market-- in fact-- some are DANGEROUS!!  Repti-Sun 5.0 (6-8 inches away), Repti-Sun 10.0 (larger bulb, more output, 12-16 inches) are my two best, cheapest, easiest to find and SAFE options.  You can read more about UVB here on my group in this article: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Beard...  By finding out about your caging setup we can probably give you a LOT more information, the Links section is also VERY helpful, whether you decide to join our community or not.  http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Beard...

Now--- UVB has a DRASTIC effect on appetite--- but there are far more factors!! Our best bet would be to have you fill out the dragon questoinaire in the links section and post to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bearded_dr... for a THOROUGH evaluation before he loses too much weight and stops eating altogether!  He should be eating FAR more-- but--- insect size is very important, so is GUTLOADING!! And offering salad as well, even for babies.  

I hope this helps some and please do read the article on UVB and review the links and files section. I think you, like most will find that you will learn more there than you ever thought there was to know about keeping dragons healthy and thriving!! We are there as a community to support all dragon owners and we welcome you to join us.

Best of luck, feel free to contact me if you need ANY assistance!!

Answer 3

Yes, not having proper UVB does cause a lack of energy and appetite. It can also cause metabolic bone disease. That (Metabolic bone disease) shouldn't be an issue though, if he's only been without UVB for a few days/a week, and you have been giving the proper calcium&multi-vitamin powder.

Make sure you have a ReptiSUN 10.0 flourescent TUBE; keep in mind that it must be 6-8 inches away from the beardie at any point in the cage. The coil and compact lights, and the ReptiGLO 10.0 are *very bad* lights.

A lumpy stomach? That's not normal. His he pooping regularly?  If you feel his stomach before he eats, does it still feel lumpy? If so, he is impacted.

If you do feel a lump in his stomach *before* he eats, do NOT feed him any more solid foods, until the impaction is gone; which will be when he poops. Soak him in a bin with shoulder-deep (on him) lukewarm water for 15-20 minutes. Test the temps with the inside of your wrist, it should feel barely warm. Genly massage his stomach, especially down the right side; this encourages them to p**p. If he doesn't go, give him these soaks 2 times daily until he does. Also, you can give him slightly warmed applesauce from a (needleless) syringe, that will help "lube" the intestinal blockage. You can also give him 2-3 drops of olive oil, either by itself, or mixed in with the applesauce. If none of that helps within a few days-1 week, seek a reptile vet.

Or, when you say lumpy, do you just mean that his stomach is "bigger"? If after he eats, his stomach sticks out more then usual, then that is normal. I would not expect that to happen from him just eating 5-6 crickets, because that is a small number for a baby, babies can eat up to 100 crickets a day. So, no, only 5 per feeding is not normal.

If you do not feel any lumps that would signal impaction, then his appetite will probably pick up a lot after a few days of having the proper UBV lighting. I would still keep an eye on the stomach though.

If you need more advice, I reccomend you go to http://www.beardeddragon.org/bjive/  The people there are very experienced with bearded dragon husbandry, and illnesses, etc. They will be most helpful for advice, even emergencies.

Good Luck to you and your baby!