MY LOSS!!!!!!

[diamond_python]

One of my beardies died today. I noticed he/she wasn't eating the last couple of days. The beardie took one woodie last night but didn't seem well. The other 2 beardies didn't eat much today either but there bigger than this one - especially one in particular. Any ideas what could cause a beardie to stop eating and then suddenly die (eyes were still open)?

Also, one of my other beardies was walking with a limp yesterday as well. What could have happened all of a sudden?

[instar]

Sorry to hear that Diamond. Have you noticed if its been pooing? could have been impacted? has it been drinking? dehydrated?
may have drank water with poo in it got an infection?
other than that I have no idea assuming your setup was ok. sorry mate.

[diamond_python]

Yeah, set up is fine but with 3 juvie beardies in there and heaps of poo (cleaned out daily), I never know which one did what...

[Already_Gone]

Calcium???

[africancichlidau]

Is there any visible injury to go with the limp?
Have you been using the food supplements?

[indicus]

"Did the smaller one get picked on by the other two larger ones?,...also are you using a good 'UV' globe?, are they getting a varied diet?, + greens etc....."

[diamond_python]

Did the smaller one get picked on by the other two larger ones?,...also are you using a good 'UV' globe?, are they getting a varied diet?, + greens etc....."

May have been picked on during the day but unsure as I am at work. The 3 dragons were all bought from the same person and all hatched on the same day but one has grown to 36cm + since Sept 04 and the other are smaller. They were even smaller when I bought them which was last November. When I say that out of the 2 smaller ones, one of them was bigger, it was only by body size, not length, and not much difference at all. I came home from wk yesterday and found one not eating and one limping. The one not eating is the one that is deceased. I use the OZ-Brite Heat/UV Globes run on a timer and a heat mat for the night time on a probe thermostat. ALso, they were getting plenty of greens, beardie food and also woodies and crickets.

Is there any visible injury to go with the limp?
Have you been using the food supplements?

No visible injury noticed and maybe not enough food supplements?? I don't know what to say. My other 2 seem fine (bar the limp which may have been the result of a fight (I hope)

[africancichlidau]

Usually if they've been fighting there is a visible injury, (but not always), I asked about the supplements because it could also be a calcium deficiency. I have not kept dragons for a few years so this is JMHO. The Oz-Brite should be sufficient UV, if it's set up properly, for absorption so maybe not enough Calcium? How often are you using the supplement?

[ether]

If they are fighting then take them apart now. Try and sex them, if they are two males then expect fighting. One of my mates beardies got ripped apart recently while he was away for a few days.

Regards Alex

[diamond_python]

Just checked my other 2 beardies and gave them some fresh woodies (supplement coated) and they gobbled them down. The one with the sore leg seemed to be a little better on it than yesterday so I will keep an eye on him. They are currently gobbling down some greens. They didn't eat much today. Could it be that they were stressed with the death of the other dragon. I am not sure how long he was dead for. I left for work and all were ok. Came home at 6pm and found him. I know other animals stress at the death of another animal. Is this possible with beardies???

[africancichlidau]

Yeah well, who knows the workings of an animals mind? My ex was an animal and I could never work her out either
Seriously? I suppose it is possible but I didn't think beardies bonded that closely especially at such a young age.

[indicus]

"Sounds like your doing everything fine, as africandude, suggested.......try giving them some cal/vitamins supplements, i'd lightly dust each meal, carnt do them any harm, also as suggested, try to work out your sex's......as i'm sure, your probably aware, normally even as juv's the males tend to head bob and the females arm wave, however a sumissive male may arm wave......as long as there eating your better off, goodluck"

[salebrosus]

Firstly i would separate them. Me ex made the mistake of having three together and after about 3 months of age they had started to fight. One female attacked the other two causing horrific injuries to the smaller one which was a male and she bit off the tail of the other female. I took in that female but this larger one even bit her own tail off. In the end the little male died and this aggressive female as always played up at the site of another dragon. My one doesn't waste her breath and only misbehaves by jumping into the box of crickets.
Also, change the UV bulb every six months as the bulbs lose their UV capacity after 6 months or so. I learnt the hard way of course.............i was giving calicum etc and the bulb was 9 months old.......this caused a slight kink in my Forest Dragons tail due to not being able to absorb the calcium powder.......AND one more thing that alot of books don't mention AVOID MEALWORMS WITH JUVENILE BEARDEDS.I have never used mealworms since i lost my Pygmy Beardeds. Everything was going sweet and then all of a sudden they were throwing themselves on their back and squeezing their back legs together. Both died. Then when we got the 3 Central Beardeds everything was hunky dory and then similar symptoms again. I went through every book i could find and in the end the littlest cheapest book i bought mentioned not to feed mealworms to young. My vet later confirmed this by saying that the hardshell of the worm can cause impaction in the stomach or that the head of the worm is not crushed as babies tend to scoff and swallow. The head can actually latch onto the wall of the lizards stomach and start eating it's way out causing a very painful death.
Unfortunately trial and error cost me.
Simone.

[diamond_python]

Thanks everyone for your input. I just gave my 2 beardies a big feed of crickets as they didn't eat much today. They chased them like crazy until all gone. I have never used mealworms as one book I read did mention that problem with them. The UV globe is only a couple of months old as I broke the other one accidentally. The dragons bask closely to the UV/heat globe, eat plenty of greens, have calcium sprinkled on their greens and also eat plenty of woodies and crickets. I am at a loss... Thanks everyone.

P.S. The one with the sore leg looks much better today. You can hardly tell he was limping.

[instar]

Glad to hear the other is improving Diamond. best luck mate. :wink: