new beardie question

[Beardedragon]

Matt if you are using a type of bulb like PowerSun...that gives the heat and the sun....then you don't use D3!! At least that is what I was told???

The powerSun is a good MVB bulb, but not as good as the ReptileUV's bulb. I would still use D3 just in case a few times a week, im pretty sure that they cannot over dose on it. Id rather be safe than sorry. (This comes from owning many dragons while using D3 and MVB bulbs, someone else may say different)

This is thing about Beardies, every single piece of advice has someone saying something different about it, it gets really confusing.

[BPelizabeth]

Ok thank you all for that clarification. Maybe I will give it to him a couple times a week in place of the no D3.

Not to hyjack but another question....once they have a deficiency.....can they get better from it??

[maverickgtr]

I know they can recover from metabolic bone disease, as for other deficiencies, I'm unsure, but I believe they can. One of my friends' beardies got MBD when the bulb she was using stopped emitting UV but still gave off light. She had to give him mega doses of calcium and D3 and get new bulbs but after some time he recovered. The vet advised her [and subsequently she advised me] to change UV bulbs every 5 months even if they are still emitting light.

[Beardedragon]

Ok thank you all for that clarification. Maybe I will give it to him a couple times a week in place of the no D3.

Not to hyjack but another question....once they have a deficiency.....can they get better from it??

Most of the time yes, if you catch it soon enough.

[monty's dad]

thank you all very much. and dont worry about hijacking I dont mind if my question brings up other conversation. but I do have another question. I noticed the other day that my BD's back legs were kinda just laying behind him like they were dead legs or somethin. I dropped some crickets in and he chased them around dragging his back legs and slowly he started using them again. I also noticed while he was laying there with the "dead legs" that the toes were twitching just a little bit! Is this normal or is there something wrong?

[Action Reptiles]

The powerSun is a good MVB bulb, but not as good as the ReptileUV's bulb. I would still use D3 just in case a few times a week, im pretty sure that they cannot over dose on it. Id rather be safe than sorry. (This comes from owning many dragons while using D3 and MVB bulbs, someone else may say different)

This is thing about Beardies, every single piece of advice has someone saying something different about it, it gets really confusing.

I agree with matt but dragons can have negative affects from an over abundance of D3 as it can cause liver and kidney damage. This a rare occurance due to the fact most MVB bulbs still aren't as powerful as direct sunlight. The mega ray is prob the closest to natural sunlight and is why they dont recommend D3 with their bulbs as it is not needed. With most other MVB light I would still give them calcium w/ D3 at least once or 2 a week.

BPElizabeth as far as deficiencies goes I do believe they can recover but it depends on the severity of the deficiencies and what it is they are lacking...

[maverickgtr]

thank you all very much. and dont worry about hijacking I dont mind if my question brings up other conversation. but I do have another question. I noticed the other day that my BD's back legs were kinda just laying behind him like they were dead legs or somethin. I dropped some crickets in and he chased them around dragging his back legs and slowly he started using them again. I also noticed while he was laying there with the "dead legs" that the toes were twitching just a little bit! Is this normal or is there something wrong?

Those are signs of metabolic bone disease and it can be deadly if left untreated. He needs lots and lots of calcium and UV lights like now. When it happened to my friends' beardie his jaw bones got too soft and had to go on the bearded dragon bites soft food and everything he ate had to have calcium spray and the dry things had to have calcium dust. She also had to give him drops of a special calcium and d3 liquid. I can't remember what it was called but take him to a vet and they can probably tell you what it was. He can recover if you treat it right away.

BUT if he ONLY does it when he's laying, its ok. Beardies are lazy and mine loves to just have her legs straight behind her just dangling. BUT combined with them being dragged while chasing crickets and the twitching, it sounds more like MBD. Take him to a vet right away.