Sweetysmum Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 just turning 3 months and he had a shed this week, and afterwards I noticed on one of his hind legs, two of his claws have gone. He lives by himself so hasnt had a fight with anyone but he does have a polystyrene back wall that he loves to climb, in fact he sleeps hanging from it, so Im guessing he must have lost his claws in that. Does anyone have any experience of their beardies loosing their nails, and is it likely they will grow back again. Also, for beardies back legs, their longest toe on their feet, on my fella his longest toe is always quite curvey. He can straighten it but i see it more often curvy than straight. It has always been like that ever since i got him. Does it sound normal. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 how are his calcium levels or what you are putting into him also what is his diet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reptor Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 can ya check calcium levels if so how do you go bout it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 yes stupid question, missing toe nails can be mechanical damage, ie: caught in something symptom of calcium defiiency, ie weakened claws snap off fungal infection, ie under nails and they drop off may also be symptomatic of other things this is just my experiences didn't want to be an alarmist all things must be considered with general appearance and demeanour of the animal and its environment blood tests can determine many things but then you need a vet experienced with reps to determine what the results indicate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetysmum Posted December 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 I give him little crickets and locusts and house flies and i have just got some blow flies for the first time but they havent hatched out yet. He gets a few mealy worms, but after he has eaten his supplyof live food he usually ends up on wax moth larvae for about 4-5 days until his new supply of food comes in. I dust his food with flukers calcium powder. I give him a salad every day but he hardly touches it, just the occasional bit of green that accidently gets caught up with a wax moth larvae. I try and make the greens move around to attract him but he can be quite stubbord when he wants to be. Because of his type of terrerium, his UBV is only one of those compact lamp ones that are on side only of the terrerium and hang down. I would do anything for him I love him so much, so please let me know if you think something should be changed. How do I check his calcium level to make sure it is ok. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 don't panic his diet seems adequate do you give him any time in direct sunlight? try pming varanophile i remember him commenting on beardies toe problems awhile back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Varanophile Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 Because of his type of terrerium, his UBV is only one of those compact lamp ones that are on side only of the terrerium and hang down. I would do anything for him I love him so much, so please let me know if you think something should be changed. Thanks. Those compacts are crap. Get a fluoro tube meant for desert reptiles...either acardia desert 8% or similar. Compacts are not the go. You should also be putting him/her outside in sunlight for a long as possible..maybe get a cheap hutch off trademe and adapt it. Do not over supplement on calcium..once a week is fine if diet is good, BTW flies and blowflies have very little nutritional value at all, so prob a total waste of time. Locusts, crickets, bees, bumblebees, spiders, preying mantids and wax moths all good. Also make sure your calcium powder does not contain vitamin D, you want the precursor that the animal converts by itself into vitamin D, otherwise if you have have proper uv in his cage and exposure to outside sun it will cause liver issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Varanophile Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 also make sure he is not eating you polystyrene backing, if he can dig his toes in, he can rip it off in pieces too. I have not met a dratgon yet that will not eat a white ball of polystyrene sitting on the sand in the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetysmum Posted December 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 For about the last two weeks i have just started taking him outside into the sun but only for about 5 min maybe 10 min at the longest every second or third day. He just sits in his little box on a fluffy jacket and i sit with him, but he really enjoys it. Our trust for each other has really grown since I got him. They are amazing creatures. Does the toe curl sound normal, or does it sound a bit of a deformity. It is the large toe on both back feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Varanophile Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 can ya check calcium levels if so how do you go bout it? low calcium can be checked via blood sample thru a vet. But basically with beardies it is easy to tell. If toes are bent or tail is not growing straight....basically if calcium is low then the bone density is low and as the animal grows the soft bone can bent. Behaviour wise it is easy to tell. Hypoglycaemia (low calcium) also results in nerve problems and the animal will be twitchy and movements appear jerky. This is usually corrected completely by correcting the calcium issue, but the bone curling is permanent. Please be aware that there are 2 issues with calcium. 1) Does the animal get enough calcium 2) Does the animal have exposure to enough UVB to convert said calcium into bone. If animal is fed plenty of calcium it can still have a defeciency if no UVB. Also over supplementation causes more problems than undersupplementation. Give natural foods, supplement sparingly- once a week- and give as much sunlight as possible and you will not have issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Varanophile Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 For about the last two weeks i have just started taking him outside into the sun but only for about 5 min maybe 10 min at the longest every second or third day. He just sits in his little box on a fluffy jacket and i sit with him, but he really enjoys it. Our trust for each other has really grown since I got him. They are amazing creatures. Does the toe curl sound normal, or does it sound a bit of a deformity. It is the large toe on both back feet. all mine have that toe curled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetysmum Posted December 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 Okay I think the UVB is the problem, it came with the set up (you know how it goes, buy our set up complete and you get a discount) . I did things a bit wrong, most people decide to buy a dragon organise the set up bugs etc and look for a dragon. I walked into the shop, fell head over heals in love, and the next week went back and brought him. There is someone on trade me that I can get a bigger set up from and it comes with the equipment. Would it be okay if I send you the auction number and you guys give me your opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Varanophile Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 Okay I think the UVB is the problem, it came with the set up (you know how it goes, buy our set up complete and you get a discount) . I did things a bit wrong, most people decide to buy a dragon organise the set up bugs etc and look for a dragon. I walked into the shop, fell head over heals in love, and the next week went back and brought him. There is someone on trade me that I can get a bigger set up from and it comes with the equipment. Would it be okay if I send you the auction number and you guys give me your opinion. Tyson on this forum..sorry forgot his user name, sells the best. Yes the animates set ups are not ideal...maybe they got a deal on compacts...lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Varanophile Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 If you only need the uvb stuff I can sort for you, I have all that stuff for sale. PM me. Im in Mt Alb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetysmum Posted December 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 He is not twitchy or nervous around me. He gets alot of hand contact with me. He even let my nieces pat him today, even though i could tell he wasnt so sure of him, but I held him the whole time. His tail is perfectly straight. I hold him by the fish tank and he loves watching them dart around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetysmum Posted December 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 ok will pm you now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reptor Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 no stupid questions just stupid replys, if you ask you learn, ive found getting a good vet dam near impossable,can we have less slamin people who ask stuff seen it a bit on here, knowlage is a great thing if you use it will, sum do sum dont Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 no stupid questions just stupid replys, if you ask you learn, ive found getting a good vet dam near impossable,can we have less slamin people who ask stuff seen it a bit on here, knowlage is a great thing if you use it will, sum do sum dont i meant my question was stupid as to owner knowing what reps calcium levels were without a blood test Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reptor Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 missunderstood sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 if you knew me, you may have understood the only slamming i do is when someone annoys me over 3,000 posts and no annoyance yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reptor Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 esae up fella, its late after all if you new me ya would know im a samll guy with big presents didnt mean much by it, i got 27 post,yours is bigger im sure well meet at some stage comon hobbys 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repto Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 Please be aware that there are 2 issues with calcium. 1) Does the animal get enough calcium 2) Does the animal have exposure to enough UVB to convert said calcium into bone. If animal is fed plenty of calcium it can still have a defeciency if no UVB. Also over supplementation causes more problems than undersupplementation. Give natural foods, supplement sparingly- once a week- and give as much sunlight as possible and you will not have issues. just read this from last night and shows how the hobby has/is growing,good that people can access all this hard won experience from those that have gone before them?To add my two cents worth,we have to ditinguish between calcium supplements and vitamin supplements.I would say go hard on any form of calcium you can,more so with tortoises/turtles but also lizards.If you are giving a good range of fresh natural foods you could slow up on the VITAMIN supplements ,there is no substitution for good outside sunlight for any reptile,even the so called noctunal ones are knowen to out in daylight at some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 yes overdosing with vitamins shows as shaking and skittishness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k1tt3n Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 Regarding the compact UVB bulbs: I had read somewhere else that they were not so appropriate for use on lizards other than the tiny guys. From memory something about too concentrated UVR so didn't get the right UVB. I have been trying to find out more about it but noone seems to know anything about it. What was your reasonings Varanophile? Very interesting to hear something come up against them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 and give as much sunlight as possible and you will not have issues. We've recently built a small outdoor enclosure for out beardie and he seems to love it on a sunny day. Is there much point in putting them out on an overcast day? Will the natural sunlight still give them more exposure to UV when its diffused through the clouds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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