my waterdragon needs help

Question
QUESTION:  I was hoping you could help me help my waterdragon. She is around two or three years old and was givin to me. I have everything she needs and feed her crickets twice a week. She was always kinda unhipper to begin with but about two mnths ago her eyes closed and she won't open them, so now she won't eat. And sometimes shes breaths really hard and sometimes opens her mouth while standing up as far as she can. The only thing that happend right before this was she was trying to shed but it still hasn't came off all the way. And I got her a new UBV heet light. She seemded to really like it at first and would go to the branch in the morning and wait for me to turn it on. I have been giving her baths..just water but dunking her head in it to try to wash her eyes. i mixed viteamin powder with water and used an eye dropper to try and get her hidrated... she hasn't eaten in almost two mnths. I don't know if shes dieing or what. I can't afford a vet so please help me if you can. :)  thanks
         casey

ANSWER: Hello Casey,

Sorry your water dragon is having some trouble.  If you can tell me a little more about your setup, we can figure this out.
What type & brand of UVB light are you using?  Is it a flourescent tube bulb or a compact or coil light?  How close is the light to her?
What type of basking light are you sing, is it a bright white light or a colored light?
How big is her tank?  
What do you measure the temperatures in the tank with?  A stick on thermometer, a digital probe or a temp gun?  What are the temps?
What is the humidity in the tank?
Does she have a misting system or a drip system for her to drink & stay hydrated?
What type of substrate do you use, peat moss or eco earth?  It needs to be something to hold some humidity in.  The humidity needs to be at least 70% for her.  
The ambient temperatures should run around 80-88 for thermoregulation.  The basking spot should be at 90 or so.  You can maintain the overnight temps around 70-75.
Do you use calcium supplementation several times per week?  How many crickets does she get per feeding?  
We need to figure this out.  It sounds like she is suffering from metabolic bone disease.  

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I don't know the brand of the UVB bulb. I have one flourescent tube light and a coil heat bulb. when she basks in the heat light shes about a foot away from the light. The temp says its 82 and the reader is a sticky strip on the tank. The tank is 15 by 35 inches and 16 inches tall. I dont know the humitity, she has a water dish that she drinks out of randomly and wood soil mixture for the bedding. I put calcium on her crickets and in her water that i have been dripping on her head lately because she wont eat or drink. She used to drink every other day or so if I happen to see her do it and I used to get 12 crickets and she would eat all of them in two days.

ANSWER: Hello Casey,
I need to know the brand of the UVB.  If you look on the base of the tube it should have the brand listed.  If you cannot remember when you changed it last, then it most likely is not putting any UVB out.  This will leave her prone to metabolic bone disease.
The stick on thermometers are not accurate & can be off by as much as 20 degrees when measuring basking spots.  They do measure humidity & the temperature of the glass but not the basking spots.  
You will need to get a digital probe or a temp gun to more accurately measure the basking spot.  
That tank is quite small as their needs require taller tanks.  
The minimum recommended size of tank for them is a 36-48 inches long, 18-24 inches wide, & 60-72 inches tall.  They need height.  
You really need to know what the humidity levels are as they do not do well with low humidity.  

Can you post a picture of your setup?  A coil heatlamp?  Is it colored lighting or a bright white light?  
In the meantime, you need to be getting some food into her.  Try getting some chicken or turkey babyfood, & add the calcium into the mixture.  Get a plastic syringe to syringe the food into her, or drip it onto the end of her nose to get some food into her.
I believe this is going to be a lighting issue, & lack of UVB exposure.   

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Theres a long tube florecant light thats 3mnths old then a Repti Glo 5.0 UVB (EXO TERRA) bulb that is about two mnths old, bright white lights. I don't think its the lights, I think that maybe she shedding or sick.

Answer
Hello Casey,

The Reptiglo 5 flourescent tube light is an extremely weak UVB light.  
Here is a chart to show you the emissions:
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/fluorescenttuberesults.htm

Her symptoms are classic for hypocalcemia.  Is she a foot away from the UVB light as well?  If so, it barely puts out anything that far away.

Also, you need to know what the humidity is as well as the temps.  So, please get another thermometer that will measure the basking temps.  The basking temps needs to be around 90, so IF it is 82 that is not quite warm enough for her.  However, I do not trust the stick on thermometers for measuring basking temps as they are usually off by quite a bit, so she could be way too hot instead.  The temperature is very important for her health.  

She is ill, yes.  The metabolic bone disease takes time to set in.  If her temps are not where they need to be & she is not getting adequate UVB then her immune system will not function properly.  Loss of appetite & lethargic behavior are signs of metabolic bone disease, parasites, or respiratory issues.  
Let me know how she is doing.

Tracie