Something is wrong with my Beardie

Question
QUESTION:    Please help me. I'm 11 years old and I just got a new beardie from my best friend. My Beardie is not walking on its front legs right they just hang backwards, hes not eating, sleeping all the time , twitches when he walks and never lays in his basking area(Basking area 95 degrees and cool area 70-80 degrees . I can't bring it to the vet because my Dad won't let me. I need to know what is wrong him, and how to treat this illness.

ANSWER: Hello Gina,
Well, do you know how old is your dragon?  I hope one day your dad will see the importance of even a lizard getting proper medical care when needed.  :-)  
It sounds like your best friend did not provide adequate UVB for him.  They need UVB in order to absorb calcium & prevent muscle & bone weakness.
He most likely has metabolic bone disease.  
What type of basking light are you using?  How do you measure the temps?
Are you supplementing calcium several times per week?
What type of foods are you feeding?
What type of substrate are you using to line the bottom of the tank, & how large is your tank?

Tracie

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QUESTION:  Hi its me Gina, again, My friend did use a UVB light and:
I measure the temps with a thermometer
I just got my lizard and i dont know if my friend took care of him well enough.
I'm feeding him carrots, peas, and he won't eat the crickets, I have to hand feed him, and he only poops when i put him in water. Please tell me more. If i send you another message I'll send a pix.

ANSWER: Hello Gina,
What type & brand of UVB did she use?  Unfortunately there are alot that are just bad & do not emit UVB at all which is most likely her case.  If she used an ESU 7% reptile light then that is basically like having no UVB at all.
The symptoms are classic of metabolic bone disease.  So that is how you need to go about treating him.  
What type of thermometer are you using?  Is it a round stick on thermometer?  If so, that only measures the air temperature & the temperature of the glass.  You will need to get either a digital probe or a temp gun.  You can get a digital probe at walmart for around $12 or so.  It is acurite brand.  Measuring the basking temps is very important.  If he is not warm enough, he can get a respiratory infection & he wont be able to digest his food properly either, which will lead to other health problems as well.
Try getting some mustard or collard greens to mix with the peas & carrots.  Also try some squash varieties but peel the squash after baking it.  Scoop it out or slice it & dice it up tiny for him.  You can also get some bell pepper varieties too.  
He wont eat if he is not warm enough.  
So, what type of basking light are you using?  A halogen bulb or a household light bulb will do.  The basking temps need to be around 95-110 & the cool side around 78-82 or so.  
Do you have calcium with D3 for him?  

Tracie

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QUESTION:  Hi, i'm going to take your advice, i fed him worms yesterday and he he ate them i think he liked them his color has been darker since I've fed him he used to be a yellowish color is this good. I have calcium D3 for him. Please send me another awnser.

Answer
Hello Gina,
What type of worms did you get for him?  Mealies are not the best if that is what you are feeding.  The better choices are phoenix worms, butterworms,
How big is he, lengthwise?  You can also use crickets.  Make sure the crickets are smaller than the space between the eyes, to avoid impaction.
Good the calcium has D3 in it.  
Well, can you send me a picture of him?  He may have yellow in his natural coloring, but if he is that dark, he might not be warm enough.  Did you adjust your temps & get a digital probe?

Tracie