sick bearded dragons

Question
Hi, i have 2x 8 month old bearded dragons.  I brought them at the same time from differnt suppliers.  For the past seven days one of the lizards has lost alot of weight and has only eaten about 4 crickets.  He has vommited twice in 4 days. He seems happy and playful still.  Now today the other BD who is a good weight has vomitted during eating (still continuing to chase food around after.)  The vomit looks like flem and crickets.  HELP what do i do? my vet has recommended that i wait a few days before bringing them in, but im worried about them.  They seem to get along well with one dominating the other during eating periods.

Answer
Hello Nicole,

I urge you to separate your lizards immediately.  Whatever was ailing the first one, the second one caught.  If one has already shown dominance issues, it is important to realize that it is not cool to let one dominate the other.  It cannot be interpreted as them getting along well with each other.
Eventually what will happen is the one that is being dominated may die, or will be severely stunted in growth because he wont get enough food.
Are they 2 males?  Do you know the sex?  If they are both males, then, you will have problems.  You could end up with a dead one, as they often enter very violent fights.  
If you have 2 females, but they are aggressive towards each other you will need to separate them.  If you have a male & a female you will need to separate them or they will breed too early & it could cause the female some major health issues.
So we do need to figure out the sex of each of them.
First though, you have got to separate them.  What is your setup like?  What are the temperatures in your tank, & what do you measure the temps with?  You should be using a digital probe or a temp gun for the best accurate readings.  If you are using a stick on type of thermometer then it will not be accurate.  
They could be vomiting due to improper temps.  The basking temps need to 95-110 & the cool end should be around 78-82.  
How large are the crickets?  They should be smaller than the space between the eyes to avoid impaction.  Do not feed any mealies as they are too fatty & that can cause them to vomit, too.  
What type & brand of UVB light are you using?  A flourescent tube bulb or a compact or coil bulb?  
What do the stools look like, are they runny & smelly?
Do they have much urates that are coming out?
How long have you had them?


Tracie