# HELP! Baby bearded dragon shaking head violently side to side



## danielleroberson38 (Feb 9, 2017)

I am a new bearded dragon owner and Roan is about 3 months old or so. He has been doing great and his stress marks were beginning to go away and the other day I noticed he was having a hard time catching the crickets. When I put them in his cage he shakes his head side to side like he can't see them and it takes him a while to catch them. He has been doing this with the lettuce as well. The temp in his cage is normal and hes pooping but this is really worrying me. Also, when I gave him a bath today he is usually really calm in the bath and today he freaked out and jumped backwards and landed on his back in the water and wouldn't move. His stress marks have also returned and have never been this bad. Please help I love him


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## Azastral (Jun 6, 2015)

Ok, first off, you need to take him to a proper reptile specialist vet who will be able to work out if theres something actually wrong (eye sight problem, balance problem, something else etc).

Secondly, stop with the bathing, completely, its something that people do believing it to help with hydration when actually it does nothing but stress the animal out. Its bad husbandry and if you want to help with hydration, misting the viv and dropping water onto their snout alongside a decent large shallow waterbowl is the best way to achieve that.

Thirdly, you mention lettuce.... can you list what you are feeding (including insects). It would also be useful to know your actual viv dimensions, basking lamp, UV light and substrate/decor.Photo too if you can)

How long have you had him?
Read this: http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizards/1105953-basic-guide-keeping-bearded-dragon.html 
It will give you the basic starting knowledge.


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## danielleroberson38 (Feb 9, 2017)

I plan on taking him to the vet but I wanted to see replies on this site before I did. I've had him since he was around 8 weeks old so about a month, maybe a month and a half. I give him small sized crickets and lettuce with calcium powder on it, the repti-calcium from Petsmart. I will try to post a picture later but I am in class until tonight. I didn't know baths were bad. My friend who has owned a beardie for 5 years said it helped with their sheding. Thanks!


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## Debbie1962 (Dec 5, 2008)

Bathing does not help beardies to shed they are not like geckos. The drier the skin the easier it comes off.

As above can you give us a rundown of your set up and temps.


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## Azastral (Jun 6, 2015)

Only a vet is actually going to be able to help you, people can give ideas about what it might be, but its a BAD idea to try and treat it yourself, it can often make things much worse particularly if you are told the wrong thing. 
I would guess at maybe inner ear infection if his balance is off and he flipped over but it could be a LOT of things, a vet is the best and ONLY way to go.

When they are actually in proper shed then perhaps bathing can help a little.... that in itself will cause people to disagree, ive seen mine get in to their waterbowls when shedding but i let them decide that, personally i think just misting alone is enough. They will happily use their own waterbowl if they want to (hence a large but shallow water bowl, a stone effect type thing rather than plastic, the rough inner surface will also give them something to rub up against)

If you have had him about 6 weeks, did you leave him alone for the first few weeks (except to put food in) so he could settle in?
They suffer from relocation stress quite easily, and need time to get used to new surroundings before attempting to slowly tame them into handling.

The diet needs to be a lot more varied, and if you are talking about iceburg lettuc, dont feed him it!

At his age, the more varied the live feed and the veg then the bigger and strong he will grow, he is still very much in a growth phase.
Calci worms/phoenix worms, silkworms, brown crickets, black crickets, locusts, dubia roaches, mealworms and give him a real mix.
All live feeds should be dusted with a calcium supplement (if you are using UV make sure the supplements you are using a D3 FREE its important)

Salad stuff like rocket, lambs lettuce, water cress, romaine lettuce, spring greens, kale, endive, apple, butternut squash etc etc...

The more varied the food supply the better, you should be aiming at 5 different salad type things in EVERY bowl of veggies you serve.

As for supplements, you cant just use calcium, you need a multivit (especially while they are young) you can get them as separate supplements (these are normally synthetic ones, be careful with use, 3 times a week spaced out over the week, once 6 months old only twice a week, use calcium all other times)

If you can get arcadia earth pro A where you are i suggest that, its a natural all in one (so just one supplement, used on every feed) far easier and farsafer (little if no overdose risk)


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Head wobbles and star gazing are worrying signs from a multitude of potential conditions including those of a nutritional nature. 

In fact this is cause by both and under or over supply of some elements

it could also be a genetic problem.

you have no choice but to see a good herp vet, bloods, X-ray and a full evaluation of your system is in order,

only then will you know what is actually going on

Good luck


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