MBD and Powersun?

[Lunartwist]

So I'm posting this on behalf of my friend's 6mo old water dragon. Over the past few days he had become lethargic and unwilling to eat. A trip to the vet confirmed he had MBD. When I heard this, I was shocked. His set up is probably one of the best set ups I have ever seen for a water dragon, plus she uses the Powersun bulb, which is one of the best UVA/UVB bulbs out there. I use Powersuns for my tortoise Viola, and she has been using them for 4 years with no problems. The vet said "indoor UVB bulbs are all terrible, only real sun can prevent MBD. The Powersun bulb only puts out enough UVB to mimic a shady area." This sounds like a load of bull to me, but what is your opinion?

Here are some facts about the water dragon's enclosure:

He lives in a 6' tall, 4' wide customized china cabinet. He has a 150wt Powersun mounted at the top, and a tube that connects to a humidifier for humidity. Temps at the top of the enclosure reach about the 90's, and continue to drop until it reaches the bottom, which is in the 70's. There is plenty of vines and ledges to climb on, and fake foliage lines the walls. The bottom of the cabinet is actually a 35gal glass aquarium with vines going into it for support, so he doesn't drown. Its heated to 85F, has a filtration system, and has small guppy and minnow fish for him to hunt and eat (though he hasn't quite figured out how to catch fish, he does love to hunt). Diet includes calcium w/D3 and vitamin dusted greens and various types of worms (silkworms, mealworms, butterworms, phoenix worms, etc) and the occasional frozen/thawed pinky offered monthly. Obviously, like most baby water dragons, its a challenge to get him to eat greens, and he probably only nibbles once in a while. She tried mixing greens WITH the worms, and he just dug around them.

So, opinions? I think the vet was wrong about the powersun, but what do you think? The water dragon is fine, he's getting calcium injections, and has been going out into the sun every warm, sunny day we get. He's perked up so far, and seems to be getting better.

 

[jaizei]

What he said about the Powersun only putting out enough UVB to mimic a shady area is close to true.

Does the animal regularly bask within 12" of the lamp? How is the lamp supported?

 

[wellington]

I'm thinking the bulb is to far away. There is a certain distance away it can be and not more. I have used the flourescent UVB which is not as good as a mvb and never had MBD in my lizards. How far away from is the closest basking spot? and does the dragon go there often enough to bask?

 

[theelectraco]

Is there a screen blocking the bulb? How long has she had the CWD...perhaps she received it with the MBzd already starting.


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[Lunartwist]

Hi guys, since this is my friend's lizard (and she lives an hour away) I don't know all the details but hopefully I can help a little bit.

She got the water dragon from a breeder at an expo. He was the largest of the group and much more robust looking. So probably a month old? The powersun is mounted at the very top, there is no screen or anything blocking the bulb. He tends to be all over the place every time I come over, but my friend pointed out he's swimming every day, so he might be spending more time at the bottom? However his food is at the very top so at the very least, he comes up to eat and bask.

 

[deadheadvet]

The bulbs should be replaced every 6 months at a minimum. The only way to know the true output of UVB is to use a UV meter which is very expensive. A good meter is 200$. Best advice is to change out the bulbs regularly. Maybe easier to inject calcium into the mice than into the lizard.