Metabolic Bone Disease

[Natalie09]

How long does it/can it take for MBD to occur in Bearded Dragons?

Just a general enquiry.

I have been house sitting with my boyfriend for a week and whilst my bearded dragons have been getting fed, the live food won't have been dusted.

They are fine obviously and of course, I won't be leaving them that long again but it got me thinking about the question above.

Natalie

[shiftylou]

aslong as they where getting enough uv light they should be fine. plenty dusting next feeding shouldnt cause them any problems long term

[Athravan]

I have known bearded dragons to be kept for years without dusting and not develop serious visual MBD but of course you can never see what is actually going on internally. I have had a customer tell me that her bearded dragon started displaying "symptoms" (she didn't know what they meant) at around 12 months when kept with no UVB and no MBD! I did not get the dragon into my collection until 2 years old, and the MBD was still partially reversible, the dragon would never be "normal" and could never be bred from but after 3 months under UVB with calcium she could walk again.

Dragons are very hardy and it takes quite a long time for MBD to develop, certainly a week with no dusting should not affect anything at all, as long as it's a one off, and there is UVB

[Natalie09]

Thank you both.

Natalie