Chinese water dragon help?

I have a chinese water dragon and I just want to make sure im taking the best care of him that i can, what are some signs of mouth rot? he has a black spot underneath his chin on the skin and how do i know if hes happy and healthy? can someone give me some answers and advice? i just want him to be as healthy and happy as he can be suggestions and info highly appreciated! p.s. ive had him for about 2 months and it doesnt seem as thow hes grown to much any idea why?

Chinese water dragon help?
everything you can ever want to know and more about water dragons is located at tricia's site at http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/dragon...


some things to be aware of with problems around the mouth and nose is rubbing more than mouth rot. unless the cage has been used by another herp or he got it as a youngster when around other babies it is pretty difficult to cultivate the bacteria required to cause mouth rot. it is not impossible but less likely if proper precautions are being taken basically keeping the tank clean and filtering the water. if you see him running along the edge of the glass and rubbing his nose etc. along it. try using about 5 inches of wrapping paper or newspaper to cover 1 inch below the substrate and 4 inches above. CWD's have difficulty with the consept of glass and why they cannot get through it. I could go into some care but tricia's website is much more eliquint than I and probably makes for better reading. if you have specific questions or need more advanced answers than what she provides feel free to ask. but she has done a great job.
Reply:Mouth rot is the common name for stomatitis. It is a bacterial infection which settles into the gum tissue, palate or tongue. If left untreated, it can invade the jaw bone; advanced cases may require resectioning of the bone or tissue. One important fact often overlooked by pet owners is that mouthrot is not a disease itself - it is a secondary infection triggered by a systemic infection.





Stomatitis presents as yellowish-whitish plaques, or irregular blotches on the gums. If poked, it is somewhat soft, rather like curds. In fact, iguana pus is referred to as caseous as it rather curdish or cheesy in nature, rather than what is produced by mammalian abscesses.











Chinese Water Dragons are omnivorous, but eat meat more often than not. The majority of their diet should consist of feeder insects. When young, small crickets and small pieces of vegatables should be offered every day. When older, larger insects (crickets, butterworms, waxworms, silkworms, etc.) and pinkie mice can be eaten, and they should be fed every second day. Make sure to dust the food with a vitamin supplement / calcium powder prior to feeding. All insects should be gut-loaded with nutritional foods.





As you can tell from their namesake, Chinese Water Dragons love water. They need water in their enclosure at all times. They will swim in it if there is enough water. The only problem in this is that the Dragons will consistently defecate in the water, and this needs to be cleaned everyday. It may easier to use a large pan filled with water. They will drink from the pan as well, but a daily misting and a drip system is also recommended.





Lighting, Temperature %26amp; Humidity


You should keep the temperature during the day between 83 to 88 degrees F. There should be a basking spot reaching 90 degrees F. At night, the temperature should be between 75 to 80 degrees F. Keep the day light on a 12 hour cycle, and 14 during the colder months. You should keep the humidity in their enclosure around 80%. Do not let it reach above 85 to 90% under any circumstances, as high humidity may cause respiratory problems. Your Dragons will need full spectrum lighting. Having both UVA and UVB light will allow the Dragon to get the vitamins it needs.





Housing


A large enclosure is a must for dragons. The length of the tank should be at least twice the length of the dragon. Since they need water to swim, a glass aquarium is a good option. The top must be fully screen. You could easily provide a screen enclosure, but would have to make sure to supply enough water for the dragon. Screen enclosures also provide good ventilation to avoid stagnant air. If you are not using water on the bottom of the enclosure, potting soil, sand and peat moss are good substrates. You must provide large branches and other objects for the Water Dragons to climb and perch on.





here is a website that can anwser most any question that you may have later on.





http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/dragon...
Reply:Try a variety of different diets like crikets, wax worms, phoenix worms, carrots.