Too young for brumation?

[Puckthemagicdragon]

Hey guys! Haven't posted in a while. For the past two weeks, Stanley has hardly touched his food unless I hand fed him each bite. Then, that was the only way he would eat. And now, he isn't eating.

No, he is not shedding. In fact, he hasn't shed in almost a month and a half. He is approx. eight months old. He gets a bath every other day. His lights and temps are fine. I'm wondering if he might be going through an early brumation. I was under the impression that they do not start brumation until much older. He has been sleeping a lot and doesn't have an appetite. His stools are normal and regular. He was eating about 50 crickets a day, and now I can hardly get him to eat 5-10. He is offered a salad daily.

He went through a growth spurt and was shedding a part of his body every two weeks. It seemed as though his body stopped that spurt and he isn't wanting food. It is also weird that he hasn't shed is such a long time.

Anyone else have a similar experience with a young growing beardie?

 

[snazzyglasses]

I don't have experience with young'uns (yet! ), but I have heard that younger dragons can go into a sort of semi-brumation. :study: Maybe that's what's going on?

 

[FranktheTank]

My first beardie Frank actually went in to an early brumation at 8 1/2 to 9 months old. It was the same type of thing you are experiencing with Stanley, Franks stools were fine, temps perfect, and no shedding. I thought maybe his uvb needed to be replaced so I tried that and still he only wanted to sleep. I read the health section thread on brumation, and decided to offer him a dark area on the cool side to see if he would sleep. I put the cave in with his blankie and stuffies inside, in less than 5minutes he was inside snuggled up sound asleep. I woke him once a week for bathing and he did just fine, although I was a nervous wreck the entire 3 months he slept. Mainly because everyone said he's too young, he has to be ill, no one on this forum said that though they all said it was possible for young beardies however rare. If you are concerned it's something else you can always take him to a vet.

-Kaleen

 

[StaceysBuddy]

Buddy went into brumation when she was only 5months old-ish. I got her from petsmart in July (she was tiny.. barely bigger than my finger) and that winter she started sleeping. I think it was October when she started. Everyone said she was really young, I still think she was too young but she's healthy. Still alive for this years brumation, which she is starting to do again. This time she is 15months-ish. She's had a crazy year with moving, waking up from brumation and laying 3 clutches of eggs!

Brumation sucks. Makes me grow gray hairs!

 

[Drache613]

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