Seperation Anxiety in Beardie's?

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AprilMayJune

Hatchling Member
So, two weeks ago I started a new full time job after not working for the last 8 months. The 8 months was glorious, except for all the rain we had which flooded my huge garden of Beardie food. :angry5:

I have 3 beardies I took care of while off work. We bonded quite nicely.

Now that I am back to work and not home all day long Sly, Samantha and Lance are very upset with me. Not so much Samantha as she doesn't like as much human contact as the other two do.

I have delegated different chores and tasks around the house since I can't do it all anymore. My youngest son is in charge of feeding Lance. Lance is syringe fed baby food due to his lack of teeth. He enjoys the food. The last 2 weeks he has fed him before getting on the school bus and after coming home from school for the day. My son however goes to his Dad's every other weekend. Just so happened that it was this weekend that just passed. I tried feeding him as close to his normal times as possible. He didn't eat much. He wouldn't eat for me or my boyfriend or my oldest son. His normal consumption is from 8-10ml's per day. I was lucky to get 3-4mls in him either day on the weekend.

Samantha hasn't changed much at all since she isn't really a people beardie. She will tolerate me but only me picking her up or bathing her. She's still acting normal.

My Sly... Ohhhhh myyyyyy he's totally ticked at me!!! He has attitude towards me. I don't think it's just my imagination either. He is my special boy but he wants NOTHING to do with me. :cry: :cry: :cry: I am the one who chops his salad daily still, even though he doesn't eat any of it. He hasn't been a big salad eater since we got him. Everyday when I get home, the first thing I do is go over to say hi to Sly. I think he knows when I pull in the driveway because he is always hiding. I pull him out of his hidey and give him kisses and let him have a ride on my shoulder while I help the boyfriend get dinner ready. He tries hard to scramble off of me and onto my boyfriend or whoever he can get to that's not me. I have bribed him with yummy yummy roaches (his fave) and he shuns me!! ME?!! Shuns me!! Honest. I'll bring the dish into his viv after carefully selecting the size he likes (doesn't like the big ones) and drag him out from his hidey and show them to him. He used to gobble them up out of the dish but not anymore. He looks at them for 5-10 minutes while I play with them and tempt him with one and he just closes his eyes at me. When he gets bored at frustrating me :banghead: , usually after eating only one or two, he will go back into his hidey and ignore me. He used to hear my voice and come running out of his hidey but not anymore. He hears my voice now and he goes and hides if he isn't already hiding. He isn't the same dragon anymore. I want my Sly guy back but I don't want to give up my job!! I miss his spunky attitude. It's been two weeks. I hate being shunned. I miss him while I'm at work and wish I could bring him with me.

I know it takes beardies time to get used to new routines and such. When we first got Sly it was almost a month of black beards and stress marks. I don't think he likes change very much but he has to get used to it. I'm putting one of my worn shirts in his viv tonight so he can feel a bit closer to me when I'm not around. I hope that helps and the new routine should be accepted soon too I hope. I'm in tears writing this because he has upset me that much (I'm a very emotional person). I love him to pieces and want his attitude toward me to go away.
 

FJM

Hatchling Member
Could it just be that he's getting ready to brumate? If so, you may be in for your own separation anxiety. I know i went through it a bit when mine brumated last winter.
 
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