Hi all,
My beardie is a little over 5 months old. My boyfriend and I got her about two months ago, took her for a check-up soon after purchasing her. She had a MAJOR case of parasite infection (pinworms, tapeworms, and flagellates), so we treated her over the last month and the stool sample was negative on her last check-up (10/20/18). She is still relatively small (about 125 grams). She was constipated, I think as a side effect from the medication she was on (Albon and Fenbendazole + a shot every other week-not sure what medication was used in the shot). She's finally pooping almost every day now.
We thought that, since she's nearing juvenile age, we would start reducing bug intake and increasing veggie intake. Prior to this decision, we would feed her 15-20 medium dubias in the morning and about 20 large phoenix worms in the evening and would feed her whatever greens she was willing to eat midday. We started feeding her only dubias or worms once in the morning (same serving amount) and a large salad in the evening (collard greens, dandelion greens, blueberries, wheat grass, endives, mustard greens). Her dubias will always be coated with calcium +D3. She doesn't really eat the greens, even when we try hiding bugs within the salad. She NEVER drinks water - we give her baths every other day, drop water on her nose, wet her food before she eats, etc. and she never licks the water. The most water she gets is from when we wash the phoenix worms and leave them wet for her to eat.
To get to the point, she's been starting to go to bed much earlier in the evening than typical. She's only hungry in the morning - she used to willingly eat greens in the afternoon but she won't take them anymore. My boyfriend and I are concerned that she may be preparing to brumate. I read that if the beardie is too small, they may not have the proper nutrients to carry them healthily through a brumation period. We thought to take her to the vet for another check-up, but we don't want to jump the gun on something that may be of no concern, especially since it's been only a month since her last full check-up at the vet's office. She's been jumping at her UVB light lately. Any ideas on what may be causing her changing behavior and whether it's safe to let her brumate, if that's what she's doing?
Vivarium set-up is as follows:
-4'x2'x2' homemade vivarium, oak plywood on three sides and bottom, screen on the front and top of vivarium, though a blanket always covers the top to help retain heat
-temperature on basking spot (hammock) is 95-105 F, temperature on cool side is 70-80 (this is likely because the screens - we intend to get a better enclosure with glass on the front within the next year). Temperature is recorded with stick on thermometer.
-we turn her light off at night (it's attached to a timer) so temps get to around 68 F at night
-Bulb is 100W PowerSun Mercury Vapor UVB lamp, purchased in early August, sitting around 7" above her basking spot with no screen blocking (cut a hole in the screen to prevent light from scattering)
-substrate is tile
My beardie is a little over 5 months old. My boyfriend and I got her about two months ago, took her for a check-up soon after purchasing her. She had a MAJOR case of parasite infection (pinworms, tapeworms, and flagellates), so we treated her over the last month and the stool sample was negative on her last check-up (10/20/18). She is still relatively small (about 125 grams). She was constipated, I think as a side effect from the medication she was on (Albon and Fenbendazole + a shot every other week-not sure what medication was used in the shot). She's finally pooping almost every day now.
We thought that, since she's nearing juvenile age, we would start reducing bug intake and increasing veggie intake. Prior to this decision, we would feed her 15-20 medium dubias in the morning and about 20 large phoenix worms in the evening and would feed her whatever greens she was willing to eat midday. We started feeding her only dubias or worms once in the morning (same serving amount) and a large salad in the evening (collard greens, dandelion greens, blueberries, wheat grass, endives, mustard greens). Her dubias will always be coated with calcium +D3. She doesn't really eat the greens, even when we try hiding bugs within the salad. She NEVER drinks water - we give her baths every other day, drop water on her nose, wet her food before she eats, etc. and she never licks the water. The most water she gets is from when we wash the phoenix worms and leave them wet for her to eat.
To get to the point, she's been starting to go to bed much earlier in the evening than typical. She's only hungry in the morning - she used to willingly eat greens in the afternoon but she won't take them anymore. My boyfriend and I are concerned that she may be preparing to brumate. I read that if the beardie is too small, they may not have the proper nutrients to carry them healthily through a brumation period. We thought to take her to the vet for another check-up, but we don't want to jump the gun on something that may be of no concern, especially since it's been only a month since her last full check-up at the vet's office. She's been jumping at her UVB light lately. Any ideas on what may be causing her changing behavior and whether it's safe to let her brumate, if that's what she's doing?
Vivarium set-up is as follows:
-4'x2'x2' homemade vivarium, oak plywood on three sides and bottom, screen on the front and top of vivarium, though a blanket always covers the top to help retain heat
-temperature on basking spot (hammock) is 95-105 F, temperature on cool side is 70-80 (this is likely because the screens - we intend to get a better enclosure with glass on the front within the next year). Temperature is recorded with stick on thermometer.
-we turn her light off at night (it's attached to a timer) so temps get to around 68 F at night
-Bulb is 100W PowerSun Mercury Vapor UVB lamp, purchased in early August, sitting around 7" above her basking spot with no screen blocking (cut a hole in the screen to prevent light from scattering)
-substrate is tile
