Sleeping a lot and barely eating

My dragon is about 10-11 months old. He has been very healthy and active until about 6 weeks ago. He stopped eating all greens and vegetables first, and less crickets (was eating 15-30 a day). He ate a worm while outside around the time his appetite slowed down. not sure if it was a millipede or a catapillar. He is very quick and I couldn’t stop him from eating it. I started him back on Phoenix worms about 3 weeks ago. He was eating them good at first, then stopped. I took him to a good reptile vet 2 weeks ago and his stool sample was negative. He dewormed him with 2 different dewormers, pancur was one. The vet really didn’t know what was causing the problem. He said if the deworming didn’t work in -10 days to bring him back for antibiotics, but he really didn’t want to give them. I don’t want them either unless he really need them. He started feeling better and eating again maybe 10 phoenix worms a day a day after the dewormer, but no greens this lasted about 6 days. Now he has gone back to not eating. I started Dubia roaches again which he normally loves, and he was eating them at first and now stopped again. He will eat a few Phoenix worms or dubia roaches, then not eat for a day or two. His temps are good and the reptisun 10.0 bulb is about 4 months old ( I ordered the 5.0 lamp and bulb a few days ago just in case). I’ve been bathing him daily and taking him outside for natural sunlight. Any ideas of what this could be? I am quite attached to him and really worried. Thank you!

Hi there,

So the vet prescribed dewormers even though the fecal came back clean? Or am I miss reading that.
I would definitely avoid the antibiotics unless there is a reason. Doing it as just a guess is bad practice on the vets part. Too many times we see that mind set and it ends up causing more harm.

Have you been weighing him at all? What is his activity levels like. Hes old enough that he could simply be brumating. If he seems be to sleeping and hiding a lot, and not losing any weight, I'd tend to let him be.

By 6 weeks even if he did eat a toxic bug, it would be out of his system by now.
But if he was put on meds he didnt need to be on, he could be a bit upset over that.

-Brandon

claudiusx":317t48xj said:

Hes old enough that he could simply be brumating.

Click to expand...

+1
I'm curious that the vet didn't consider that, and I agree that deworming after a negative fecal test doesn't make sense :? but I'm not a veterinarian (I would question one on that though).

Thanks, I couldn’t get a fecal sample for the appointment so I brought it in the next day. The vet had already given him the first 2 doses at this point and told me to continue even after the negative fecal. I don’t have a scale to weigh him, any suggestions on where to order one? He feels like he’s lost weight to me. He looks thinner too. He’s not very active until I take him out. He is usually hiding under his log on the hot side, and is scratching now which I haven’t noticed before. I take him out and and give him a bath or try to feed him to keep him hydrated. He runs around inside the house quite a bit. When outside on the leash he seems pretty happy and runs a little. He ate one dubia roach today. My son takes him out to play with him a few times a day and he runs a little. Is it normal for them to Brumate this long?

Where is the UVB in the tank? or on top of screen? Please keep the 10.0 and send the 5.0 back that bulb is more for a aquarium -- you can use it but its not as strong-- the 10.0 bulb is it a T 5 or a T 8? What are his basking temps and how are you taking them? Infrared heat gun? stick ons? digital probe? I agree I dont know why they would give deworming meds if he did not have worms--- my vet did a Xray to see if there was infection when I was having issues w/ Hiccup before giving antibiotics it turned out there was no infection - they need to do an Xray first to see if there is indeed an infection and/ or also blood work could be done as well -- are you sure he is a he? it could be if he is a she maybe w/ eggs? The scratching could be something is off w/ the lighting in the tank and or gravid? --- what is the cool side of the tank ? You can get a scale at Walmart -- just buy a kitchen scale for food --weigh him in grams please
Karrie

Sorry Karrie,I currently have the Reptisun 10.0 UVB T8, and just ordered the Reptisun 10.0 T5 high output UVB. I do have it on top of the screen, but have been opening the back lid to allow the light to not be filtered by the screen. I don't have a way to put the large lamp under the screen.
I am taking the temps with the infrared heat gun. I just re-took the temps just now and Basking is only at 95, not sure what is going on as normally basking is 105-108 (about 3 weeks ago), cold side is 75. Could the Reptisun 10.0 T8 build be going bad and cause the temps to be lower than normal? It seems dimmer than normal which is what made me want to replace the bulb/entire lamp.

I'm really not sure about the sex of the dragon, my vet first said male and saw the 2 faint bulges on the tail, but then said it could be a female. My vet raised beardies for 25 years so i thought he was experienced, but i questioned the dewormer too. But by the time the fecal test results came back, the three doses of wormer were done. Do you recommend any good vets in the Fredericksburg VA area? So if I have a female, could any of these issues be related to egg laying? Does that happen around 1 year old?

The UVB wont have anything to do w/ heat --- your basking bulb may be going bad -- you can either change it out or raise the basking spot closer to the heat lamp-----the T 5 is definitely stronger -- but the T 8 should be 6-8 inches from basking spot--- as far as a year old for eggs I am not sure --- others on here would haft to answer that question that are more experienced than I --- you said the UVB looks dimmer than usual ? How old is the the bulb?? they need to be changed out every 6 months for the T8 -- the T 5's once a year-- I would google reptile vets in your area and then make phone calls to the ones that pop up --- find out how long they have been treating reptiles specifically bearded dragons - I am on my second one and shes good --- 25 years ? and she could not sex the dragon????? post a pic of him/her w/ her butt in the air and people on here would be able to tell you
Karrie

hookfang1":2db257ga said:

Thanks, I couldn’t get a fecal sample for the appointment so I brought it in the next day.

Click to expand...

Ahh... that's different.

I don’t have a scale to weigh him, any suggestions on where to order one?

Click to expand...

The big river. Postal scales. Skip over the bathroom & livestock scales. We have one similar to (looks like it, anyway) to the Amazon's Choice Accutek
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=postal+scale&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

Is it normal for them to Brumate this long?

Click to expand...

OTTOMH, I'd have to look it up too. :wink: