Susiespark
New member
Hi, really hoping someone here can help please. Our lil lady Slobalina is in trouble. She's an 8 year old Pogona Vitticeps who's usually healthy
She likes her heat lamp but also being handled, going for walks and watching out the windows when it's warm enough.
She normally ate 12 to 14 large crickets x 3 a week, fruit and vegetables - spinach, pear, strawberry etc with occasional locusts for variety.
Supplements - Nutrobal
Watering - she drinks from a mini fountain, changed and cleaned frequently and is misted every couple of days
Her faeces seems normal, just much less
Habitat - upgraded a year ago to Vivexotic, all elements treated and sterilised as appropriate. Internal dimensions 1.52m tall x 1.1m wide glass front cabinet set up over 5 levels. The bottom level is 50cm from floor. Top basking temperature is 95- 105 she moves between here and the next level down where the temp is 75 and humidity 50 as is level 3, with Levels 4 (drinking platform) and 5 slightly cooler. Night temperature is between 70 and 80. Substrate is washable matting. She spends most of her time on branches and wooden platforms only on the mat when in brumation or before she poops - usually in the bath - she likes to swim.
Lighting 13 hours timer with Solar-Glo High Intensity Self-Ballasted Uv/Heat Mercury Vapor Lamp plus
Extra UVB 75W
Her viv is in the study with frequent interaction throughout the day.
Location: Southern Ireland closest beardie vet is approximately 210 km away and can't afford the cost.
She's been eating less and less for about three months and has lost weight. She completely refuses crickets now which she used to devour. When she started to refuse crickets we switched to large mealworms but she's gone off those too and won't eat any fruit or veg whatsoever which she always enjoyed. This past week she has eaten just one locust and one mealworm. Have tried baby food but she just takes about a quarter teaspoon.
She was drinking water ok but won't now. She went almost completely black yesterday, and her Beard was still black this morning but has almost returned to normal now. Around her eyes went very orange - is usually a lovely yellow shade.
I thought as she's getting a bit older, she might be having a little extra brumation which she did in December and January as normal. On Saturday she seemed happy and was busy going up and down - she really seems to like climbing, drank water and was waving out the glass. Now she's objecting to being handled although she doesn't mind a little snuggle before trying to get away, and is opening and closing her eyes a lot which is most unusual. She's staying away from the basking area today. She won't eat anything. Her Beard has only ever been black when next doors dog comes in which is rarely. She's due to shed around August - She has always shed once a year.
Physically I can't see or feel anything amiss. She just seems to be failing.
Any helpful advice would be appreciated. What do people think about force feeding? I read somewhere else that it might help her.
She likes her heat lamp but also being handled, going for walks and watching out the windows when it's warm enough.
She normally ate 12 to 14 large crickets x 3 a week, fruit and vegetables - spinach, pear, strawberry etc with occasional locusts for variety.
Supplements - Nutrobal
Watering - she drinks from a mini fountain, changed and cleaned frequently and is misted every couple of days
Her faeces seems normal, just much less
Habitat - upgraded a year ago to Vivexotic, all elements treated and sterilised as appropriate. Internal dimensions 1.52m tall x 1.1m wide glass front cabinet set up over 5 levels. The bottom level is 50cm from floor. Top basking temperature is 95- 105 she moves between here and the next level down where the temp is 75 and humidity 50 as is level 3, with Levels 4 (drinking platform) and 5 slightly cooler. Night temperature is between 70 and 80. Substrate is washable matting. She spends most of her time on branches and wooden platforms only on the mat when in brumation or before she poops - usually in the bath - she likes to swim.
Lighting 13 hours timer with Solar-Glo High Intensity Self-Ballasted Uv/Heat Mercury Vapor Lamp plus
Extra UVB 75W
Her viv is in the study with frequent interaction throughout the day.
Location: Southern Ireland closest beardie vet is approximately 210 km away and can't afford the cost.
She's been eating less and less for about three months and has lost weight. She completely refuses crickets now which she used to devour. When she started to refuse crickets we switched to large mealworms but she's gone off those too and won't eat any fruit or veg whatsoever which she always enjoyed. This past week she has eaten just one locust and one mealworm. Have tried baby food but she just takes about a quarter teaspoon.
She was drinking water ok but won't now. She went almost completely black yesterday, and her Beard was still black this morning but has almost returned to normal now. Around her eyes went very orange - is usually a lovely yellow shade.
I thought as she's getting a bit older, she might be having a little extra brumation which she did in December and January as normal. On Saturday she seemed happy and was busy going up and down - she really seems to like climbing, drank water and was waving out the glass. Now she's objecting to being handled although she doesn't mind a little snuggle before trying to get away, and is opening and closing her eyes a lot which is most unusual. She's staying away from the basking area today. She won't eat anything. Her Beard has only ever been black when next doors dog comes in which is rarely. She's due to shed around August - She has always shed once a year.
Physically I can't see or feel anything amiss. She just seems to be failing.
Any helpful advice would be appreciated. What do people think about force feeding? I read somewhere else that it might help her.
