ADV/ Brumation

Sorry I didn't get back to you on your last post. I'm not experienced at all with colloidal silver, Tracie is the one who knows about that. As for him not pooing, if he's not eating he will not poo, even f he takes a bit of applesauce. It's really not enough to get his system moving [ digestion ] , esp. if he's inactive right now. Their metabolism slows way down. You can let him be pretty much for 2-3 weeks at a time with no disturbance, only offer a bit of dripped water after 2 weeks to which you can mix in the supplements.

I have a lot of experience with ADV. The one thing I noticed with my two is dehydration. During brumation you need to make sure they are hydrated. I would soak them for 20 min once a week. When not in brumation they got a quick soak daily as they pooped only in water. I only had one brumate, my female. It would start the end of summer. Both of mine have passed but was 11 and 9 y/o. If you have any questions about ADV send me a message.

Soak during brumation? It's my understanding that soaking is quite a shock during brumation, and contrary to what's natural. Also I've heard from several people that dragons cannot hydrate via soaking/the vent. In either case, hydration is certainly a concern. RJ has always been an extremely difficult dragon where drinking is concerned. As much water as I drip on his nose, he equally refuses it. Any ideas?
On another topic, are there any of the "known supplements" you have found more beneficial than others, or in certain amounts, or a particular "regiment?"

Exactly right....unless he drinks he gets zero benefit in a bath and it would still be shocking to be placed in water while sleeping. The dripping water on the snout [ with a wadded paper towel under the chin ] every 10-14 days is the way to go. You must be patient....drip, stop, repeat. It can take a minute or more before they realize that it's a drink. And keep in mind that a dragon with a healthy weight can brumate for months at a low temp. with no food or water....mine have done it that way for the entire 20+ years I've owned dragons. I now make it a practice to offer water every 2-3 weeks or so if they are actually sleeping. You can add a few drops of honey to a bit of warm water to make it more appealing if you like.

And do you have experience with ADV dragons AHBD?

And you said it's ok if he snacks a bit? Gave him a horn worm today and his eyes lit up. I figured since they have a lot of water. He has NEVER been good about water, could this be a problem "going into brumation?" Though I guess he's always got a little since I've been giving him slurrys for a while now, and baby food is watery

No ADV dragons, but I've been on the forum here for years and the posters with ADV positive dragons that are healthy usually have the same care ....some taking supplements, some not....as other dragons. A visually healthy dragon with good weight will handle brumation pretty much the same way.

And see, your guy is not in actual brumation because he's partly active + is eating. It's just a bit of a slow down phase that he will likely continue for a while.

So should I not give him snacks?
And at what point is him not taking water a concern?

So should I not give him snacks?
And at what point is him not taking water a concern?
I've never worried about it cuz roaches are hydrating plus he usually does pretty good with veggies

Yes, you can give him snacks. He's not truly brumating, just sleepy + eating less....if that's the way he wants it, that's O.K. He will poo less often during this time as well. The hornworms have quite a bit of hydration, too.

My dragon is doing a kind of 3/4 brumation. He sleeps most days but will sometimes sit there with sleepy eyes looking around. He changes spots in the tank every day or two but remains in the shadows/hides. When I see him pop his head up every 5 or 6 days (ish) I take him out and drip water on his nose. He's good about licking up a little bit but doesn't always show interest. I just want it available if he wants some. He has also taken some squash pieces happily. Nowhere near what he normally eats or as frequently. Just a little midnight snack I guess. He's gone after a few roaches but not many, and very infrequently. His poop is maybe once a month (usual is once per day) and his weight (I weigh him about once a week) is staying pretty stable +/- 15g. I haven't seen any ill effects of offering him small bits of food. He takes what he wants and then goes right back to sleep. The focus is more on water than snacks though.

Sounds about like me boy thanks for the input cooper. I did the horn worm for the water in it. I'd like to try a slurry because with the ADV is like to get some supplements in him

Worth a shot. If his metabolism is slowed down though, he probably won't want much or be able to process much. As long as weight is maintained, that's probably OK, but I don't have direct experience with ADV and this is the first brumation I've dealt with in person so I'm still guessing a bit myself =).

I've always soaked mine and mine never had a hydration issue. Also, just because they are positive ADV doesn't mean they are physically sick. I never stressed my dragons by soaking either. I've kept dragons 12 years. I was one of the first to test for ADV. Unless you test, no one can say they aren't positive for it. Just saying....

Oh no, my guy appears healthy, I always thought the supplements were a precaution