Very active but hasn't eaten after brumation.

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RarestDragon

Hatchling Member
Hi, I'm at my wit's end trying to figure out why my dragon won't eat.

She'll be a year old on May 3rd, she's about 18-19 inches long and last time she was weighed she was 450g. Basking spot 95-100 degrees, hot side about 85, cool side usually between 75-78. UVB is reptisun 10.0 and has about another two or three month lifespan in terms of UVB, though I plan on changing it next month. No loose substrate, just vinyl tile with a half log and a rock ornament. Her tank is a 55 gallon 36" x 18" x 18". I know that might seem small for some people but I don't have any other place to put a bigger terrarium and I let my dragon out all the time so I doubt she feels confined.

She went into brumation around late December and started to come out of it in late February. Her brumation was a bit light but she'd sleep for two or three days straight, then move a bit, then go back to sleep. I would give her a bath once a week during this time, preferably on a day she was awake. I kept her lights off during most of this time since she was hiding nearly all day and I didn't want to waste the UVB.

When she came out of brumation she was alert but a tad sluggish at first, as to be expected. She pooped a little too, very small ones since she didn't have much in her stomach to begin with. I decided to take her to the vet since I didn't have the chance before her brumation due to needing expensive dental work done to my teeth. The vet did a fecal test with what I had and couldn't find any parasites. He weighed her, she came out at 450g which was good for a dragon her size. He couldn't find anything wrong with her so he gave me the all clear.

A few weeks after that, Lyrica had suddenly become super, super active. Running around her cage or my room since I let her out often. She'll try to climb up the side of her cage(even when her door is wide open for her to come out) and she'll do this for an hour or more, then she'll sit and bask/nap for half an hour to an hour, then she's back to running like crazy. When I let her out, half of the time she'll crawl behind my computer monitor, then she'll run back out and voluntarily climb back into her tank and start doing laps again. Other times she'll walk all over my desk and bed, which I watch her closely if she does. She has jumped off my desk or bed onto the carpet but there isn't much distance for her to fall and she doesn't look or act like she's hurt at all. Then at around 6:00 PM she'll laze about on her log until bed time, I assume having tuckered herself out. By "laze about" I mean she'll lay on her log with her head up, lazily watching me or taking tiny naps. Sometimes she still does a lap or two around her tank before bedtime though.

It's been nearly a month since she's started this but she will not eat at all. I offer her food every day but she hasn't touched any of it. I'll offer greens and fruit in the morning in a bowl and I've tried to both hand feed her bugs and let the bugs run on the floor. She shows no interest at all. She'll lick them sometimes and almost looks like she'll eat it but she'll turn her head away a few seconds later.

I have no scale to weigh her so I don't know for sure if she's lost much weight. Though I think she has lost a little. But she still has a big belly on her, her fat pads aren't sunken in at all and I can see some fat still behind her armpits. She hasn't lost any muscles in her legs, if anything they seem bigger. She does poop every now and then but it's very small and is mostly urate since she has little to no food in her stomach. Besides being small, her poops look normal.

I don't feel any eggs in her belly and she hasn't been digging or anything. She's been drinking just fine, more so than usual so she's not dehydrated at all. I still give her weekly baths, which she'll sometimes drink out of. She hasn't black bearded, though I've never seen her black beard at all.

Here are some pics of her.

This is what she does often. I know her skin looks wrinkly here but she's a leatherback, her skin always looks like that, especially when she's standing up like that. This picture was taken March 28th
90684-6991531350.jpg

This picture was taken February 13th, about two weeks later. No huge changes in weight but still no appetite.
90684-942574852.jpg

Does anybody know what's happening? I don't want to force feed her anything but I have been considering it.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
First I would go buy a digital kitchen scale from Walmart-- around $10-$12 or so one that has grams too -- keep an eye on her weight--- mine is not eating either -- had him to vet fecal done no parasites blood work done and that came out relatively good for what we know -- hes never had blood work done before so we will haft to go w/ what we know for now-- but hes not eating either -- hes active alert basking etc - does everything hes supposed to except eat and very little pooping -- the vet told me to feed him carnivore critical care every other day -- he is a little under weight but not a lot and we dont want him to lose anymore so she has him on this for now - I have been giving him a shot of water too to wash down the critical care so he doesnt dehydrate and once a week baths-- he hates baths--- you are not the first one to say they are not eating ---- I know mating season is here that could be it --- as far as mine tho -- I really dont know-- hes never seen another beardie nor a reflection of himself - so hes doing no head bobbing or arm waving -- i would just continue to feed her like I am doing and watch her weight
Karrie
 

RarestDragon

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
All attempts to feed her just end up with her turning her head away. I leave greens in her bowl every day and offer her a bug twice a day. I even put bugs into a plastic container and let them walk around in front of her. She watches them but doesn't go for them.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Where is the UVB ? Is it on top of screen or in the tank? Proper UVB us essential and I know you have the right bulb but exactly where is it ? Can she get under it ? -- - I am not a vet and am currently trying to figure out why mine is not eating -- we have determined he does NOT have parasites so blood work was done and its showing signs of infection- so w/ that being said hes going back in to the vet for Xrays on Monday-- currently I am feeding him Critical Care Carnivore by syringe --- I have been keeping track of his weight hes not losing it and is a little under weight for his age etc.............. so I would start there at your vets--- --- I had mine into 2 vets w/ the second being the one he is w/ now---- she has been great following up w/ Hiccup by emails and phone--- it has also been spendy --- but she is thorough--- you can PM Tracie our vet moderator here on the forum and ask her for advice and see what she says--- but beings shes not eating at all and her husbandry sounds good there is something else going on-- I would suggest blood work to be done to rule out things there --
Karrie
 

RarestDragon

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
The UVB bulb is in the tank with her. She's about eight inches away from it if she's on her basking log. Good news though, she ate a bite of her salad. But only one or two leaves of collards. Hopefully she'll eat more.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
She sounds just like hiccup when he was eating-- not enough to keep a bird alive-- I would get her back into vet and have them do blood work - is she still active-- hiccup has his days where he is and days he's not-- so IAM wondering if he's not feeling good-- still gonna do x-rays there is got to be something going on causing him not to eat-- is she pooping?
Karrie
 

RarestDragon

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
She has pooped a few times but they were very small since she has barely anything in her belly. They were mostly urate. She drinks a lot of water too. She's chilling right now but was active earlier.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Shes drinking alot of water? I dont know if beardies get diabetes or not-- I would get her in to your vet or you can call the vet and talk to them -- --- I am stumped! At least shes going to the bathroom -- Hiccup isnt but its not un commen for them to not poop and they can go long periods of time w/ out pooping-- right now our main concern w/ him is why hes not eating! i have had to give Hiccup baby prunes twice now to get him to go to the bathroom-- just so I could get a fecal sample --- first time it took 2 days and the next time it took like a week before it worked-- its your call --- I would either call your vet or PM Tracie Drache613 and see what she says-- tell her everything or the vet about her still not eating and drinking lots of water-- etc............
Karrie
 

RarestDragon

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Well, when I say a lot of water, I mean she drinks more than she has done in the past every few days. But that might be because when she was eating, she would get most of her water through her veggies. Now during her weekly baths she'll drink a good few gulps of water. I also offer her water with a syringe. About 1 out of 3 times she'll drink from it.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Does she look dehydrated ? Wrinkly skin - her eyes sunken in? Have you taken basking temps lately to see that its not too hot? With her not eating shes not getting the hydration she needs -- I am giving Hiccup water by syringe a long w/ weekly baths -- and he has never drank from the bath-- he was a little dehydrated when he was into vet - so they recommended baths every other day he hates baths so I have been giving him water by syringe every other day when feeding him the carnivore care--- he is licking the water off his nose and around his mouth-- he doesnt look dehydrated but sometimes they are as I found out--- I would still start trying to investigate the cause for her not to be eating-- did you get a scale to weigh her?
Karrie
 

RarestDragon

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
She's not dehydrated at all. I haven't gotten a scale yet. There's only one car and I'm not the only one who uses it. I'll see about getting one tomorrow since it will be Sunday and nobody else will need the car. Temps are normal, basking spot is 95-100 degrees.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Ok you can get a kitchen scale at Walmart --- or if you have a Tuesday Morning where you live thats where I got mine -- $10-- but I definatley would watch her weight -- I have been weighing Hiccup once a week --
Karrie
 

RarestDragon

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Alright, well she just ate another mouthful of veggies. Tomorrow I'll put in a few pieces of apple, see if she'll take it, she loves apple.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
That is good to hear--- I would add fruit to her diet along w/ the variety of vegies--- there is a link on the feeding board for nutrition--- dandelions are coming back into season - most beardies love dandelions --- the yellow flower along w/ the leaves --- no stems - just make sure they are not sprayed
Karrie
 

RarestDragon

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Yeah, I bookmarked a list of stuff that a beardie can eat. I placed a bowl with two large roaches into her terrarium, she's watching them with interest but doesn't seem like she wants them. Hopefully she'll eat more soon but I'm happy she took a bite of something.
 
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