Very active but hasn't eaten after brumation.

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Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

These crazy dragons, so many of them have this type of restless behavior when they come out
of brumation. It sounds like her hormone levels are high & she is most likely looking for a mate
or could even be developing eggs. Essentially you can equate it to having spring fever to an
extent.
That's good she had a few bites of veggies though. It may take a few weeks for her appetite to
fully pick up., or even longer sometimes. Her metabolism has been slown down for awhile & it
takes some time for it to rev back up. It sounds like she isn't losing weight but as suggested, I
would try to keep track of her weight if possible to be sure she doesn't lose too much.
Her body condition looks good in the picture though!
Keep trying to offer foods & eventually she'll start eating again. You could try some bee pollen
to see if that helps to pick up her appetite.

Tracie
 

RarestDragon

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Okay, I got a scale and weighed her. She's somewhere between 440-445g so whatever weight she's lost in the past two months it's been very little.
 

iicarcar

New member
Hi!

Sorry I am late to the chat. I wanted to see if you had an update?
My dragon Salazar had a brumation for about 6 weeks, nice deep sleep, once in a while wake up and eat a couple dubias and a bite of greens, sit in the sun for a little bit, and then go back to hide under his half log.

After he woke up, he acted almost exactly like you said. He was sooooo thirsty. (I bathed him once a week, and he'd usually lap up a little water or just soak in the warm water.) He would drink so much I swear probably 15 minutes total everyday sometimes 2x a day for 2 weeks. He wouldn't eat, and he still doesn't. 6 months later. Still doesn't except he'd eat anywhere from 3-11 superworms. Nothing else, refused any greens, and we'd just have a big old pile for him to choose from because we thought he was having a hard time seeing, and he'd tilt his head and look at them, look like he would eat them, and then just do his little bob and waddle somewhere else. We have been so broke from me not being able to get a job until next week, and boyfriends work hours got cut down a lot due to slow business.

Salazar had developed a fungal infection because of so many baths (I feel like a really terrible owner, for many reasons, and this being on the the big ones :( .....). He was at the vet yesterday because I finally found one in the nearby city, and not having to drive 2 hours for the next closest one who charges $94 just for an exam. He went through everything on Salazar who was NOT happy to be handled by a stranger and was puffing a lot, and kept bobbing at him. He said he looks completely healthy, had a healthy weight, fat pads nice and plump, skin was not showing signs of dehydration, and the fungal infection thank God is NOT yellow fungus. It came from the baths/humidity, and it will take 2-3 sheds to completely get rid of it and I will have to continue to apply antifungal cream for spots that appear, and that the cream will cause hyperpigmentation and take a few sheds to completely rid of that. Otherwise fecal is fine, he is bright and alert, active, let's me know when he wants to get out of the tank and scratches at the glass and he gets out ad waddles around and explores with me, and then goes back to the tank and is content for the rest of the day.
The vet had told me that they were seeing A LOT of beardies and even other reptiles exhibiting strange behavior and not seeming to completely wake up from brumating, and while being healthy otherwise, just not wanting to eat much or anything at all, no lost weight, no infections/injuries/medical problems, nice and active, hydrated, etc. He said it has been taking many months for these guys to get out of a funk and they aren't sure what is up this year.
He told me to try and get outside with him and sit outside in the sun for an hour or 2 when it starts to finally get above 70 and get him stimulated from that. I also changed my UVB just in case. Heat in the tank hanging out at about 105, and cool side 84. Still trying to work on lowering overall humidity and finding a decent humidifier for a reasonable price. Have been opening windows to try and dry things out. He is eating carnivore care right now to try and get him nutrients.

Anyway, just wanted to see if your dragon had finally started eating again, anything you found out, etc. I would really love if he would start eating food again and having his veggies. I am going to go and get some dubias again and not have superworms around I just don't like how tough their shell is, and the vet found a pincer/leg wedged into Salazars gums and had to rip it out since it was superficial. And even with the liquid food now, I am still seeing a couple superworm pieces come out which makes me worry about how it can really hang out i the guts.

Best of luck
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Thanks for the info iicarcar--- I had the same issue w/ Hiccup and he is finally coming around to eat again--- he was not sick had no signs of anything going on -- fecal bloodwork xrays everything was done and he just would not eat -- I am glad another vet was seeing the same thing w/ these dragons --- I was completely stumped as to why he wasnt eating --- everything else was normal - but now he is finally eating roaches this week salads off and on every couple of days and yesterday he ate 3 hornworms of which he loves and has not eaten in months -- so w/ that being said he is maybe back on track again - he did not lose any weight but was maintaining and now I see he is gaining weight again
Karrie
 

iicarcar

New member
Oh thank goodness! I have been just worried because it has been since Mid December that he started to slow down eating and was a bit lazier, and was drinking like crazy so I was giving him baths everyday because he does not like being misted and won’t drink out of a bowl. And then ended up giving him a fungal infection :( and I got scared because the spots would keep randomly popping up over time and took him to the vet scared it was yellow fungus because the scales underneath were darker and discolored. But he luckily does not have that and it will just take a couple sheds to get the fungus out completely as it is a tougher one but not harmless unless gets all over or by the eyes/mouth (it hasn’t).
Otherwise healthy. He lost a little bit of weight when it first started but then stopped and evened out at that weight. And he has definitely gotten more active now after about 8 weeks of that and sleeping early. He has to start glass surfing because he wants to get out and run about for awhile. Then he gets tired and tries to find somewhere to cuddle in and sleep but catch him and put him back under his light and then he is fine for the rest of the day.
Likes to bob lightly and run about and waddle and be nosy, and scare off the cats ?
Hopefully he will start coming out of it, especially because it is supposed to be 75 today and 80 tomorrow for us plus full sun so I can take him out a bit and get some natural light. And he only wants to eat superworms and after giving him carnivore care and greens out I still see superworm pieces coming out in his poop and it has been over a week since his last worm, and he had a pincer stuck into his gum from a superworm and had to get it ripped out :( Was superficial and bled a little but the spot is pretty small and am just watching for any signs of infection and trying to figure out how I can disinfect it inside his mouth. So hopefully anyone who reads this can see how tough superworms are on their digestion and and not feed them often. My rescue silkie we were giving her superworms as recommended by others to help fatten her up and now shes too fat and has constipation. So make sure to get a good bug if they do not want to eat in future so you dont have my issues.
Super happy to hear about your beardid :)
 

RarestDragon

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
As for me, Lyrica still hasn't lost a ton of weight. She stays at around four hundred twenty something-ish grams. She's still not eating much, just the occasional mouthful or two of greens. There are some days where she lays around and doesn't do much but watch me. Other days she's completely bouncing off the walls and wants out constantly(which I oblige most of the time). I changed her UVB bulb a few weeks ago. I give her a bath in clean, drinkable water once a week. Sometimes she drinks from it, sometimes she doesn't. She does still poop every now and then but very little since she's still not eating much. But her poops are normal, formed with a normal urate. She's her usual self as far as personality goes. Sometimes enjoys attention, other times doesn't want it, especially in the morning(she's not a morning dragon). No aggression, no lethargy, no other signs of anything wrong. I hope she starts eating soon because I have thousands of Dubia roaches now and sorting them takes much longer than it used to.
 
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