behemuffin
Member
So Nara is 9 months old now and showing signs of going into brumation. Less appetite (sometimes not eating for days, or eating a tiny bit), sleeping all day, sometimes avoiding his basking spot. Though he never seems to want to go into an actual hide, no matter what I make for him. He will wriggle halfway in between the layers of his aquarium reef-rock thing and act like he's hidden.
(It's sold as aquarium decor, but I bought it for Nara and it's his favourite thing. https://www.petsmart.com/fish/decor-gravel-and-substrate/ornaments/top-fin-greenery-driftwood-aquarium-ornament-5013323.html It's like a multi-layered basking rock.)
Anyway, so I'd read about brumation and knew what to expect, so all seemed well. Except that I came across the piece of information a few days ago that STINKY POOP CAN BE A BAD THING. I'd seen other sources saying bearded dragons' poop just stinks. Then, I read something saying it could be parasites.
Paranoia inducing, right? Just as my first beardie is about to go into his first brumation...
I had a fecal and checkup done on him when I first got him, about 5 months ago. It all turned out clear. I sent another one in Thursday and expected the results back Friday afternoon, and when I didn't get a call from the vet, I called them. They said that the lab would have the test results that evening, but they wouldn't send them until Monday because they have a policy of waiting two days before releasing them...? That... seems weird and not what I experienced when I gave his first fecal. True, it's a weekend, but I've never heard that thing about "the lab waits before releasing results" like that. For what reason...?
Anyway, whether it turns up positive or negative, I'm getting him a checkup and I'll see what they say there. The actual vet tech who did his checkup last time seemed really knowledgeable about dragons, and at least one person in there has a certification specifically in reptiles and amphibians, so hopefully they will know what to do.....
Also, adding on the questionnaire to be safe:
How old is your dragon? 9 months
How long have you had your dragon? Since May.
How long is your dragon? 14 in
What is the sex of your dragon? Male
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in? 40gal, though I will be upgrading
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank? Unprinted newspaper from Staples
Do you use UVB lights? Yes
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb? Fluorescent
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)? Reptisun 10.0 T5 HO
How old is your UVB bulb? Just replaced it, so less than a month
How close can your dragon get to the UVB? About 3in, if he wants. His preferred basking spots are about 6-8in away.
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Is it a white or colored bulb? White, 150w
What are the basking temps? 100-110 depending on day. I try to keep it at an average of 105
What is the cool side temp? 80
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun? Wire/probe
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps? At level with the log where he basks most often
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad? No
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific. In order of most frequent to least frequent: dubias, dandelion/collard greens, other recommended greens when I can get them, Fluker's Juvenile Bearded Dragon moist diet as a salad topper, butternut squash, bell peppers as a treat (he loves them), occasional plum/peach pieces as a treat, occasional mealworms as a treat
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)? I replace his food in the morning and refill at about 3pm.
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc? Yes
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them? Rep-Cal Herptivite and Rep-Cal Calcium with Vit. D. Very light sprinkle on bugs, alternate between them, 3-4 times a week. I have heard that I might not want to use vitamins with the Fluker's pellets though, so not sure currently what I should be doing with that.
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)? Yep
Do you bath your dragon? How often? When he's eating well, I give him a short warm bath daily with Reptisafe in the water (he will glass surf if he needs to poop and bathtime is not forthcoming!) Right now that he's not eating much I'm doing it every couple of days.
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath? No, seems like it would be overkill.
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done? He had both when I first got him in May; just sent another fecal, he's getting another checkup once his newest fecal comes in.
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon? Nope, he is solo and always will be!
(It's sold as aquarium decor, but I bought it for Nara and it's his favourite thing. https://www.petsmart.com/fish/decor-gravel-and-substrate/ornaments/top-fin-greenery-driftwood-aquarium-ornament-5013323.html It's like a multi-layered basking rock.)
Anyway, so I'd read about brumation and knew what to expect, so all seemed well. Except that I came across the piece of information a few days ago that STINKY POOP CAN BE A BAD THING. I'd seen other sources saying bearded dragons' poop just stinks. Then, I read something saying it could be parasites.
Paranoia inducing, right? Just as my first beardie is about to go into his first brumation...
I had a fecal and checkup done on him when I first got him, about 5 months ago. It all turned out clear. I sent another one in Thursday and expected the results back Friday afternoon, and when I didn't get a call from the vet, I called them. They said that the lab would have the test results that evening, but they wouldn't send them until Monday because they have a policy of waiting two days before releasing them...? That... seems weird and not what I experienced when I gave his first fecal. True, it's a weekend, but I've never heard that thing about "the lab waits before releasing results" like that. For what reason...?
Anyway, whether it turns up positive or negative, I'm getting him a checkup and I'll see what they say there. The actual vet tech who did his checkup last time seemed really knowledgeable about dragons, and at least one person in there has a certification specifically in reptiles and amphibians, so hopefully they will know what to do.....
Also, adding on the questionnaire to be safe:
How old is your dragon? 9 months
How long have you had your dragon? Since May.
How long is your dragon? 14 in
What is the sex of your dragon? Male
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in? 40gal, though I will be upgrading
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank? Unprinted newspaper from Staples
Do you use UVB lights? Yes
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb? Fluorescent
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)? Reptisun 10.0 T5 HO
How old is your UVB bulb? Just replaced it, so less than a month
How close can your dragon get to the UVB? About 3in, if he wants. His preferred basking spots are about 6-8in away.
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Is it a white or colored bulb? White, 150w
What are the basking temps? 100-110 depending on day. I try to keep it at an average of 105
What is the cool side temp? 80
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun? Wire/probe
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps? At level with the log where he basks most often
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad? No
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific. In order of most frequent to least frequent: dubias, dandelion/collard greens, other recommended greens when I can get them, Fluker's Juvenile Bearded Dragon moist diet as a salad topper, butternut squash, bell peppers as a treat (he loves them), occasional plum/peach pieces as a treat, occasional mealworms as a treat
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)? I replace his food in the morning and refill at about 3pm.
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc? Yes
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them? Rep-Cal Herptivite and Rep-Cal Calcium with Vit. D. Very light sprinkle on bugs, alternate between them, 3-4 times a week. I have heard that I might not want to use vitamins with the Fluker's pellets though, so not sure currently what I should be doing with that.
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)? Yep
Do you bath your dragon? How often? When he's eating well, I give him a short warm bath daily with Reptisafe in the water (he will glass surf if he needs to poop and bathtime is not forthcoming!) Right now that he's not eating much I'm doing it every couple of days.
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath? No, seems like it would be overkill.
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done? He had both when I first got him in May; just sent another fecal, he's getting another checkup once his newest fecal comes in.
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon? Nope, he is solo and always will be!