Is my BD healthy?

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FlapJack16

Hatchling Member
(Sorry about the camera quality and angle- one of the pictures makes him look disproportionate/underweight and he doesn’t quite look like that).

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(He is 12-14 months)
My bd, flapjack, is concerning me a bit. He’s slowing down, and I’m suspicious of...partial? brumation.
Here’s why:
1.) his, eh, deposits, are about every 1.75 to 2.5 weeks, rather than the once a day and later 2x a week when he was a baby, and from then on. He’s not impacted- he has a mat(not carpet) as substrate, and bugs are appropriate size.

2.) he isn’t as excited about eating, and he will just have me tong feed him- if I drop a bug he’s not after it. He also does eat out of the bowl, he just doesn’t jump up at first sight of an insect. He still actively eats bugs every night to every other night, but it’s slightly less- maybe 6 instead of 11.
He’s slowed down on veggies. Just a little.

3.) he either sits/sleeps under his basking spot(back right corner), or sits on his couch with his little arm/elbow perched on the cage like he’s sitting at a bar looking out the glass. :lol: (front right corner)
His basking spot isn’t too hot. Cage temp is about 85.

I don’t know what is wrong. Brumation? Parasites?
I’m stressed and underprepared.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
He is slowing down because its that time of the year -- normal behavior- mine have been terribly lazy and eating very little - my oldest one hes almost 3 has been in and out of his hide the last couple of weeks some times not coming out for a few days to bask etc.. the youngest one is eating and a little more active and hes 15 months -- hes eating but doing a lot of basking and sleeping as well - so just continue to do your normal routine w/ him -- thats what I am doing offering food etc... also I would get a weight on him just so you can keep track of it --- and the pooping that slows down as well -- mine only poop every couple of weeks so -
Karrie
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
What is his basking temp?
What does his current daily diet consist of?
Are his poo's solid when he does poo, or loose?

-Brandon
 

FlapJack16

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
He has solid waste-I mean as solid as waste is, its not diarrhea nor does it consist of the more liquid substance that happens sometimes (like w/ parasite meds).
ew, but essential to the process of learning...

Diet- I ran out of veggies/ they went bad for several days but other than that i've fed him variety- collard greens, mustard greens, parsley, bell pepper, butternut squash, and just yesterday tried kohlrabi. He gets a salad of most of those things.
I have been trying to continue calcium and multivitamin as usually done but its tricky since he's less interested in eating anyways. I'll try again today- its very essential.
He really hasn't touched his veggies at all when i put them there- supplements or not. He was not looking for food when I skipped a few days due to not getting to the grocery store.
He eats mainly roaches- so the last week? He's had probably an average of 6 (large/one inch) roaches per night. (not adults).

He has been "slowing down" for awhile- the hiding from basking, eating less, no energy type of slowing down- which is concerning, because only the beginning of October or so is when is started to get noticeably colder. MAYBE September. Even then, he was having issues before that.

Because of this, i'm thinking it could be parasite related rather than brumation. I was having some improper husbandry issues, it wasn't warm enough and he wasn't hardly getting enough veggies. I've fixed the veggies situation and increased the temps- but it still doesn't seem hot enough in there.

I'm trying to tweak the temperature before I make a phone call. It isn't worth spending 200 on an exam when they tell me he's just too cold- I can increase his temps and observe him for a couple of days and then schedule one. But then again, maybe I should just schedule anyways- they're vulnerable to parasites when something else is affecting them.

Basking temp is tricky- I have a really cheap temp gun- just the zoo med pointer. My temps never seem accurate because of that- so it's almost pointless to measure it until I upgrade that. My house is sorta chilly in the AM, and I turned the lights on not too long ago, so I can get a read on that later if necessary but its not accurate IMO.

His ambient is between 81 and 84 every day.
I just have an ambient house thermometer on the floor in the middle of the tank. It's this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R3YC1BC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
A vet tech I really like recommended it to me. I use one in my Ball Pythons "house" too.
My basking spot is also not final. It's sort of a precariously balanced few pieces of (reptile safe/reptile sold) wood- Not so precarious that it imposes any danger, but I do want to change it out.

Sorry for the jumbled paragraphs but thats what I've got. Thanks
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Invest in a digital probe thermometer $8 from Petco or Petsmart - place on the basking spot he sits 10 min then get temp-- hes not gonna eat w/ out basking temps of 95-110-- the UVB brand and bulb please coil or tube? Where in the tank is it? top of screen or inside the tank -
Karrie
 

FlapJack16

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Karrie,

The UVB brand is Zoo Med.
Its a tube.
It's on top of the screen, however this company designed much wider screen holes for UVB purposes.
And it's 4ft.
I have a Zoo med Probe so i'll try that.
Thanks!
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Ok so for the T 5 on top of screen the basking decor should be directly underneath it approx 8-10 inches --
Karrie
 
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