Geriatric Female (16 yrs) turning strange colours on/off

My female who is 16 soon to be 17 has been acting very strange for nearly a week. She has gone from her normal colouring to a very bright/ pale orange with a black beard. She is still moving around, eating on her own and has been drinking this week.

She has been going to normal poos with the white part separate and not brown, and they also do not smell strongly. She doesn’t have bloodshot eyes or any saliva around the mouth.

I have no idea what’s wrong with her - but it’s very unusual behaviour. When she has done it I take her out and comfort her and she goes back to normal colouring, but today I could not get rid of that black beard.

She has a vet appointment on Tuesday as I can’t figure this one out and I’m worried she’s in pain.

Anyone have any ideas??

How old is the UVB and what are you using a tube or coil --- tank temps basking temps--- what are they and how are you taking them -- these are the first questions we all ask --- those two things are very important -- but she is a ol' gal that is for sure -- the black beard is a sign of distress or pain

Well it’s like a couple of weeks of old. It’s a tube - been using the same brand for most of their life.

Temperature between 28 and 34 degrees in the day and 80 Fahrenheit at night. She has a typical basking lamp.

Using new temperature gages.

There is a male but he lives in a separate viv but they have lived in the same room for 17 years so it really can’t be that.

She hasn’t lost any weight and she chased around a hopper yesterday! I know she’s old but apart from this black beard she looks healthy and it’s only been happening for the last 7 days and not everyday. My poor little girl

Hello,

Wow, almost 17 years old, is quite impressive! Most do not live near that long.
Has she ever laid infertile eggs?
Since she has a black beard she is definitely in distress.
Which tube UVB brand are you using? You mentioned that it is only a couple of weeks
old?
Her sudden behavior change is alarming so hopefully you can get her to the vet on tuesday
for some help. Try to keep her calm & warm overnight. Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

It is the Arcadia euro range desert 10% UVB RFRP 18. Its UVB and UVA. Her colouring is normal today but I am leaving her to rest.

No she has never laid eggs - my first female Liza didn’t lay her first eggs until she was 11 or 12!

I was wondering whether it was eggs so I have given her a dark area to go with substate to dig just incase but I don’t think that’s it. It could be kidneys which I’m worried about - but she gets sprays and water droplets from syringe and I have given them cucumber for all their lives.

It could be an age thing - my last lizard just past away whilst basking when she was 15 so I haven’t had to deal with geriatric health issues before

Yep hopefully the vet will know - they are reptile specialists and helped my other old boy who had a slight opportunistic infection.