9 month old not eating and pooped out a little blood today

[Laylathedragon]

Hi this is my first time posting but idk what to do. I have a 9 month old bearded dragon named Layla. She not eaten since Christmas except for a few worms my gf force fed her. She is always wanting out or is glass dancing. She ate 8 butter worms last week but was glass dancing in between each one she ate. I took her uvb bulb out as it was yellow at the plastic. I am not able to get her another one for a couple of days. The temperature is around 100 on basking and 70 on the cool side. I have been giving her baths every day. She seams to calm down after that but today after her bath there was red on her after pooping. The closest vet is 20 mins away.I am calling today to book an appointment but is there anything I can do until then.

Thanks in advance for any replies or suggestions

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

Greetings and welcome to the forum!

I want to start out by saying it is definitely concerning when a pet won't eat and dragons can be so hard to read.

I'm going to start out with some basic questions if you do not mind.

Firstly, how long have you had her? What was her normal diet like? Feeders/veggies, etc
Do you know her weight/length?
What are you using to measure the temperatures with?
Tank size? Substrate/flooring?

Photos of the dragon and enclosure could be helpful as well:
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads

Regarding the information you supplied, what UVB light/fixture are you using? Is there plastic between the bulb and the dragon? You mentioned yellowing plastic. This should be removed as the plastic will filter out most/all of the UVB the light is emitting, meaning your little buddy isn't getting nearly enough which would greatly impact her appetite.

I would also cut back baths to maybe 2-3 times a week. Baths can be a good source of exercise if they swim, but if they don't enjoy it it may just be causing unnecessary stress, chilling her down, or causing risk for a respiratory infection.

Hopefully the vet can help rule out anything physically wrong, but I think some adjustments to her enclosure could help.

 

[Laylathedragon]

I have had her since she was around 1 month. Got her from petsmart. She was eating crickets and wax/butter worms ext. But recently started giving her small supers too she loved them. For sale in would give her chopped collards and bell peppers but slowly started to not like the peppers now. And some strawberry and fruit as treats but not much.last time I weighed her was around 430 grams and about 17 inches long. Only using stick on thermometer atm can't seem to find a digital one that's good and not super expensive. Her tank dimensions are 36 long 22 high and 18 wide. substrate is tile.and what I mean by the yellowing on the actual bulb. It is on top of mesh top.and is a all living things self balanced lamp

 

[Laylathedragon]

Picture of her and enclosure. It's not how it usually is after she started acting weird. I got her the hammock to get closer to her light since it's a tall tank

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

She looks very healthy and alert, so that's definitely good. I see no issues with diet and the setup looks relatively set, though you say it's not her normal. My youngest has that same exact hammock/bridge! However he has designated it as his pooping spot so... I mean.. at least he uses it?

I use a temp gun to take the temps for all my critters that I got off of amazon for $13US
https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-774-Non-contact-Thermometer/dp/B00837ZGRY/ref=pd_lpo_328_bs_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZQRV3ZGBKD5064CB1QWW
It is very accurate and confirmed my enclosure temps were WAY off. I was almost cooking my baby.

With the tank being so tall, are you able to get the UVB light attached inside the enclosure? The screen will filter the UVB and I'm concerned with so much height that with what remains may not reach her.

 

[Laylathedragon]

Lol yeah she does like it. Only wish I could set it up better but the background is Styrofoam. I may take that off to as its falling apart from her climbing and scratching at is. And yes I was actually going to do that just need to get a new fixture to put in it I only have the dome one right now. She was fine when I took the pictures but then started freaking out and wanting out so maybe something isn't right in her tank now. She use to be fine all day. But if I take her out for a bit she usually calms down. I just don't want to stress her but if she's wanting out she will be stressed in her tank if I leave her

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

It's possible she could just be going through some "changes" that she doesn't know how to handle regarding both hormones and possible shed. I have a 19mo old female that stopped eating and just glass danced for almost 2 weeks straight and wouldn't calm down until I put her in the bath (sink.) And now she's eating like if she hasn't seen food in months.

As far as the initial comment about her poo, I honestly have no personal experience with anything out of the ordinary there but I wouldn't get too concerned unless it gets worse or happens often.

My baby (well he's almost 5mo, still call him the baby one) has the styro-foam climbing wall as well and once he "outgrows" it I'll be replacing it with a flat background. I don't like the flat color it gives the enclosure and if he hits the point he starts shredding off pieces I don't want him eating it. This has yet to happen.. it's mainly the color that I want gone, plus he has stopped using it

 

[Laylathedragon]

Thanks for all your help and advice. She hasn't shed in a few months. She was rubbing her head on her rocks but hasn't shed. She kinda calmed down now I took her out for a bit earlier. She is on the box I put in for a hide now. She is digging on it? Lol. As for the Styrofoam I should probably take it out. Its flaking now and pieces all over tank. She had a pieace stuck on her nose from static. So donr want ger to eat any. She is really licky licks everyone and thing lol. I just don't know what to put instead for now at least.

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

It's unfortunate to say it could honestly be so many things, but she should calm down soon plus better she be active than lethargic, and she looks very healthy and plump, so I would just monitor her weight and activity and keep offering food. She'll eat eventually.

As far as the background goes, I can't find the actual link for it and I'm on a mobile device right now, but I got mine from Etsy. I found an image off of google and had them custom make the background to the size of my enclosure which was 36X18. The guy that did mine sent me two, so once my little guys is gone I'll give him my second one, unless I decide he gets something else.

Keep us posted on your little girl! She may be due for a shed soon if she hasn't in a while

 

[Laylathedragon]

Yes I suppose I just feel bad I don't know what to do. She is just staring out her tank now. But she is alert I will weigh her again soon and see if she has lost weight. I have been offering Butterworms and wax daily and supers. Might go get her a small hornworm since it was the last thing she ate before this.

She has calm down now. Looking out her window

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

Have you tried to change up her feeders to some creepy crawlies like crickets or roaches? My little one will start refusing his BSFL to get some roaches instead, like he got sick of them and wanted to fix up his feeder. I try and mix it up each feeding but right now I'm waiting on smaller roaches to arrive. My colony is just starting so they're either too big or nymphs right now.

She looks happy in the photo! Have you let her just run rampant through the house? (Under complete supervision) she may want to explore more with all that energy

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

I guess I had a photo of my youngest's enclosure.
That bridge and styrofoam wall look super familiar...

 

[Laylathedragon]

Well she grew up on crickets and and the odds wax or Butterworms for treats. She use to go crazy for crickets running after them. She slowly just stopped and waited for them to crawl in front of her lol. I don't think I can get roaches at my local reptile store. And yes I take her out a lot she has always liked being out of her tank. After she digest and pooped of course. If I take her out now she either just sits on her pillow or she will run around. But she tries to find places to hide? We do have a kitten now but she was eating fine with him here before so I don't think he is stressing her out. He does always follow her tho so idk. And wow your terrarium looks awesome. Makes mine look like a ghetto tank lol.

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

I've personally never seen feeder roaches for sale in person. I do a LOT of online purchases... both my dragons absolutely love roaches so I figured it was worth my time to create my own colony, just have to wait till it becomes self sustaining and I can actually feed from it.

That said, even when my adult was refusing food I couldn't get her to eat roaches. They can be very stubborn...

I have a cat as well, full grown, and super good with the dragons. I introduced them to her early and she doesn't appear to bother either of them. When I let my oldest out she usually rushes to the patio door and just stares outside until I go get her. Super predictable.
Is she OK with your kitten? Or is the kitten more so in the mind frame of catch and eat?

And yeah my younger dragon has the nicer set up, makes me feel super terrible for my adult, so I might try and make it nicer soon

 

[Laylathedragon]

I guess it could be worth a try to try something new she just licks the Butter and wax worms now she use to gobble them right up. I even gave her a bunch of crickets she just starred at them when she usually goes right for them.

Yeah we showed him beardie when he was first here. He locked her head like crazy at first but now yeah he's more curious I think. He swats at her sometimes tho. So I usually walk around with her while she's out. Everytime he hears her claws on her tiles he's running right to her. So hopefully when my kitten is older he will be use to her.

She did use to love the window when she was younger. But it's winter here now so I didn't want to let her there since it's very cold by the windows now.

She was calm most of today but I did keep walking in and checking on her. And I took her out earlier today she wanted to lay on the bed. Maybe she just wants her tank out with me. Because she use to be in the same room as me all the time but I moved and now she is in the other room. But she always ate before just always wanted out.