Advice?!

[soupdragon]

Hi all, im just wondering if there is a problem with my dragons.
I have 2 females, both about a year old, and were housed together and growing fine until I decided to separate them recently.
I share this 'soupdragon' account with my sister Liz and my cousin, who decided to create an account because she was worried about her beardies. Now we all share this to post information about our dragons!
I have 2 female bearded dragons which are both a year old.
Liz has a male and a female,
Ell has two baby girls.

But this topic is about my personal concern.
My girls were housed in a 5ft viv, 2 feet tall and deep, tiles on floor, basking area at 105, cool side 83, reptisun 10 UVB which is 61/2 inches above their basking area, they are fed crickets dusted in calcium, and collared greens, kale, and watercress usually.
They have always been fine, happy, never saw any signs of dominance or unfriendlyness between them, but after reading around on here and reading the advice given to my cousin Ell regarding her two beardies, I decided to separate mine. Im no expert, and the long-time-owners on here say that housing two dragons together is bad.

So I bought the whole new kit, new UVB, spotlights, decor, viv, everything. But the day I put one of the beardies in the separate tank everything seemed to go wrong.
Both would stay in the cool side of their tank all day, refuse to eat anything, continuously climb out of their baths, refuse to be handled, sleep all day, and lose weight.
At first I thought they were brumating but after the dramatic weight loss I decided it couldnt be that.
Its been about 2 weeks since they were separated, so I doubted it was relocation stess too, because afterall the beardie who had stayed in the same home as shes been in for the past year started showing the same destructive behaviour

Thinking the dragons were missing eachother, I put the other back in the 5ft enclosure to join her friend.
And sure enough, both livened up again, ran around, rested their heads on eachothers backs, readily ate food. So I gave them all the crickets they could eat, seeing as they hadnt touched anything in 2 weeks, and they looked fine for a few days, until I attempted to move the other again.
Both withdrew, their weights plummeted, and I even had to take one to the vet today because I feared she was close to death, and he had to siringe feed her. It was so painful to watch after she'd been so happy before.

Now I am at the end of things I can do.
I dont want to put them back together because that would go against everything on here, and if there is ever a health concern in the future, the first advice Id get would be to 'separate them'.
But I fear that is exactly what is causing the problems.

Can anyone help?? At all?

 

[Ethelia]

Hello,
I undestand how scarey this must be fore you. Its horrid to think your actions are causing your dragons pain, but separating them really is the best thing to do. For 90% of people they see an improvement almost immediately.
Resting heads on eachother and climbing on eachother are actually signs of dominance not affection.

I would still be inclined to say that it is just relocation stress. Two weeks isnt long, some dragons get over it in days, some take weeks.
I would feed them both babyfood for now until they regain their appetites.

Have your dragons got hides in their enclosures?

I will bring this thread to the attention of the moderators to see if they can give you some better advice.

All the best.

Holly

 

[soupdragon]

They do indeed have hides, I had to buy a new one for the new enclosure because they both used to share one in their old enclosure. (I did buy two, as well as having two separate basking areas, but they always used to sleep/bask next to eachother, so I had to buy a larger one for them to share thinking it wouldnt be a problem.) The new viv is identical, albeit smaller by a foot.
They never climbed on eachothers back, did headbobbing or arm waving, simply slept/basked next to eachother, and one would occasionally lay its head at the base of the others tail and vice versa.
The two have always been lively and jumpy and generally happy dragons even when they were transferred to a new house and cage completely, they've never showed signs of relocation stress before, but anyway I really hope its that. At the moment the one who has been moved is licking chicken babyfood off a syringe, and the other in her original home wont leave her hide, or even look at the syringe.

I just dont understand this behaviour, Ive never seen it before, thank you so much for your reply though it is greatly appriciated.

A very worried owner

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Sorry to hear separating your females has caused them so much stress! That does happen sometimes. So how long have they been displaying this type of behavior, for the 2 weeks that they have been moved?
Are they losing weight? I would continue feeding them in the manner that you are doing at the moment. You can add some bee pollen to help with his appetite, or try some jumpstart for short term help on the appetite.
You didn't change any of their lighting, correct? It is the same in both tanks?
Try to spend equal amounts of time with each of them as well, if that is possible. Give this a little more time & then we will re-evalute them in a week or so.
Separation was a huge change & reptiles normally do not like change. It may come down to having to house them together again, though I normally do not recommend that but all situations are not the same, either. Sometimes things don't always go as you planned them. Some people do successfully house 2 females together, while others have tried it & it didn't work out. You may have a unique situation with your 2 females.

Tracie