BD Sudden Lack of Energy & Appetite

[petersakaniwa7987]

Hey guys!! I am very new to these forums, but have heard alot of good things.

I bought my beardy from PetSmart locally around August of last year. He's going on about a year old now, and has been the best pet I could possibly ask for!! He's always been active....under no stress that I could tell....and he's been great!!

A couple of days ago...I noticed that he was just clinging to one side of the tank around his basking area....sometimes right under his light....sometimes not....and he just stays there. He doesnt really move much any more and he seems to have lost...what appears to be....all urge for appetite! I have him on a hard food diet with fruits, veggies, and occasional crickets and grasshoppers for treats. He is on a sand substrate....and I know what all of you are going to say..."he shouldnt be on sand"....but he eats everything!! Ive had him on newspaper and he started eating it. I was afraid the ink would hurt him in someway so i switched to paper towels and he eats that like crazy!!!! I switched him to sand a couple months ago cause I heard it would be a wiser decision around his age range rather than have him on it as a baby....so i figured id try it.

His tank stays at the recommended temperature and I keep fresh food and water in there daily.

I thought he was constipated....or impacted from the sand.....because he hadn't gone number 2 in a few days....so I gave him a nice warm bath, to which he layed one of the biggest poo's ive ever seen!!! I thought he may have just been constipated. So i put him back in his home...annddddd no difference! I gave him another bath the next day....and ANOTHER huge poo!!! But no new food for atleast a week? He hasnt eaten at all. I dont understand.

Any suggestions? There are no herp vets around my area, and I dont know what to do to perhaps make him feel better? Any suggestions?

I can post pictures of the beardy and his habitat if anyone needs them.

***OH!! And he is constantly sleeping. I can get his attention and he wakes up...but his eyes close soon after. And if he opens them again...its usually just one eye and not for very long!! *****

Peter Sakaniwa

 

[Toyguy]

You don't mention what you are using for a UVB light source. What are you using and how old is it?

 

[petersakaniwa7987]

its actually brand new. its a 10.0 UVB coiled bulb. Just got it about a week ago cause his old one shattered during a tank cleaning.

 

[Toyguy]

Just as a general note, none of the coil bulbs are recommended at this time. I forget which forum has the sticky but there are a number of posts about that subject. At this point there are only 2 recommended UVB bulbs, the ReptiSUN 10 linear tube bulb in the US and the Arcadia 12 linear tube bulb in the UK. All of the coils and mercury vapors currently have serious deficiencies.

 

[petersakaniwa7987]

@ toyguy -- I will definitly keep that in mind...and will search for a newsource of his UVB....but his old UVB bulb busted around 3 months ago....ive had him under constant heat since, but just got the cash available to purchase a new lamp and bulb for the UVB...and even without the UVB for the extended time...he was very active and very interested in food and running around and climbing and he had such personality!! He just seems to have lost alot of that lately....

 

[Toyguy]

Oh, that's a long time without UVB. Do you take him outside at all? That is one way to get UVB for him and usually 20 minutes or so is about equivalent to a full day of indoor UVB lighting. Without UVB they cannot process the calcium they need. Being that long without UVB I have to wonder if he doesn't have the beginnings of metabolic bone disease.

 

[petersakaniwa7987]

How would I know if this is what he has?? I mean he's still active....when I have him out and am handling him. But it just seems like his "in tank personallity" is just....lay around and dont move or eat. Its weird.

 

[Toyguy]

That's a good question - might be worth a vet visit. I believe some of the symptoms are what you are seeing though - lethargy, lack of appetite. Hopefully some of the more experienced folks will also chime in here.

 

[phanatical92]

I say the same thing- take him outside for some UVB exposure and replace the bulb as soon as possible. You might want to have a fecal done, too, to rule out parasites.

 

[petersakaniwa7987]

I have a question... Is it possible that....because of his lack of UVB for an extended amount of time....that because he now has the UVB that he just wants to hang out with it and soak it up? I mean....hes laying under it like...constantly.....

 

[AndyT]

That's a good theory. They know when they need it, and can see it, so he could just be soaking it all up.

Andy

 

[definitions]

as far as the ink goes with the newspaper now adays I think they are all made out of soybean so if he eats the paper the ink wouldnt be a problem I dont think Mine has eaten a piece of newspaper here and there and digested it fine. He is a baby so he misses his crix sometimes.

 

[petersakaniwa7987]

Its gettin late, so im gonna hit the sack...but i appreciate all the comments. I believe....and im not sure....but I think he's just soakin up the UVB.

I moved his lights around a bit and he moved from the spot he was in.....to....directly....under....the UVB lamp. lol So he must just be soakin it up. Worries me though, because all this time he spends under the UVB lamp...hes not getting any heat from the primary heat lamp. Hes slightly chill to the touch. His color is a bit darker than normal, but he just seems to be followin that light,

Im gonna see how things pan out over the next few days. See if he starts to eat or anything. Ill keep you guys updated accordingly.

Thanks again for all your help, and any additional help/suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks again!

 

[munchkins9802]

coil bulb=lack of appetite,etc as it doesnt give off proper UVB light. You want the reptisun 10.0 tube.

Do you dust his food with calcium?

 

[Buggsy]

does he close his eye while sitting there?? One of the first sympotoms of UVB bulb related illnesses is loss of appitie and lethargy. Turn the bulb off for a few days and see if he returns to his normal self.