Bearded Dragon not wanting to eat on medication. Any tips?

Sweetykinz

New member
Beardie name(s)
Touya
Hi! I am sorta a newish bearded dragon owner (I got my girl in December 2021). I upgraded my bearded tank to a 75 gallon (48LX18wx24H) and ever since she’s been acting kind of lethargic, hiding, and not eating as much. Took her to the vet when I noticed her pooping became less and less and she was hiding a whole ton. The vet did a stool sample and found out she had pinworms and another parasite and was given Panacur which I give her .2 ml once every 2 weeks for 3 treatments in total

Today should be the last day of her meds but I’m just concerned since she isn’t eating much of anything. I’ve checked her temps with a infered gun (hot side uses a 160w basking bulb and her basking spot is 98-100 give or take and her cool side remains around 80). The bulbs she uses is a long tube for her UVB (Reptisun 10.0 UVB T5 HO) and sits on top of her tank like her basking bulb.

She has always loved her dubias however since the start of the medication, she really hasn’t been eating much of anything (she does eat hornworms still… I know they aren’t nutritionally balanced but currently I’ll give her anything that she will actively eat). But I’m wondering if the medication causes this or is there anything else I can do in order to get her to eat? She still will have normal looking stools and urates and there are no undigested bugs. They also are normal coloration as well.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Hi! I am sorta a newish bearded dragon owner (I got my girl in December 2021). I upgraded my bearded tank to a 75 gallon (48LX18wx24H) and ever since she’s been acting kind of lethargic, hiding, and not eating as much. Took her to the vet when I noticed her pooping became less and less and she was hiding a whole ton. The vet did a stool sample and found out she had pinworms and another parasite and was given Panacur which I give her .2 ml once every 2 weeks for 3 treatments in total

Today should be the last day of her meds but I’m just concerned since she isn’t eating much of anything. I’ve checked her temps with a infered gun (hot side uses a 160w basking bulb and her basking spot is 98-100 give or take and her cool side remains around 80). The bulbs she uses is a long tube for her UVB (Reptisun 10.0 UVB T5 HO) and sits on top of her tank like her basking bulb.

She has always loved her dubias however since the start of the medication, she really hasn’t been eating much of anything (she does eat hornworms still… I know they aren’t nutritionally balanced but currently I’ll give her anything that she will actively eat). But I’m wondering if the medication causes this or is there anything else I can do in order to get her to eat? She still will have normal looking stools and urates and there are no undigested bugs. They also are normal coloration as well.
The meds are going to effect the eating -- keep her hydrated please - meds tend to dry them out-- she is eating a little bit? What exactly has she been eating? The less she eats the less shes going to poop out - your basking temps are also being taken w/ a digital probe thermometer too? You want surface basking temps -- IR guns are good but they will not read off of certain materials like hammocks -- and you want a actual temp the probe is going to give you that --
Your UVB is on the screen ? What type of screen are you using ? A fine mesh like a screen door or a wide hole type? This will determine the placement for the UVB - fine screens will block out 30% of the UVB rays --
 

Sweetykinz

New member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Touya
The meds are going to effect the eating -- keep her hydrated please - meds tend to dry them out-- she is eating a little bit? What exactly has she been eating? The less she eats the less shes going to poop out - your basking temps are also being taken w/ a digital probe thermometer too? You want surface basking temps -- IR guns are good but they will not read off of certain materials like hammocks -- and you want a actual temp the probe is going to give you that --
Your UVB is on the screen ? What type of screen are you using ? A fine mesh like a screen door or a wide hole type? This will determine the placement for the UVB - fine screens will block out 30% of the UVB rays --
Yes :) . And just checked and made sure they were tucked in to get an accurate reading as well and her hot side (at least for what it’s reading off her hammock) is saying 103.3 and her cool side (and I have a probe as well resting on the hide that is over there as well) and it reads at 79.5.

As for eating, she does eat about maybe one or two large hornworms a day (I tried feeding her this morning some Black soldier fly larvae and she didn’t eat them but I’ll try after a bath then.) but I’ve made sure to cover all her bugs in her powders as well (Calcium without D3 4x week, Calcium with D3 2x, and one day of her multivitamin). She did eat a decent amount of dubias (and I would say 8/12 medium sized Dubias but she normally would eat 12/15) about 4 days ago but other than that she’s been very picky on food.

Also for the UVB I have it resting on top of the screen. I would say the screen probably is equal to those that you get at a petstore but maybe a bit bigger. I’ll attach a photo.
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Yes :) . And just checked and made sure they were tucked in to get an accurate reading as well and her hot side (at least for what it’s reading off her hammock) is saying 103.3 and her cool side (and I have a probe as well resting on the hide that is over there as well) and it reads at 79.5.

As for eating, she does eat about maybe one or two large hornworms a day (I tried feeding her this morning some Black soldier fly larvae and she didn’t eat them but I’ll try after a bath then.) but I’ve made sure to cover all her bugs in her powders as well (Calcium without D3 4x week, Calcium with D3 2x, and one day of her multivitamin). She did eat a decent amount of dubias (and I would say 8/12 medium sized Dubias but she normally would eat 12/15) about 4 days ago but other than that she’s been very picky on food.

Also for the UVB I have it resting on top of the screen. I would say the screen probably is equal to those that you get at a petstore but maybe a bit bigger. I’ll attach a photo.
Ok temps are good and she is eating that is a plus-- are you feeding her salads -- the horn worms are a good hydrating worm --- she doesnt need baths that often unless shes drinking from the bath -- can you post a pic of the screen from the top - I am unsure of the screen holes maybe I can see it better I dont want to give you wrong info on that - the screen will determine where the UVB goes and the distance
 

Sweetykinz

New member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Touya
Ok temps are good and she is eating that is a plus-- are you feeding her salads -- the horn worms are a good hydrating worm --- she doesnt need baths that often unless shes drinking from the bath -- can you post a pic of the screen from the top - I am unsure of the screen holes maybe I can see it better I dont want to give you wrong info on that - the screen will determine where the UVB goes and the distance
Yes she does periodically. I give her mainly collard greens or mustard greens (she used to eat dandelion greens but she likes these more I guess). She’s about 8 months though so she likes her bugs more but I leave her veggies out for her to munch on ☺️

And here is the screen top. It’s more of a screen door so I’m gonna assume it’s more of a small mesh top then :). I’ll mount it tonight when her lights cut off 😁.
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Yes she does periodically. I give her mainly collard greens or mustard greens (she used to eat dandelion greens but she likes these more I guess). She’s about 8 months though so she likes her bugs more but I leave her veggies out for her to munch on ☺️

And here is the screen top. It’s more of a screen door so I’m gonna assume it’s more of a small mesh top then :). I’ll mount it tonight when her lights cut off 😁.
You can leave on top it's more of a wider hole- please put a piece of decor directly under the uvb-- 8-10 inches
 

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