Beardie defecated while in brumation, waking up now and then and moving strangely

[BeardieSmaug]

Hi,

I've have my bearded dragons for almost 5 years, each year a successful brumation.
This time around, he has a semi black beard while he is in his hide sleeping, something he has not had before in previous brumations.
He sleeps for 2-3 days, then he wakes up a little bit and moves positions, sleeps for another 2-3, then moves around, each time he moves around he tends to move out of his hide into the light.
But he is crawling...in the past when he brumates and wakes up, he would lift up his head and stick it out of his hide, but this time he won't lift up his head at all. Now he crawls into the light and even falls asleep underneath the uvb light
This morning, I found he defecated in his hide, so I took him out, gave him a warm bath, cleaned out his tank, and he is back in.
I took him to the vet last week, and the vet said he is fine, said that if I want we could have him get blood samples, but he said he doesn't need it.

He has a UVB tube fixture that I replaced only 2 months ago, the Reptisun T5HO 10.0 UVB

Any advice would be greatly appreciate it

 

[KarrieRee]

Hi,

I've have my bearded dragons for almost 5 years, each year a successful brumation.
This time around, he has a semi black beard while he is in his hide sleeping, something he has not had before in previous brumations.
He sleeps for 2-3 days, then he wakes up a little bit and moves positions, sleeps for another 2-3, then moves around, each time he moves around he tends to move out of his hide into the light.
But he is crawling...in the past when he brumates and wakes up, he would lift up his head and stick it out of his hide, but this time he won't lift up his head at all. Now he crawls into the light and even falls asleep underneath the uvb light
This morning, I found he defecated in his hide, so I took him out, gave him a warm bath, cleaned out his tank, and he is back in.
I took him to the vet last week, and the vet said he is fine, said that if I want we could have him get blood samples, but he said he doesn't need it.

He has a UVB tube fixture that I replaced only 2 months ago, the Reptisun T5HO 10.0 UVB

Any advice would be greatly appreciate it

Check his weight-- where is the T 5? inside the tank or top of screen? and is the screen a wide hole or a fine mesh?

 

[BeardieSmaug]

Check his weight-- where is the T 5? inside the tank or top of screen? and is the screen a wide hole or a fine mesh?

He is 425 grams, the T5 is mounted on top of the tank, there is no screen on top of the tank.

(on the top is a toy beardie, people get it confused since it looks realistic)

 

[BeardieSmaug]

Forgot to mention that when he defecated while inside his hide, I don't think he moved one bit for it. When I checked on him this morning, he crawled out of his hide, and he had feces underneath him on his tail and around that area, so he must have defecated while laying completely still. This worries me

 

[xp29]

Are you keeping him hydrated while he is brumating? Maybe try giving him some water when he wakes a bit. If you still have the poo from this morning maybe drop it at the vet for a fecal test.

 

[BeardieSmaug]

Are you keeping him hydrated while he is brumating? Maybe try giving him some water when he wakes a bit. If you still have the poo from this morning maybe drop it at the vet for a fecal test.

I don't think I have kept him hydrated while is he brumating, although before brumation he was well hydrated, I always mist his veggies with water. I don't have his fecal unfortunately, I should have kept it. I looked at the fecal this morning when it happened and it still had the white part, so doesn't that mean he had at least some liquid in him? He started brumating about 3 weeks ago, and before that, even a week or two before, he was very alert, walking around my room, eating fine, etc.

 

[xp29]

I would try to give him at least a little when he is awake, in the wild they burrow into the ground, I've read they derive some hydration from being in contact with the ground, they can't do that in captivity. I hope he is ok i know its stressful when we think something is off with them, maybe reach out to Tracie directly her handle is @Drache613 she is a vet tech.

 

[KarrieRee]

He is 425 grams, the T5 is mounted on top of the tank, there is no screen on top of the tank.

(on the top is a toy beardie, people get it confused since it looks realistic)

He looks ill- please get him into the vet-- www.arav.org
If your in a small town type in a bigger cities zip code closest to you

 

[BeardieSmaug]

He passed away this evening.

 

[xp29]

Oh no thats awful, im so sorry to hear that. My condolences.

 

[AHBD]

Oh no, I just started to read this and so sorry to hear that he died, what a terrible shock for you. I was going to say that sleeping with a dark black beard is a sign that something is wrong. I'm so sorry that whatever it was took him quickly. Not your fault, just a freak occurrence.

 

[BeardieSmaug]

I even took him to the vet two times in august, and both times the vet said he was perfectly fine. something must have happened this past week. I've cried so much today that my head hurts. I took him to the vet to get cremated. I asked about an autopsy, but they said they dont do that there and I needed to go to UC Davis (7-8 hours away from me). So I'm picking up his ashes in 7-14 days. He lived so a happy and healthy life for almost 6 years. Always good in terms of weight, always the calmest, tamest and friendliest dragon. I will miss him sleeping on my lap at night while I watch movies, watching him miss the dubia roach/superworm/cricket passing in front of him with his tongue then turning his eyes to me like "put it back in front of me". I miss him so much already. He was my best friend.

 

[AHBD]

He was well loved and had a great life with you. A few guesses as to what may have happened are possible tumor, liver failure, aneurysm, stroke. It's so hard to lose them, especially so suddenly.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh no, I am so sorry that you lost him suddenly like that, while he was trying to brumate.
I was going to say that he definitely should have had a blood test. I have a feeling that it was
probably kidney or liver related. It is hard to know for sure, without an autopsy. It is never easy
to lose them, it really rips your soul apart.
My condolences to you.

Tracie

 

[KarrieRee]

He passed away this evening.

I am so sorry --- it is devastating to find them like that - and worse when you dont know what is going on w/ them -- I understand all too well of losing them -again I am so sorry