beardie not eating and being sluggish

[lady stardust]

hi everyone, my 14 month old male has been off food for a few months, and being really sluggish. he doesnt run about anymore and barely eats. he was treated for parasites a long time ago but it didnt make any difference. now the vet thinks it may be an underactive thyroid and put him on tablets. he has been on them for 2 weeks now and is still the same. the weird thing is he is still growing and gaining weight. im getting quite worried and what with the vet bills. does any one have any idea please.

 

[dbldragonowner]

Ive had mine going on 8 months now, they are 11 months old, male and a female, my male is acting like you say yours is, not eating and not very active, although he will eat out of my hand, he wont go after any crickets in the tank, he's going to the vet on friday, so we're in the same boat.
Ty, dblo

 

[Mdev28]

I've been having the same problem with my 16 month old Beardie. She wont eat out of a shallow bowl but does like it when I put her food randomly around the tank or in my hand. Try doing it that way. She also had parasites and hasn't been the same since. Have you seen the article on Burmation?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

What type of tablets did the vet give you for an "underactive thyroid" for your dragon?? That is not a real common ailment.
What is your setup like? Do you have a UVB light & the correct temperatures for him?
We can run over your tank setup if you would like to in order to ensure it is all correct for him. Can you post a picture of him?

Tracie

 

[dbldragonowner]

well ive got both my beardies in a 5'x2'x2' tank, which ive split down the middle till their old enought to mate. both area shareing the heat lamp, soon to have seperate heat lamps , so his area is 3 1/2' x2 'x2'. they have seperate UV lights, so i know they have plenty of UV, another thing ive noticed is, he's not basking either, ill have to get back with you on the temps.and he seems very tempramental when hes touched.

 

[lady stardust]

his hot end is about 100 and cool about 80, he is on soloxin for the undertive thyroid, but he wont even eat out of myhand, ive tried everything, does any one know anything about there thyroids

 

[Elora]

Can you explain to us his tank set up?

What do you use to measure the temps
What kind of bulbs do you have (brand and wattage)
Do you have a UV bulb
What kind of substrate do you have
Has he/she been pooping

 

[lady stardust]

hi, he has always been in same tank with same temps i use a digital thermometre, the u v bulb is nearly new, it cant be anything to do with that as when he was a baby and up to the age of 9 months he was fine he fed well and was really lively, it just hapened sudenly he went off food and was lifeless. and i use wood chippings in tank

 

[Elora]

Hmm I dont know much about wood chippings being a good substrate.
Perhaps he could have ingested a wood chipping that is causing him pain and not able to pass through his digestive system.
Has he pooped lately??

Also just beucase he has been under the same conditions and been fine dosnt mean that there isnt a problem with those conditions. Things can build up over time!

"he was treated for parasites a long time ago but it didn't make any difference." What do you mean by that? Do you mean that he was treated for parasites but they didnt go away? How long ago was it?

Edit: This happened to me once but it was because my beardie was under relocation stress. He was sleeping all the time and not eating. Brumation was ruled out because he was only 3 or 4 months. Here is what I did that brought him back wanting to eat:

-Buy baby food stage 2 (I used squash)
-Get a plastic syringe or eyedropper (can be found at any drug store or walmart)
-Feed room temperature babyfood to your beardie. Do this by holding your beardie and gently pushing on the sides of his mouth. This may make him mad so that he will open his mouth in defense. Now heres the trickey part: before he closes his mouth drop some baby food into his mouth with the eyedropper. After he gets a taste of the food he should start eating it on his own if you squirt some on his mouth. Be careful with him and dont get any on the opening of his nostrils!
gl

 

[lady stardust]

hi, going back to the parasite, he was treated for it then his poo was re screened and was clear, but it didnt make any difference to his behaviour as in him tarting to eat again, so has any one else actualy had there beardie treated for an underactive thyroid

 

[Elora]

Has he pooped lately?

And do you know what Brumation is?
Perhaps at 14 month he could be brumating. Please read about it here
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=88391

 

[lady stardust]

hi, he poos it seems about every 10 days or so, i have read the article about brumation, but the thing that difers is the fact that mine still spends a lot of time basking and still seems to have the sme sleeping patern as he always had, he sleeps at night when i turn his light out

 

[Elora]

Hmm I dont know. I really think you need to take out those wood chips as soon as possible and put down some paper towels or reptile carpet. He should be pooping EVERY DAY.

Have you tried force feeding him some nice baby food?

 

[lady stardust]

another thing ive noticed, dont know if its normal, but first thing in the morning when i turn his light on he keeps flaring his beard out several times and opens his mouth really wide :?:

 

[Elora]

Just a wake up stretch.

Do you mind answering the questions ive been trying to ask you;
have you tried feeding him the baby food?
How is he doing?
Have you taken out the woodchips?
Can you post a picture of him/his enclosure?