diamc":2h780xlp said:That's amazing that your beardie is 12 yrs old, good job. Our Judas was about 11 yrs when he passed and it was so hard to wash him go downhill.
I used to remove the back legs of the crickets as that helped slow them down. I also fed soft worms like silkies, horn worms and butterworms as they hardly move and are easier to digest. It would be a good idea to remove the sand since he is ingesting it and use a solid substrate instead as you sure wouldn't want him to become impacted since they tend to poop less frequently as they age.
I had also switched to a lower basking spot as he had trouble getting around some and I also gave him baths about 5 days a wk to make sure he was well hydrated.
Good luck with your old buddy.
diamc":209qvm67 said:Glad to help. What you have planned sounds good. Hope it all goes well. If I were you, I would try to discourage him from brumating so you might want to think about leaving the lights & temps as they are now. As they get older, it can take them longer to recover from brumation.
Judas was our very 1st beardie. Got him from a local Pet store at the age of about a month old (we think). He slowly started declining about 6 months before he passed although he would have bouts of energy, but I knew in my heart that he was slowly losing his stamina and his age was the reason. He didn't appear to be in any pain at all and got to the point where he wouldn't eat any feeders or greens so I was giving him baby food, I was sure to keep him well hydrated. As his time got closer, he wouldn't even take in any baby food and would push it out with his tongue, it was obvious that he didn't have the strength to go on. He passed very peacefully with a little gasping but pretty much just went to sleep.
Drache613":1we9vrq6 said:Hello,
That is great he is 12 this year, how excellent.
As Diane says, hydration really is important, for overall health & kidney function.
The protein can be decreased some, since he is getting older. Greens & vegetation should be focused on. If he isn't eating much of the greens, you can make him a greens slurry to get that into him, daily to help.
You can also put crickets in the fridge, to slow them down also.
Bathing more frequently can help out too. It sounds like he has been doing very well.
It is never easy to watch them get older & to lose one.
Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie
Drache613":1jdm91g4 said:Hello,
That sounds great! He is likely just trying to brumate or slow down some. While it is fine to let him rest a bit extra I wouldn't let him fully brumate. As Diane said, it takes them longer to come out of a brumation when they are older.
You can get a swab to try & gently get his mouth open to get some fluids into him if he doesn't cooperate with getting fluids off of his nose. Is he eating any of the greens?
I hope he can get some of the crickets if they are slown down. LOL
Good luck, it sounds like he is being stubborn! Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie
diamc":2ohijwzl said:Oh, that's awesome. So happy to hear he is doing much better. You're doing a great job with him.
It would be a good idea giving a bath at least 3 to 4 times a wk to make sure he is very well hydrated as as they age, they do tend to dry out quicker. Oral fluids are a big help too even diluted 100% juices (no sugar added) like cherry, grape, apple or cranberry.
Thanks for the great update.
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