This has probably been asked many times but I'm finding conflicting information. Some people say it's normal, some say to contact a vet immediately. So basically my beardie has been slowing down since late May (basking less, refusing to eat greens), and now has been staying in his hide for a week or two. He does sleep more, but he is awake in the morning/afternoon and will sometimes look around a little bit, but not move. Mostly not interested in food but if I offered him a worm he'd probably eat it. His color looks normal and he doesn't have a black beard. If I take him out of his tank he seems alert and will walk around as normal. I weighed him and he lost 5g but he pooped in the meantime so that's probably why. At first I thought it was because of the old UVB but it has since been replaced. The temperature should be fine as well.
I think he has done it before, although I didn't know it was brumation at the time and I was trying to "keep him awake" (now I know you shouldn't do that). First time he was barely a year old and I had just moved to a new place. It was kinda noisy so I thought that was stressing him out. I took him to the vet because I thought he was impacted (he wasn't) and the vet didn't say anything about brumation. It stopped almost immediately after we moved out so I thought he just didn't thrive there. Last year it was mostly my family taking care of him so I don't know all the details, but I think it started a bit later (around July I'd say?) and once again we were trying to "wake him up" but then gave up and let him be. It felt a bit more natural to do that since by that point it's gotten a bit colder outside and it made more sense that he might be brumating.
Bottomline I'm just worried since this year he started so early and it's the first time when I let him do his thing and it's a little scary seeing him stay in the same place for days. I am planning on testing him for parasites but it might be a while before he poops. So, is it normal behavior or should I be worried?
Oh and also he ate once during that time (greens and some repashy), should I try giving him a bath so that he will poop?
(Sorry if I worded something incorrectly, english is not my first language)
I think he has done it before, although I didn't know it was brumation at the time and I was trying to "keep him awake" (now I know you shouldn't do that). First time he was barely a year old and I had just moved to a new place. It was kinda noisy so I thought that was stressing him out. I took him to the vet because I thought he was impacted (he wasn't) and the vet didn't say anything about brumation. It stopped almost immediately after we moved out so I thought he just didn't thrive there. Last year it was mostly my family taking care of him so I don't know all the details, but I think it started a bit later (around July I'd say?) and once again we were trying to "wake him up" but then gave up and let him be. It felt a bit more natural to do that since by that point it's gotten a bit colder outside and it made more sense that he might be brumating.
Bottomline I'm just worried since this year he started so early and it's the first time when I let him do his thing and it's a little scary seeing him stay in the same place for days. I am planning on testing him for parasites but it might be a while before he poops. So, is it normal behavior or should I be worried?
Oh and also he ate once during that time (greens and some repashy), should I try giving him a bath so that he will poop?
(Sorry if I worded something incorrectly, english is not my first language)
