Brumation confusion.

[HeathJenks]

Hi everyone -
I have had 4 beardies since 2005. Each living longer than the next. My girl is 11 and has never really brumated except for 10 days one year. The last couple days though she has been sleeping most of the day and night. When I check on her at times she has her eyes open so I will bring her out for some love and wrap her in her fuzzy blanket that she loves to sleep in before going into her enclosure for the night.
I have been reading a bunch of posts tonite and am now convinced I am and have been giving her too much water. I am also concerned because she is in mid-shed. I have been working with her feet since summer, applying vitamin E oil on them every night. She has some very hard areas that need to shed because I believe they hurt her to walk on them. I know that it bothers her even if I gently rub them while she is having her bath she pulls her foot away. Her chest and beard are also going to shed. She gets wrapped up in some soft fabric like a burrito with open ends and sleeps on a sand matt. She seems to love this. She has been to her vet and he doesn't seemed concerned about her feet but is concerned about her thigh muscles being flacid. Go figure. Also is it ok to have a heat mat under her enclosure where she sleeps? Or do beardies prefer to completely cool down? I realize every bearded dragon is different, I just want to do right by her as I brought her into my life and she has brought me so much joy. Any advice would help and thank you.
I have a new enclosure on the way to replace her 40 gallon. Upgrading to a 90 gallon. I think she will be thrilled about this.
This turned into a letter. I just want to know if she can brumate in conjunction with shedding? And should I take the heating matt away while she is brumating? Again thank you.

 

[KarrieRee]

Hi everyone -
I have had 4 beardies since 2005. Each living longer than the next. My girl is 11 and has never really brumated except for 10 days one year. The last couple days though she has been sleeping most of the day and night. When I check on her at times she has her eyes open so I will bring her out for some love and wrap her in her fuzzy blanket that she loves to sleep in before going into her enclosure for the night.
I have been reading a bunch of posts tonite and am now convinced I am and have been giving her too much water. I am also concerned because she is in mid-shed. I have been working with her feet since summer, applying vitamin E oil on them every night. She has some very hard areas that need to shed because I believe they hurt her to walk on them. I know that it bothers her even if I gently rub them while she is having her bath she pulls her foot away. Her chest and beard are also going to shed. She gets wrapped up in some soft fabric like a burrito with open ends and sleeps on a sand matt. She seems to love this. She has been to her vet and he doesn't seemed concerned about her feet but is concerned about her thigh muscles being flacid. Go figure. Also is it ok to have a heat mat under her enclosure where she sleeps? Or do beardies prefer to completely cool down? I realize every bearded dragon is different, I just want to do right by her as I brought her into my life and she has brought me so much joy. Any advice would help and thank you.
I have a new enclosure on the way to replace her 40 gallon. Upgrading to a 90 gallon. I think she will be thrilled about this.
This turned into a letter. I just want to know if she can brumate in conjunction with shedding? And should I take the heating matt away while she is brumating? Again thank you.

Please get rid of the heat mat dragons heat from their backs- if she is in true brumation she needs it to be cool- Practical tips: A healthy brumating bearded dragon | General Care | Bearded Dragon .org you can turn the lights on during the day or shut them off up to you- please get a weight on her now - weigh in grams on a kitchen food scale- keep track of it- offer water when you take her out to weigh her-

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Do you have any pictures of her you could post?
If she is brumating she can safely go down into the 70 range or so, maybe 65F. It is always good
for them to be a little cooler but since she is a little older, don't let her get too cold.
So you wont need the heat mat if she is brumating but if she is up & down during the colder time
of the year it is ok to use for overnight heating. Be sure there is something in between her & the
mat so she doesn't get too warm.
Is she holding her weight pretty well right now?

Tracie

 

[HeathJenks]

Hi Tracie -

She weighed
454g on the 12th of Nov. I just weighed her and she is 428g.
The small heat mat is on the table but underneath her enclosure not in it.

Hi Tracie -

She weighed
454g on the 12th of Nov. I just weighed her and she is 428g.
The small heat mat is on the table but underneath her enclosure not in it.

 

[HeathJenks]

I realize there’s a lot of wood in there. I just have to make sure that it’s arranged so she can climb up to her basking light if she wants to. Her larger enclosure should be here tomorrow. She ate 3 dubias, 2 butterworms and a bunch of greens after the 2 berries.