Brumation Haters Anonymous

[Jess]

@Jms79: You set-up sounds great, so I dont think its a care issue. Just keep an eye on Thorn, and make sure he isnt losing any weight.

@Boxers: Like I said before, I wake Dudley up once a week or so, but otherwise I let him do his own thing. He went back into his cave last night, so Im kinda sad now.

 

[healthybeardie]

Today marks the third day of Luther's brumation. However, today I noticed his eyes were open a bit but he was in the same exact position since Monday morning. So I decided to give him a little soak in some warm water so he stays hydrated. I was awake, yet not very active. I cuddled him and loved on him, put him back in under the basking area so he could dry off a little more. An hour later he was still awake in his basking spot so I decided to give him some supers and he ate a few of them. Now I'll keep the basking light on for a couple more hours (hopefully he'll stay under to digest his food) then lights out for night-night time. I hope tomorrow he wakes up and poops because I read on the brumation information care sheet that its important they (1) digest the food they have eaten and (2) have a bowel movement before they go into a brumation state again. This is so new to me. I don't like going days in a row without cuddles.

 

[Jess]

If youre waking Luther up every week or so to bathe him and stuff, its OK to let him sleep even if he doesnt poop right away. It wont start rotting inside him in a week. You just dont want them to go, say, their whole brumation without going to the bathroom. They dont go as often when they are brumating, so dont expect instant poop LOL. :wink: Dudley has been going every other week or so. The longest hes gone without going to the bathroom is a month... Now that scared me! :shock:

 

[Jragon]

Hi all I hope you can clear up my confusion! Reading through some of your comments I see that people are leaving their dragons' lights on and getting their beardies out to bath and feed etc but surely that means they are not brumating? Just slowed down and trying to brumate but not actually being allowed to fully.
It was my understanding that heat and light should be reduced until not on at all, and that you should never feed a beardie in full brumation as the food would sit inside the dragon and rot as the digestive system will have shut down.
I thought they should be checked on but not disturbed until they come out of it naturally (unless you notice weight loss of course). Just drip water on their nose so they can lick it off if they need rehydrating.
Am I just completely wrong or are there different levels of brumation?! Like full blown brumation (what I am describing) and semi brumation?
Please someone help me understand! lol

 

[PuffMagic]

Jragon go to http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/brumation/ it is really great information about brumation. It will probably clear a few things up for you.

Today I came on her to start a topic 'I Hate Brumation' and then I came across this which is exactly what I was looking for. Blaze my girl beardie has started her brumation usually Nov to Feb. I just hate it; I am worried constantly. She just sits in the far corner of her cage with her eyes open, but never moves. She doesn't even go into her hide. She just sits in the far corner. She will eat a butterworm if I put it in front of her face, but she will not move to get it if I put it in her salad. She still loves her baths, but rarely poops all brumation which I HATE because she does have food in her belly. Worries me that it'll rot and make her sick. She is 8 and it hasn't yet, but still freaks me out so I massage her tummy when she bathing to hopefully promote a good poop. I feed her very rarely because I am so scared lol of the rotting food. But I also get scared of her starving. I keep her lights on 12&12 she doesn't seem to care. I am in Northern Canada, so we get pretty cold and have drastic light changes. I just hate this time of the year. I was considering rearranging her cage so her hide was on the far end of her tank (cold side) right now the hide is in the middleish, but I think I will give her relocation stress (she is very finicky when anything gets moved in her tank) so I will just leave it I just hope she is okay without the hide and sitting underneath her fake tree. This summer I rearranged her cage thats why the hide is in the middle now I didnt think about brumation when I was rearranging. jeepers beardies beardies. Thanks for making this good place to vent on how much I hate this time of year.

 

[healthybeardie]

@ Jess -- Oh goodness, a whole month without pooping. I would have been freaking out. I have noticed quite a decline in his poops. This is all so new. How I miss the days when he would eat his salad. He used to love his vegetables. I worry about him not getting the nutrition he needs, but hopefully he'll come out of it by around February.

@ JDragon -- Definitely read the brumation article! It was a life saver for me. I do believe brumation is different for each beardie. Some may go into a deep brumation, others alternate. Luther was asleep for like 2 solid days, then on the 3rd day his eyes were open but he was still in the same position all day. I gave him a warm bath to ensure he got hydrated and after an hour under his light he ate some dubias. He remained basking until I turned his lights out a couple hours later. Now several days later after not wanting to eat anthing any more, he is slowly slipping back into his lazy state again. His breeder suggested I just take his cues on what he needs. When he leaves his basking spot and camps out in a hide or on his blanky with his "sleeping face on" I just turn the lights out (yesterday around 3:30 PM).

@ Ashley -- Glad you found this link. It helps to know we're not the only ones suffering during their brumation period! I know I worry about the tummy rot too. I keep waiting, and waiting and waiting for the poop. Luther gobbled down 5 large dubias the other day after warming up after his bath. He seemed to perk up but gradually he is slipping right back to his lazy state (not a deep sleep). From the sounds of it (I think it was Jess mentioned it) they would have to be out for a lot longer than a week or so before the stomach rot issue would arise, so I guess as long as he goes soon.

 

[PuffMagic]

healthybeardie: Yeah this forum was a nice find. She usuall definitely during brumation goes more than a week probably a couple of months without pooping. Freaks me right out, but if it hasn't affected her before lets hope it continues to not affect her. I was thinking of turning her lights off when she is in the corner and just leave her ceramic heater, but I am not home enough to make sure she isn't trying to bask with no lights. So I just leave them on 12&12. I think I may switch her hide tho to the corner where she is choosing to sleep. I think no dark is more stressful for her then moving her tank around slightly. Anywho thanks for replying.

 

[Jess]

Yeah, the month with out pooping was kinda scary! I almost called the vet to see if they could give him something, but thankfully some spple sauce did the trick. :roll:

Has anyone else noticed their beardies beards conforming to their sleeping positions? Dudleys little beard is all squashed as funny angles. Its pretty adorable!

 

[healthybeardie]

Yes! Luther's little beard wrinkles on his little soft blanky. So adorable. I can't wait until this process is over, though. I really miss the routine (scooping poop and feeding and cuddling)! Some of my family members think I am nuts! I guess its a "love em to pieces" or "just don't get it" thing with bearded dragons. I just don't understand why others don't see the beauty and cuteness in these little amazing creatures!

 

[PuffMagic]

BLAZE POOPED TODAY!!!! Made her mommys day. I gave her a bath tonight when I got home from work and she drank a whole **** load and pooped; now she is basking until bed in 1.5 hours. It is so nice to see her basking we will see how long this lasts.

 

[Jess]

Yay for poop! LOL :lol:

Today is Dudleys bath day, so I woke him up and made him bask this morning. He was not pleased. He just sat there and stared at me without making any effort to move or anything. He is in splat mode, LOL!

OMG, I got some super cute brumation pics of his sleepy-beard! It is so massive, it spills over his blankie when he sleeps. Ill post them soon!

 

[PuffMagic]

Blaze hasn't gone back into her depressive state yet since her bath last night I am working but I just sent a text msg home to see if she was back in her corner and they said she is climbing and running all over her cage! Hopefully she will stay active for awhile before getting al grumpy again! Yay for poops lol. I will take a pic of her when she goes back into brumaton to show her sadness lol.

 

[healthybeardie]

I'd love to see pictures of Dudley and Blaze (and others too!). We got back from church this afternoon 12:30 PM and Luther was off in his hide sound asleep. Today was supposed to be his bath day, but I don't have the heart to disrupt him now that he put himself down. I'll give it a couple more days since last bath time was this past Wed. This is by far the longest he's gone without pooping -- one week. I HATE BRUMATION!

 

[boxers]

So, on Friday evening I was vacuuming, which apparently upset the almighty Razual- he blearily scowled out of his cave, beard saggily sprawled all hither and thither. I exclaimed with delight and turned off the vacuum, hurried over and gave him a bath. He pooped and his colors brightened. He ate a couple roaches, and when put back into his enclosure, proceeded to climb up the basking platform and stay there.

This is totally normal behavior from him. His color is good, he is awake (watching the daily bustle of the living room blankly), and his beard doesn't seem to be hanging as low as before.
So does this mean that his brumation only lasted Monday morning to Friday evening? Or should I suggest to him that he crawl back into his cave? I had planned to just let him do his own thing for the most part, but I'm just feeling so confused! :|

 

[Jess]

He will probably crawl back into his cave on his own in a few days. Thats what Dudley always does. He gets a bath, eats a little, and crawls back into his cave after 2 or so days of basking.