Brumation Haters Anonymous

[lovemylittleyoshi]

We havent noticed any weight loss! His appetite has decreased however he still has a healthy bowel movement everyday. Today he went to bed about 430 and he is still in his cave sleeping! Earlier this morning he was out and running all over. Over all he seems healthy, just more tired and loss of appetite.

 

[lovemylittleyoshi]

We havent noticed any weight loss! His appetite has decreased however he still has a healthy bowel movement everyday. Today he went to bed about 430 and he is still in his cave sleeping! Earlier this morning he was out and running all over. Over all he seems healthy, just more tired and loss of appetite.

 

[healthybeardie]

Lovemylittleyoshi: sounds like a semi brumation. Just generalized slugglishness and loss of interest in eating a lot.

Jess, I love the "Beard Smooshage" on yoshi. SOOOO Cute! I just love their soft, squishy beards and smootching on them (don't tell my husband -- ha! ha!).

Woofy has been awake now since Wednesday. He STILL has no interest in his salads which is really bothering me because he always used to love his salads

Question: Have other beardies quit eating their salads during their semi-brumation period?

It makes sense that this time of year everything green is shriveling up, turning brown and dying. Maybe beardies instinctively know this and stop eating their greens??? Anyone??

 

[Jess]

Jess, I love the "Beard Smooshage" on yoshi. SOOOO Cute! I just love their soft, squishy beards and smootching on them (don't tell my husband -- ha! ha!).

Question: Have other beardies quit eating their salads during their semi-brumation period?

It makes sense that this time of year everything green is shriveling up, turning brown and dying. Maybe beardies instinctively know this and stop eating their greens??? Anyone??

My boys name is Dudley, not Yoshi. :wink: Haha

Dudley hasnt been too thrilled with his salad either lately. Ive found that whenever they are losing their appetite (From stress, brumation, ect) the salads are always the first thing they refuse, LOL!

 

[healthybeardie]

Jess, I'm sorry. I must have had Yoshi on my mind because of a previous post: "Dudley is absolutely the cutest with his squishy beard": that's what I meant to say. I hope Woofy's salad appetite comes back. I am always on him about eating his veges (LOL).

Again, sorry about the name mix up!

 

[Jess]

LOL, its OK.
I hope that their salad appetite comes back soon too! The person that owns the reptile store that Dudley was dropped off at says that he LOVVVEEEDDD his salad while she had him (as in he would enthusiastically leap down from the branch he has on and start stuffing his face), but he has never been as excited about his salad while Ive had him. :roll: I think there is something about me that repels beardies from their salads, because Wink would never willingly touch his greens, no matter what I tried!

 

[AHT333]

Ok, so an update on Kato. I didn't feed him for over a week to see if it is brumation, and he hasn't lost any weight. He was really worrying me and I did some blood work on him and it came back completely normal. The only thing is his tail is kinda changing color. It is significantly lighter about 8 cm from the base if his tail to the tip, and a few of the scales are quite dark. That's why i did the blood work. I'm going to start soaking him in a dilute iodine bath to see if that helps. But I don't know why it's doing that. But, Kato ate a super worm by himself for the first time in nearly 2 months! I'm so happy!

 

[Bruiser]

what is the longest Brumation?
We've been having some unusual weather here in AZ. It's been very cold and rainy and cloudy. My dragons have never been this lazy before or for this long, almost 3 months. I'm getting worried. I still feed and give weekly baths and cuddle in the evening. I've resorted to a blanket (each ones favorite) at night. They bask all day under the lights but still nothing! Should I be worried?

 

[dmglakewood]

My beardie has been acting strange for like 6 months now. He has all the signs that he's burmating but it seems like a really long time. He rarely eats worms or greens (hasn't lost any weight though). He rarely moves, he normally sits in his cave all day long. Sometimes he will sit in there for 4 days at a time. He only poops like once or twice a month, although that could be from little to no eating. This has been going on for about 6 months now. He's a little over a year old and this is his first burmation. Is this normal behavior and how long can it last for usually?

 

[Jess]

Dudley's brumation lasted 5 months... He went down in August, and he just woke up on Christmas. And he is currently getting through his hormonal psychotic episodes.

I'm not sure what the average time is though?

 

[Bruiser]

How long has brumation lasted ever and when should you be worried? Anyone know?

 

[PuffMagic]

How long has brumation lasted ever and when should you be worried? Anyone know?

Blazes brumation normally lasts November to February. When the days get shorter basically to when they begin to get longer. Just a couple days ago she went to her basking spot all by herself, so she is beginning to get everything moving again. Yay!

You can't help yourself but worry - I look at her everyday going I just hope you are healthy. 4 months of sleep seems like an eternity to us non brumators

 

[Phoenix17June2009]

i cant believe i didnt find this lol!!!!
i admit brumation is the one thing i hate! I get so lonely without my snookums! We do have Juuji (but i'm pretty sure she will brumate this year too :roll: ) but she loves my husband and deals with me lol! Phoenix is my baby, and when he was asleep i missed him so much! our weekly wake up for bath time just wasnt enough time with him. I'll be so glad when spring gets here and he can come to work with me and we can have fun agian lol!

one cute thing he did (i think hes fully awake now. last year in June he turned one so this was his firt brumation so i think he was confused) he went down in like late october and woke up in late december lol i think we are done with it but anyways.
i think it was in Nov, like always i got home from work and went to check on him. he was awake that day and i was so happy to see those pretty gold eyes! i gave him a little pet and he seemed to go back to sleep, i was about to leave the room turned around to check one more time on him and he had moved from his hide to the glass i walked up to it and he put his little hand on the glass as if to say hold me! :love5: needless to say i put him in my hoodie hat and let him stay there until i went to bed if that doesnt make a mommy happy idk what will lol! my parents say "he doesnt really love you, hes just a lizard." but if that right there didnt prove something then there is no hope lol! i'm convienced he wanted me to hold him because the INSTANT i put my hand in to get him he turned the color of an orange he was so happy so was i!

 

[DrHfuhruhurr]

Does anyone know how young dragons can be and still brumate? We have a 4-5 month old beardie, Mushu, and he has all the symptoms of brumation but seems much too young to actually be doing it. He has stopped basking almost entirely and usually just sits in the corner of his cage, staring during the daytime and sleeping at night. During the day, it's like he's in a trance. He stopped eating veggies last week, entirely. He continued to eat Reptiworms when offered, but seemed much less interested in them, and in the last day he hasn't eaten those, either. He even refused live crickets, which is his favorite treat (he only gets them once a week or so). He hasn't pooped since the day before yesterday, and I don't think we could possibly be more worried. Since we got him in October 2010, he's grown from about 4 inches to 12 inches, and he now weighs 71 grams.

Today, I called around town to find a vet that deals with beardies, and took him in for an appointment, just to make sure he isn't sick. I got the feeling, however, that the doctor knew less about bearded dragons than I do (and I don't know much--this is our first one). So, I paid $40 for the vet to tell me that he looks generally healthy and doesn't seem too dehydrated. She said she didn't see any point in doing a fecal exam, and then asked me if his cage was sufficiently humid. Seriously? Not worth the time or money, and I don't know any more now than I did before. She also hadn't really heard of brumation, btw, and couldn't help me with any advice about what to do if that *is* what's going on with Mushu.

If anyone here could weigh in and put my mind at ease, I'd be eternally grateful (and so would Mushu!). Is it possible for dragons to brumate at four months old? If it is brumation, what do we do now? Is it necessary to start reducing light cycles and withholding food? Or, can we stay on the same schedule? I've read many sites online, and each one seems to have different advice--everything from just maintaining the status quo to moving the dragon to a shoebox and putting it in the closet with bi-weekly check-ins.

(On the upside, I now know that Mushu's beard works. When I picked him up to take him to the vet this afternoon, he was basically asleep (I think) and he flipped out when he woke up halfway to the traveling box. Flattened out like a pancake and blew up his beard like a balloon. Not happy with me. Never seen him cop an attitude at all in the past--he's such a docile little guy)

 

[broozersfam]

Sorry if this sounds stupid but is brumation like hibernation? If that is the case I think Bruce is there! He sleeps all day most days and is out cold most night before us. When we do take him out he wants to bury himself anywhere and hide. Last night he hid UNDER my husband. He fell fast asleep on the sofa and got nasty when i put him back in his viv. Anything new i should be doing? This is a first for us so any help would be good. Thank you.