Brumation is "Bad"?

[Spoony]

So I don't believe any of this one bit BUT my vet basically told me this:

Brumation is the owner's decision and isn't a good idea. She said it's dangerous to the beardie's health and could prove fatal. Basically it's almost impossible for us to reach the cold temps required and the beardie could come out of it with health problems..

I just kinda stared at her like "where did you hear that?" but only nodded along with her story.

Any time without food could potentially be dangerous, and the temperature comments made some sense, but overall, I feel like what she said was a load of crock...

Thoughts?

 

[zandi202]

Not all beardies brumate because it is super cold. Some prefer to brumate in the summer. I only think brumation is bad because you don't get to spend as much time with your once spunky little one :lol:

 

[Spoony]

:lol: I can definitely see that as being a bad thing haha

 

[SkeptiBee]

I would have asked her to cite that source and ask if it was available for the public to read. If so, I'd read it just to see what it said. Animal husbandry can always be subject to change if its found to be better for the animals in the long term.

Hermes brumation was triggered about a month after I brought him home. The former owners lived in the Sahara Desert practically, their house was just flipping hot so I don't think he ever went into hibernation before. When I moved him in, there was a tempurature difference as well as room light difference, so I think it finally snapped him to brumate. My little pancake still is a sleepy head with our crazy colorado weather we've been having. I seriously miss him and his high strung attitude. lol

 

[Jaskotch]

well, while my vet didn't go so far as to say it was the owner's choice, he did say it was in some cases avoidable, and that it was more likely to cause problems if not avoided than if it never happened.
he said day length and low night temps triggered it. and advised raising night temps to avoid it, or to bring them out of it, due to the troubles associated with them coming out of brumation, if they do go into it.
fwiw

 

[tgolden]

I Say Use A Different Vet.

 

[Jaskotch]

Well, in my case anyway, he's the best thing around. In talking with him, I found he actually has a beardie, himself. I don't know, there is so much different info out there, it can be overwhelming. I'm exhausted worrying about it. :?

 

[Feline]

I think your Vet just pulled that out of his/her keister. I used to work for a boarded Avian/Exotics Vet and he would completely disagree with your vet's response. Brumation is not bad; it is a naturally occurring thing that reptiles undergo. Brumation is instinctual; it is only bad if you deliberately disrupt their brumation cycle. Some Beardies will go into brumation regardless of the tank's warm temperature and a constant source of food. Some Beardies will not go into brumation at all. Take what your Vet said with a grain of salt and find a real Exotics vet.

 

[Jaskotch]

I take everything that I hear/read anywhere with a grain or two of NaCl. I think what I took from that was if he IS going into brumation, he shouldn't be. And, I think I agree. He is 8 months old. He is not anywhere near full grown. Right before this started were the very first signs of hormones, in the form of some glass dancing. Normally, the beardie is a year old or more, and the brumation preceeds the hormonal stuff, not the other way around. Taking into account more sun coming in the windows, etc.... Something just doesn't seem right here......
anyway, I'll try another vet tomorrow. Figure I'll get a completely different take on things. That's the way it does with doc's, I'm afraid.....