brumation problem...advice?

[stangbanger]

my adult beardie is trying to brumate but i know she has a full stomach...she ate a bowl of greens and about 20 wax worms and hasnt used the bathroom since....i cut back her basking heat about 10 degrees on accident and i think thats what triggered her wanting to brumate.

she slept in her cool hide for about 4 days then i got worried and pulled her out of it and gave her a bath (i kept bath water at 100-105 because i was told to keep it basking spot temp)...she didnt use the bathroom in the tub after like 15 minutes

put her in her enclosure again and she walked around for like an hour then went back in her hide to sleep (her food is removed)

now shes been there for another 3-4 days....should i get her out and try to bathe her again? she has never went to the bathroom in the tub for me, however she used to get a bath then ide put her out in the yard over the summer and she would go in the grass for me...just never in the tub

dont want her to try brumating with a full stomach...not sure what to do from here as far as how often to wake her and bathe her etc

she isnt losing weight (no scale - just going by how heavy she feels in my hand), so i dont think shes sick or anything

 

[fresnowitte]

A bath alone may not always do the trick. Usually I have to get mine to either exercise in or after bath or bask for long enough to get their belly temps up. Remember food will not digest well if their body temps are under 95*. An you may have to do this a couple of days in a row.

As for the sudden drop in temps that is most likely what triggered her to sleep.
Have you read the article on brumation written by Denise? When I was rather new to beardies and new to the site this article gave me quite a bit of relief and comfort. http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/brumation/

In my opinion it really depends on the beardie as to if and how often you wake them from brumation to offer bath or water. I find that some beardies dehydrate faster than other beardies. So some of my beardies I get up weekly for baths and some not so often.
Watch for the wrinkly skin at her sides. If she's all plump looking while sleeping with happy colors then I'd not bother her...if you see wrinkles appearing on her sides, or that she's dark in color then hydration is in order with a warm up/basking period.

A good scale is really a great tool when it comes to monitoring these guys. :wink:
Not sure where you are but here's a link to the very reasonably priced scale I purchased here in the US... http://www.digitalscalesaz.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=3001P&x=28&y=19

 

[stangbanger]

im not so much worried about what to do after she is brumating...ive done a lot of research on it so far, i just keep reading not to put them down with a full stomach and i cant seem to force her to go

she is half asleep now, eyes are barely cracked open...nice bright colors even though shes in a spot of her tank that is dark and like 75 degrees

maybe ill get her out again today and try to get her to go....she just sits in the bath, never moves around for exercise or anything....perhaps thats why she isnt going

 

[stangbanger]

and thanks for the link to the scale...ive been meaning to pick one up, just havent done it yet

 

[fresnowitte]

Maybe if you could make sure the house was warm and get her to roam around a little after a bath that might get things moving. :wink:
Sometimes they will only semi brumate and in this case could even hold on to it for a few days...week...next time they get up.

Have you tried while in the bath to massage her tummy on the right side circular motions down to stimulate a movement?

Your welcome it's been a good scale an I couldn't find a better price.

It sounds like she comfortable!

 

[stangbanger]

another member on a different site said their vet had them make the water deeper forcing the beardie to swim to help with getting them to go in the tub...i think i might give this a try, and keep an eye on her so she doesnt sink...ill keep my hand at the other side of the tub and have her swim to me...maybe the movement will help

and i have no doubt having her run around on the floor would help....just using that as a last resort....if she hasnt gone in a day or so, as soon as i put her on furniture she will go...she loves going to the bathroom on anything that is hard to clean lol

as for the massaging...i tried, she just gives me that "what the heck are you doing" look lol


i had a 100w bulb and it was putting out a steady 104 degrees...after a week it stopped and only started putting out 94, im not sure why...ill let her sleep now and when shes ready to be done brumating i will get a 150w with a dimmer if needed to keep the temps where they should be

 

[fresnowitte]

as for the massaging...i tried, she just gives me that "what the heck are you doing" look lol

:laughhard:

She almost sounds like she could be one of my beardies. Only a couple of mine will go in the viv. An one, Checkers, has been known to hold out for the back window my car. YUK!!!

You do not want to make it to awfully deep...just a little deeper than arm pits more like top of shoulders if you try that. Water in the ears this time of year when they are not basking much to dry it out could cause an inter ear infection.

 

[stangbanger]

the deeper water worked! although, she did get water in her ears....she at one point took a dive down like a dolphin, i had my hand under her the whole time so it was only for half a second she went under..it was deeper than she could touch, but not super deep...i was putting her at one end and having her swim to my hand at the other, and had a hand under her in case she decided to give up swimming (which she did twice and just started floating/sinking)...hopefully she will be alright and not get an ear infection...she got water in her ears last week too and was ok...ill cross my fingers..put her back by her cool hide, maybe she will go bask for a bit

she took a much larger poop than normal, maybe she was a bit dehydrated...either way, all is well now! thanks for the tips

- also, checked her temps again, now the basking spot is 100...maybe ambient temps are affecting her basking spot ...104-94-100 is a big jump for the same bulb...she just crawled up to bask some....im sure by tonight she will be in her hide again lol

 

[fresnowitte]

Hooray for poop! :lol:

The ambient temps will constantly affect their temps. Thus the reason to monitor those temps closely. I prefer to keep my hoods/clamp lamps attached to a stick or they actually make a lamp stand so that you can adjust the distance/level of the hood when needed.

 

[stangbanger]

Hooray for poop! :lol:

The ambient temps will constantly affect their temps. Thus the reason to monitor those temps closely. I prefer to keep my hoods/clamp lamps attached to a stick or they actually make a lamp stand so that you can adjust the distance/level of the hood when needed.

mine is a fixture mounted inside the cage...i think the easiest route would be to get a 150w and adjust it as needed...i might try and get something to raise and lower uvb bulb - i dont like that its a little far away...its not bad, but it could be closer

thats not the bulb in it now...that was before i had her setup to go in it...i have a 100w reptile bulb in it now for basking...people say household bulbs work as good as reptile bulbs, but i havent had any luck with them...the $9 reptile bulb is easier than the hassle of buying 50 household bulbs to test lol...i couldnt get proper temps outside the basking spot with a household bulb...had 100-120 basking, then 65 everywhere else lol

 

[fresnowitte]

The regular household bulb doesn't really work well unless you are only using it as additional warmth.
I find that Phillip's brand flood bulbs work great as basking bulbs too.
I'm not familiar with those type enclosures so I can not really say, but I do think I have heard/read other that have them state they needed to add an additional bulb to keep the temps right during the cold months.


You are right the UVB needs to be closer to the basking spot, 6 to 8 inches from.

Can I ask what type of thermometer you are using?

 

[stangbanger]

The regular household bulb doesn't really work well unless you are only using it as additional warmth.
I find that Phillip's brand flood bulbs work great as basking bulbs too.
I'm not familiar with those type enclosures so I can not really say, but I do think I have heard/read other that have them state they needed to add an additional bulb to keep the temps right during the cold months.


You are right the UVB needs to be closer to the basking spot, 6 to 8 inches from.

Can I ask what type of thermometer you are using?

flood bulbs werent working for me...they were putting too much heat in the basking spot and not enough anywhere else...the reptile bulbs keep temps great... i have a 78-100ish temp grade so it works out nicely...i had GE halogen indoor floodlights...at one point i had 130 in the basking spot, and 65 in the cool side...all in a 4x2x2...nuts!...switched to reptile 100w incandescent and problem solved

i use an infrared thermometer

 

[stangbanger]

what if i take the fixture down, and mount it on the back wall of the viv, about 8 inches above the basking spot? that will put her within 6 inches of it while basking...never seen one mounted on the back like that, always see them above

 

[efexzero]

If its anything like mine you can always put it on your bed or on the tiny sofa i got her. She always seems to go right away on either....

 

[stangbanger]

If its anything like mine you can always put it on your bed or on the tiny sofa i got her. She always seems to go right away on either....

my papasan chair is beardie ex-lax lol....they KNOW it takes me over an hour to properly shampoo it