Eating is not an option

[Glitch]

So now I finally really start to worry, as my boy goes on about two, two and a half weeks of not eating. I've been on a week of Reptaid now, as well as some Critical Care to keep him from deteriorating (Although I have been offering, and putting off the CC each day to see if he'll eat on his own, but he'll go as far as to shut his eyes and turn away from any offerings of greens, pheonix worms, or crickets, all of which he used to happily eat) but the fact of the matter remains, he won't eat ANYTHING aside from Waxworms, which I can't offer many of, and have only been offering as a means to hide his medicine (I don't feel comfortable using reptaids suggestion of dosing him with a few drips from the needle, since... well, a needle by his mouth)

He already got a run of dewormers just about three weeks ago, as well as probiotics. He has his correct lighting, temps, substrate and the like, and besides not eating, he's acting perfectly normal, all of his usual high energy (He loves to climb about in his cage, and dig)

He just won't eat, and he's pretty unruly about the CC, but once he starts licking it, he doesn't want it on his face, so he keeps licking until I stop.

Shed-wise, he hasn't shed in awhile, and I catch him a few times rubbing his face on things like he wants to shed, however he's been doing that for weeks, and I've been giving him baths and using a soft bristled toothbrush to try to ease any shed, but nothing changes, and he hasn't started shedding or really doesn't seem to have any change in color as per usual before a shed, so that's odd too.

 

[kcarello]

Hello,
Sorry your dragon isn't eating well,,,how old is your dragon?

 

[Glitch]

Roughly four months old.

 

[Glitch]

Anymore help, guys? x-x

 

[kcarello]

Hello,
What exactly was he on dewormers for? Is that when he started loosing his appetite? Also, I need you to go over your setup..temps, what you are measuring them with, substrate, were you using calcium and vitamin supplements when he was eating? Also, when they say feed him some with a syringe,,,they mean a needless one! I dont know what they're instructions were but obviously you are smart enough to know not to put a needle close to your dragon...lol. Let me know the answers to these questions and I will help you get to the bottom of it.
Kelly

 

[Glitch]

He was on dewormers for Coccidia and Pinworms- after which, his appetite increased. Recently, however, it diminished again, so, under instruction, I started a light dose of them again, along with probiotics. The dewormers have been stopped now, and replaced with reptaid (as they changed nothing) The instructions for the reptaid said, for a lizard of his size, to only do drops from the needle, since the syringe would deliver too much, and the ethyl alcohol in the reptaid in high quantities could harm him. I've opted, however, to transfer those droplets elsewhere and give it to him myself in whatever way I can xD

For the husbandry
40 gallon tank
Reptisun 10.0 uv lamp, he can get close to it should he like
100 watt heat lamp
reptile carpet substrate
Temps are measured with a temp gun, 105 on the hot side, 85-90 on the cool side to the middle
When he was eating, he was given crickets dusted in calcium, phoenix worms dusted in herpavite (multivitamin powder)

I'm happy to say though, we made more progress today than over the last two weeks~ five phoenix worms and some reptaid <3

 

[kcarello]

Thanks for getting me that info...the only thing I see with your setup is the temps..105 is ok for the basking surface,,,but too hot for the ambient hot side temp. The air temp on the hot side should be more like 85 -95 range. The cool side around 76 -85. So first of all,,I would get a lower wattage basking light,,,or raise the light up some to get the temps lower. Other than that...I'm not sure what to tell you...I am glad he was doing better today though. I will ask Tracie to take a look at this and see what she thinks. She is so very good and will no doubt help you.
Kelly

 

[sweetiepie9]

Kelly, I was just going to do the same thing, refer to Tracie for her opinion. I agree about the cool side, it's a bit too hot, but otherwise your husbandry is fine. Babies can be so cranky, especially having been on harsh meds. I'd continue with the probiotic, try Benebac or Acidophiluz; Tracie has both on her website at www.bug-de-lite.com. I used Benebac to help one of my sick dragons get his appetite back & between the critical care & Benebac, he was fine & did get his appetite back.

 

[Glitch]

Actually, I was measuring the basking surface, derp xD Then I had written out this whole thing about his temps and went "... Nah."

Don't worry, I keep his temps in the correct ranges, although I did just recently move his lamp down closer because I felt it was too cool xD I'll keep playing with it.

He's also already on probiotics I got from Beardeddragon.co

 

[sweetiepie9]

That's good that he's already on probiotics. Those meds can really upset their tummies. You might want to try cricital care & babyfood has always worked for me to get dragons started on food again. I've always used chicked & squash & mixed them together, added calcium, too. As a last result you might want to try that. You can feed him with the oral syrnge a drop at a time. Just another suggestion.

 

[Glitch]

He's on a critical care/chicken baby food/calcium mix too... xD

But I think he's on the road to recovery now- he ate some pheonix worms last night, and again today when I got home. Not a huge appetite, but an improvement.

 

[sweetiepie9]

An improvement is good news, hopefully that continues!