eating more but losing weight?

[belladonnamini]

my bearded dragon had been sick and refusing to eat crickets for a few weeks but would still eat fruit,veggie, meal and wax worms. I finally figured out the problem and now He?(there is a possibly it is she but that is a question for a different post)is back to his normal self, energy lvl back up, and is eating his crickets like a champ along with his fruits and veg but i swear it looks as though he has lost some weight. I am not sure if this is just weight that he lost when he wasn't eating and he was just so lethargic that i rarely saw him standing so i didn't notice or if it is weight he is losing sense he started eating again. Is there any reason that my dragon would be eating twice what he was a week ago and losing weight and if so what do i need to do to make sure my baby gets back up to weight?
Also it is getting close to time for him to do the burm thing do i need to be worried about him doing this being slightly underweight?

thanks in adavance for every ones help!
~pucks mom

 

[kingofnobbys]

nothing for it - get out the kitchen scales and weigh him weekly and keep a record.

 

[AHBD]

Hi there....it could be exactly what you suspect, that he lost weight while he wasn't feeling well and it's still noticeable. What was wrong with him when he was sick ?

So yes, it would be good to have a scale to weigh him on weekly but if you use your kitchen scale don't put him directly on it but use a small container to put him in then weigh the container itself + subtract those few grams. Either that or you can but a scale specifically for your dragon. The point is to not use kitchen implements for a reptile and be sure to sanitize everything afterwards.

But hopefully he'll be on the rebound and you'll be able to see it visually even if you don't have a scale.

 

[belladonnamini]

We are not sure what was wrong with Puck when he wasn't doing so well but there is a slight chance that my He might actually be a She. This is my first dragon and when i got him from the rescue they told me it was a boy but the rescue i revived puck from specialized in Small mammals (ferrets, bunnies, etc.) and Birds (they accepted him because the owner was going to set him lose). From all my research and from talking to friends who are seasoned beardie owners puck was exhibiting signs that She was reaching sexual maturity and wanting to lay the first clutch. So i set the cage up as if he might be a she however, i also bought all new lighting to see if maybe that would help. Between doing these two things Puck has gone back to acting like himself. i do have a second question that i added to my post, it is getting about to the time of year puck does the berm thing, with him being under weight do i need to be worried about him doing this?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

You could also consider getting a fecal done, just to be sure he/she doesn't have worms or parasites that are affecting the weight. They can lose weight if they have heavy loads of worms even though they may be eating.
How old is your dragon?
What type & brand of UVB do you have currently? What are the temperatures in the tank?
If you have pictures of Puck, you can post them along with the tank setup, too.

Tracie

 

[belladonnamini]

HI, the closes vet that will handle my bearded is over an hour away so going there has to be my very last option. Puck is approx. 4.5-5year old (he came from a rescue and they were not 100% on his age) i use zoo med lighting for all of his lights, and the temp range is 94-89 deg.(basking to coolest temp) he normally hangs out half the time in his hide and the other half in a part of the cage that is about 91deg. i don't have any pics of his cage but i will try to get some if they are needed. here are some pics of puck from this week.

Thank You
--pucks mom

 

[AHBD]

He looks very fit , robust + healthy. While it's never good for an animal to lose too much weight too quickly, he[ or she ] does not look like he needs to gain any at all. It would be good to cut out the fruits, beardies at times have been diagnosed with extreme high glucose levels which are then very difficult to treat and can even lead to death. Fruits would not be a common dietary item in the wild, greens + other veggies are the staples.

It would also be good to get a better heat gradient....it must be cooler on the cool side [ 75 -80 ] and could go up on the basking side to 100. If he can't cool down though, it will affect his health.

 

[kingofnobbys]

The second dragon looks like Puff's twin , honestly , he's a deadringer for my big boy Puff , less the unexplained big lump on the back rhs of Puff's head.

 

[belladonnamini]

ok thank You (and those are the same dragon in the potos) i will cool off his coll side a bit and see if that makes puck a happier baby. maybe i had just gotten him to fat so now healthy looks skinny to me. opps LOL

 

[AHBD]

I see that you posted in the breeding section inquiring as to whether Puck is actually a boy.....the new pics show that Puck is actually a female. :shock:

 

[stinkysmommy]

I know this is a late reply, but Puck definitely looks like a female :~). Of course this isn't certain in all cases, but you can sometimes tell by the head shape.