alyel
Juvie Member
Drake has been acting weird after coming out of brumation a couple weeks ago. She had been under since November-ish. She wouldn't eat or poop for like a week. The only thing she DID eat was a roach and that was the DAY she came out of brumation. So I was worried she was impacted. Also, she wasn't using her back legs much and she didn't seem to want to move. She wouldn't hold herself up on her front legs well either. She would just lay around all day. Yes, I know, that's what beardies do lol. But it wasn't her normal behavior. Also, when she DID walk on all fours, she would stagger as if she was drunk. So I thought maybe she was impacted. I gave her lots of warm baths, belly rubs, I even fed her some wet dog food as per a friend of mine who had the same problem. She didn't poop. So the next day I took her into the vet because she was really worrying me! Well, the vet said she is NOT impacted but her gums are turning yellow. She said my Drake is FAT!!! She went into brumation FAT, didn't use up her fat pockets (because they are still "plentiful"), and came out of brumation FAT as well. She explained to me the reason she isn't walking right or holding herself up is because her muscles weakened while in brumation, and can't hold her fat self up! Lol. She also said she might not have been ready to eat; her GI system might not be in full swing yet. She wasn't concerned about her not pooping though; which was odd to me. So basically she told me Drake needs a high protein diet, with NO fat (I forgot to mention, I was a bad mommy and gave her LOTS of super worms last year). So I am to offer her greens every day (which I always do anyways), pinhead crickets (which she won't eat). The vet also gave me a sample of this http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/vets/products/carnivore_care. Drake ate a little bit the other day. Which she also hasn't pooped out. But the vet says when her GI system is running right, she will poop....ooookay! The last thing she told me is I need to EXERCISE Drake. She needs to get her arm and leg muscles stronger so that they can support herself. Last year she would run rampant around the apartment. Now when I take her out and put her on the floor she will sit there for hours. I miss her antics 
So we've been trying to exercise her, but I am running out of ideas here! There's not a whole lot to do with a dragon that WON'T MOVE lol. What I've been doing a lot is putting her on the side of the arm of the couch (I'm right there so she doesn't fall) and forcing her to pull herself up onto the top of the arm. Then after she stops and is happy, I pick her up and put her back down to the beginning and make her do it over and over and over again. She has shown a lot of improvement; she uses her back legs a little more, and she can hold herself up on her front legs a lot better. But still, when I put her on the floor, she has no desire to walk. So I need to do MORE exercises. But I just don't know WHAT. I guess I'm just not creative! Yesterday when we were exercising (and we can't do it for very long, she gets out of breath lol), she got so mad at me when I kept picking her up and putting her back to the beginning, that she opened her mouth at me! LOL! No hiss, just opened it at me. She has never done that in the 3 years I've had her lol. And boy does she give me the beardie stink eye..
So any advice as to how I can build her muscles back up? Any cool exercise ideas? Anything?! Thanks!
So we've been trying to exercise her, but I am running out of ideas here! There's not a whole lot to do with a dragon that WON'T MOVE lol. What I've been doing a lot is putting her on the side of the arm of the couch (I'm right there so she doesn't fall) and forcing her to pull herself up onto the top of the arm. Then after she stops and is happy, I pick her up and put her back down to the beginning and make her do it over and over and over again. She has shown a lot of improvement; she uses her back legs a little more, and she can hold herself up on her front legs a lot better. But still, when I put her on the floor, she has no desire to walk. So I need to do MORE exercises. But I just don't know WHAT. I guess I'm just not creative! Yesterday when we were exercising (and we can't do it for very long, she gets out of breath lol), she got so mad at me when I kept picking her up and putting her back to the beginning, that she opened her mouth at me! LOL! No hiss, just opened it at me. She has never done that in the 3 years I've had her lol. And boy does she give me the beardie stink eye..So any advice as to how I can build her muscles back up? Any cool exercise ideas? Anything?! Thanks!
