Glass surfing with little to no appetite

[Toadleagend]

Hello, for 3 days my bearded dragon has been glass surfing for a large portion of the day. Most of the time when he glad surfs it dosent affect his appetite. These past 3 days he has had little to no appetite. Only wanting crickets very on and off. The vet says he thinks I’m just over feeding him. He thinks the glass surfing is because I changed his lighting and moved around his enclosure. However, he’s also been having diarrhea. He was having diarrhea before this happened as well. It never affected his appetite. What could it be?

 

[KarrieRee]

Hello, for 3 days my bearded dragon has been glass surfing for a large portion of the day. Most of the time when he glad surfs it dosent affect his appetite. These past 3 days he has had little to no appetite. Only wanting crickets very on and off. The vet says he thinks I’m just over feeding him. He thinks the glass surfing is because I changed his lighting and moved around his enclosure. However, he’s also been having diarrhea. He was having diarrhea before this happened as well. It never affected his appetite. What could it be?

How big is the tank? They will do this if they are in a smaller tank and it indicates he wants out- or surface basking temps could be off w/ the ambient temps in the tank as well --- type of UVB your using coil or long tube fixture will also cause this behavior -- this can all cause the appetite to be off as well -- please go over everything your using in the tank --- temps how your getting them UVB etc --- the diarrhea can be caused by the temps UVB as well - what was he eating when he got the diarrhea?

 

[Toadleagend]

How big is the tank? They will do this if they are in a smaller tank and it indicates he wants out- or surface basking temps could be off w/ the ambient temps in the tank as well --- type of UVB your using coil or long tube fixture will also cause this behavior -- this can all cause the appetite to be off as well -- please go over everything your using in the tank --- temps how your getting them UVB etc --- the diarrhea can be caused by the temps UVB as well - what was he eating when he got the diarrhea?

His uvb is a zoomed ho 10 tube. He has a 100 watt basking bulb. The basking temp is 95-98 with an infared temp gun. Hot side is 90. Cool side is 78. He was eating mustard greens, butternut squash purée, carrot purée, and crickets. He has been having diarrhea for a while. The diarrhea is frequent and mainly urate. The poop dosent seem to be unformed. It is 40 gallon breeder but he never had a problem with that before. He does have parasites, but I’m not sure if they have anything to do with this.

 

[KarrieRee]

His uvb is a zoomed ho 10 tube. He has a 100 watt basking bulb. The basking temp is 95-98 with an infared temp gun. Hot side is 90. Cool side is 78. He was eating mustard greens, butternut squash purée, carrot purée, and crickets. He has been having diarrhea for a while. The diarrhea is frequent and mainly urate. The poop dosent seem to be unformed. It is 40 gallon breeder but he never had a problem with that before. He does have parasites, but I’m not sure if they have anything to do with this.

So the UVB is where in the tank? How far from the basking decor piece? Please get 2 digital probe thermometers-- IR guns are good but can be inaccurate - the probes are the most accurate- please lay off the puree's - feed him some raw shredded sweet potato to see if you can firm up the poop -- the crickets are a good reason the dragon has parasites -- they tend to cause them - I would get him switched over to dubia roaches -- www.dubiaroaches.com -- please upgrade your tank to a 120 gallon -- is the Zoo Med a 24" ? Links can be posted for tanks if you would like them

 

[Toadleagend]

So the UVB is where in the tank? How far from the basking decor piece? Please get 2 digital probe thermometers-- IR guns are good but can be inaccurate - the probes are the most accurate- please lay off the puree's - feed him some raw shredded sweet potato to see if you can firm up the poop -- the crickets are a good reason the dragon has parasites -- they tend to cause them - I would get him switched over to dubia roaches -- www.dubiaroaches.com -- please upgrade your tank to a 120 gallon -- is the Zoo Med a 24" ? Links can be posted for tanks if you would like them

Yes a 24 inch it is 8-10 inches from the tank. Wide screen mesh.

 

[KarrieRee]

Yes a 24 inch it is 8-10 inches from the tank. Wide screen mesh.

Ok so I would say the dragon is bored and wants out --- getting him a bigger tank will correct that issue- the appetite is more than likely due to meds if he is on them and the weather -- they tend to slow down on eating in the winter months - specifically because they are brumating or semi brumating and just slowing down--- do you get him out?

 

[Toadleagend]

Ok so I would say the dragon is bored and wants out --- getting him a bigger tank will correct that issue- the appetite is more than likely due to meds if he is on them and the weather -- they tend to slow down on eating in the winter months - specifically because they are brumating or semi brumating and just slowing down--- do you get him out?

He dosent like to be out of his tank. It cant be the meds because he was not on meds 3 days ago, and I haven’t started him on them yet. He was interested in his food when he wasn’t glass surfing. It was less of an appetite, but there was much more interest. He seems too distracted to care about what I’m trying to give him. Very uninterested.

 

[KarrieRee]

He dosent like to be out of his tank. It cant be the meds because he was not on meds 3 days ago, and I haven’t started him on them yet. He was interested in his food when he wasn’t glass surfing. It was less of an appetite, but there was much more interest. He seems too distracted to care about what I’m trying to give him. Very uninterested.

The meds wouldnt be causing the glass surfing- that is usually because they are bored and want out- try placing him in front of a window like on the back of a couch or chair -- see how he responds to that - so everything I suggested about the tank and the glass surfing would not be causing that either --everything seems up to par w/ his husbandry-- they tend to go off their food so just keep offering it to him along w/ water --

 

[Toadleagend]

The meds wouldnt be causing the glass surfing- that is usually because they are bored and want out- try placing him in front of a window like on the back of a couch or chair -- see how he responds to that - so everything I suggested about the tank and the glass surfing would not be causing that either --everything seems up to par w/ his husbandry-- they tend to go off their food so just keep offering it to him along w/ water --

Ok. He is not on medicine yet. Could it be the parasites themselves? He also had medicine before. Could that be messing with him now a bit?

 

[KarrieRee]

Ok. He is not on medicine yet. Could it be the parasites themselves? He also had medicine before. Could that be messing with him now a bit?

No- I have not heard of dragons glass surfing because of parasites- usual symptoms are lethargic appetite off or no appetite - but that is usually if there is a high count- not low

 

[Toadleagend]

No- I have not heard of dragons glass surfing because of parasites- usual symptoms are lethargic appetite off or no appetite - but that is usually if there is a high count- not low

Ok. I meant if his appetite could be off from the parasites. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I don’t know the count but the vet said it might be causing the diarrhea. He seemed unsure if the parasite were to be fixed if it would do anything. He had 4 crickets and 3 pieces of greens on Monday. Tuesday 5 crickets. And Wednesday 1 cricket. I was not supposed to feed him Wednesday. So, he didn’t get it in the morning. I fed him because he seemed to not be eating well Tuesday.

 

[Toadleagend]

Ok. I meant if his appetite could be off from the parasites. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I don’t know the count but the vet said it might be causing the diarrhea. He seemed unsure if the parasite were to be fixed if it would do anything. He had 4 crickets and 3 pieces of greens on Monday. Tuesday 5 crickets. And Wednesday 1 cricket. I was not supposed to feed him Wednesday. So, he didn’t get it in the morning. I fed him because he seemed to not be eating well Tuesday.

Does anybody know if that is a normal amount for this time of year. The vet thinks he’s just full. I know he used to eat anything I would hand him. More recently, he would eat the crickets every time I offered. Now it is very on and off. Sometimes he wants crickets. Sometimes he dosent. For two he didn’t eat a green. It has been a little while longer since he went and ate greens by himself.

 

[KarrieRee]

Ok. I meant if his appetite could be off from the parasites. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I don’t know the count but the vet said it might be causing the diarrhea. He seemed unsure if the parasite were to be fixed if it would do anything. He had 4 crickets and 3 pieces of greens on Monday. Tuesday 5 crickets. And Wednesday 1 cricket. I was not supposed to feed him Wednesday. So, he didn’t get it in the morning. I fed him because he seemed to not be eating well Tuesday.

If the count of parasites is really high that is the first sign w/ the diarrhea really runny and smells horrid-

 

[Toadleagend]

If the count of parasites is really high that is the first sign w/ the diarrhea really runny and smells horrid-

The diarrhea is more just frequency and extra urine. It does not smell. And it dosent smell. He pooped twice today. It wasn’t poop. Only urate. Like something is making him go more frequently.

 

[Toadleagend]

The diarrhea is more just frequency and extra urine. It does not smell. And it dosent smell. He pooped twice today. It wasn’t poop. Only urate. Like something is making him go more frequent

The urates are sometimes runny. I don’t know if the parasite count is high. I do know he said it might be causing the diarrhea, but he seemed unsure. Does how much he ate seem like a winter appetite in your opinion? Or like something is bothering him?