My beardie has recently when through a time when he would not touch any food, and he seemed very exhausted. I was sure this was just brumation, and I just kept an eye on him. Recently, he has taken an interest in black soldier flies. I am curious to know if he just lost interest in the food he was eating (BSFL, dubias). He still won't touch his veggies, but he won't turn down a fly. He also won't touch the other insects. He is still inactive, however. Just basks, and he looks exhausted. Still wants to sleep more. He hasn't pooped yet, even after he started eating just a few days ago. I know that he hasn't eaten much in weeks, so I'm not worrying about this too much. I don't know if I should continue to offer him food or cut him off again to make sure he doesn't try to brumate with a full stomach. He hasn't lost any weight, even with hardly eating for weeks, which is why I thought it was brumation. He still looks healthy, not underweight and healthy fat pads/etc.. Is there something I should be watching for? His UVB tube doesn't need to be replaced yet, got a new one a little while ago.
Husbandry:
40 G viv with mesh screen top (not too fine, not too coarse)
10.0 t5 uvb tube
basking spot is 95 degrees all day; cool side always around 80-85 degrees (nice gradient)
plenty of hides and things to climb on
veggies offered daily, old removed (offered variety of mustard/turnip/collard/kale/etc.;bell peppers occasionally/squash/etc.;fruits every once in awhile)
lights on at 7 am, off at 7 pm
fed variety of BSFL and dubias; other insects occasionally
recent poops (before all of this) were very healthy; healthy weight, which has maintained
still very alert if picked up; not lethargic, just lazy/tired
nothing visibly wrong, and seems healthy otherwise
let me know if I forgot anything or if you have any questions!!
How are you taking basking temps? No stick Ons-- how old is the dragon? Temps for a baby need to be 105-110 juvie/ adult 95-110-- where in the tank is the UVB
Karrie
I use a temp gun. Got rid of all of the stick ons that came with the tank lol. My dragon is a little over a year old, about 10 months. The UVB tube is on top of the tank, a little more than 10 or 12 inches away from his nearest basking site, and it covers about 3/4 of his tank. Plenty of hiding spots if he needs to get away. I was recommended it by someone on this site, so I'm pretty sure it's the right one. We still had a few more months with his last bulb, but I replaced it early to make sure that it wouldn't weaken without me knowing.
Well, I don't really know how to explain it to be honest lol. The hole aren't that fine, though they definitely aren't as big as a dime either. I got kind of the "medium" size that they had. The holes are about half of a cm across, if that makes any sense. Sorry if I'm not much help!
So sorry for the late reply. Something came up, so I had to take care of that. This is my screen. It had the “medium” hole size offered. There was one that was smaller, but I didn’t think that would be good at all for ventilation and lighting purposes. I also didn’t want a super large one, for fear of unknown bugs getting in!
Just an update, he has stayed in his sleeping area all day today. He has pooped, so all of the food is out of his stomach, and he has shown no interest in any food. Still the same exact weight as he was a month ago, when this behavior has started. This seems to be him preparing to brumate, correct? I have a very strong feeling that this is what it is, but I wanted to make sure. Also if it was safe to do so or if I needed to do anything before.
It seem like things are starting to get worse. He seems to be losing weight. I know it’s not unusual for them to lose a little weight, but any large amounts of weight should be noted. He has lost about 28 g, though 20g was lost directly after a poop (common for them to lose anywhere up to 25g). He has gradually lost weight. He still shows other signs of brumation, though I know parasites and brumation symptoms go hand in hand. He just looks a little skinnier, and looks unwell. I am keeping him hydrated and I offer food 24/7, though he shows no interest. I am working on a fecal test, so I will know for sure. His recent poops seemed really healthy though, with solid and good, healthy sized poops. His urate was nice and healthy, not liquid but not chalky and it was almost pure white. He was showing no signs of parasites until now, so I’m just a little confused. Am I just being paranoid? I obviously want to verify the parasite concern and get things taken care of immediately.
I would get the UVB 8-10 inches if you have not done so already -- it does not sound like parasites - can you post a pic of him and his tank and lighting please
Karrie
I would get the UVB 8-10 inches if you have not done so already -- it does not sound like parasites - can you post a pic of him and his tank and lighting please
Karrie
Yes, his uvb is about 10 inches away from him. It is currently night, so I will take a picture and upload it ASAP. Keeping an eye on him for now while I wait for the fecal. Not too dramatic of a weight loss, just wanted to keep an eye on everything. Sorry if I'm being paranoid. Love my little beardie and want him to be happy. Thanks for the help!
A little update while I’m working on getting the pictures.. it’s been about a couple of weeks since he’s pooped, but he’s really only eaten one or two things since then. I was about to give him a little bath when he pooped on his own today. The stool part was tinged pinkish, not too visible. The urate was still white. It doesn’t look to be blood, and it wasn’t diarrhea or anything. Should this be cause for concern?? Nothing has changed about diet or anything, and I don’t believe he’s eaten his veggies (hasn’t eaten anything). I have bell peppers in his tank changed daily, though I don’t think he’s eaten any? Could this be constipation? I don’t want to immediately assume that this is parasites, but I definitely want to keep an eye on things.