Help, Rex will not eat and not growing!

[jolleys136]

HI

Rex is over a year old and has not been eating lately, he normally eats 4-5 large male roaches a day along with some greens a little a week. Do to my daughters medical condition Rex has been neglected a little and need to fix that. He has not eaten any roaches in over a week and not sure if he has eaten any greens. His color on his head does not look good but i am not an expert. I am not sure what I can do to get him to eat and how to get him better. He has not shed for over 4-5 months so I am not sure if he is not growing do to health reasons or what the deal is. His cage is tiled in 12x12 tiles for an idea of how big he is. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Brandon

 

[kimmyk]

I'm not an expert in any way, but his head looks like he is going into a shed. In my experiences with Beardie, his appetite all but disappears when going through a shed. It wouldn't hurt to get him checked out, but if he's acting ok and staying hydrated, I'd give him a little more time and see if he starts to shed.

 

[jolleys136]

he has been that color for a few months? He is also lethargic and every time I see him he is always just laying down and not very active. We have had some power outages that keep messing up his timer on the lights also so I am not sure if that messed him up as well. I am just concerned cause he goes weeks without eating anything.

thanks
Brandon

 

[kimmyk]

I would def take him to the vet and have him checked.

 

[jolleys136]

I gave him a bath last night and he stuck almost his entire head under water and was drinking for like 2 min and did that twice.
He was probably a bit thirsty, I keep a water dish in his home but not sure if he drinks out of it. Are you saying I should take him
to the vet because he is not eating or from the way he looks?

thanks
Brandon

 

[diamc]

Hi Brandon, I would also say that his head is getting ready to shed. His coloring is beautiful & he doesn't look thin. The tank looks very nice, love the tiles. I noticed that he can't get within 6 to 8" of the UVB light though, that is very important. What brand of UVB is it and how old is the bulb? How often are you using calcium & vitamin supplements? Since he was so thirsty, it sounds like he may have been dehydrated. Not too many beardies drink from standing water dishes so it's a good idea to bathe them at least a few times a wk so they can get a drink and get properly hydrated through their vent (where they poop). Getting a fecal check done wouldn't be a bad idea either.

 

[Okiemavis]

I always spray down my beardie's veggies to keep him hydrated- it's keeps the veggies from wilting as fast too.

 

[FluffieLizard]

Sorry that Rex isn't eating. He definately looks like he is going to shed soon and his appetite is down a little. No worries though. Have you ever thought about putting some fake plants, basking logs, or any decor in there to make him feel comfortable? Maybe that could make him happy.

 

[jolleys136]

HI

I got him to eat 2 roaches the other day and was happy. Been giving him baths every other day as well. I had a nice custom build stone furniture that I made but he clawed through it and I was afraid he would eat the little whit pieces. I but in a basking rock to get him higher and put in a new 100w normal bulb for light and a little extra heat also.

Diamc-
It is the reptisun 10 UVB florescent bulb and is a year old. I have not been able to do any supplements since he has not been eating roaches.

 

[diamc]

Hi, that's good that he ate a couple of roaches for you. So, you added another bulb, what is the basking & cool side temp now? Can he get within 6 to 8" to the UVB with the basking rock? The Repti-Sun fluorescents, need to be replaced every 5 to 6 months as that is when the UVB output declines, so that is probably affecting his appetite & growth too. You can get that bulb here at a very reasonable price. http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/504983/zoo-med-reptisun-10.0-uvb-bulb.html It's also important that he get his supplements, if he is under 1 1/2 yrs old, he should be getting calcium with D3 but phosphorus-free 5 days a wk and the vitamins 2 days a wk. If he is over 1 1/2 yrs, then he should be getting calcium 3 days a wk & vitamins 1 day a wk. You can add a pinch of either supplement to water or diluted 100% juice (no sugar added) and put drops on his nose for him to lick off. You can also put the supplements in a little baby food like squash, applesauce, peas, green beans, etc. Does he have any favorite greens, if so, you can sprinkle the supplements over them.

 

[jolleys136]

HI

It is about 102 degrees on the basking rock i put in there. I will have to order the new UVB bulb to replace also. He is probably close to a year and a half and will have to try the water or 100% juice on his nose. Will also try the baby food with the supplements in it, how do you feed him baby food? He does not have any favorite that I can tell, it is hard to get him to eat anything latley.

thanks
brandon

 

[diamc]

Well, that's a good basking temp, 102, were you able to get him closer to the UVB like 6 to 8"? If not, perhaps you could put some bricks underneath the rock to raise it higher, then you might have to adjust the basking bulb wattage though, but you can even use household light bulbs for the basking bulb.

Juicy Juice is 100% juice, no sugar. We buy a store brand juice which is also 100%, flavors you could try are cherry, grape, apple or cranberry. Dilute 3 parts water to 1 part juice, I always make sure to warm it up to take the chill off, makes it more inviting for them. They love babyfood, you should thin it with a little water or juice, then use a plastic medicine dropper or needleless syringe & put drops on his nose. It might take a few minutes for him to get the idea, but I'll bet he'll really like it, that way you know he's getting his supplements too. I always heat the baby food up just a little too, I know, spoiled beardies. :mrgreen:

Favorite greens here are dandelion, escarole, endive, turnip greens, mustard greens, collards, sometimes I add just a little bit of swisschard & sprinkle a little cilantro over the top. You can also offer slices of apple, strawberry, raspberries, any type of melon or any type of squash, those things usually entice them. Let me know how you make out.

 

[jolleys136]

HI

I was able to get him closer to the basking spot by 4 inches. I need to figure out some furniture and decoration for him. I got him to eat 1.5 teaspoons of butternut squash baby food and then .5 teaspoons of sweet peas baby food. He was going to town on it and could not get enough. I also did a teaspoon of water to help with a little hydration. I fed the baby food at room temp, would you heat it up a little more than room temp? I also got a new lamp ordered. What color should there tongues be? His looks whitish pink and has some discoloration on the tip of the tongue, almost looks like a black spot but it was licking to fast to see it better.

thanks
Brandon

 

[diamc]

That's good that you got him closer to the lights. He shouldn't be any closer than 6 to 8" from the UVB though or it could cause eye problems. What is the basking temp now that he is closer? If you check out the enclosure forum, you will see all sorts of ideas for basking spots to raise them closer, the ideas are endless. In Sabrina's tank, I have bricks standing on their sides with a slate tile on top of them for the basking area. Having the bricks that way also allows for a hide between them. I also use a wooden parrot ladder that I covered with spongy type non-adhesive shelf liner and have it set up as a ramp to get to her basking spot, she loves it, just an idea.

That's great that he ate some squash & peas, I figured he would like them, you can also add a pinch of the supplements but don't use both supplements on the same day. I do heat up the baby food in the microwave just a little, they seem to like it better when it is warm rather than just room temp.

What new lamp did you order?

His tongue sounds completely normal. There is a grayish coloring on the very tip and good that it is whitish pink, no worries there. :wink:

 

[jolleys136]

HI
IT is between 102-105 on the basking spot, every time i see him though he is always on the other end just laying up against the window. Do you have any pictures of your setup? I ordered one from the link you gave me. I had the same bulb because that is the one you recommended to me when I first got him also...LOL

thanks