Inactive Baby

[OzzieLawsons]

Hi, I have a baby Dragon (Lucy) that the pet shop tells me was born in March this year. She/he is very small and we had to force feed her at first . Now she eats a few crickets when we put her in a container with them but the last few days she is very inactive and not really eating and her tummy seems sucken. She has glimpes of activeness but still not going well. Days before she was great, Is it true they do this sometimes and its nothing to worry about ?? Should I worry, should I take her to the vet ? Unsure of what to do.... We had to take the other dragon we bought back to the shop as she was not coping with the force feeding and seemed to have movement problems as if brain damage ?????? Let me know if you can help with Lucy. Thanks. Brad.

 

[CooperDragon]

Were you able to get your basking temperatures up to around 40-42c? Temperature and UV exposure can affect appetite. If it has only been a few days, it could be caused by an upcoming shed which can sometimes put them off of food for a bit. I would monitor her weight to make sure that's stable or slowly increasing. If she starts a trend of losing weight, it could indicate a more serious issue and it would be a good idea to consult a vet if you have one nearby who is experienced with reptiles.

 

[OzzieLawsons]

Hi
Thanks for the reply.... Yes I built a timber platform with a ramp up closer to the light source and when I put the temp probe on it I am getting around the 40 degrees . She ate a few crickets this morning and is looking better today but last night I put her under the lamp and she did not move the whole night where normally she looks to hide. I have a hidy hole on the ledge so she can hide in stronger heat, she often goes in there. Is it normal for them to be very inactive when you pick her up when she is in this state. Its like she is acting dead but will react to touching only slightly. She is like that sometimes and then the next day comes to life again ??? Is that normal. Will call my vet and see if he is dragon friendly as well. She is still very small, less than 4 inches top to tail, suposidly hatched in March ? Thanks.

 

[CooperDragon]

It's not uncommon for them to be "lazy" when they're basking but they should be fairly active when outside of the enclosure, especially the little ones. It definitely doesn't sound right that she only slightly reacts to touching and appears to be playing dead. I would bring her outside for some natural sunshine if you can and see if that perks her up. Even half an hour a day may be helpful. If she doesn't show more activity though I'd definitely get a checkup with an experienced vet to see if something else is up.

 

[OzzieLawsons]

Ok will do.
I take her in the sunlight a bit but will do it every day now.
Thanks for that, will keep a very close eye on her and have just tried to contact the vet so all will be good. Thank you for your help again. Appreciated.
Regards, Brad.