Is a decrease in appetite normal?

[ButterflyGirl89]

Hi, all.
So Daenarys is about 7 months old or so now, and about 18". Growing up she ate LOTS of crickets, like 30ish a day (average-y) of appropriate size and I've had her since she was like 4".
I started giving her Dubia about 2 months ago and she was happy enough about them, but would only eat like 4 - 8 of them. They were a little bigger than her usual crix though, so I thought that might be ok. She also would still attack the glass when she saw me putting superworms in her bowl and those were always gone within 2 minutes but I only gave her up to 6 a day.

Well lately it seems like she'll barely even eat 2 dubia a day, and she isn't as jazzed about the superworms, either... I feed her daily, and she still picks at her salad.
Is this normal? Because she's gotten older and/or it's winter? Her tank is still kept at normal temps though (110 basking, 84 cool), and we live in california so we honestly haven't had much winter...

Should I switch to every other day feeding? What should I do?

(If this should be in health - feel free to move it. Wasn't toally sure?)

 

[diamc]

It's normal for them to not eat as much protein as they get older and the winter months could be affecting her too somewhat. I would continue to offer her live foods and greens daily though. You might want to think about changing her greens if you've been offering the same ones daily as they do tend to get tired of the same foods. You could also try a change of feeders like silkies, horns or butters.

Does she bask a lot or not as much as she used to? If not as much, you might want to cut her basking temp back a little to between 102 and 105 as they tend to like slightly cooler temps as they get older, the cool side is a little bit on the high side.

Make sure you're keeping her well hydrated and that you're still dusting her food 5 days a wk with calcium and 2 days a wk with vitamins. How old is her UVB and what type and brand are you using? What is the distance of it?

Another thing I would suggest is to get a fecal tested if you haven't lately just to make sure she doesn't have parasites.

 

[ButterflyGirl89]

It's normal for them to not eat as much protein as they get older and the winter months could be affecting her too somewhat. I would continue to offer her live foods and greens daily though. You might want to think about changing her greens if you've been offering the same ones daily as they do tend to get tired of the same foods. You could also try a change of feeders like silkies, horns or butters.
I typically give her a mix of collard and mustard greens, with some kind of squash (yellow, mexican, butternut) mixed in. Ocassionally I'll put in a tiny bit of romaine for variation, some tiny red cabbage slices, or some shredded carrots. I've thought of giving her silkies or hornworms before. I guess I was mostly concerned that she'd do what she did with the supers and not want to eat anything else once trying one of the more 'expensive' type of worms. Then I'd be in trouble! I guess I'll try it, though. I tried a dubia earlier and she hardly even looked at it. She ate a little bit of her salad, though.

Does she bask a lot or not as much as she used to? If not as much, you might want to cut her basking temp back a little to between 102 and 105 as they tend to like slightly cooler temps as they get older, the cool side is a little bit on the high side.
She basks a little bit, but lately for about 70% of the day or so she just lays on her hammock that's on the cool side of her viv. It's close to a non-uvb household coil light. The kind that don't put out much heat. I'll pull back the heat to 105 like you suggested. Her basking light is a hallogen in a dimmer.

Make sure you're keeping her well hydrated and that you're still dusting her food 5 days a wk with calcium and 2 days a wk with vitamins. How old is her UVB and what type and brand are you using? What is the distance of it?
She pretty much refuses to drink water. I can spray the wall next to her, drip water on her nose, and the most she'll do is maybe two licks. Usually not even that. So I give her baths. I gave her a 20 minute one earlier today. She doesn't seem to like them much since she always just sits there very still in the tub while glaring up at me, but I try to do it about twice a week regardless. I always make sure the water is lukewarm with my wrist.
She has two UVB lights. (Because I like over-kill). Both are repti-sun 10.0 linear tubes. One is an 18" and it lays across the very front of the cage on top of her hot side hammock. The other is a 24" across the back above her home-made platform and next to the basking light. (A halogen on a dimmer). The 18" is about 5 months old, the 24" is about 4 months. They are each about 6 inches from the basking spot or hammock, respectively. I cut holes in the top of her cage so there's nothing between the lights and her. I'll include a picture.

Another thing I would suggest is to get a fecal tested if you haven't lately just to make sure she doesn't have parasites.
The last time I got her fecal tested was probably about 2 or 3 months ago. I guess it couldn't hurt. Although lately she hasn't had as often or as large bowel movements. I'm assuming this is due to a 'less in = less out' kind of thing, and becase she is older now, after all.

This was taken a while ago when she was a lot smaller, but there have been minimal changes. The ledge leading up to the cool side hammock is gone, as are the random decorative stones. On top of her cage where you see the old cricket bin there is now another light holding the non-uvb low heat coil light, for added light. I made sure the kelvin readings on the light were right for her.

Oh, as you can see from the picture she doesn't reeaaally have a "hide".... would you suggest maybe getting/making her one? She does walk under her platform sometimes, but it doesn't provide much darkness/coverage because it's so tall...

Note: she's being fairly active right at this moment! She keeps walking back and forth between either of her hamocks, along her platform, and back. Then she started scratching at the glass closest to her fish tank neighbors, and now she's nomming on her salad again. Funny little thing...

Thanks so much for the reply, and again for your time!!! <3