Is he brumating?

[LaVieBoheme]

My 1 and a half year old beardie has been really lethargic lately. All he wants to do is lie around his cage (lazier than usual). He eats greens and the occasional fruit treat but he isn't interested in crickets or superworms. This has been going on for about two weeks and I'm worried about him. He pooped a few days ago. I have a Reptisun 10.0 UVB light. His basking temp is 95-103, depending on where he is on the log and the UVB side is about 85. I'm concerned about his vitamins and calcium because beardies aren't meant to be vegetarian. Is he brumating or is it something more serious?

 

[spyder79]

in all honesty considering the time of the year and the symptoms you are seeing and age it sounds like brumation. what would be a good idea for you to do would be to get a fecal sample and take it up to the vet just to check.

 

[ashesc212]

I feel the same as spyder, it probably is brumation. The only other thing I could think of is that the UVB bulb might be older than 6 months? Definitely have a fecal check before you let him go under though.

 

[LaVieBoheme]

he had a fecal check in November and he was fine then, but he might be due for a new one. His light isn't 6 months old yet. Thanks for the advice, it's done a lot to ease an overprotective beardie mom's mind!

 

[JailBirdStripes]

Stripes is doing the same thing. She has used her rock hide, and then rearranged one of her trees and the fake bush that's in the cool corner. She gets a daily dose of water and some food... promptly followed by a forced bask, and she'll get a bath tomorrow just to make sure she releases the contents of her tummy.

 

[munchkins9802]

Just a quick question--how old do lizards typically brumate, if they do at all and what symptoms lead you to know that this is what he/she is doing? We havea 9-11 week old lizard and minus our scare tonight is doing well

 

[spyder79]

well it is different depending on the dragon. my beardi got to over 20 inches and 550 grams in his first 7 months of life. he went into brumation at 8.5 months old. scared the crap out of me cause that is way to young supposedly. i spent over 200 dollars at the vet trying to get him to find something wrong. i kept telling the vet (whom has a lot of experience with herps and here i am arguing with him) that it was not brumation it was something else. lol.
anyway. it can happen at any age that they reach adult size at. the action is general slowing down hiding staying away from their heat source not eating very much at all and not pooping much. this can last a few months. its scary your first time out lol.

 

[JailBirdStripes]

definitely a spoooooky time. Stripes has definitely been lethargic, but she wakes up and will eat when I want her too, and started going after supers again, but overall, she's been snoozin more than not.

Just be sure because your beardie is sleeping most of the time that you take time to check her poop, and/or give her a bath to help her poop as well as hydrate her. Because the metabolism slows during brumation, food in the stomach can harbor bacteria and eventual sickness if not expelled with a good poop...