my dragon is about a year old, but for the last few months he has been really unactive.
He hasnt been eating that well, i have to put the food straight in front of him and point it out to him when the prey is moving, i also keep fresh fruit and vegetables for him to eat at his disposal, but he hasnt really eaten them either. He doesnt really drink that much either, i have to place his head to the bowl for him to drink.
At first i thought his inactivity was due to season change but it hasnt improved, he spends the whole day sleeping or hiding away in the hide box. i was just wondering if anyone has experienced anything like this and what advice would they give to me.
Has he been loosing a lot of weight? What it sounds like hes going through is brumation or winter hibernation. Pretty much, they shut down during the winter. They sleep all the time, barely bask, dont eat/drink or poo very regularly. If possible, next time he defecates, I would take it to the vet just to make sure he does not have parasites. On the homepage of this website, there is a very good article written on brumation. It outlines, explains and gives very good information on all aspects of brumation.
If I were you I would not be worried. In fact, my female is brumating right now! I miss her like crazy but understand shes hibernating. Also, I would suggest against force feeding him. If your beardie is indeed brumating, forcing him to eat is not very good. For example, if he does eat, and decides to sleep for a week or two straight, the food inside his belly can rot, causing infections and worse issues down the road.
The only thing I suggest you do is give him a bath once or twice a week to hydrate him and give him the opportunity to drink if need be. Other than that, allow the temps to go a bit lower (mid 70s ambient) and leave him be.