Lethargic behaviour please help!

[Hermionethedragon]

Hi all,

I recently brought home a 1 year old female dragon that needed rehoming, this is my first time taking care of a bearded dragon. I have her in a 4x4x2 Viv and have dialled in the heat lamp to have the correct temperature range across the viv. The whole setup come with her, the substrate is reptisand. I would really like some help as she isn’t booked in at the vets until near the end of the month. She has days where she is active and about, basking under her light and quite happy for the attention, and other streaks where she hides in the hide for multiple days. At the moment she is on her 3rd day sleeping in her hide, but I’m worried as she hasn’t pooped for nearly 2 weeks. She gets fresh veg everyday including kale, watercress, basil, rocket, pea shoots, and sometimes offered pepper and carrots, however she hardly eats it. I feed her live food 2 time a week which is either locusts, crickets, Dubia roaches, and rarely a few mealworms. I have had her now for just over a month. Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[KarrieRee]

Hi all,

I recently brought home a 1 year old female dragon that needed rehoming, this is my first time taking care of a bearded dragon. I have her in a 4x4x2 Viv and have dialled in the heat lamp to have the correct temperature range across the viv. The whole setup come with her, the substrate is reptisand. I would really like some help as she isn’t booked in at the vets until near the end of the month. She has days where she is active and about, basking under her light and quite happy for the attention, and other streaks where she hides in the hide for multiple days. At the moment she is on her 3rd day sleeping in her hide, but I’m worried as she hasn’t pooped for nearly 2 weeks. She gets fresh veg everyday including kale, watercress, basil, rocket, pea shoots, and sometimes offered pepper and carrots, however she hardly eats it. I feed her live food 2 time a week which is either locusts, crickets, Dubia roaches, and rarely a few mealworms. I have had her now for just over a month. Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

Shes going thru relocation stress and it is the time of year they are brumating- she is going thru a lazy period as well so -- the pooping will come as adults they dont poop as often like weeks at a time- as long as her surface basking temps are good 95-100 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer and good UVB NO coils please and placed correctly for the screen on the tank and distance as well - and the UVB is not expired too she should be good - you have a good diet going for her

 

[Hermionethedragon]

Shes going thru relocation stress and it is the time of year they are brumating- she is going thru a lazy period as well so -- the pooping will come as adults they dont poop as often like weeks at a time- as long as her surface basking temps are good 95-100 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer and good UVB NO coils please and placed correctly for the screen on the tank and distance as well - and the UVB is not expired too she should be good - you have a good diet going for her

Thanks for the reply. I’ve attached some pictures of her setup.

 

[Hermionethedragon]

I can feel a hard lump where I’ve circled is a kind of round oval shape.

 

[KarrieRee]

Thanks for the reply. I’ve attached some pictures of her setup.

Set up looks good - just make sure she has a piece of basking decor directly under the UVB approx 12-15 inches -- hard lump is it like maybe a egg your feeling?

 

[Hermionethedragon]

Set up looks good - just make sure she has a piece of basking decor directly under the UVB approx 12-15 inches -- hard lump is it like maybe an egg your feeling?

Gotcha, I have been working on improving the setup when I can. Could it being an egg explain her behaviour? I have thought she could be gravid but honestly don’t have enough experience to know for certain myself. And I wouldn’t know how far long she is as I have 0 information about her from before I took her in. I did feel what felt like lots of smaller lumps about 1-2 weeks ago, and now it feels more like 1 larger lump if that helps?

 

[KarrieRee]

Gotcha, I have been working on improving the setup when I can. Could it being an egg explain her behaviour? I have thought she could be gravid but honestly don’t have enough experience to know for certain myself. And I wouldn’t know how far long she is as I have 0 information about her from before I took her in. I did feel what felt like lots of smaller lumps about 1-2 weeks ago, and now it feels more like 1 larger lump if that helps?

Gravid dragons will do a lot of digging excessive digging - I can have ahbd help you here shes more experienced than I w/ this stuff and no the being lazy etc would not attribute to this
@AHBD

 

[Hermionethedragon]

Gravid dragons will do a lot of digging excessive digging - I can have ahbd help you here shes more experienced than I w/ this stuff and no the being lazy etc would not attribute to this
@AHBD

Thanks, I haven’t seen her digging yet, and it hasn’t been picked up on any cameras. Appreciate the help.

 

[Hermionethedragon]

@KarrieRee Would you recommend I still keep feeding live food while she’s in this state, I don’t she will move to get the food, I’d have to drop it right in front of her.

 

[KarrieRee]

@KarrieRee Would you recommend I still keep feeding live food while she’s in this state, I don’t she will move to get the food, I’d have to drop it right in front of her.

No when she comes out offer food then and water

 

[Hermionethedragon]

Update: She has come out her hide this morning and is quite active, the most I’ve seen her anyway. Walking around her Viv not really staying in one place for long. Almost restless.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is great to hear she has come out of her hide!
So hopefully she is feeling much better now. Now,
she might become really active now.
Keep us updated on her!

Tracie

 

[Hermionethedragon]

Hello,

That is great to hear she has come out of her hide!
So hopefully she is feeling much better now. Now,
she might become really active now.
Keep us updated on her!

Tracie

Hi Tracie,

Meant to update, she finally pooped on Saturday so that was a relief, however on Sunday she has gone back to being lazy. She went to sleep around 3-4pm on Sunday and has looked tired since then. She has been laying on her hide since then.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is good news! LOL Well, it is that time of year
that many of them just get lazy since it is cold outdoors & the days are still somewhat short.
Hopefully she will zap out of it soon.

Tracie

 

[Hermionethedragon]

Have noticed a few black lines on her, are these stress marks? @Drache613