Limp

[Rico]

Here I am again. Rico still won’t eat greens. Great with another worms… trying to get her to eat Dubias.
I wanted to see if she was impacted because she hasn’t pooped in about a week. She’s not eating much so that may ok. I felt around massaging and didn’t feel anything.
She lets me touch it and doesn’t seem to flinch.
I gave her a rather large hornworm to see if she’ll poop. And I’ll give her a bath later (which she hates at first).
Everything is right in her enclosure since I followed everyone’s advice. Humidity, lighting, temp are all ok.
Keep in mind she’s a rescue that I’ve had for about a month now. About 3 1/2.
I have change things up in her tank, so she may be still adjusting. She does like to sleep in in the mornings. I have to hold her and put her under basking spot. Then she’s up the rest of the day.

 

[Rico]

So, right after I wrote that, she got off her basking spot and I saw her eat 21 greens. Then wanted to in hide. I held her for a bit and put her back on basking spot. After a few minutes, she came down and ate 9 more. As a treat for eating her greens, I gave her another hornworm. She acted like she wanted out. I put her on the floor. About a minute later, large poop!
Put back in and she went into her hide. So if she was impacted, she’s not anymore.
She ate the fresh collard greens and seemed to like dried out greens I kept in there. Are the dried ones still nutritious????
Just one more question though. I’ve bought a few hides she didn’t like. She seems like this one, but scratches it like she wants it bigger and she just fits if she curls her tale. Any ideas on one similar but bigger???

 

[KarrieRee]

So, right after I wrote that, she got off her basking spot and I saw her eat 21 greens. Then wanted to in hide. I held her for a bit and put her back on basking spot. After a few minutes, she came down and ate 9 more. As a treat for eating her greens, I gave her another hornworm. She acted like she wanted out. I put her on the floor. About a minute later, large poop!
Put back in and she went into her hide. So if she was impacted, she’s not anymore.
She ate the fresh collard greens and seemed to like dried out greens I kept in there. Are the dried ones still nutritious????
Just one more question though. I’ve bought a few hides she didn’t like. She seems like this one, but scratches it like she wants it bigger and she just fits if she curls her tale. Any ideas on one similar but bigger???

The hide is good --- impaction is when they are not pooping at all and struggling to poop -- older dragons can take up to a month to poop - its fine if she eats the dried out greens we have a few on here that like dried greens but you need to keep her hydrated either by bath or dropping water on their nose etc -- this also helps w/ the pooping

 

[Rico]

The hide is good --- impaction is when they are not pooping at all and struggling to poop -- older dragons can take up to a month to poop - its fine if she eats the dried out greens we have a few on here that like dried greens but you need to keep her hydrated either by bath or dropping water on their nose etc -- this also helps w/ the pooping

Yeah, she hadn’t pooped for about a week or so. When I saw the little limp today, I got a little concerned.
On the flip side, I got her a playpen so I can get her out more.. and not worry about where she is….

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is a cute little playpen, it should really help out so she doesn't run & hide.
Is she still limping today? Do you know if she hurt herself at all?
Since you haven't had her for very long, it is possible that might have low calcium. If you feel that she could have hurt herself somehow, you can increase her calcium intake for a few weeks to see if that boosts her system up some.

Tracie

 

[Rico]

Yeah, cute little playpen is kinda not good. She figured out she could climb it outside. I was inside watching her. I think I need to put wide tape around top. lol.
She is sleeping a lot still. She did poop the other day. And she’s at a good weight. I’m thinking to let her sleep for a bit, but how long? And should I keep lights on and greens in? Took her out and held her for a bit on my leg under a blanket. Kept moving around and start to go down wedge between cushions so I put her back in.
She apparently wants to stay in her hide.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh no, just like a toddler figuring out she can climb & try to escape! Good grief.
Since her weight is holding & stable, you can let her sleep awhile. Monitor her weight & fatpads, to be
sure she stays hydrated.
Most tend to want to brumate for a few weeks up to a few months, it is variable among them. You can
leave a light on, if you would like so she can have a little bit of a day to night cycle if needed. Though,
you can turn the UVB light off for now unless she gets up later.

Tracie

 

[Rico]

Hello,

Oh no, just like a toddler figuring out she can climb & try to escape! Good grief.
Since her weight is holding & stable, you can let her sleep awhile. Monitor her weight & fatpads, to be
sure she stays hydrated.
Most tend to want to brumate for a few weeks up to a few months, it is variable among them. You can
leave a light on, if you would like so she can have a little bit of a day to night cycle if needed. Though,
you can turn the UVB light off for now unless she gets up later.

Tracie

I’m left the heat light on for the few days just back further.
I put a dark black hide in there. I checked a few times and she’s changed positions. I just lifted the hide and looked at me. Put it down and her eyes closed.
Is there such a thing as partial brumation??
I was planning to keep her there for at least a week. She seems ok otherwise.

 

[KarrieRee]

I’m left the heat light on for the few days just back further.
I put a dark black hide in there. I checked a few times and she’s changed positions. I just lifted the hide and looked at me. Put it down and her eyes closed.
Is there such a thing as partial brumation??
I was planning to keep her there for at least a week. She seems ok otherwise.

the heat light is going to disturb her sleep and mess her light cycle up - and yes there is semi brumation where they will sleep for a week or two then come out to bask and maybe eat -- please keep a weight on her kitchen scale weigh in grams please --- depending on how long shes in the hide make sure she is offered water in about a week or so if she does not appear

 

[Rico]

the heat light is going to disturb her sleep and mess her light cycle up - and yes there is semi brumation where they will sleep for a week or two then come out to bask and maybe eat -- please keep a weight on her kitchen scale weigh in grams please --- depending on how long shes in the hide make sure she is offered water in about a week or so if she does not appear

So, don’t turn on light further back during day?
Shouldn’t I check on her every few days?
I do weigh her in grams on a kitchen scale.
It’s late spring here so concerned she’s doing this now. And I can’t really weight her if she’s trying to sleep, right?
She had parasites. Gave her all meds. Could it be she still has them?

 

[KarrieRee]

So, don’t turn on light further back during day?
Shouldn’t I check on her every few days?
I do weigh her in grams on a kitchen scale.
It’s late spring here so concerned she’s doing this now. And I can’t really weight her if she’s trying to sleep, right?
She had parasites. Gave her all meds. Could it be she still has them?

Did they recheck another poop after she was treated? Seems dragons brumate when they want but spring does seem a little odd -- If shes sleeping I would not keep the lights on - dragons like cool and dark - you can turn them on during the day to keep up w/ her normal schedule but if shes doing a lot of sleeping you can turn them off as it gets closer to her time for them to go off -- what is the weather like where you are?

 

[Xjrosie]

If you want to get a pen, get one for rabbits/guinea pigs. They have vertical bars that beardies cannot climb, and you can buy a mat to go under it to keep your floor safe from poop.

 

[Rico]

First about the brumation thing… she started in the back of her blackout hide for a few days. Moved to the back of the opening side. Yesterday, she was at the opening. So, I turned her lights on. She didn’t move most of the day. She likes to watch tv.
So, I was concerned that she’d eaten several mealworms before she went in and didn’t poop before.
I set a hornworm in there. She was very interested. I moved further away. She started to come out. Moved it again… she stalked it lol.
Gave her two and put her under basking. Gave her a bath. Put her in her pen. Then put her on my chest… under a blanket.
Bad, bad idea. Talking on phone and she moved down and yep, felt an explosion.
Yeah, there’s that
She was still sluggish this morning. I’m thinking parasites still? But pretty active trying to get of her pen at the moment. She stayed out of her hide today, so I think that’s a good sign.
How in the world get I get her to eat her greens though???
Also, is there a forum just for health stuff???

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

They can partially brumate, yes. She may not sleep
for very long at all.
You can get a fecal on her again, just to be sure of her levels if you are concerned about that.

Tracie