Losing appetite & sluggish...

[charmander16]

So our beardie is around 10 to 12 months old (not sure exactly), and over the past few weeks his appetite has been going down and he's gotten much less active. If I pick him up and put him in his food dish with some roaches and veggies he'll eat a few, but otherwise he doesn't go after them much.

Today he stayed in his cave all day and never ate, which is a first for him.

Is this a getting older thing, a brumation thing, or do I need to be worried. I know how these guys go, if things go wrong they can go wrong fast. I'm wondering if I should take him to a vet, try to prod him to activity and feeding, or just leave him be?

His weight and everything looks fine for now. I haven't been weighing him, so I can't say for sure, but he looks fine. Hasn't been pooing much over the past few weeks, but he does poor ever 4 days or so and I don't think he's exposed to much risk for impaction.

 

[AHBD]

Lots of dragons doing exactly that right now, 99.9% of the time it's just the changing season. He should be fine, leave him do what he wants, it may last a couple weeks [ or less ] or a month or more. What's his weight + length ? If he's a big healthy dragon there's nothing to worry about.

 

[kingofnobbys]

What country are you located in ? ....could be a response to the change in seasons - maybe.

This will help you work out why your dragon is lethargic and off it's food and what is going on ;
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=236150&p=1815390#p1815390

Usually unless the dragon is very sick lethargy and lack of appetite is due to poor UV lighting or the UVB globe or tube being too old , or not strong enough in UVA & UVB , or to far away.

 

[charmander16]

He was in his cave again all day today. His eyes are open during the day. He looks fine size wise, he;s not skinny or anything.

I think I'll get a new UVB bulb just in case, it's about 8 months old anyway.

 

[kingofnobbys]

He was in his cave again all day today. His eyes are open during the day. He looks fine size wise, he;s not skinny or anything.

I think I'll get a new UVB bulb just in case, it's about 8 months old anyway.

That's a good idea , nothing less than a 26W UVB200 or T8 10%UVB tube as a MINIMUM see :
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=235611

 

[charmander16]

well, this morning he got up and about and he's eaten quite a bit. I hand fed him a bunch of collard green leaves and he ate roaches and super worms, so he seems fine.

 

[Reptilelady]

Some beardies have their lazy days. Mine was acting like that too but after adjusting the new UVB (Mega-Ray) and heat, totally fine. Is he eating a bit less too now than usual? Mine is but its due to the seasonal change and I am also having a fecal exam done since it's not that much. Better to make sure its nothing than to wonder, peace of mind

 

[charmander16]

Hmm still not sure what's going on. He kind of sprang back for a while and did get ore active and eat a little, but his appetite is way down and now he's back to sleeping in the corner. He's been sleeping in the corner for 2 days now. He still lifts his head up when I reach in and try to feed him, but he doesn't eat.

I gave him a bath last Sunday, during which he seemed fine, but he hasn't eaten for a few days now and I haven't seen a poop in about a week.

I just ordered some hornworms, but they wont' be here for 3 days. I'm hoping he'll eat those and they will be good for hydration, but it's still not clear to me if he's just brumating or there is something wrong.

He still looks fine though. No obviously signs of weight loss or discoloration, etc.

 

[Reptilelady]

It sounds like he is going through brumation. My beardie has been sleeping on and off. He will sleep pop his head up to look out his cave then goes back to sleep. If temps + lighting are correct, more likely its the brumation winter cycle they are going through. The only way to know is having a fecal exam done. Did you ever get one done with your beardie?

 

[winalldeb]

Hmm still not sure what's going on. He kind of sprang back for a while and did get ore active and eat a little, but his appetite is way down and now he's back to sleeping in the corner. He's been sleeping in the corner for 2 days now. He still lifts his head up when I reach in and try to feed him, but he doesn't eat.

I gave him a bath last Sunday, during which he seemed fine, but he hasn't eaten for a few days now and I haven't seen a poop in about a week.

I just ordered some hornworms, but they wont' be here for 3 days. I'm hoping he'll eat those and they will be good for hydration, but it's still not clear to me if he's just brumating or there is something wrong.

He still looks fine though. No obviously signs of weight loss or discoloration, etc.

Could he be dehydrated? Mine had similar symptoms when it got cold outside and heat was coming on more often. I started misting him and he drank
a lot and now eating more.

 

[charmander16]

I think he was getting dehydrated. I just fed him 2 large night crawlers and he gobbled them up. That's his first night crawlers. I ordered some hornworms but they won't get here 'til tomorrow so I went ahead and grabbed the nightcrawlers while I was at PetCo.

I feel a lot better after he ate those things, they were huge and nice and moist. I'm going to put him on nightcrawlers and horworms for a few days, in addition to veggies.

I think it is the time of year, but I just want to make sure he's staying hydrated. The bad thing about horworms is they don't keep long, but if the nighcrawlers do well I may keep him on those for a while.

 

[charmander16]

We got the hornworms last night and I fed him 2 good sized ones this morning. So in the past 2 days he's eaten 3 large nightcrawlers and 2 medium sized hornworms. So I feel good about that, but he still hasn't pooped. I think if he would just poop I'd feel much better and let him be.

I did give him a bath last Saturday, but no pooping. He hasn't pooped in over a week now. I'd bring him to a vet, but I haven't been sure if he's just slowing down due to winter and maybe I should just leave him alone, and now the holidays are coming and it will be harder to schedule.

But he's eaten several good things, so I thing now if he hasn't pooped by the end of the day I'll be a little more worried because what he's eaten in the last 24 hours should make him poop I would think?

 

[AHBD]

No problem, he'll poo any day now most likely with all those hydrating insects. This is very common, no vet needed at all.

 

[charmander16]

Still no poo. He's eaten 4 or 5 night crawlers and 4 or 5 hornworms since Sunday with no poo. He hasn't eaten much in terms of veggies. I took him out of his enclosure for about 30 minutes today, still no poo. He's been acting normal otherwise.

 

[charmander16]

He just ate another huge hornworm. Man, he's got to poop. It's like a person eating 10 bowls of high fiber cereal and 10 prunes and not pooping

I don't know where he's keeping it all

At least I'm not worried about him being dehydrated anymore.