Lost appetite

[Troybrennan47]

Hey guys I have posted here a few times before and always have received great advice and help.
I have two semi adult bearded dragons who have drastically reduced appetite and activity.
First girl hatch date mid November 2017. Has had an issue with closing her eyes since the day I got her. She does it often. She’ has been to a reptile vet specialist and said if it doesn’t effect her eating (it hasn’t ever) and conditions are good to leave it be. Negative fecal parasite test.
Second girl hate date 8-14-17. From phantom dragons bomb dragon. Eats like a champ huge appetite.
Both dragons have the exact custom built habitat same lighting same temp ranges.
Bask spot directly under light 111 degrees.
Cold side 84.
5 day repcal with d3 1 day repcal vitamin 1 day no dust.
Uvb 10.0 reptisun t5 no filter on light and they can get as close as 7 inches away.
No substrate
Clean habitat with fh10 vet cleaner diluted to recommendations
14 hr lights on 10 off these conditions never fluctuate.
I have them currently on anti protozoal from bearded dragon.co lovely site! This is classified as a dewormer but I have used it in the past and it boosts appetite heavily from what I have seen in the past. About 4 doses so far recommended levels once every 3 days. So 12 days total.
About 7 wks ago they have decreased eating not cold turkey just drastically reduced. They still go nuts over hornworms however and Dubai’s, however my Dubai colony isn’t ready to source from so these are occasional since I’m from Florida because they are rare here ?.
They used to poo every day now it’s more like 2 times a wk each.
My younger dragon hatched mid November has been eating more these past couple days about 20 crickets plus salad. I think I attribute this to the anti protozoal.
My older dragon hate date August 2017 however seems more lazy than ever. I catch her basking during the early lights on periods but after her early bask is on the cold side to middle of the cage the remainder. In the morning during feeding she seems cold to the touch often. Shows interest in crickets as it passes but doesn’t get them often. Not even supers and she used to love these. If there are hornworms she will bolt after them however. Roaches she will chase but only after enticing her and moving around.
Any thoughts? I thought it was too early from brumation and I don’t catch her sleeping just chilling
Neither one has shown significant weight loss. In fact they both seem to be gaining which I found to be very weird. Maybe it is because they are growing?
Any thoughts? Maybe just a slow down for them? Any input would be great thanks in advance.

 

[CooperDragon]

Their setups sound quite good. The main thing is their weight. Since that is stable/increasing I don't think you have to worry about the appetite decrease. Sometimes they just go through phases like that. With your older one nearing a year old she may just be reaching full size and doesn't need so much to eat. You might try offering a salad every day and then bugs just every other day and see how that goes with the older one.

 

[Troybrennan47]

Hey thanks for the reply. I will try that I still offer at least a cop supers and about 20 crickets with a salad that varies weekly but collard as the staple with mixed rapini escarole alfalfa sprouts and plant etc. a generous salad is offered daily as is. She’s roughly 9 months and about 380g. I need a bigger scale to get a more accurate reading because that weight doesn’t include any of her tail lol. She has outgrown that by a lot. I’m hoping this is just a phase. How long do these phases typically last for? It’s been about 2 months so far.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Hey thanks for the reply. I will try that I still offer at least a cop supers and about 20 crickets with a salad that varies weekly but collard as the staple with mixed rapini escarole alfalfa sprouts and plant etc. a generous salad is offered daily as is. She’s roughly 9 months and about 380g. I need a bigger scale to get a more accurate reading because that weight doesn’t include any of her tail lol. She has outgrown that by a lot. I’m hoping this is just a phase. How long do these phases typically last for? It’s been about 2 months so far.

If she's 9 months old , have you recently replaced her UV ? They are only good for about 6 months in the main before their UVA & UVB deteriorate below the minimum requirements for a growing juvenile bearded dragon.
You may have one of the dodgey Reptisun T5 tubes , see viewtopic.php?f=6&t=236122&p=1815225#p1815225
Unless you have access to a good UV meter , you have no way of knowing if it is emitting sufficient UVA & UVB (or by inference a high enough UVI). I'd not risk it unless you can access a UVA or UVB microW meter or UVI meter and check the tubes' actual outputs insitu . Probably safer and cheaper long term to swap out the Reptisun T5 tube for the equivalent in an Arcadia T5 tube ( the optimum for your dragons will be a T5ho 12%UVB tube).
You'll likely find an almost immediate improvement over a period about a week if you replace the tubes.

I recommend getting a handle on the warm zone temperatures in the vivs and being very cautious about the basking spot and warm zone temperatures now you are moving into summer , 111 F is IMO excessively hot and it's likely the warm zone is hotter than your dragons like .
I'd be aiming for NO HIGHER THAN 100 F at the basking spot and a warm zone running in the low 90s. This will give you a margin in safety for when the hot weather / heatwave conditions arrive and will be closer to preferred operating body temperature for bearded dragons , see viewtopic.php?f=5&t=233516


Also at 9 months old , she needs two meals of live high quality insects per day at least until she turns 1 year old at which time she needs to be on one feed of live insects per day. Greens and salads are a bonus at this stage NOT THE STAPLE or ONLY protein source.

This might also help work out why her appetite is suppressed if it's not temperature or UV related : viewtopic.php?f=6&t=236150&p=1815390#p1815390


In the short term - a hour every few days in the sunshine will boost them (Florida is about as good as you will ever get climate wise for raising bearded dragons for ConUSA).

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from General to Health

 

[Troybrennan47]

Hey thanks again for the reply.
My uvb bulb actually is 6 months old starting today. When I had the fecal done which was about 3 months ago it tested strong at the veterinarian. However I have already ordered a replacement. But now that u mention an Arcadia will they fit in a standard under cabinet fluorescent fixture? The bulb I am using I believe is a t5 it’s not the super skinny one it is a regular size floruescent reptisun 10.0. I have read awesome things about the Arcadia.
On the diet before her hunger phase she was eating over 100 crickets a day with salad and the occasional horn roach super. The salad is not a staple only as a bonus like you mentioned.
I am actually picking up something at the reptile shop I frequent so I will not wait for my bulb to arrive by mail I will buy one today. Thanks again! I should have thought of that sooner.
Any other input will be appreciated.