Need some brumation advice please!!

[jklass]

Around November Lizzie started eating less and less, and then started refusing food altogether. She spent less time basking and more time hiding from her light. Eventually, she was sleeping (or at least trying to sleep) all the time. Classic brumation, right?

Well, I thought that the heat/UVB light was bothering her... it seemed to be keeping her awake and she was always trying to hide from it. So a couple months ago I just turned it off altogether. She sleeps like a rock now, all the time, and feels quite cold. I still wake her up once a week or so for a bath, and offer some food. The last couple times she has eaten a little bit of bugs and veggies. I tried to get her to bask for a couple days after eating each time, but she just hid from the light and went back to sleep. Eventually I just unplugged the light again. She has not pooped since November.

Her tank is quite small, and it has a couple places to hide but nowhere truly dark, so it's hard for her to really get away from the light if she wants to. I'm in the process of building her a new tank but I'm moving in a couple months so I can't put it all together yet (it's going to be very big and heavy).

Is there anything I should be doing differently? In my part of the world, cherry blossoms have been blooming for weeks and robins are showing up. How do I know when she's done brumating?

Thank you!

 

[CooperDragon]

Have you been keeping an eye on her weight as well? It's important to monitor her weight trends. Aside from that it sounds like you're doing well. Leaving her to do her thing is good as long as she's healthy. She may appreciate a fleece blanket to curl up in to have a soft place to sleep but that's not necessary. I'd keep the lighting on a regular schedule and give her a hide, even a cardboard box with a side cut out would work. That will give her a choice of hiding or getting some light. She'll come out of it when she's ready.

 

[jklass]

Have you been keeping an eye on her weight as well? It's important to monitor her weight trends. Aside from that it sounds like you're doing well. Leaving her to do her thing is good as long as she's healthy. She may appreciate a fleece blanket to curl up in to have a soft place to sleep but that's not necessary. I'd keep the lighting on a regular schedule and give her a hide, even a cardboard box with a side cut out would work. That will give her a choice of hiding or getting some light. She'll come out of it when she's ready.

Thank you! Should I not have fed her? I'm concerned that the food is rotting in her stomach now... how do I know when to start feeding her again?

 

[CooperDragon]

She should be OK. From what I understand she'll start to become more active again and her appetite will return. I'd just offer bits of food as she becomes more active.