Not eating at all

[Leia247]

Hi
We got our girl exactly a week ago. She was a kind of rescue, as I bought her off a woman on the internet. I've previously posted about her but I need more advice. I've been addicted to this site since I found it and It has great information.

Since we got her, she has barely eaten. A few crickets (5at most) most days but barely chases them. She ate some waxworks (gobbled them!) but I only gave her a few as I know they are fatty. I switched to locusts to see if she'd eat them two days ago (she ate two ), took no interest in crickets, but she did eat a few morio worms ( It was a last resort, I only gave her 4, as again I read she was too small for these.)

When I came on here at first I learned that she has MBD, as she had twitchy legs. I updated her to an Arcadia UVB today ( had to wait for the post as only Reptiglow here).

Today she has eaten nothing. she refuses to. Ive put Butternut squash and sweet potato babyfood on her nose to lick off and some Mango baby food, but only a little. I did the same yesterday. she took no interest in waxworks either today or yesterday.

I'm hoping now that I've got the UVB light up she'll perk up a bit and start eating.

I was giving her a bath earlier and noticed she has a sort of lump on her right side (looking down at her), so I'm thinking she might have a slight impaction.

She's been having normal poops everyday since I got her ( I checked on here to see if they were normal).

Could it still be relocation stress making her not want to eat?

It also seems like she hates us and is starting to inch away from our hands when we are picking her up, although she fell asleep on us separately two nights.

I guess I just need reassurance that I've got everything right now and she will start to improve, be happy and hungry beardie.
We love her to pieces.
My boyfriend named her Daenerys, but we call her Daeny (Dani).

How old is your dragon? Ive been told approx six months

How long have you had your dragon? a week

How long is your dragon? 12 inches (6body and 6tail)

What is the sex of your dragon? female

What size enclosure do you have your dragon in? 2foot, but I am getting a bigger one built. This is what she came in.

What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank? she came with sawdust, but as per instructions on here she was on kitchen roll (paper towels) and now newspaper

Do you use UVB lights? yes.
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb? tube, Arcadia 12%
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)? Arcadia 12%
How old is your UVB bulb? one day

How close can your dragon get to the UVB? 10 inches

Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Is it a white or colored bulb? yes, 100watt, white, says reflector lamp on box
What are the basking temps? 110 F
What is the cool side temp? 80F
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun? a wee dial thing but im ordering a new thermometer

Where exactly are you taking your basking temps? on her rock and log and floor, she has all three under the lamp, but she lies on the log as it is higher and it is warmest

Do you use a heat rock or heat pad? no. the rock is a heat rock but i cut the cable off it.

What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific. crickets, locust, waxworms (treat) morio worms (once). rocket and mixed leaf salad and mango in greens dish.

How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)? 11am and around 6pm

Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc? yes. potato and carrot and some orange, but they are gut loaded from the shop.

Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them? yes, nutrobal, everyday as she has MBD

Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)? yes, everyday

Do you bath your dragon? How often? got her thurs, bathed her fri,sat,sun,mon,and today.

Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath? don't mist but drop water on her nose, but when she's in bath she drinks from it.

Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done? No
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon? no

 

[daner923]

The proper UVB should help with appetite a lot. She has also gone through a lot of changes, so it may be some relocation stress as well. It sounds like you're taking really good care of her! Make sure the thermometer you get is a digital with probe or a temp gun - dials don't cut it.

 

[Leia247]

thanks, i will update tomorrow

Her not eating has me worried, since at her age she should be eating loads....

 

[Leia247]

Greedily ate 4 crickets this morning. Then turned her nose up at anything else... Was offered more crickets, locusts, morio worms and wax worms...

Could it be that she is full? And just has a small appetite?

Also when is best to give baths? Before or after feeding?

Also when do you allow them to run about? Is it ok after their lights go off at night... Say 8pm? Or should it be before 2nd feed at 6?

 

[daner923]

I would bring them out during the day/before last feeding if at all possible - I know at least that Max usually is half asleep when the lights go out and only wants to snuggle/cling to my shoulder that late at night. I would cut out the morio worms for now - they're not suggested until your dragon is about 16 inches long.

The diminished appetite may be a sign of parasites, and given that she was a rescue of sorts, it is very likely. I would get a fecal exam done ASAP, so you can treat any parasites and get her on the right track.

 

[Leia247]

4 crickets at 12pm, refused everything else.
4 crickets at 6pm and 3 waxworms.
Had her out for an hour between 4 and 5pm but she just lay on Bfs leg. Didn't seem to want to run about.
She's definitely more active since the UVB light has been put in.

When is the best time for baths?

 

[daner923]

I would do baths before the last feeding of the day at the latest. Other than that it doesn't matter, but make sure that she gets to bask for a while after bathing (maybe an hour or so), as she could get cold very quickly after losing heat to the water. It's okay if she doesn't want to stay on the basking spot, but she shouldn't be out of the viv, running around. She's probably a bit tired at the moment from not eating well, but seriously, parasites should be a pretty major concern for you guys at the moment, given her history and eating habits.

 

[Leia247]

Hi guys

Should've put an update on here, she's now eating her crickets... Not as many as people on here are suggesting for her age but she eats until she lets us know she's full by walking away.

She'll only eat of we take out all the furniture in the tank though as she refuses to chase them behind logs lol
She does chase them around the viv but then gets too tired/bored and will stare at us until we herd them into a corner for her. Spoilt rotten.

Also her poops are normal. So yay!
She didn't go a few days back so I have her a warm bath and she pooped In it ( first time) and he got all excited. She tried to hold it for a bath now it seems. I don't think she likes to go in her viv cause she used to do it near the door and then get as far away as possible and Blackbeard until it was gone.

She's even started to eat a bit of salad! I was gob smacked when I offered her a bit and she just munched it straight away!

Such a wee munchkin!

Her legs have also stopped twitching and she's much more active since getting her new Arcadia UVB

So all is well well for now