Not eating, basking a lot, burping

Beardie name(s)
Rocky
My daughters beardie has eaten very little over the last three days. He’s eaten 1 or 2 small bites of romaine or arugula and that’s it. Shows no interest in crickets, where before he could eat 20 to 40 smallish crickets a day. He still a juvenile, less than a year old.

Occasionally it seems like he is breathing heavy, or puffing his throat out, or burping. Other times he looks normal. He spending a lot of time basking in the hottest part of his cage, which is about 100°.
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
My daughters beardie has eaten very little over the last three days. He’s eaten 1 or 2 small bites of romaine or arugula and that’s it. Shows no interest in crickets, where before he could eat 20 to 40 smallish crickets a day. He still a juvenile, less than a year old.

Occasionally it seems like he is breathing heavy, or puffing his throat out, or burping. Other times he looks normal. He spending a lot of time basking in the hottest part of his cage, which is about 100°.
What are his surface basking temps-- how old exactly? Different surface basking temps for different ages- how are you getting the surface basking temps-- no stick ons - you want a digital probe thermometer- what kind of uvb? Coil or long tube fixture--
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Please review your tank setup for us, as Karrie had requested, how you are measuring the temperatures,
what type/brand of UVB you have, etc. The lighting, heating & overall temperatures play a crucial role in
their health.
Are you giving him a couple of hours before lights out, when feeding him to be sure he has digested his
food?
How is he doing today?

Tracie
 

RockyinColorado

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Rocky
Hello,

Please review your tank setup for us, as Karrie had requested, how you are measuring the temperatures,
what type/brand of UVB you have, etc. The lighting, heating & overall temperatures play a crucial role in
their health.
Are you giving him a couple of hours before lights out, when feeding him to be sure he has digested his
food?
How is he doing today?

Tracie
His basking lights were replaced on December 8, about a month ago. He has two bulbs, the Reptile Zoo basking spotlights, 100 watt. I don’t know the brand of his uvb light. It works but hasn’t been replaced in a while.

His basking spot was measuring 100 with the little thermometer in his tank, but when I used the metal probe it was much cooler than that. So the evening before yesterday I changed things around so he can bask closer to the lightbulbs and the probe says he can get to 100 now if he wants to.

He still not eating, going on 5 days now. Yesterday he had one bite of Romain lettuce and then nothing after that.

I have been suspicious that impaction could be the problem, because he just seems like he’s working something through his system. His poops have all been smaller than normal, but I wasn’t sure if that was just because he was eating less. Then last night he had the largest poop he’s had in days, so I’m hoping that is a good sign.

Today I plan to give him a bath in an electrolyte soak just got.
 
Last edited:

RockyinColorado

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Rocky
What are his surface basking temps-- how old exactly? Different surface basking temps for different ages- how are you getting the surface basking temps-- no stick ons - you want a digital probe thermometer- what kind of uvb? Coil or long tube fixture--
His basking lights were replaced on December 8, about a month ago. He has two bulbs, the Reptile Zoo basking spotlights, 100 watt.

I don’t know the brand of his uvb light. I’ll attach a photo of it. It works but hasn’t been replaced in a while.

His basking spot was measuring 100 with the little thermometer in his tank, but when I used the metal probe it was much cooler than that. So the evening before yesterday I changed things around so he can bask closer to the lightbulbs and the probe says he can get to 100 now if he wants to.

He still not eating, going on 5 days now. Yesterday he had one bite of Romain lettuce and then nothing after that.

I have been suspicious that impaction could be the problem, because he just seems like he’s working something through his system. His poops have all been smaller than normal, but I wasn’t sure if that was just because he was eating less. Then last night he had the largest poop he’s had in days, so I’m hoping that is a good sign.

Today I plan to give him a bath in an electrolyte soak just got.
 

RockyinColorado

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Rocky
His basking lights were replaced on December 8, about a month ago. He has two bulbs, the Reptile Zoo basking spotlights, 100 watt.

I don’t know the brand of his uvb light. I’ll attach a photo of it. It works but hasn’t been replaced in a while.

His basking spot was measuring 100 with the little thermometer in his tank, but when I used the metal probe it was much cooler than that. So the evening before yesterday I changed things around so he can bask closer to the lightbulbs and the probe says he can get to 100 now if he wants to.

He still not eating, going on 5 days now. Yesterday he had one bite of Romain lettuce and then nothing after that.

I have been suspicious that impaction could be the problem, because he just seems like he’s working something through his system. His poops have all been smaller than normal, but I wasn’t sure if that was just because he was eating less. Then last night he had the largest poop he’s had in days, so I’m hoping that is a good sign.

Today I plan to give him a bath in an electrolyte soak just got.
image.jpg
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Looking at other UVB lights, I think it’s a mini compact fluorescent lightbulb
Yes please get rid of it --- hes not getting enough UVB and that will cause him NOT to eat--- you want a long tube fixture I can post links for those if you want me to --- also get a digital probe thermometer for accurate surface basking temps -- 95-100 --- these are crucial to his health - what goes in must come out and if its only a little bit of going in then only a little will come out -- but you really need to get rid of the coil UVB
 

RockyinColorado

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Rocky
Thank you for the reply. Yes please post a link to the better UVB option. Also, what wattage do I want? Is 24 watts good?
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Thank you for the reply. Yes please post a link to the better UVB option. Also, what wattage do I want? Is 24 watts good?
There are 3 of them pick one of them -
Zoo Med 24" fixture this one comes w/ a 5.0 bulb you want a 10.0 bulb I will post the link for that as well
Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO Hood
22" bulb Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO
or this one can be found at Pet Smart if you have one or order on line
24 watt 12% bulb Arcadia Reptile ProT5 UV-B Kit | reptile Light Fixtures | PetSmart
or this one you want a 2 ft or 24" the bulb needs to be changed out to the Reptisun posted above
https://hydrobuilder.com/sunblaster-nanotech-t5-ho-fixture-with-6400k-lamp.html
please post back on here I will help you place it for your tank - the placement and distance will be determined by the screen on the tank
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Have you been able to replace the UVB light yet? As Karrie has suggested, the lighting makes
all of the difference in the world to their health. His appetite & activity will greatly improve too.
Keep us posted on his progress.

Tracie
 

RockyinColorado

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Rocky
I haven’t received my new lamp yet, but I think Rocky boy might be going into brumination. Perhaps that is why he hasn’t been eating. I noted yesterday he’s starting to sleep more and more. And today, it’s the middle of the day right now and he’s hiding and sleeping. What should I do?
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I haven’t received my new lamp yet, but I think Rocky boy might be going into brumination. Perhaps that is why he hasn’t been eating. I noted yesterday he’s starting to sleep more and more. And today, it’s the middle of the day right now and he’s hiding and sleeping. What should I do?
Let him sleep --- when is the new bulb coming? When you get it please let me know I will help you get it placed--- after the new bulb is installed we will see what his behavior does at that point- he could be going into brumation but we want the UVB on par to rule out that is the cause for the behavior your getting or if its brumation
 

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