not eating, brumation mode?

[Killzone3265]

my beardie has been slowing down, likely due to him getting to the adult age, and it transitioning into the colder times here. he sleeps in his cave most of the time, and refuses food but still nibbles here and there. has only been pooping once a week too.
but i have another question, could it have something to do with the UVB tube?
it's a reptisun 10.0, and about a month overdue for change (i know, i need a new one, but haven't been able to get one for various reasons)
im most likely getting a new one this weekend though..

so back to the main point, is this brumation behavior? kinda scary being a first time owner and all

 

[Killzone3265]

can anyone leave a simple reply?

 

[KristineM]

Hi there! You say your beardie is "getting to the adult age" so how old IS he? Has he brumated before or just slowed down?

My guy is 8 months and he's not quite ready for full on brumation but he certainly eats far less than ever before and tends to want to sleep around his 8 hour mark instead of the typical 10-12 hours of being awake. He lounges and he will eat every other day but sometimes he will only eat 3 dubia, none the next, 6, none the next...and I have been told from VERY knowledgeable people here that this is perfectly fine.

The most important thing here is that you are making every attempt to keep him hydrated. IF he is seeming like he is about to truly go into brumation, you'd want to clean out his system and be sure he is in very good health and of a healthy weight.

OF COURSE the UVB will effect his appetite as well...it really needs to be replaced every 6 months and your Reptisun 10.0 must be a TUBE mounted inside the tank so he gets all the uv rays and he can get 6-8 inches from it. If it isn't mounted inside the tank I do believe about 30-35% of the rays are blocked by the screen.

So, yes...go and replace your Reptisun as you already admitted it's overdue. Make sure your guy is well hydrated and ALWAYS triple check your husbandry. With the seasons changing...the temps and humidity in their tanks will also change quickly and drastically. Check temps in all areas and make sure they are proper and don't forget to check the humidity levels as well.

Please keep us updated and don't hesitate to ask further questions. Good luck

 

[Killzone3265]

i really think that he's just going into brumation, he's about 14 months old now, so it kinda fits the description. maybe the overdue bulb just made him want to sleep more, but it's changed now so let's see if he still wants to curl up in his cave all day lol

he has been eating less and less also, he barely had anything within the last 3 days, but he's still active and has pooped, so that rules out an impaction.
it's just scary not knowing what to do sometimes, but i think everythings handled