Not eating

[josephtran3]

Hi guys,

I just got a male bearded dragon a few weeks ago that is (give or take) 5 months old. He was feeding just fine at the reptile show we got him at but after I got him home and settled, he didn't eat anything. I assumed this was just because he was still getting settled into his new home but now it's been about three weeks and he still has yet to eat a large amount but poops quite frequently (we've had to change his paper towels a lot). He barely touches his salad and has had maybe 6 crickets in the last three weeks. If you know anything, it would help majorly.

OH! Right now all we have in his 55 gallon tank are one basking rock where the temp. is around 103-108 degrees, and a cool side of 77-83 (on the lower side at night), a hiding spot near the middle of the enclosure, all of this on top of paper towels. He gets his UVB from a 10.0 Reptisun and a simple basking light.

We thought that it might be brumation but he seems pretty active and seems to bask a lot still so we were going to rule that one out.

 

[Brandonforty2]

Tank seems good. How big is he and how big are the crickets?

 

[josephtran3]

The crickets are 3/8th and he's approximately 9-10 inches long.

 

[snazzyglasses]

Hmm. Everything about the tank sounds good to me! Is he drinking or getting baths on a regular basis? Sometimes if they're not hydrated enough they won't eat (our adult female is like that too).
The only things I can think of is that some youngun's prefer the basking temp very slightly higher, like around 110*. You can fold a small towel and put it under the basking rock and that should be just enough to get the temp up; it's pretty surprising how much of a difference a couple of inches can make. Also, is there anything at all between him and the UVB? (a lens on the fixture, viv glass, screen, etc). Glass or clear plastic filter out 100% of UVB rays and screens can block 30-50% of them.
If I think of anything else I'll add it, but that should be good for starters. Good luck with your little guy!!! <3

 

[josephtran3]

He doesn't drink much and we bathe him every other day or so. We're just getting very worried because he hasn't eaten but still poops and is getting noticeably skinnier - we just don't want him to die.

But no - there isn't anything between his UVB and himself. Thank you so much for all your input so far though!!!

 

[snazzyglasses]

Aww poor guy (And poor you! It's crazy how stressful an unwell lizard can be lol :shock
If increasing the basking temps doesn't help it might be a good idea to take a fecal to the vet, just in case :?

 

[josephtran3]

Thanks for your advice and sympathy - I'm crazy worried about him... But how would one go about taking a fecal test?

 

[snazzyglasses]

Reptile fecals are like dog & cat fecals, just put the freshest poopies you can find in a little ziplock baggie and take it to the vet! I believe lizard poops can be refrigerated overnight if needed, but the fresher the better.
In a pinch, any vet's office can look at a poop sample for parasites because I believe all it takes is a microscope. But it's best to call the vets in your area first to see if any of them do reptiles. Usually you'll get a yes/no right away because the receptionist will know which vets at that clinic are versed in which types of critters
Some vets only require you to bring your beardie in for an exam if the fecal is positive for parasites, and some require you to bring them in regardless. You can ask about that when you call too
I unfortunately don't have any advice on how to find a good reptile vet :? , but luckily a fecal is pretty basic. If you're not sure about a dosage or med type that they prescribe, you can always ask on here or send a PM to our resident expert Tracie (username Drache613). She's awesome and super knowledgeable!