not eating

[dodge]

hi im in the uk and since we started havin these hot days my dragons colour has gone alot lighter at times and hes gone off his food,he hasnt eaten now for 2 days,ive tried him with everything i can think of and hes not interested,any ideas y anyone?

 

[KristineM]

Hey there! Sorry you are concerned for your beardie! How are the temps in his tank? The humidity levels? How are you measuring the temps and humidity? (What are you using? Temp gun, digital with probe...). He is an adult correct? I think I have seen you post before that he's 5, maybe? Have you bathed him recently? Could he possibly be starting a shed?

 

[dodge]

hi yes hes 6 now,all bulbs n temps r as they should be,he has his baths every 2-3 days.he poops nearly every day but he hasnt the last 2 days prob with not eating,hes sleeping alot aswell,if it werent for the fact of it being summer id think he was brummating as hes spendin alot of time under his rock.he had a shredding about 3 months ago,im not sure how many times a yr they shred

 

[KristineM]

I wish I had more experience with adults but I only have a baby. I understand that at your boys age he should be slowing down quite a bit anyway...is he eating mostly greens at this point? I just don't know why he wouldn't want to bask at least a little throughout the day. Does he seem as though he is in any discomfort? Maybe since we moved this thread up a bit, someone who knows a bit more about an adult dragon's behavior will chime in soon!

I wish I could be of more more help to you. Like I said, from all the research I've done here, it seems he should be slowing down a bit maybe but I'm confused as to his hiding under a rock...someone will come along and put your mind at ease, I'm sure

 

[dodge]

no thankyou, youve tried to help and i appreciate it alot,hes been outside with me today in the sunshine,hes been very active but hes still not eating.hes never ate greens,i got him off a friend who had to sell him as she moved to malta,she had him for nearly 2 yrs so ive known him a long time and ive never known him to eat greens.he will eat a bit of apple now and again if i hand feed him it,but that is all.hes a strictly meat eater,lol.so i feed the locusts cabbage,brussels and a few other different greens and fruit aswell as the bug grub.tomoro im going to try and feed him through a syringe,ive got a friend coming with some food pellets that you mix with water,so fingers crossed he will take it.its really doing my head in now because today hes been so active,he doesnt seem to be in any discomfort at all and his colour is fine.if i have no luck tomoro then im takin him to the vet.but thankyou so much for your time hun i really appreciate it.

 

[KristineM]

Hey no problem! That's what we're all here for. I was actually just going to suggest making a slurry of the greens and trying a syringe. I think you're on the right track. I mean, he IS eating...just not as much of what you would want him to eat, right?

See what happens tomorrow with the slurry and syringe and keep us posted. Then maybe a vet visit would be best. Just to see if he's on track and to rule out any possible health issues.

I'll be thinking of you both. Hang in there. You're a good beardie parent

 

[diamc]

Hi, sorry to hear that your beardie is concerning you. Usually when they spend a lot of time hiding, like under their rock, either they aren't feeling well or something in their tank needs a little adjusting. If you could fill us in on the basking & cool side temps and the type of thermometer you're using, it would help us rule things out so that we can make sure everything is perfect. A 6 yr old beardie can be particular with their needs just like a little baby can. As the seasons change, sometimes it's necessary to go up or down on the bulb wattages or distance of the bulbs to the basking area. Where exactly are you taking the temps?

As beardies get older, sometimes their bodies can't absorb the supplements the way they did when they were younger. Using liquid calcium might be something you would want to try and it's available in a variety of flavors that they really like. You can get it here: http://bug-de-lite.com/Products%20Page.html Tracie, the owner of that website is also another moderator here and has valuable info for all. She also ships her products very quickly and will answer any questions you may have. She also carries Benebac gel which is also great for boosting there appetites and they really love the taste.

Here's a site that shows the best greens to feed: http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html Also, as they get older their tastes change so even though they won't try one of the staple greens one wk, the following wk, they may love it. My older beardies loved escarole, turnip & mustard greens, collards and dandelion greens. Perhaps yours would like at least one of those. Sometimes adult beardies won't eat feeders every day so that's why it's a good idea to try to find a green/veggie that they like.

Chicken & squash baby food is well likes by beardies too and it's easy to get them to lick it off their noses. For a 6 yr old beardie, you should actually use more squash with a smaller amt of chicken. You can put the supplements in that too.

Also, since there are some UVB's that can cause all sorts of health issues, could you let us know what brand & type you have, what the distance is of it and how old the bulb is?

If you haven't had a fecal checked for parasites lately, that would also be a good idea just to be able to rule it out.

Please be sure to keep us updated on him and let us know if we can help with any other info or suggestions.