Oh, brumation again.

[TamiLynne]

Hi everyone,

After posting a few times in a small panic about my boy, I've decided he must be attemping to brumate. Even at just under 7 months. He was 330 grams when I weighed him at the end of last month, and after speaking with his breeder I've learned that his line tends to try to brumate soon after crossing 300. (Is that the norm? Is he big for his age?)

I've read the brumation article but still had a few questions. What type of weight loss is considered acceptable? Weight today was 327, albeit after passing a large stool a couple of days ago. Everything I've read mentioned "a few grams is okay" but when do I worry?

The article is also vague regarding the length of a typical brumation. If he began hunkering down over the past 3 weeks, what type of stretch am I in store for? A few more weeks? A month? A couple months? All winter? He is not deeply sleeping, just being incredibly lazy. And he is still slightly active and eating a few bites of salad on days when I am home from work and there is activity in his room. Is this likely his interpretation of his first brumation, or will he likely zonk out soon for real?

I know every dragon is different so my questions might not be easy to answer.. but I guess what I'm looking for is the "typical" beardie. If mine is atypical, so be it, but at least I'll know what I should expect as a norm!

Thanks in advance if anyone has some input..

-Tami*

 

[smurfthebeardie]

My first dragon is still only 9 inches or so. Therefore I have no experience. :?
It seems to me that a vet should know. Someone on this forum must know, now you just need to find them.
TheWolfManTom is a breeder and should be able to answer this. Zebraflavencs (Janie) is also very knowledgeable. Maybe PM them if you don't get any responses.

 

[pscaulkins]

Have you had a fecal done recently? If not, I would before I would like a juvie brumate.

 

[TamiLynne]

Unfortunately I was unprepared for him to brumate so young, so I didn't run a fecal recently. I'm a vet tech so I can read them myself at work - I'm just waiting for him to poo! I did one at 4 months which was fine. Some coccidia but not an infestation (1 ova every fourth high power field or so). Unfortunately the vets I work with, although knowledgeable about reptiles, are foggy on specifics of certain species in regards to brumation - they have some blanket ideas but I'd love to know what those who own beardies have to say. Thanks guys.

 

[spurlee01]

Well, all I can tell you is what I've experienced so far. Lilly was 9 months old and 461 grams when she decided to brumate in early september. After a poop, she got down to 452, then through her mini-brumation, got as low as 446. Wednesday (after 5 weeks of semi-brumating), she was very alert and awake so I tried feeding her. She wouldn't eat her roaches, but went insane with applesauce. Yesterday she was 466 pre-poop, I didn't weigh her after the poop. I've been told its very normal for dragons to go in and out of brumation, especially when they are this young. So she may very well go back in, I'll just have to weight and see. Unfortunately I don't have any more info than that for you.

 

[TamiLynne]

Thank you Sara! I think my concern is mostly toward the "Ok.. are you brumating or not?!" end of the spectrum. So it's excellent to hear that there is no black or white answer to this one, and that you're experiencing something similar. After a full work week and my boy sleeping semi-constantly (except when I wake him up/annoy him) he got up with me this AM and while I've been doing chores and in/out of the room he's been active all day, even ate some salad and butterworms. Whyyy must they keep us guessing this way? :silent:

 

[spurlee01]

I think Lilly finds it quite fun to play the "what can I do next to panic mommy" game. My thing is, as long as she's not losing much weight then it has to be brumation. I don't think she could go from 100 bugs a day to nothing and maintain a steady weight if she wasn't brumating. But I'll admit I was fairly terrified when she suddenly quit eating. I knew that she could brumate this year, but I really didn't think she would.