RarestDragon
Hatchling Member
Lately my dragon, Lyrica, has been a bit sluggish lately. She's 7 1/2 months old now and is about 17 inches long. Her terrarium is a 36" x 18" x 18" with temps about 78 degrees on the cool side, about 85 degrees on the warm side and her basking spot is about 100-105 degrees. At night, I don't let my room fall below 75 degrees, I usually keep it at about 80 degrees. The UVB is a repti-sun T8 uvb tube that stretches across her entire enclosure. Substrate is just vinyl tile.
This started last month when she stopped eating her veggies. I thought she was just being a bit picky because she still ate all her bugs no problem. As time went on, she'd start eating less and less. She still eats every day, but only a few bugs, maybe three or four. She still poops regularly, about every other day and the poops smell pretty bad but I'm not sure how bad it needs to smell before parasites are considered. The smell isn't nearly as bad as cat poop, dog poop, or even human poop(depending on who made it and what they ate). The poop is a little mushy but is formed enough to be considered normal.
She's also been sleepy for the past few weeks. But what I find really odd is that about one day out of the week she decides to run around like she's trying to win a marathon. I let her out of her cage and she explored my desk, nightstand and bed with enthusiasm for about an hour. Then the next few days she's sleepy again. She's still somewhat alert, but just lazes around all day.
She hasn't lost any weight as far as I can tell. I also did the pinch skin thing to see if she was dehydrated, which she's not.
This is what she's been doing most of the time.
This will be my first winter with a beardie and it's a bit worrying. Is this the semi-brumation that I've read about or does it sound like parasites? I'm not panicking just yet, but I'd like a few opinions. I still might make a vet appt. just to be on the safe side. But if I do, does anybody have tips on taking a beardie to the vet when it's cold?
This started last month when she stopped eating her veggies. I thought she was just being a bit picky because she still ate all her bugs no problem. As time went on, she'd start eating less and less. She still eats every day, but only a few bugs, maybe three or four. She still poops regularly, about every other day and the poops smell pretty bad but I'm not sure how bad it needs to smell before parasites are considered. The smell isn't nearly as bad as cat poop, dog poop, or even human poop(depending on who made it and what they ate). The poop is a little mushy but is formed enough to be considered normal.
She's also been sleepy for the past few weeks. But what I find really odd is that about one day out of the week she decides to run around like she's trying to win a marathon. I let her out of her cage and she explored my desk, nightstand and bed with enthusiasm for about an hour. Then the next few days she's sleepy again. She's still somewhat alert, but just lazes around all day.
She hasn't lost any weight as far as I can tell. I also did the pinch skin thing to see if she was dehydrated, which she's not.
This is what she's been doing most of the time.
This will be my first winter with a beardie and it's a bit worrying. Is this the semi-brumation that I've read about or does it sound like parasites? I'm not panicking just yet, but I'd like a few opinions. I still might make a vet appt. just to be on the safe side. But if I do, does anybody have tips on taking a beardie to the vet when it's cold?