Sick Beardie? Help, Urgent..

[Rukii]

My beardie, Lotan, has been acting normal ever since I got her and Ruki. But in the past 2 days, shes been very lethargic, showing dark stress marks, not eating, and laying on her perch ALL DAY. She always gets so excited when i dump crickets in their tank! Ruki is doing just fine, alert, active, eating and all. I gave them both a warm bath earlier, and Lotan was acting active and alert and her stress marks were going away, giving me the usual evil eye. She also made a bowel movement in the bath. But the moment i put her back, its back to being lethargic. Their temps are fine, and i feed them a regular diet of greens and crix and such, dusted every once in a while. Lotan also looks a little "flattened" (like her belly and sides are just sunken a little and thinner.), and shes starting to look alot darker. I'm thinking its maybe pre-shed weirdness, since Ruki just shed a few days ago, but I'm still a little freaked out..Any help?

 

[dobby293]

Are they in the same tank? The flatting sounds like the BD is just making more surface area to collect heat. I would get a fecal test done to rule out a sickness. If they are in the same tank I would recommend separating them so they don't fight.

 

[peera]

Do you have them in the same tank? If so, Ruki could be dominating her... Lots of things they do that people think are cute (like "cuddling" with one laying on top) are actually dominance games. Nearly everyone around here will tell you they need to be housed separately. We've seen far to many horror stories of lost limbs and death resulting in dragons being caged together because the owner thought they needed the companionship, which they don't. Dragons are solitary and only come together in the wild for breeding purposes.
What kind of lights do you have on them? How are you taking the temps?

 

[diamc]

If they are housed together, then that certainly does sound like the major reason for her behavior. Before I found this forum, I had 2 together for a short time and what you're explaining sounds like what I experienced. When the one was out of the tank, his coloring and his eyes were much brighter and he just seemed happier. As soon as I put him back in the tank with the other beardie, he laid around with his eyes half closed, his coloring darkened almost immediately. Once they were separated, he was allowed to develop his own personality and he his coloring & eyes were bright all the time. Something for you to think about & consider. You may not be seeing any aggression (and I wasn't either) but stress alone can make them very sick and even worse.

 

[Rukii]

Good News! Lotan started shedding! Shes already looking better, even though shes all scraggly now :mrgreen: They do seem to get along very well, no submissive arm-waving or head bobbing and no beardie piles, but I will definately keep in mind the seperate housing! Sorry about the little freak-out! I just don't want my baby sick or anything! :love5: Thank you guys SO much!