Slowing Down ...just thought of something

[kimmie]

With all the quirkiness that Angie has been going thru; not eating so many days, eating some, pooping every other day or more, it just dawned on me in another post I just read. Her ReptiSun is due to be replaced mid October - could THAT be the reason? She's too young for brumation and everything else in my husbandry is fine, vet check was fine.

I'm placing an order for a new tube today - maybe it will get replaced when it comes in instead of the 6 month mark!

 

[mccallumpiper]

I think you are on to something because October is not far away and who knows the benefits of the bulb could be pretty weak by now not letting her get all she needs. Also I noticed you live in Delaware is it chilly down there like it is here? I know even when basking spots are on the ambient temps might throw them for a loop too. Just a thought

 

[kimmie]

Temps have gotten a little cooler, enough that we have had the a/c off (save some $$$ on THAT bill) Temps in her viv haven't changed for the most part but when it's lights off it's getting cooler outside, thus cooler in the room where her viv is. Temps in the evenings lately are in the mid 50's - that's a LOT cooler than we've had.

I'm thinking since the bulb is on it's last month here (or will be soon) that that is what might be making her not want to eat as much. She's just too young to go thru brumation from what I've read/heard. She's around 7 - 8 months old, 19" in length and hovering between 344 & 356 grams). She's still perky but sleeps in longer and seems to want to go to bed earlier so I've already adjusted her lights to come on later and I'll start adjusting them to turn off earlier here soon. Hope it's just a need for a new bulb and a semi-brumation. I am NOT ready for a total ...ever! I'll miss her!

 

[mccallumpiper]

I would say that could be a lot of it for sure especially if otherwise she is acting ok. I know what you are talking about with the bed times. I am not home when she goes to sleep but I wake up in the morning and there she is awake before her lights come on just looking at me like Get up already!. I never thought about changing the time the lights go on though. I am interested to see if that helps you has she been eating on her own more?

 

[kimmie]

I would say that could be a lot of it for sure especially if otherwise she is acting ok. I know what you are talking about with the bed times. I am not home when she goes to sleep but I wake up in the morning and there she is awake before her lights come on just looking at me like Get up already!. I never thought about changing the time the lights go on though. I am interested to see if that helps you has she been eating on her own more?

No - she's still holding out on the eating issue! I thought I had a hard time getting my son to eat but this gal - sheesh! Most times I syringe feed her a mixture of babyfood chicken mixed with Critical Care and liq. calcium & water (maybe 1 cc a day). Then out of the blue she'll eat 5 supers the next day, then syringe feedings for 5 days, etc etc! She's not pooping on a regular basis either! I try to take her outside for real sun when weather/temps permit (was overcast and breezy yesterday so I didn't). She gets a bath almost every day as well. Otherwise she's as alert as can be but seems to want to sleep in more and go to bed earlier.

 

[nair88]

i've heard several people say that they've noticed that the bulbs start really decreasing in uvb output around month 5. so that could definitely have something to do with it.

 

[kimmie]

Well new tubes were ordered. I ordered 2 - one to switch out now and one for later. Hopefully that does it and she snaps out of her "phase"

 

[kimmie]

WOOHOO looking online, looks as though my new tubes will arrive Thursday!

Angie's still alert, but has sworn off all food it seems. I can barely get her to eat from the syringe now. I've adjusted the timer so her lights are on for 12 hrs only and depending on how the new tube does for her, I might start cutting the time back a little more. She is still pooping, maybe every other day if that much and it's small (as compared to her NORMAL ones that looked like a small puppy was poo'ing in there).

 

[mccallumpiper]

Hey Kimmie

Can you take her outside for some sun? That might help until the lights get there. Sounds like that is basically the issue. You said she was tested and was free of parasites right?

 

[fez09]

I had the same thing happen last year and I ended up replacing the Reptisun a month early and it solved Belle's eating problems...I hope it works for Angie! Have you tried hornworms??

 

[Trogdorpheus]

It could be the reptisun, but you should still consider a partial brumation. It's rare, but possible for one that young to partially brumate. Especially considering yours is so physically mature, I wouldn't rule it out.

 

[kimmie]

I do take her outside daily (when weather & time permit). She likes it most times. Sometimes she hunkers down too. Took her out Sunday and something scared her (not sure what 'cause there was NOTHING around) and she took off running. DAMN they run fast! :lol: But she was stopped by the retaining wall in front of our front porch. Glad she went that direction, other would have been to the soybean fields.

She was tested every which way and then some and with 2 fecals both coming back negative. Labs fine as well. She's gone up/down in weight (which I can understand losing but not sure the gaining when she's barely eating) by maybe 10 grams. So for the most part, hovering around 356 grams.

I'm hoping it's the Reptisun needing replaced but if it is a partial brumation, guess I'll deal with that as well. Guess that would mean she'd be doing this partial crap until Spring? I might need the rubber room after that! :lol: She is a big girl for being so young. Then again, I'm not sure how old she is either. Got her from Petsmart mid April (she was maybe 6") and now she's 19" They don't feed them much there so it's possible she was a little older than what I'm guesstimating she was - I was thinking maybe 2 - 3 months old when I got her.

Otherwise, she's fine, alert, doesn't seem to want to be in her basking spot much lately. Many times I'll find her laying under her leaves by her branch on the floor of her viv (usually in front of the plexiglass meaning she wants out also).

 

[kimmie]

I'm NOT getting my hopes up, but Angie ate 3 supers this morning! I'm hoping with the replacing of her UV tube, that maybe that was it and that she's not going thru a semi-brum since she's under a year old! Time will tell!

 

[EmpNortonII]

Croaker started to slow down a bit last week, kinda like that. Being the fool that I am, it never occurred to me until today that lower temperatures outside/in my room would lower the temp of his basking spot. I adjusted it, and he's as bright-eyed and hungry as ever.

 

[kimmie]

Well she's still not out of the woods or back to her normal self just yet. I wanted to take her outside for some natural UV but it was a crappy rainy kind of day and the sun didn't come out until later on. I did get some food syringed into her and afterwards she made a dash to come down to the doors. I put a super on the floor in front of her and she gave it that cock-eyed look and ate it. I gave her 2 more - she didn't want the 4th one, so that's 3 again for yesterday.

With the a/c being off in the house now 'cause it's cooler, adjusting the basking light has been fun. It's on a dimmer and sometimes it's adjusted so low it doesn't even come on. DS had to bump it up a nudge to get it to come on. Only pitfall of it being HUMID outside w/o the ac on inside is that her VIV humidity levels have been climbing. Don't know what to do about that but hopefully it will adjust back down soon.

I'm hoping this is a start to her coming back around so I can try offering her a dubia (when I can get my DD to handle them as I can't). I haven't even LOOKED at my colony to see how many but I know they are breeding like mad! When I can see the egg crates move, I know there are a LOT of adults in there! :lol: I might have to sell off some of my adults if she doesn't start eating normally soon!