Stressed beardie?

[SashaH]

I have a lot of questions lately. Today I changed Snizzard's paper (I use kraft paper as his substrate) but I did it differently than usual. Normally I have my husband hold him and I lay the paper roll on top of the viv to cut it size and then take everything out and change paper and replace everything. But today my husband wasn't home so I had to do everything with him inside the viv or in a landry basket beside me. But ever since he's been unlike himself, didn't want a bath, antisocial, he's got stress marks all over his belly and his colour is very dark.
Is it possible that something so small upset him this much?

As I was writing this he was laying under the fleece blanket on my lap and his colour came back. I can't check the stress marks though because I don't want to disturb him. Are beardies really that dramatic or did I miss something?

 

[herpfreak]

Small things can definitely upset them. If you're sure he wasn't physically hurt at that time, I wouldn't worry about it. It may have something to do with hormones. Just about now dragons are starting to come out of brumation and look for mates. How old is he?

 

[SashaH]

I don't know his exact age as he is a rescue, but in the area of 10 months. After he snuggled in with me his colour came back and stress marks did go away. I was thinking he may have been upset because I didn't let him fall asleep on my the night before. I know he wasn't hurt though.

 

[SashaH]

The stress marks are back now. He only ate 4 butter worms and 5 crickets this morning,

 

[Stac561]

Were the stress marks visible right from when he woke up?
Reason I ask is my beardie likes to wake up on his own, if I turn on the lights before he feels he should be up, the rest of the day he'll have stress marks and be grumpy unless he decides to forgive me when I take him out later after breakfast basking time. Mine is about 8 months old. Spoiled little guy :lol: But I agree with herpfreak above, small things upset them they don't take well to change at all, so as long as he was not hurt don't sweat it. Who knows he could have been mad that he wasn't held by your husband like normal during his viv cleaning time hehe

As for the eating i'm having the same problem with my little guy. I have been giving him baby food with his calcium in it to make sure he gets it daily and his vit the two days a week. He's also been having gatoraid a clear fruit flavor to hydrate him and some baths. If he's not eating make sure you keep him hydrated. Does he eat his greens?
You can maybe try to switch up his live feeders see if he's got an intrest in something else?

 

[SashaH]

He's sleeping with a death grip on my right hand so excuse the typing. He eats his greens about once a week, but I mist the silk plants in his viv and he tends to drink off those. I don't remember if he woke up with them or not. He woke up with them this morning though.

 

[Stac561]

The best way i've been told to check for hydration is his urates, if they are hard then he's not getting enough fluids. I know playing with his urates does not sound fun, but something you should always keep track of. I pick Landens out and check them every time he goes unless it looks like he went a couple hours earlier.
I know you don't know the exact age of him but he only eats his greens once a week? Are you offering them daily? I know they are more on live at this point if the age is around right, 80% live 20% greens and once a week does not sound like 20% greens. Also what are you offering for greens?
I have heard some good things and bad things about misting in the viv. I know you are not misting him but extra moisture in the viv gives the room for the humidity to rise which in turn could lead to more serious things. Do you monitor the humidity?

 

[SashaH]

For greens he gets offered a variety of lettuces and veggies daily. Today was romaine, yesterday was oak leaf lettuce. He was also offered green grapes, green beans and blueberries today. He's kept in a flexarium so i don't imagine wet silk leaves are going to affect the humidity all that much, but no I don't monitor it. I do offer veggies and greens daily.

 

[Stac561]

With the flexarium make sure he's getting the proper temps that's all
The romaine that you're giving is not the best choice. Here's a feeding website if you'd like to check it out. It gives you the break down of what is in everything as well as what to feed and how often alot of people here use it.
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html
How's he doing today any stress marks?

 

[SashaH]

Thank you for that site!
Today he has no stress marks, he's actually a beautiful colour, but he's turning his nose up to crickets and only wanting butterworms, which is gonna get pricey(they are 50 cents a piece here)!

 

[Stac561]

That's good that he's got his normal beardie looks hehe
I am having the exact same problem butters are 12 for $5 although someone just linked me a site I think i'm going to try out it would be cheaper. He's got some supers that he loves now but they're new to him so slowly getting him into those making sure they're dusted. I still have hope with the crickets though as I do have a large amount left, so I hope to get him to finish them up.
His butters were supposed to be a treat, apparently he thinks otherwise :lol:

 

[SashaH]

That's why I buy the butters too. He's hunting his crickets now, normally i feed him one at a time, but today he just wants nothing to do with me.

 

[Stac561]

Just and independent, "I don't need my mommy!" day...give me my butters and leave slave haha
They sure can have quite the attitudes on them that's for sure.
Oh well maybe tomorrow he'll be in a better mood

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Yea seems he may have been a lil stressed as well!!!!



Lance

 

[SashaH]

He was spazzing all over climbing his walls and I reached in and took him out and now he's asleep on me. He only wants me when it's convenient for him lol!